UConn is tough, but a lot depends on how healthy they stay. Okafor played in the BE Tourny Final against Pitt, but wasn't 100%. Villaneuava didn't play. Good thing for the Huskies is that they have so much time to recover, but if they get hurt, could make it a lot harder for the Huskies. Ben Gordon's a monster though.

My dream matchup: Pitt-UConn for the National Championship. We both took one game during the regular season, UConn won the tourney by one hoop. Pitt would be out for revenge. That would be an awesome game :)

Just put my picks in.

Sorry dani, but i had to go with Oklahoma State to beat Pitt and come out of that region :D I've got Kentucky, OSU, Duke and UConn in the FInal four, with Kentucky beating UConn to take the whole thing.

Course, like valkyre, i may change mine later. I do know that i'm not gonna pick with my heart like i did last year and pick Duke to win it all. This way, if they lose i won't be too upset, but if they win it all, i'll still be happy. We'll see if they can get past AZ in that possible second round matchup.

Mark me down with Billy Packerd of CBS as a St. Joe's hater. Yeah, you may do great against the A10, and the A10 may be a decent basketball conference, but i can't in good conscience pick them over a team that came out of the Big XII or Pitt. Especially Tech, which played the top teams in the Big XII tough.

I'm all set. let the games begin.

I am joining, and sugar and spice will be pleased to know that since my beloved Golden Eagles will be in the NIT this year instead, it's ON WISCONSIN and anybody playing Duke.

I love people who hate Duke.

this guy is my hero

http://www.biac.duke.edu/images/photos/basketball.jpg

he owns the NCAA.

Kitso
KS 361

LOL Nice. I agree.

-Rudey

dude,

i was being serious.

I have a man-crush on Coach K. The man is probably one of the greatest coaches on and off the court in the history of college basketball.

And he's a very above-average human being to. A great role model for youn coaches.

Kitso
KS 361 times he is the Yin to Bob Knight's Yang.

I'm done and in. I pick Pitt to win it all....I call a Pitt vs. Maryland final. Did you see Maryland beat NC State and Duke this weekend? Go TERPS!! I'm a huge Syracuse fan, but without Melo and Edelin, we're out in Round 2.

I agree but I also like Knight. Along with UCLA's Wooden, I am astounded by their abilities. Duke has definitely elevated K to celebrity status and I think he deserves it.

-Rudey

Rudey & Aggie, you both need to go read why Geek is Chic in SI this month. They go on about Coach K and Jim Boeheim and how they're so dorky, but everyone loves em. It's a great article...I think there's also a bit about Childress from Stanford.

I didn't say i don't like Bobby Knight, just he and Coach K's reputations are polar opposites.

However, for all the flack around Bobby K, his graduation rates at Indiana were always good and he has re-energized the program at Tech. I think you've got to be a mentally tough individual to play for Bobby, and if you're mentally tough, he can get you to excel physically.

I'd love to have him or Coach K patrolling the sidelines at my alma mater, i don't think you could go wrong. I would choose Coach K though, he has had more recent success than Bobby.

Kitso
KS 361 times i'd let my son play for either, but chances are if he's my kid, he's not gonna have the skillz to play past 9th grade

I'll check it out. I think Stanford holds some strange title like all the players graduate in 4 years...or they all graduate and no other school can claim that. I'm impressed by things like that.

I wonder what the stats are on hot schools like gonzaga and st joe.

Now if we want to talk about a bad coach, I'd nominate Minnesotta's Haskins.

-Rudey

Bad coach = Jim Harrick, hands down!

Lol . I agree. He did too much illegal crap to try to make Georgia win and the fans care about something more than football.