How can I help you ask? Well I have never won a bracket pool in my life, I believe one time I came in second, so logic says that if you read this and go against my predictions you will probably do well for yourself. I filled out my bracket Tuesday without much thought and only plan on doing the ESPN Tourney Challenge this year. Without further ado...
Mormons Beware
I've decided to piss off the Kimmerites right away. My first bold prediction for the 2011 NCAA Tournament is that BYU will be upset by #14 seed Wofford in the "second" round. Ever since Brandon Davies scared basketball players across the land into thinking sex is illegal BYU has not been the same team. Davies was their top rebounder and they also don't seem to have the same swagger they had earlier in the year. I think their Jimmer dependence will come back to haunt them and cause the first major bracket shakeup of the year. (Sorry Utah, do I have to rescind my Jimmer Fan Club membership now?)
I Hate the Big 10 But...
I think 3 teams from the league will make the Sweet 16 (Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin) and one will make the Elite 8 (the Badgers). To be fair my Big 10 hatred is rooted in one game: 2000 Final Four, Michigan State 53 Wisconsin 41. In watching some Big 10 games this year it does seem like they are more willing to actually put the ball in the hoop in 2011 and not just tackle each other to keep football around the midwest all year round, but I always fear a reversion back to their old ways. So I typically keep my Final Four Big 10 free.
An Old Flame
My love affair with Gonzaga goes back about as far as my disdain for the Big 10, and it is all rooted in their cinderella run to the Regional Finals in 1999 (can't believe it was that long ago, I had to look it up). A 10 seed that year they beat Minnesota, Stanford, and Florida, before UConn decided to crush their Final Four dreams in the Elite 8 (George Mason would avenge them in 2006). Two years later they made a run to the Sweet 16 as a 12 seed and I was in love. If that still wasn't enough in 2003 they took top seeded Arizona to double overtime in the second round in an epic game falling 96-95. Because of all that I would irrationally pick Gonzaga to go deep every year and it hasn't really paid off. So Gonzaga it's over between us, I have you losing in the first round this year (Reverse Jinx?!?! I'll never tell).
I See Two Cakewalks to the Final Four...
for UConn and Florida, so they will probably be out by the end of the first weekend. UConn seems to be the hottest team in the country coming into the tournament, having won 5 games in 5 days to win the Big East Tournament. Their toughest potential game would seem to be Duke, but I have the Blue Devils going home in the Sweet 16 at the hands of Texas. Across the Bracket I have Florida matching up in the second round with Michigan State, which would have been a big game 7 years ago, followed by dates with St. John's and Wisconsin. I think St. John's will be the toughest game, but most of their magic this season seems to have occurred in MSG and I see them bowing out on Florida's road to Houston.
Top Seed Free Zone
I don't see any of the #1 seeds playing Monday night April 4 for the National Championship. In fact I only see Kansas making the Final Four, but I think Florida will be able to take them down. On the other side I see North Carolina coming out of the East and beating UConn in the Final Four. That leaves 2 seeds UNC and Florida playing for the Championship, where I think Harrison Barnes and the Tar Heels will be too much for the Gators.
So there you have it some 2011 NCAA predictions to go against this year when filling out your own brackets. And if that's not enough, below you will find my complete round by round predictions so when one miraculously comes true I can point to this and prove I did in fact call it.
East Region:
Third Round: Ohio State, Villanova, Clemson, Kentucky, Xavier, Syracuse, Washington, UNC
Sweet 16: Ohio State, Kentucky, Syracuse, UNC
Elite 8: Kentucky, UNC (UNC wins)
West Region:
Third Round: Duke, Tennessee, Arizona, Texas, Missouri, UConn, Penn State, San Diego St.
Sweet 16: Duke, Texas, UConn, Penn State
Elite 8: Texas, UConn (UConn wins)
Southwest Region:
Third Round: Kansas, UNLV, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Georgetown, Purdue, FSU, Notre Dame
Sweet 16: Kansas, Vandy, Georgetown, Notre Dame
Elite 8: Kansas, Notre Dame (Kansas wins)
Southeast Region:
Third Round: Pittsburgh, Butler, Utah State, Wisconsin, St. John's, Wofford, Michigan State, Florida
Sweet 16: Pitt, Wisconsin, St. John's, Florida
Elite 8: Wisconsin, Florida (Florida wins)
Final Four:
UNC vs Florida (UNC 74-67)
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