And Then There Were Four

There are four teams left in college basketball, but only one will come back home with being able to say that they won the 2011 National Title. The two powerhouses, UCONN and Kentucky, will battle for a spot in the title game. In the other side of the bracket, you have the Cinderella Story VCU, facing off with the up and rising Butler Bulldogs. I will start breaking down the UCONN/Kentucky matchup first. In this contest, you have two teams with a historic past. Both teams have coaches that will do whatever they can to win. Both teams have underrated defenses. In the end, I like Kentucky to get the win. In the Butler/VCU battle, you have two of the best young coaches. They will use whatever they can to motivate their team. Butler will have to stop VCU three point shooting in order to move on. I love what Shaka Smart has done for his team, but it will come to an end on Saturday. In the title I have Butler redeeming itself over Kentucky. There are lots of questions remaining. Who will rise to the occasion? Who will fall? Down below are the tip-off times.

Final Four Tip Off Times

VCU v.s. Butler 6:09 ET

UCONN v.s. Kentucky 8:49 ET

Lucky Eights

This is what March Madness is all about. We are down to eight teams. In the East bracket, you got Kentucky and North Carolina in Newark. I like the Wildcats in this one. I had them to go to the Final Four and I am staying with it. They really just outplayed Ohio State last night. In ht e Southwest bracket, you have David and Goliath. Kansas will end VCU's streak. They have the physical edge. I do tip my hat off to Shaka Smart and what VCU has done in this tourney. Out in the West region, I really do like this Arizona team. They are physical and can nail down threes. That is why I have them moving on. In the Southeast, I have Butler moving on over Florida. Shelvin Mack will have the game of his life. Florida won't be able to handle the Bulldogs. Four teams will be on their way to Houston, while four others will be packing their bags.

Breaking News

Earlier today, Tennessee fired Bruce Pearl. After they got blown out by 30 points to Michigan on Friday, they decided to make a move in the coaching staff. Friday was also Pearl's birthday. He was 145-61 as a coach of the Volunteers. After lying to NCAA officials about recruiting violations, Tennessee decided to give him the boot. If I was a coach looking for a job, Tennessee would be one of the main spots on my radar. What is the next move for the Volunteers? Hey, don't worry Tennessee fans, you still have Pat Summit and the Lady Vols.

Stuck in a Pitt

#1 seeded Pittsburgh was knocked off yesterday versus #8 seeded Butler. It was the craziest finish I have seen in my lifetime. If you have not seen the ending take a look:
Butler vs. Pittsburgh insane ending, Last second free throws, 2011 March Madness ...
As you can see, after Shelvin Mack fouled Gilbert Brown, there was a little trash talking from Mack to Brown. When Brown missed his second free throw, Nasir Robinson made a big mistake as he fouled Matt Howard. Howard has won the game for Butler twice this NCAA Tournament. Remember, he had the buzzer beater to beat Old Dominion. Butler will meet Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen. Do you know what this reminds me of? The Knicks/Pacers game when Reggie Miller had eight points in 26 seconds. For all of you people who watched that game, you witnessed the most insane college basketball game of the decade. You will not see a crazier ending in college basketball for a long time. My heart goes out to Nasir Robinson and his family.

Spider Man!

The Richmond Spiders have clinched a spot in the Sweet 16 when they beat Morehead State earlier today. I find it special because my step uncle, Rich Rasor, died on March 30th, 2010. He was a huge college hoops fan. Today, his birthday, he was looking down on the Spiders. Richmond will face the winner of the Kansas/Illinois matchup. Let's see if the Spiders can keep their streak alive.

32 Down, 32 to Go

The Second Round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament was usual. You got your occasional upsets and buzzer beaters, nothing much. The big shocker was the Morehead St/Louisvillie game. Morehead St. got their first win versus Louisville since 1957. Later that day, Richmond shocked Vanderbilt. I was watching the game with a lot of Richmond fans, so it was hard for me to root for the team I picked. On day two, it was pretty normal. George Mason got a big win over Villanova. Washington escaped Georgia. To wrap the night up, VCU upset the Georgetown Hoyas by 18! All that brings us here to today. Let's see if the Third Round is just as exciting as the Second Round.

Let's Dance [March Madness Preview]

March Madness is a day away.The whole bracket is different from years before. As you well know, they added four more teams to the tournament. This means they created a new round of eight teams, and they all play one game for a chance to move on to the second round. It is called the First Four. Here is my analysis for the tourney:

Teams To Watch

Xavier [ #6 Seed, 24-7, First Game: Marquette]

Region: East Notable Teams in East Region: Ohio State, Syracuse, North Carolina

Star Player: Tu Holloway

Washington [ #7 Seed, 23-10, First Game: Georgia, PAC 10 Champions]

Region: East Notable Teams in East Region: Ohio State, Syracuse, North Carolina

Star Player: Isiaih Thomas

Cincinnati [#6 Seed, 25-8, First Game: Missouri]

Region: West Notable Teams in West Region: Duke, San Diego State, UCONN

Star Player: Yancy Gates

Upset Alert

#13 Oakland over #4 Texas

# 12 Utah State over #5 Kansas State

#14 Wofford over #3 BYU

Players To Watch

Tu Holloway [Xavier]

Isiaih Thomas [Washington]

Derrick Williams [Arizona]

Terrence Jones [Kentucky]

Billy White [SDSU]

Check back in every day to see my picks and more!

Invitation Saturday

Today is Invitation Saturday. At 6:00, Kansas will face off with Texas in the Big 12 Championship. Kansas will get their revenge on the Longhorns. The west has a few conference title games of their own, too. In the PAC 10, Isaiah Thomas' Washington Huskies will battle Derrick Williams' Arizona Wildcats. They split the season series. This time the Huskies will get the win. At 7:00, Kawhi Leonard will lead his San Diego State team to a victory over BYU and Jimmer. To wrap this Saturday off, Louisville will be crowned the Big East Champions. This just in, Douglas Davis sent Princeton to the NCAA Tournament with a shot at the buzzer.
M Dog's Picks
Championship Week: 10-12
Overall Record: 28-25

Semifinals Action

Tonight is the Big East Tournament semifinals. To start the night off, I like Syracuse to get the win over UCONN. Brandon Triche will step up. Louisville and Notre Dame will battle on primetime. Louisville will get the upset over the Fighting Irish. The Cardinals can't let Ben Hansborough have catch-and-shoot situations in order to win.
M Dog's Picks
Championship Week: 9-11
Overall Record: 27-24

Thrillers in Times Square

Today is the start of the Big East Quarterfinals. I think this will be one of the best days in the tournament. At noon, Pittsburgh will battle with UCONN. Brad Wannamaker will be outstanding. The Panthers will overpower the Huskies. Syracuse will come out firing and beat St. John's. Cincinnati will go at it with Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are remarkably nonathletic. The Bearcats strength will be too much for the Irish. At 9:00, Louisville and Marquette will face off. I like the Cardinals to send the Marquette Golden Eagles back home to Wisconsin.
M Dog's Picks
Regular Season: 20-15
Championship Week: 3-5
Overall Record:23-20

Hurricane Johnny Still in the Forecast

God was definitely looking down on St. John's this afternoon. The Red Storm got the win over Rutgers 65-63 thanks to the referees. I was actually at the Garden for the first half of this game. Here is the whole scene.
Controversial Ending Of St. Johns/Rutgers Big East Tournament 3/9
As you just saw, it was clear that Justin Bromlee traveled, stepped out of bounds, and threw the ball up into the air, which should be a technical foul. The refs were bad all day, from beginning to end. The Big East apologized to Mike Rice and the whole Rutgers fan base. That is the nation's best college basketball conference in a nutshell.

Round Two

After going 1-3 with my picks for the first round of the Big East Tournament, I am back to redeem myself. At noon, Georgetown will face off with UCONN. The Hoyas hope to end their three game losing streak. I like Georgetown to settle down and get the big win. Rutgers and St. John's will battle. I have the Red Storm to really come out firing. Cincinatti and South Florida will play after last night's thrilling win by the Bulls. As much as I want South Florida to win, I have to go with the most underrated team in the Big East, which is Cincinatti. USF will just be too tired. The Golden Eagles and the Mountaineers will go at it in primetime. West Virginia, another underrated team will get the win over Buzz Williams' team. After yesterday's madness let's see if the Second Round can top it.
M Dog's Picks
First Round of the Big East Tournament: 1-3
Overall Record: 21-18

Big Ten Tourney

The Big Ten Tournament will start Thursday in Indianapolis. To kick it off, Northwestern will square off with Minnesota. I like the #9 seed Minnesota to take it. Michigan State will keep their bubble hopes alive when they face Iowa. Penn State will get a win over Indiana. Penn State is my sleeper team in this tourney. Michigan and Illinois will go at it in the second round. Dexter McCamey will lead the Fighting Illini to a victory. The Big Ten's format is different than some other conferences. Two teams get a bye but they know who they are going to play, in this case Michigan anf Illinois. I am now 22-21 with my picks. Hopefully I can stay above .500 this Championship Week.

Big East Layout

Championship Week is finally here! All the different tournaments wrapped up in a week. The largest tournament, the Big East, starts on Tuesday. UCONN kicks it off with Depaul at noon. I have to go with the Huskies. In the Seton Hall/Rutgers battle I think Jeremy Hazell and the Pirates will overpower the Scarlet Knights. At 7:00, Villanova will escape a test versus South Florida. To end Tuesday off, I like Marshon Brooks to step up for Providence and get the upset over Marquette. This will move the Golden Eagles back on the bubble. Come back on Tuesday night for my picks and analysis on the second round.

M Dog's Picks

Regular Season Record: 20-15

Now or Never

It all comes down to this weekend. It is the last weekend of the college basketball regular season. Besides the conference tournaments, today is the last day to make a final surge. There are a couple Big East battles. Louisville will end their regular season on a high note versus West Virginia. I like Pittsburgh to defend their home court when they play Villanova. On primetime, Texas and Baylor will fight it out. Baylor will get the big win to improve their resume. I do believe that Texas is a overrated. In the biggest rivalry in college basketball, I like North Carolina to get a statement win over Duke at home. It looks like it all comes down to this for some teams.

M Dog's Picks

Last Week: 2-3

Overall Record: 18-13

Expiration Date

Today is the day that everybody has had marked on their calenders. Well really it was yesterday. After the 24 hour delay with the NFL labor dispute, tonight is the deadline. Sources say that the NFLPA offered to push the deadline back a day or two. This is basically a battle between the rich and the richer. The deadline expires today at 11:59 PM. We can only bear to watch how this one plays out.

Bracketology

With Selection Sunday only 9 days away, it is now or never if you are on that bubble. It is that time of year when you are really talking about all the different seeds and who's in and who's out. Some parts in my bracketology might get you wondering.

Last 4 In First 4 Out

Nebraska Boston College

Alabama Michigan

St. Mary's Clemson

Colorado Wichita State

1# Seeds

Team Region Conference

Kansas East Big 12

Duke Southwest ACC

Pitt Southeast Big East

Purdue West Big 10

As you can see, I don't think that the ACC is that strong beyond UNC and Duke. The most underrated conference in America is the Big 12. There is a lot of chaos each week and Nebraska and Colorado have caused a whole bunch of it. I think my #1 seeds were predictable except Purdue. If you look at it closely, they are 1 game behind Ohio State and they split the season series. If Ohio State slips, they get a share of the Big 10 regular season conference championship. They are the hottest team in college basketball even over St. John's. If it plays out like I have it doing, no regions will affect a team. Now some teams only hope is their conference tournament. With only one more Saturday left in the regular season, there are still lots of questions. Which team can get over the hump? Will Brandon Davies effect BYU that bad? It all comes down to the NCAA Committee.