I'm bored, who do you see in the Final Four, just for kicks. (I know we don't know brackets yet, but humor me please). I'm saying : Duke Oregon Oklahoma Maryland(though I hate picking any college team coached by a Williams) With Duke beating Oregon for the title.
Duke Maryland Kansas Texas (Hoping, not thinking b/c I like TJ's game ans hop he'll go off for 30 assists).
Oklahoma in South Kansas in Midwest Texas Tech in West and Texas in East OU over Kansas and Texas Tech over Texas OU gets over on Bobby Knight and finally wins a basketball championship.
Duke Kansas Gonzaga (finally!) and Maryland Duke vs Kansas - if Duke is shooting well, no one can stop them. If they make it this far, it's likely they'll continue. Gonzaga vs Maryland - I think Maryland is going to be too much for the Zags. Duke vs Maryland - It'll be close, very close. Again, if Duke is shooting well, not even Maryland can stop the,. So, I'll go with Duke.
That would be cool to see Zaga reach the Final Four. It would be amazing to see them win the national title!
Duke Maryland Kentucky (although their play of late would not indicate it) Kansas. Come to think about it I did not pick any surprises in this group..I think UVA could possibly make it and UMD could slip..
They've been doing bad since fellow Katy basketball alumnus Adam Hall went out. I don't know the status of his injury, but if he comes back, they're my sleeper pick.
Kansas Duke Cincinnati Florida I think that would be a great Final Four, and if any but Duke wins I'd be happy.
Just out of curiosity, what's with all this Oregon stuff? Sure, they're an explosive, well-coached team. But they have perhaps the biggest home court advantage in college basketball -- it's damn near impossible for teams to win in Eugene. The Ducks' record is padded by their homecourt advantage. Potential Sweet 16 team, yes. Final Four, not yet. Maybe next year after the current players get some tourney experience this year. It's looking like: Kansas Maryland Florida and some dark horse
I think their backcourt is more than explosive, I think they can dominate any particular game the play in, plus, they play a ball-to-the-wall style of play that not many teams will be able to keep up with. They run constantly. This is the kind of team that could flame out in the first round, or go deep into the tourney, and I think they'll make it to the Final Four, especially if they get into the bracket that has Cincinatti as the 1 seed(if the One seeds end up being Cincy, Duke, Kansas, Maryland).
There are 3 class teams right now, little doubt about them. I haven't seen enough of the SEC teams, Cincy, or OU to make a statement about them. Of the Pac 10 teams I like Stanford better than Oregon. More big game experience and better defense. I'll hold out on my 4th pick until after the conference tourneys.
If Oregon can win the Pac 10 postseason tourney -- which will be on neutral ground in LA -- I might be a believer. Their backcourt is great; I just think they're a year away from such a deep run.
Stanford is WAY too reliant on Jacobsen for them to win the Pac-10 tourney. If Jacobsen doesn't go off for 25+ points, they stand a great chance of losing their games. Oregon seems to have a bunch of guys who can score such as Christofferson, the great SG whose name I forget, Jackson, and Ridnour (the most underrated player in the nation IMO). Oregon damn near beat the Trees a few weeks ago at Maples, but lost in OT. Bear in mind that teams that make Tourney runs are the ones who have good backcourts. Ridnour and their SG (dammit I still can't remember his name) are the best backcourt duo in the Pac-10.
I think USC is a lot weaker than they were last year, but I still contend they are a dangerous team, in the Pac-10 tourney as well as the NCAA's. Overall, I hate to pick my four before the bracket comes out, cause a lot of my opinions usually have to do with the matchups, but I'll just spit out four anyway and see what sticks. Duke Maryland Oklahoma Illinois Yes, yes, I know Illinois has stunk it up this season, but they have been playing pretty well of late and I thought VERY highly of them going into the season, so I figure I will stick with them. I always have a hard time penciling in Kansas past the second or third round, and while I feel this team has a decent chance to buck the trend, I just don't have the faith to put them there. I would rather be wrong in choosing them NOT to make it than having them let me down.
Frederick Jones is the other Oregon guard. Backcourts of course are important to a turny run, no question, but there are other factors--defense, experience, etc. Call it a hunch, but I think Stanford is just getting better. Jacobson and Borchardt hadn't gotten a lot of help most of the year, but I think they are starting to get more than before. Johnson is starting to get back to basketball form and the younger forwards are starting to find their place. Most importantly, Barnes is emerging as a clear choice at the 1. That has been their biggest problem, stability and production at the 1. I just think with the pressure not on Stanford (compared to the last few years), with their defense, and with them starting to get steadier contributions from guys other than the main 2, I like them the best from the Pac 10. Oregon is a young team that will have more pressure than they ever have had and is a team with a very unimpressive road record (I know they played the Bay Area teams pretty well and a depleted Arizona team well but they have stunk on the road everywhere else) . Stanford is more of a veteran team who will face less expectations than they have in recent years. Still, I would be very surprised if any Pac 10 team makes the final 4. The Pac 10 has 6 excellent teams but no great ones. I might like Stanford to the great 8 depending on match-ups, but that is as far as they will go. Oregon is too young and could easily be one of the first teams to be upset, UCLA (the most talented team) is too undisciplined and gets inconsistent guard play, USC doesn't have enough depth, and I don't think anyone else has the talent right now.
