Let the Madness Begin

[elSicomoro]

The conference tournaments have been played, people prayed, and the NCAA has spoken.

HOORAY FOR MARCH MADNESS!!!

Given that sports IS entertainment, I figured this to be the spot for an NCAA tournament thread.

The format: The top seeded teams get to play their first few games close to home. I think it will work to their advantage, particularly for Maryland (playing only 20 minutes from home at the MCI Center in Washington).

Some of the lower-seeded teams luck out as well: Tulsa and Valparaiso (both playing in St. Louis), Southern Illinois and Murray State (both playing in Chicago), Hampton (playing in Washington), and Winthrop and Charlotte (playing in Greenville, SC).

My personal faves: Of course, Maryland, Missouri, and Illinois are in. No real surprise there. Penn played a great game last night, easily taking the Ivy League. And I'm pleasantly surprised that UI-Chicago and UC-Santa Barbara are in as well.

The seedings: I'm not overly surprised, with the exception of Gonzaga. Then again, I haven't watched basketball a whole heck of a lot this year.

Possible upsets: Missouri could knock off Miami. BC could take Texas. And Penn could upset California. My personal hope for this tournament: I hope either UI-Chicago or Holy Cross pull off miraculous upsets.

Final four: I'm actually going to go with the number one seeds--all four of them. Kansas over Maryland. Duke over Cincinnati. Duke over KU in the final. (I hate Duke and Kansas, but I concede their awesome power.)