A Few Notes on March Madness

I love the NCAA Tournament, even in years when I haven’t paid close attention to the college game, I’m still an avid follower of the brackets. I guess it’s because I love the David vs. Goliath stories of big upsets by little schools. So, as you might guess, my favorite time is the first weekend, when the field of 64 is whittled down to 16 and you get the chance to see all of the schools you probably miss during the regular season. So, bring on the Big Dance, perhaps the most exciting sporting event in America. Below are a few things that struck me after seeing the teams that made the field yesterday.

I have a few upset teams that I’m eyeing so far, namely, St. Mary’s, Siena, and UTEP, but those could change between now and when I actually fill out a bracket.

I don’t have a favorite squad in this year’s tournament, given that Arkansas was a triumphant failure and Memphis was relegated to the NIT, but I do have an un-favorite: Kentucky. If there is one team and coach that I want to see lose and lose badly, it is UK and John Calipari. I mean, I will even root for Texas if they advance to the second round. It’s that bad.

It is a really sad day for Arkansas basketball when you realize that the only team in the state to make the tournament is not UA, UALR, or even Arkansas State. It’s UAPB, in the play-in game. Ouch.

I will be watching Missouri again this season and hoping, probably against all common sense, that maybe, just maybe, Arkansas can bring Mike Anderson back into the fold as head coach. Then perhaps they could even bring Nolan back as a special consultant and it’ll be like old times again…

I’m still in the process of working on my bracket, but I’ll be sure and post some picks once I have them complete. What about you? Have you filled out a bracket yet?

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