You don’t need me telling you how to fill out a losing NCAA bracket. There are plenty of people getting paid to do exactly that. At ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! Sports, CBSSportsline, Fox Sports, Sporting News (particularly its AccuScore simulation)… you get the picture.
But for what it’s worth, here’s what I came up with after an hour of surfing the Internet.
Final Eight: Louisville v. Kansas; Memphis v. Connecticut; Duke v. Florida State; and Oklahoma v. North Carolina.
Final Four: Louisville, Memphis, Duke and Oklahoma.
Final: Memphis over Oklahoma.
Why Memphis? No, not because the Tigers beat Tulsa by 25 in the Conference USA tourney final.
But too many people have dismissed Memphis out of hand because of its weak schedule. In doing so, they’ve failed to see just how good the Tigers have been since putting Tyreke Evans at point guard. They’ve won 25 straight since then, including victories at Tennessee and Gonzaga.
Moreover, Memphis’ team defense is sick. Remember, they were a free throw away from winning it all last year, and coach John Calipari says his team’s defense has actually improved. Seriously, you need a GPS system just to find the lane against them. But don’t take my word for it. Watch for yourself over the next few weeks.
The Tigers really are that good. It’s just that nobody’s noticed yet. That will change.
Marquette: Every year, one or two big-name teams claim an unwanted tag. The national punditry piles on and picks them to lose in a first-round upset. And this year, the tag’s stuck on Marquette.
But there’s good news for the Eagles. The punditry’s usually wrong, and that team ends up in the Sweet 16.
Marquette will not lose to Utah State. And not just because Yahoo! did a nice profile on Jerel McNeal. The Eagles regained credibility in the Big East Tournament, and the guess here is that they’ve regained some confidence, too.
In the second round, the Eagles likely will get Missouri, which looks like a paper Tiger. Missouri loves to run and gun, and one thing Marquette can still do is run. Moreover, the Tigers have been suspect on the road, and Boise is definitely a road trip. Verdict: Marquette makes the Sweet 16.
Wisconsin: It’s been such a strange season for the Badgers. No real impressive victories. No definitively bad defeats. Long winning streaks. Longer losing streaks. They’re just good enough to not be bad, and with a No. 12 seed, they barely squeaked into the tourney.
The problem is, Florida State has proven itself to be rather impressive. This is a team that just beat North Carolina. And the bottom line is, Wisconsin hasn’t shown it can beat top-caliber competition. Verdict: Wisconsin loses in the first round.
Braun’s Injury
That scream you heard came from Arizona, where the Milwaukee Brewers hope for the best on Ryan Braun’s latest intercostal strain.
The ribcage injury that pretty much ruined Braun last September – well, except for a certain homer or two in the final week (never gets old, does it) – has cropped up again, this time at the World Baseball Classic.
The early word is it’s nothing serious – and contrary to an ESPN report, Brewers media relations told me Monday afternoon that Braun is not having an MRI. But when you’re dealing with a player of Braun’s stature, every little thing is serious. Because losing him for an extended period of time pretty much derails your season.
Taking a wider view, Braun’s injury is just the latest to hit Team USA. And these kinds of widespread injuries are exactly the type of thing that could stunt the WBC’s growth, or end it altogether.
Personally, I love the WBC, just like I enjoy most international competitions. And I applaud Bud Selig for bringing it about.
But I’m also not the one paying players to win baseball games for my club. And those who are may have some legitimate gripes about the WBC.
It just seems like holding the WBC in spring training, when players just don’t have their bodies in game shape, may not be a long-term solution. If the WBC is to get bigger and better, playing after the MLB season might be the way to go. Maybe even in conjunction with the MLB playoffs, which would exempt players from the top eight teams, but give fans of other teams an extra reason to stay tuned to the sport.
Peter’s Picks
Staying with the Brewers, don’t look for any predictions of Milwaukee greatness coming from Peter Gammons.
Speaking with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on Sirius Mad Dog Radio, Gammons said he had serious doubts about the Brewers’ chances of contending without CC Sabathia or Ben Sheets.
“It’s asking an awful lot,” said the dean of baseball analysts.
Adding insult to injury, Gammons said he liked the Cubs to make the World Series.
Front-row Seats?
Love this picture. It shows some front-row seats at the new billion-dollar Yankee Stadium. Only without the front row. Must have been installed by a Red Sox fan.
Mystery Bucks
When Milwaukee lost to New York on March 10, I figured that was all she wrote for the Bucks’ postseason hopes. You’re either a team that can beat the New York Knicks on your own court, or you’re a team that won’t go to the playoffs. It’s that simple.
But what happens if that same team turns around and beats the mighty Boston Celtics, as the Bucks did on Sunday afternoon? Well, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe it’s Milwaukee’s way of keeping things interesting.
I still think the Bucks are an underdog to reach the playoffs. But it looks like they’ll be worth watching right up until the end.
Tune in every Tuesday morning during the 6 o’clock hour when I join Doug Russell and Mike Wickett on SportsRadio 1250 AM for Tuesdays with Howie. You can also find the segments in their Audio Vault. And don’t forget to check out our new fitness column, Training with Tim.
