Quick thoughts on the Tourney

The following is a few thoughts that went through my head while filing my bracket for the 2012 NCAA Tournament.  Admittedly, I haven’t watched as much college basketball as I usually do, but I pay enough attention to have formed a few opinions.

I’m picking Kentucky to win it this year.  This is solely based on the thought that John Calipari is due to have a season worth vacating.  Both Memphis and UMass can attest to that.

I wonder how many brackets had eraser marks following the news of Syracuse’s Fab Melo being ruled ineligible.   It will be interesting to see if the Orangemen can rally against the early-exit predictions.  Everyone seems to forget how deep Syracuse is and the fact that Melo missed some games during the regular season due to poor academics.  I originally put them in the championship game and decided not to change it, because they have just as much of a shot at making it as any other team, even without one of their big men.

As a fan of the Missouri Tigers, I am happy to say that this is the first time I believe they truly have a shot at winning it all.  My heart is putting them in the final four (and even on the champion line on my non-money bracket).  The reality is that there are a lot of obstacles in the way.  Florida poses a scary threat in the second round (I refuse to refer to the play-in games as the first round).  If the get past the Gators, Marquette is likely to follow and then Michigan State.  Missouri’s guards are top-notch, but their depth inside is a little lacking.  If a team can get the two big men in foul trouble, Missouri is very beatable.

My final member of the final four is North Carolina.  I think they have the easiest path to the final four.  Kansas, Georgetown and Michigan could all have early exits in that region.

Of the other contenders, Duke has an easy path to the Sweet Sixteen.  Potential second round opponents, Notre Dame and Xavier, are terrible.  After that the competition greatly increases with possible matchups with either Baylor or UNLV and then Kentucky.  I don’t believe Duke is deep enough for a title run. 

Ohio State and Michigan State are both solid, but I just don’t trust the Big Ten.  Tom Izzo and the Spartans are always tough to beat  this time of year.

Some are giving a lot of credit to Vanderbilt and Florida State since they each won their conference tournaments.  Vanderbilt struggles to get out of the first round every year.  Every time I watched Florida State play this year, I couldn’t explain how they even stay in games, let alone win any.

I didn’t pick too many crazy upsets, but usually there is one team that comes out of nowhere.  The Butler Bulldogs were in the finals two years in a row, proving anything can happen in March.

~Brad