Thursday, March 16, 2006
Hear that sound???
...it's the sound of the Gross Domestic Product crashing when the ball is tipped (and there you are...you're running for your life...you're a shooting star...) 12:20 p.m. EST, 11:20 a.m. in Milwaukee.
Folks in offices around the country are scrambling to fill out their brackets, cough up the finn, and get ready for 63 games of sheer bliss. Those same folks are making their plans for the 3-4 hour lunches at the local establishment, or logging onto CBS's "March Madness on Demand," which allows viewers to watch the games from their computers.
School kids around the country are staying home sick, all of a sudden, with the Syracuse Flu or the Boston College fever (which is different than that other BC fever known as chylamdia...)
It's NCAA Tournament time! It's beer and wings time! It's getting a dispensation from your local Archdiocese for meat on Friday time!
So without further ado, here are TLBR's Thursday game picks:
Greensboro
10 Seton Hall vs. 7 Wichita St.
We're rooting for the BIG EAST, but WSU is a very solid mid-major with a coach (Mark Turgeon) that has two choices at the end of the tourney: take a high-major job, or make the Shockers the Gonzaga of the Midwest.
TLBR's pick: Wichita State
15 Winthrop vs. 2 Tennessee
Winthrop's good. They're 23-7. They beat my current employer. Bruce Pearl, welcome to the next Bruce Pearl. His name's Gregg Marshall. He'd also like to introduce you to Craig Bradshaw.
TLBR's pick: Winthrop in the upset
16 Southern vs. 1 Duke
Southern has endured quite a bit this past year. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the gym at the Baton Rouge, La. school became a shelter for the many who were displaced by the storm in New Orleans. It would be GREAT if they could win. But, it's Duke in Greensboro.
TLBR's pick: Duke
9 UNC Wilmington vs. 8 George Washington
This is going to be a great game. GW loves to run and open it up. UNCW loves to lock you up. The Colonials' dominant and wholly likable center Pops Mensah-Bonsu is expected to play, after suffering a knee injury that has kept him out of the GW lineup since Feb. 22. (four games). How much he has recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery remains to be seen.
TLBR's pick: UNC Wilmington
Jacksonville
11 Wis.-Milwaukee vs. 6 Oklahoma
UWM is a very good team, tourney-tested with veteran guards. That's usually a recipe for success for mid-major teams looking to score the upset. But Oklahoma's athleticism is high-major. I'm going Boomer Sooner, but it'll be close.
TLBR's pick: Oklahoma
14 South Alabama vs. 3 Florida
USA's head coach John Pelphrey used to play at Kentucky when Florida's head coach Billy Donovan was an assistant. After that, Pelphrey was Donovan's top lieutenant with the Gators. That's the only thing close about this game - the relationship between the coaches. Florida's been prone to the first-round upset, but I think this team is too good to get caught up in a tourney burp in '06.
TLBR's pick: Florida
13 Iona vs. 3 LSU
You expect me to be objective with this pick, right? Well, you're right. And I'm still picking Iona. Why? Because, without getting into the first-person narrative, or having Wilford Brimeey tell you a story about four terrific seniors from New York City that beat North Carolina as freshmen, I think they'll be playing with zero pressure. And when they just play, they're damn good. Glen "Big Baby" Davis is good, but so was Justin Reed and Rahim Lockhart for Ole Miss in '01. Sure, the Gaels had Blood and Big G, but still. Gaels in the upset. (the other sound you just heard, other than the GDP crashing, was my objectivity)
TLBR's pick: Iona
12 Texas A&M vs. 5 Syracuse
Interesting. I always had a theory that teams which win the BIG EAST tournament are at a disadvantage, because those are the toughest three games you'd have to play all season. Well, Syracuse had to win four games, beating the likes of Cincinnati, #1 UConn, Georgetown, and Pitt. All four teams are tough, hard-nosed teams. But luckily they did, so we can enjoy Gerry McNamara one more time.
TLBR's pick: Syracuse
Salt Lake City
13 Pacific vs. 4 Boston College
We here at TLBR like Al Skinner. We, also here at TLBR, feel bad for kids that go to Boston College. They didn't get into Fairfield. Pacific has put together a nice little program out there in the Big West. Aside from the potential for a bad trip West, I don't see BC running into any roadblocks in this or the next round in SLC punk.
TLBR's pick: Boston College
12 Montana vs. 5 Nevada
We here at TLBR like mid-majors coached by 6'10" alums who used to play in the NBA. But in this case, we're not picking Montana. I do like the Grizz and think this will be a good game to watch, but we're going with the Fox and the Wolfpack.
TLBR's pick: Nevada
14 Xavier vs. 3 Gonzaga
This game is the first round of the St. Ignatius Loyola Classic. God loves the Jesuits, but he might shine His light more favorably on Morrison and Batista tonight.
TLBR's pick: Gonzaga
11 San Diego State vs. 6 Indiana
Simple...if Marco Killingsworth shows up with focus and fire, Mike Davis gets to coach the Hoosiers at least one more game and San Diego State gets to focus on Coach Tony Gwynn's baseball squad. If IU is not ready to play, then Marcus Slaughter and Mohammed Akubar get their chance at trying on the Glass Slipper. This game was the biggest toss-up of the 63 game tourney for me. But I'm breaking the tie after watching the Providence Friars beat the Aztecs, 80-65.
TLBR's pick: Indiana
Whale's Vagina (German for "San Diego)
10 Alabama vs. 7 Marquette
You expect me to break this down for you and be objective, right? Wrong.
TLBR's pick: Marquette
15 Belmont vs. 2 UCLA
It doesn't suck to be a Belmont basketball player. You go to college in Nash-vegas. You get to take a nice trip out to San Diego for Spring Break, which is the greatest city in the history of mankind. Discovered by the Germans in in 1904...I digress.
TLBR's pick: UCLA
13 Air Force vs. 4 Illinois
Air Force has caught a lot of guff for making the field of 65. Now they're going to catch Dee Brown and James Augustine and a team that still remembers what it's like to win 30+ games and go to the Final Four.
TLBR's pick: Illinois
12 Utah St. vs. 5 Washington
Every year, the pundits look to the 12-5 matchups as upset central. I agree with this one. Washington is a good team, not a great one, and Utah State plays the kind of defense that can really take a team out of its element. Although, with their deliberate offense, if Washington breaks out early, USU is SOL. Another soon-too-be NCAA first round classic.
TLBR's pick: Utah State
That's about it from here. Check back later to see if the brackets were accurate (TLBR's pick: no chance.)
One.
Folks in offices around the country are scrambling to fill out their brackets, cough up the finn, and get ready for 63 games of sheer bliss. Those same folks are making their plans for the 3-4 hour lunches at the local establishment, or logging onto CBS's "March Madness on Demand," which allows viewers to watch the games from their computers.
School kids around the country are staying home sick, all of a sudden, with the Syracuse Flu or the Boston College fever (which is different than that other BC fever known as chylamdia...)
It's NCAA Tournament time! It's beer and wings time! It's getting a dispensation from your local Archdiocese for meat on Friday time!
So without further ado, here are TLBR's Thursday game picks:
Greensboro
10 Seton Hall vs. 7 Wichita St.
We're rooting for the BIG EAST, but WSU is a very solid mid-major with a coach (Mark Turgeon) that has two choices at the end of the tourney: take a high-major job, or make the Shockers the Gonzaga of the Midwest.
TLBR's pick: Wichita State
15 Winthrop vs. 2 Tennessee
Winthrop's good. They're 23-7. They beat my current employer. Bruce Pearl, welcome to the next Bruce Pearl. His name's Gregg Marshall. He'd also like to introduce you to Craig Bradshaw.
TLBR's pick: Winthrop in the upset
16 Southern vs. 1 Duke
Southern has endured quite a bit this past year. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the gym at the Baton Rouge, La. school became a shelter for the many who were displaced by the storm in New Orleans. It would be GREAT if they could win. But, it's Duke in Greensboro.
TLBR's pick: Duke
9 UNC Wilmington vs. 8 George Washington
This is going to be a great game. GW loves to run and open it up. UNCW loves to lock you up. The Colonials' dominant and wholly likable center Pops Mensah-Bonsu is expected to play, after suffering a knee injury that has kept him out of the GW lineup since Feb. 22. (four games). How much he has recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery remains to be seen.
TLBR's pick: UNC Wilmington
Jacksonville
11 Wis.-Milwaukee vs. 6 Oklahoma
UWM is a very good team, tourney-tested with veteran guards. That's usually a recipe for success for mid-major teams looking to score the upset. But Oklahoma's athleticism is high-major. I'm going Boomer Sooner, but it'll be close.
TLBR's pick: Oklahoma
14 South Alabama vs. 3 Florida
USA's head coach John Pelphrey used to play at Kentucky when Florida's head coach Billy Donovan was an assistant. After that, Pelphrey was Donovan's top lieutenant with the Gators. That's the only thing close about this game - the relationship between the coaches. Florida's been prone to the first-round upset, but I think this team is too good to get caught up in a tourney burp in '06.
TLBR's pick: Florida
13 Iona vs. 3 LSU
You expect me to be objective with this pick, right? Well, you're right. And I'm still picking Iona. Why? Because, without getting into the first-person narrative, or having Wilford Brimeey tell you a story about four terrific seniors from New York City that beat North Carolina as freshmen, I think they'll be playing with zero pressure. And when they just play, they're damn good. Glen "Big Baby" Davis is good, but so was Justin Reed and Rahim Lockhart for Ole Miss in '01. Sure, the Gaels had Blood and Big G, but still. Gaels in the upset. (the other sound you just heard, other than the GDP crashing, was my objectivity)
TLBR's pick: Iona
12 Texas A&M vs. 5 Syracuse
Interesting. I always had a theory that teams which win the BIG EAST tournament are at a disadvantage, because those are the toughest three games you'd have to play all season. Well, Syracuse had to win four games, beating the likes of Cincinnati, #1 UConn, Georgetown, and Pitt. All four teams are tough, hard-nosed teams. But luckily they did, so we can enjoy Gerry McNamara one more time.
TLBR's pick: Syracuse
Salt Lake City
13 Pacific vs. 4 Boston College
We here at TLBR like Al Skinner. We, also here at TLBR, feel bad for kids that go to Boston College. They didn't get into Fairfield. Pacific has put together a nice little program out there in the Big West. Aside from the potential for a bad trip West, I don't see BC running into any roadblocks in this or the next round in SLC punk.
TLBR's pick: Boston College
12 Montana vs. 5 Nevada
We here at TLBR like mid-majors coached by 6'10" alums who used to play in the NBA. But in this case, we're not picking Montana. I do like the Grizz and think this will be a good game to watch, but we're going with the Fox and the Wolfpack.
TLBR's pick: Nevada
14 Xavier vs. 3 Gonzaga
This game is the first round of the St. Ignatius Loyola Classic. God loves the Jesuits, but he might shine His light more favorably on Morrison and Batista tonight.
TLBR's pick: Gonzaga
11 San Diego State vs. 6 Indiana
Simple...if Marco Killingsworth shows up with focus and fire, Mike Davis gets to coach the Hoosiers at least one more game and San Diego State gets to focus on Coach Tony Gwynn's baseball squad. If IU is not ready to play, then Marcus Slaughter and Mohammed Akubar get their chance at trying on the Glass Slipper. This game was the biggest toss-up of the 63 game tourney for me. But I'm breaking the tie after watching the Providence Friars beat the Aztecs, 80-65.
TLBR's pick: Indiana
Whale's Vagina (German for "San Diego)
10 Alabama vs. 7 Marquette
You expect me to break this down for you and be objective, right? Wrong.
TLBR's pick: Marquette
15 Belmont vs. 2 UCLA
It doesn't suck to be a Belmont basketball player. You go to college in Nash-vegas. You get to take a nice trip out to San Diego for Spring Break, which is the greatest city in the history of mankind. Discovered by the Germans in in 1904...I digress.
TLBR's pick: UCLA
13 Air Force vs. 4 Illinois
Air Force has caught a lot of guff for making the field of 65. Now they're going to catch Dee Brown and James Augustine and a team that still remembers what it's like to win 30+ games and go to the Final Four.
TLBR's pick: Illinois
12 Utah St. vs. 5 Washington
Every year, the pundits look to the 12-5 matchups as upset central. I agree with this one. Washington is a good team, not a great one, and Utah State plays the kind of defense that can really take a team out of its element. Although, with their deliberate offense, if Washington breaks out early, USU is SOL. Another soon-too-be NCAA first round classic.
TLBR's pick: Utah State
That's about it from here. Check back later to see if the brackets were accurate (TLBR's pick: no chance.)
One.
