Perhaps the name comes from the actual intensity of the games, especially as teams get closer to the Final Four. Everyone elevates their game to a different level as they begin to feel a trip to the Final Four is within their grips. This makes for some incredible, even unpredictable, basketball. Certainly seems like a source of "madness" to me.
Well, those two theories would be wrong. The real reason we refer to the NCAA Tournament as "March Madness" is because this time of the year drives me absolutely insane. It's like my brain can't handle this much competitive basketball in such a short period of time. Throw in the fact that I'm wagering money on my ability to predict all these games, and I'm basically transported to another world from the middle of March to the end of the first week of April.
Conventional wisdom says that when you've got a whole bunch of crazy being shacked up inside of you, the best course is to tread lightly, er, I mean let it out. Sorry about that, I couldn't help myself. Anyway, I'm doing everyone reading this a favor by expunging myself of all my college basketball-related craziness. You're getting picks, sleepers, upsets, biased opinions, and maybe even some bad jokes if you're lucky. So basically, it's like any other post, just with less eloquent writing and more basketball jargon than you can keep up with. Sounds like a great time to me.
I'm beginning writing this about 30 minutes after the entirety of the bracket was unveiled, so the opinions and picks I have here could very possibly change by the time I lock them in as my official selections come Thursday. That being said, I consider myself as a gut-feeling type of guy, so my initial thoughts and reactions to each matchup are the ones I typically stick with. Also, I will only be breaking down the first round. After that, you're on your own. One more thing, for the most part, my opinions won't be supported by much stats. You're just going to have to take a leap of faith and believe me when I say that I watch a good deal of college basketball, and any decent game I'm not watching I'm still checking box scores and recaps. I know my stuff, even if I may not prove it with numbers and thorough research.
Without further ado, here is the most comprehensive, yet completely impromptu, NCAA Tournament guide you will be reading this week:
Midwest Region
1 Kentucky vs. 16 Manhattan/Hampton
Kentucky fans, or people who are simply on the fence about whether or not they should pick UK to win it all, will be disappointed to see that I won't go into detail about why I think Kentucky will win. This is a cakewalk for the Wildcats, and you're likely going to get this type of spiel for every 1-16 and 2-15 matchup.
The Pick: Kentucky
8 Cincinnati vs. 9 Purdue
Bearcats vs. Boilermakers - quick sidebar: anyone know what a Boilermaker is by the way? The Purdue logo shows a train, but that just seems misleading, like how the mascot of North Rockland High School (my alma mater) is a panther, yet they are called the "Red Raiders". Shout out to NoRock for being the best at confusing the shit out of everyone. Back to the matchup, Cincy is one of many offensively challenged yet defensively stout teams that are in the tourney, in fact that description can pretty much be applied to the majority of teams in college basketball today. Anyway, lone true big man Octavius Ellis should have his hands full with Purdue C A.J. Hammonds, a former top 100 recruit who is a load to handle on the block, as well as an extremely intimidating force on defense (averaged 3 blocks per game over the past two seasons). On the perimeter, both teams lack explosive scorers and knock-down shooters, so most likely this game will be won or lost at the free throw line, where Purdue holds a narrow edge in team percentage. This, along with my feeling that Hammonds outplays Ellis, is the reason I am currently leaning towards Purdue.
The Pick: Purdue
5 West Virgina vs. 12 Buffalo
One member of the CBS crew (I forget if it was Seth Davis or Doug Gottlieb) was showing some major Buffalo love as they were reviewing this region. As much as I do respect both those gentlemen's opinions, West Virginia's full court press will be too much for Buffalo to handle. In addition, Juwan Staten should be healthy enough to penetrate and get into the lane at will, while Devin Williams controls the glass down low. The Bisons, coached by Duke legend Bobby Hurley, do boast a very solid big man in Justin Moss, but I just don't see him being able to "get his" against a rough-and-tumble Mountaineer front line.
The Pick: WVU
4 Maryland vs. 13 Valparaiso
In their first year in the Big Ten, the Terrapins had their most successful season since the days of Greivis Vasquez, and its due in large part to the fact that this team doesn't rely on one player like the Vasquez squads did. The trio of Dez Wells, Melo Trimble, and Jake Layman, in addition to Evan Smotrcyz off the bench, leads a balanced Maryland attack where anyone one of those first three names can lead the team in scoring in any given game. Trimble, a true freshman, has been exceptional this season, just a notch below fellow superstar Big 10 freshman, D'Angelo Russell. This type of talent will be just too overwhelming for the Valpo Crusaders.
The Pick: Maryland
6 Butler vs. 11 Texas
Uh-oh. All those who know me or have read my previous college basketball post know that I am a Texas Longhorns fan, so there's a slight possibility of some bias coming up. However, I like to think that I'm a detached, objective college bask-...who am I kidding? I'm going Texas here because I still believe in my Horns. As recently as about a week ago (WEEK AGO), I likely would have automatically picked against Texas based on how badly they were playing throughout the Big 12 schedule. Funny thing happened though, they looked really good their last 3 games, even in the horror that was the Iowa State collapse. Texas still possesses the talent to make a legitimate run, so I'm going to stick with my boys. Butler is no easy matchup however. Kellen Dunham easily makes the 2014-2015 NCAA White Guy All-Star team, and Roosevelt Jones is a tough, versatile guard/forward type who makes plays in a variety of ways. Dunham's shooting is certainly going to give Texas trouble, but the Bulldogs simply can't match up with the plethora of Horns' big men. Hook 'em
The Pick: Texas \m/
3 Notre Dame vs. 14 Northeastern
Much to my father's chagrin, the Irish might hang 100 on Northeastern, as ND is most likely the best shooting team in the nation. Pat Connaughton, Demetrius Jackson, and, most importantly, Jerian Grant are high-impact players who put the ball in the basket at a high clip. Grant is the centerpiece of the team though. If he catches fire a la Shabazz Napier last year, the Irish could be looking at a deep tourney run despite their complete lack of any real big men not named Zach Auguste.
The Pick: Notre Dame
7 Wichita State vs. 10 Indiana
An extremely intriguing matchup. Wichita lost its crown as top mid-major this season to the same team that dethroned the Shockers in their own conference, Northern Iowa (more on them later). Minus Garbage-time King of New York Cleanthony Early, Wichita carries over much of the same major contributors that led the team to the Final Four just two years ago. Fred Van Vleet, Ron Baker, and Tekele Cotton are an extremely formidable backcourt, and they certainly carry the load for the Shockers. The Hoosiers are back in the tourney after a one-year hiatus, and 3rd-best-freshman-guard-in-the-Big-10 James Blackmon Jr. has teamed with incumbent point guard Yogi Ferrell to make up a feisty tandem. Both shoot the ball well as well as get to the line. Ferrell is the X-factor here, if he can play a complete game with limited turnovers, Indiana stands a good chance. Personally, I'm not banking on this, which is why I'm going with the Shockers.
The Pick: Wichita State
2 Kansas vs. 15 New Mexico State
Even if the NCAA allowed former NMSU Aggie Sim Bhullar to suit up, Kansas would still roll over them. Despite being bounced early last year even with Andrew Wiggins, Kansas is a good bet to win a couple games this time around.
The Pick: Kansas
West Region
1 Wisconsin vs. 16 Coastal Carolina
National Player of the Year co-favorite Frank Kaminsky could probably sit this one out and the Badgers would still win by 20+. Wisconsin looks even scarier than they did last year. Watch out.
The Pick: Wisconsin
8 Oregon vs. 9 Oklahoma State
This just feels like the annual 8-9 matchup that look so easy to pick yet I always pick wrong. Oregon is the better team, led by Joseph Young, a highly efficient scorer/shooter, while Ok. St. seems to be over seeded as a 9, plus they haven't looked so great leading into the tournament. Yet I have this terrible feeling that the Cowboys will somehow get the W. Not enough for me to actually pick them, but enough for me to be completely unsurprised if the Ducks lay an egg come game time.
The Pick: Oregon
5 Arkansas vs. 12 Wofford
Wofford is likely to garner some attention as a possible upset here, and I do see the angle for that argument. That being said, I'm taking the Razorbacks. Bobby Portis is a future NBA power forward, and at the college game, he dominates the low post against any non-Kentucky big man he faces. Wofford has essentially no size, and the extra bodies they're going to be forced to throw at Portis will open up the floor for guys like Michael Qualls and Anthlon Bell to create shots for themselves. This ain't the Southern conference, Wofford. They just don't make 'em like Bobby Portis where you come from.
The Pick: Arkansas
4 North Carolina vs. 13 Harvard
Harvard lives for this. Last year, the Ivy League champs knocked off the 5-seed Cincinnati. The year before that they upset a New Mexico squad that, if I remember correctly, had slated to make it to the Elite Eight. If UNC hadn't impressed me as much as they have during the ACC tournament, I very well might have taken Harvard. But I am not, because Marcus Paige is one of those classic guards who carries his team during the tournament. Plus, complimentary guys such as Kennedy Meeks, Brice Johnson, and J.P. Tokoto seem to be finding their rhythm as well. Go Heels
The Pick: UNC
6 Xavier vs. 11 BYU/Ole Miss
Barring both BYU and Ole Miss looking terrible in their play-in game, I'm leaning toward taking the winner to top Xavier. In my opinion, Xavier is an overrated team that could possibly greatly struggle containing either BYU's Tyler Haws or the Ole Miss combo of Jarvis Summers and Stefan Moody. I'm hoping BYU beats Ole Miss so I'll feel more confident in this pick, but I could still see Ole Miss beating Xavier. I recommend waiting until after it is decided who Xavier's opponent will be to pick this matchup, but my feeling is that Xavier will not be able to defeat either prospective challenger.
The Pick: BYU (hopefully)/Ole Miss (begrudgingly)
3 Baylor vs. 14 Georgia State
Oh man I wish Georgia State could have been a 13 seed matched up with a weaker 4 seed like Louisville or Georgetown. I fully believe I would have pulled the trigger on the upset. R.J. Hunter and Ryan Harrow are the best backcourt you've never heard of, and they lead a high-scoring Georgia State offense that would give a lot of teams trouble. Alas, GSU got stuck with Baylor, so I'm stuck with picking the Bears. I can't lie, Baylor is playing some of its best ball right now despite losing in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. Baylor has multiple wing players who can shoot the 3, a rock solid point guard in Kenny Chery, and the best rebounder in the country in Rico Gathers.
The Pick: Baylor
7 VCU vs. 10 Ohio State
The VCU Rams simply have not been the same since point guard/leader of the Havoc defense Briante Weber went down with a torn ACL. The team still has a bevy of talent, including Treveon Graham and Melvin Johnson, but without Weber their a lost team. Don't get me wrong, their wins over Davidson and Dayton en route to an A10 Championship made me reconsider writing them off, but I'm right back to thinking this is a one-and-done team solely because of the team they got matched up against. That's right, it's D'Angelo Russell time! OSU's do-it-all guard is perhaps the best scorer in the nation, is a willing passer, and possess the size, length, and quickness to guard multiple positions. He's a top 5 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, but before that, I expect him to lead the Buckeyes to at least one NCAA Tournament win.
The Pick: Ohio State
2 Arizona vs. 15 Texas Southern
Texas Southern should consider it a win if they hit 50 points. Arizona, along with Kentucky and Virginia, fields perhaps the stingiest defense in the nation.
The Pick: Arizona
East Region
1 Villanova vs. 16 Lafayette
'Nova has 6 guys who can go off for 20 any game, and they all play very well together. Unselfish, efficient, and dominant. Wildcats look primed for a Final Four run.
The Pick: Villanova
8 NC State vs. 9 LSU
The alma mater of Nyquillus Dillwad, LSU, trots out two big men in Jordan Mickey and Jarrell Martin that are a hell of a duo to defend for any front court. NC State seems ill-prepared to handle these two, as BeeJay Anya, Abdul Malik-Abu, and Lennard Freeman lack the length and athleticism to corral the shot-swatting Mickey and the versatile Martin. Add in guards Tim Quarterman and Keith Hornsby, and you got an LSU squad that looks, to me, like an overqualified 9 seed. Anthony "Cat" Barber will keep it close for NC State, but he won't be enough to topple the Tigers.
The Pick: LSU
5 Northern Iowa vs. 12 Wyoming
You know how every year there seems to be that highly-seeded mid-major team that isn't as good as their record and hype? Well, Northern Iowa is not one of those teams. Of course, now that I framed UNI's introduction like that, Wyoming is going to upset them, but I'm going to try not to get too superstitious. Seth Tuttle should finish top 5 in National Player of the Year voting, as he is a punishing, yet skilled, forward who gets buckets whenever he wants. Wyoming needs a miracle to keep Tuttle from running rampant over their frontcourt.
The Pick: Northern Iowa
4 Louisville vs. 13 UC Irvine
UC Irvine has a 7'6" player on its roster named Mamadou N'diaye. He averages over 10 PPG, 5 RPG, and 1.7 BPG. Not mind-blowing numbers by any means, but...7'6" though. Just this fact should make you at least consider the Anteaters for the upset. Louisville is not as good as they usually are, and a better 13 seed probably could have pushed me to send the Cardinals home. Rick Pitino can still coax enough out of his team to pull out a W. I don't mess around with the ferocity of Montrezl Harrell, even if there is a 7'6" behemoth standing between him and the hoop.
The Pick: Louisville
6 Providence vs. 11 Boise State/Dayton
It doesn't matter who wins the play-in game, Providence is taking the "dub". Kris Dunn and LaDontae Henton are top-top-flight players who can ball against anyone. Boise has Derrick Marks, who is a very talented scorer in his own right, and Dayton's Jordan Sibert fills it up, as we saw last year when the Flyers made an Elite Eight run. Despite this, Providence is a team I like a lot and, frankly, you should too.
The Pick: Providence
3 Oklahoma vs. 14 Albany
Sorry, Albany. You got a great story about how you got into the tournament, and the guy who sent you there, but Oklahoma can Flat. Out. Ball. My pick for the Big 12's 3rd best team (a bigger honor than you may think) is led by Big 12 leading scorer Buddy Hield, who scared me more when Texas played him than any other player in the conference. Flanked by Jordan Woodard, Isaiah Cousins, Ryan Spangler, and Tashawn Thomas, the Sooners' starting 5 is stacked. This will be enough to roll over Albany. Oklahoma's lack of depth may hurt them in their next game, but that's for you to decide...
The Pick: Oklahoma
7 Michigan State vs. 10 Georgia
This matchup requires very little analysis, much less than the other 7-10's. Tom Izzo doesn't play around in March, and any team that can take Wisconsin to OT (even though they lost) is going to beat Georgia, who doesn't overly impress me in any one facet of the game. Sparty FTW
The Pick: Michigan State
2 Virginia vs. 15 Belmont
The Cavaliers (no, not those Cavaliers), coached by Tony Bennett (no, not that Tony Bennett), has the best scoring defense in Division I at 50.7 PPG against. Belmont has no chance.
The Pick: Virginia
South Region
1 Duke vs. 16 Robert Morris/North Florida
Duke will put up 100 on either team. Jahlil Okafor will be laughing at the opposing team's big men all the way to 25 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pick: Duke
8 San Diego State vs. 9 St. John's
Tough draw for the Red Storm. SDSU might prove to be just too damn tough on defense, and without Chris Obekpa holding down the paint for the Johnnies, I think San Diego State will be able to find easy looks around the rim, or at least easier looks than if Obekpa was there patrolling the middle. Winston Shepard is an athletic slasher that should lead the Aztecs to a win over St. John's, despite the Red Storm's two talented scoring guards, D'Angelo Harrison and Rysheed Jordan.
The Pick: SDSU
5 Utah vs. 12 Stephen F. Austin
My love for the Utes will likely be my bracket's downfall. I've yet to truly look at who Utah will be matched up against in the later rounds, but I like this team to go FAR. So obviously I have them beating SFA, though it might not be an easy win. The Lumberjacks went 29-4 this season while averaging 79.5 PPG, good for 9th in the nation. This is a talented team that will goad a decent percentage of people to pick them for the upset. Just not me.
The Pick: Utah
4 Georgetown vs. 13 Eastern Washington
Full disclosure, I have no idea about anything related to Eastern Washington. I didn't even know they won their conference. I'm hearing a couple "experts" on ESPN or CBS picking EWU over Georgetown, but more based off Georgetown's recent history of getting upset than EWU's ability to really beat them. For now, I'm going to side with the D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera and the Hoyas, but possibly, upon further research, this could be a pick that I change.
The Pick: Georgetown
6 SMU vs. 11 UCLA
The Bruins seem to have taken the title for "Most Controversial Team that made it into the Tournament", yet I can't help but think they got a real shot at defeating HOF coach Larry Brown and the Mustangs. Bryce Alford is a very good point guard, Kevon Looney is a future lottery pick, and upperclassmen like Norman Powell and Tony Parker are major contributors as well. They even have a Hamilton brother! That's gotta count for something. However, SMU is so defensively sound that at least half of the guys I just mentioned for UCLA are going to have off games. This all makes for a very difficult choice. With much hesitation, I'm going with SMU here, though, like the Ok. St.-Oregon game, I wouldn't be surprised if the team I did not pick ends up advancing.
3 Iowa State vs. 14 UAB
The Cyclones are going to rain 3's on UAB with precision that the Blazers are just not used to. Plus, Jameel McKay has been a true bruiser down low for Iowa State, which is something that they have lacked in previous years.
The Pick: Iowa State
7 Iowa vs. 10 Davidson
This looks to shape up as a highly entertaining game. Davidson's offense, led by Tyler Kalinoski, is very pleasant to watch, and Iowa's Aaron White can put the ball in the basket all over the floor, whether it's at the rim, from the outside, or at the free throw line. The difference may be in the big men, where White, Adam Woodbury, and Gabriel Olaseni form an imposing front line. Add in Jarred Uthoff, an sweet-shooting forward, and I'm just not sure if Davidson's big men will be able to hold their own. Likely high-scoring and close, but Iowa edges Davidson.
The Pick: Iowa
2 Gonzaga vs. 15 North Dakota State
The final game of the Round of 64. Gonzaga should have absolutely no problem in disposing of the Bison. Kyle Wiltjer, Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell Jr., Domantas Sabonis...the list goes on. The Zags are loaded with talented offensive players and are seeking to finally shed the label of "Most Disappointing Tourney Team".
The Pick: Gonzaga
If you're dying to find out who my Final Four/champion is, I'll tweet it out after I officially fill out my bracket. Twitter handle is @AMednick10, so be on the lookout for my picks. Thanks for reading, and good luck with your brackets!
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