Wednesday

Wednesday.
The day before round two, on the eve of separating the contenders from the pretenders.
While 16 teams play, a win on the second Thursday or Friday leaves you a legitimate contender for the NCAA tournament. Since my bracket has been crumpled up in a ball in the bottom of trashcan since Saturday afternoon, I am going to take a crack at picking the sweet 16. Is it fair to call me a certified bracketologist if I pick all 8 correct? Probably not, but since I run a sports blog I am going to take a crack at it anyway.
Southern Illinois vs. Kansas
This one seems easy, Kansas has that look in its eye right now and I don’t think the Salukis are going to get in the way of the eye. Kansas is a contender.
Butler vs. Florida
Since the Bulldogs needed an offensive foul call from heaven to beat Maryland, I am going to have to write them off as a pretender. Surprise, surprise, but the defending champs are the contender.
Georgetown vs. Vanderbilt
I don’t think either of these teams are contenders for the title, but since Roy Hibbert is still 7-2 and they have a Ewing on the floor and a Thompson on the bench, I have to go with them as the contender. Of course I also had Washington State over them in this game in my bracket, so shows how much I know. But hey, at least I hope I can say BC lost because they ran into the eventual champ and not because Sean Williams has a particular affection for the marijuana.
USC vs. North Carolina
This seems natural right? UNC all the way right? I think that USC is the contender, they have the size to match up to NC, plus all it takes is one good elbow under the basket for Hansborough to be done. USC is a contender
UNLV vs. Oregon
I know everybody is talking about this, but I still can’t believe that UNLV point guard Kevin Kruger played for Arizona State last year and was allowed to play an extra year at a different school because of some freak anti NBA rule in college basketball that was intact for only a short period of time. He already graduated from ASU, so the dude is smart. Sure, Oregon is as hot as anybody right now, but I can’t get over those yellow unis and the fact that Akili Smith went there. I think UNLV is the contender.
Memphis vs. Texas A&M
As a side note, I got to mention that one of my buddies Brennan picked Texas A&M Corpus Christi to go to the sweet 16 over Wisconsin and UNLV, because he thought it was the A&M with Acie Law and Dominique Kirk. Thinking about it, he almost got that pick right, actually and besides, who am I to laugh? I had Duke in the elite 8. No confusion here however, Texas A&M College Station is the contender.
Ohio State vs. Tennessee
This isn’t a game of great teams; it’s a game of coaching philosophies. Oden and Ohio State are here thanks to the fact that Xavier coach Sean Miller did not employ the heartless Bruce Pearl approach to the end of game situations. Pearl fouled three up with a less than 10 seconds, Sean Miller did not. Bruce Pearl is in the round of 16, Sean Miller is not. Bruce Pearl and the Tennessee Volunteers are contenders.
UCLA vs. Pitt
This game does not excite me in the least. UCLA was horrid in the first half against Indiana (not as horrid as Indy though!!) and Pitt needed OT to defeat VCU. I know VCU had Eric Maynor, but all Pitt has is Aaron Gray and some other mediocre players that I can’t name. The point to get here is that UCLA is the contender.
Thanks for waiting for the post, I promise there will be another this week. Thanks to all the loyal readers, the occasional readers, and the first time readers.

Dave