WEST REGION

IT’S MADNESS BABY!

It’s like a 2nd Christmas to me. Growing up I always seemed to come down with a little sniffle around this time and seemed to convince my mom to let me stay home from school. I love the Men’s College Basketball Tournament. I’ll sit in my grundies, eating Girl Scout cookies, watching the games, and if I died tomorrow, I’d die a happy man. Anyway, I’ve drawn the West Region for the Mendoza line, so let’s get to it!

WEST REGION

First Round (Officially the 2nd round I guess, but it’s always going to be the 1st round as far as I’m concerned)

1.Michigan State vs. 16. Long Island – Brooklyn
I know nothing about LIU other than they have no chance here.

8. Memphis vs. Saint Louis
The 8-9 match ups, by design, are always close. Rick Majerus leads the Billikans here against a very good Memphis team that is very much under seeded. I look for a game that will come down to the final moments, but the Tigers will prevail and move onto present Sparty with a formidable 2nd round opponent.

5. New Mexico vs. 12. Long Beach St.
Got a big battle between old B1G ball coaches here as former Iowa coach Steve Alford goes up against former Gopher coach Dan Monson. Look for a classic 12-5 upset here, as Long Beach St Wins. Should be a great game. I did catch LBS very early in the season and they are pretty solid.

4. Louisville vs. 13. Davidson
Rick Pitino HAS to have his Cardinals ready this year doesn’t he? Last year my bracket got obliterated on the first game of the first day when Richmond knocked off Louisville. Really hoping Pitino doesn’t shit the bed again this year, although spending the next 3 weeks listening to Charles Barkley poop on the Big East again could be good for a laugh. I think Louisville prevails here.

6. Murray State vs. 11. Colorado State
Colorado State was virtually unbeatable at home this year, but last I checked, this game isn’t being played in Colorado Springs. I’ve seen Murray State play twice this year. The first time was on Bracket busters Saturday a few weeks ago against Saint Mary’s which they were pretty impressive. That being said, I was very much underwhelmed in their tournament final against Tennessee State (the only team that beat them this year). I will reluctantly pick the Racers here just because I don’t know much about Colorado State.

3. Marquette vs. 14. BYU-Iona
Like Louisville, Marquette is another Big East team that could go boom or bust. I’ve seen Marquette play several times this year and I love their athleticism. This is a sleeper final four team that no one is talking about, but also has the potential to lose early and wouldn’t shock me. I really like Iona getting by BYU. Comparisons have been made between Iona and VCU of last year in terms of being the last team in the dance. Not sure about those comparisons as there isn’t the same venom over Iona being in from the likes of Dick Vitale on ESPN. Still, the Gaels are going to be a tough out for BYU or Marquette. I still like Marquette to get through though.

7. Florida vs. 10. Virginia
Your classic 7-10 match ups, as this bracket should feature a lot of close first round games. I’ve seen Florida play twice this year, and came away unimpressed both times. Virginia knocked off Michigan early in the year so they have a marquee win at least. Not sure what to expect here because it’s hard to bet against Billy Donovan, but I’m going to go with Virginia here, but this game is a true 7-10 tossup. I’ve picked Florida in many brackets as well.

2.Missouri vs. Norfolk State
A lot of people thought Mizzou was going to be a #1 seed after winning the Big 12 tournament. I didn’t think they were going to and was happy to see the selection committee give Kansas the St. Louis region for a much better overall resume. Missouri is good, but I’ve been burned by them in the past. Obviously they should easily get to the round of 32 here.

Second Round

1.Michigan State vs. 8. Memphis
The 2nd round is actually my favorite round of them all because you get match ups like this. I like Sparty here but look for a good game as a lot of these 1 vs. 8/9 match ups usually are. Memphis is no joke, and they probably should be a 5 or a 6 seed.

12. Long Beach State vs. 4. Louisville
I think once Pitino gets by that always tricky 1st round game, look for Louisville to handle their business here. I look for Louisville to win this rather easily here sending Mr. Monson home.

6. Murray State vs. 3. Marquette
This one has all of the makings of being a nice little gem of a game further illustrating why I love the Round of 32. This will be the game for the Racers to prove themselves, but I think the Golden Eagles will pull this one out in a nail biter.

10. Virginia vs. Missouri
I don’t see how Mizzou will have any problem disposing UVA or UF in this round. Tigers in a laugher here.

Regional Semifinals

1.Michigan State vs. 4. Louisville
These two teams met up in 2009 in the regional final, and quite frankly Louisville didn’t come to play and were overwhelmed by the sheer physical nature of a Tom Izzo coached team. I honestly don’t see this result being much different. Louisville is tough, but I look for a game similar to what we saw with MSU against Ohio State on Sunday. Louisville will wear down against the depth, and Sparty will head to the Elite 8.

3. Marquette vs. 2. Missouri
This one has all the makings of game of the tournament. In typical Missouri-like fashion though, I think they will choke this one away and send Marquette to the elite 8. As I said before, Missouri has burned me in the past one too many times. I might be wrong, but I really like Marquette in what will be perceived as a giant upset by the geniuses on ESPN, but in reality, no one should be surprised if it happens.

Regional Finals

1.Michigan State vs. 3. Marquette
I’ve teetered in this bracket for the past 24 hours on all 4 of the top seeds in this bracket getting to the final four. I’ve decided to roll with Tom Izzo. History is on his side. They’ve made it to the final four every time they’ve been a #1 seed with him at the helm, and I think they will get the job done here too. It’s a remarkable story with them being unranked to start the year. I also want to point out that with the exception of 2010, I’ve picked Sparty to go to the final four every time they did go, and that includes picking them to win it all in 2000. History is on their side.

All in all, this is an excellent region, with some solid clubs as 1-4 are all top notch and capable of winning it all. Keep your eye on those first round games in this region. I think MSU and Mizzou will roll, but the other 6 games have the potential to be thrillers.