Quick Hits: Bracket Bits

Here are some of our instant thoughts on the 2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket. I haven't won a bracket pool since my senior year in high school. Looking at this year's field, I am supremely confident that Jessica Simpson and most 4 legged creatures have about as good of a chance as winning bracket pools this year as this blogger does. Let's try and analyze the crapshoot....

*As we mentioned in our roundtable, this hasn't been a good year for NCAA Basketball. Looking through the field, both the top and bottom lines of the at-large teams are awful. Aside from penciling in Kansas and Kentucky in the title game, there aren't many teams that look capable of cutting down the nets.

*But then again... although Kansas and Kentucky have more than 30 wins, are they really unbeatable? Kentucky needed a desperation hoop and OT to beat Mississippi State yesterday, and Kansas has had several close calls throughout the season. Neither appears invincible, but they might not need to be.

*Look at the 2 seeds - Ohio St, WVU, Nova, Kansas St - Nova has the tourney pedigree, but lost 5 of 7 to end the year and K St can't beat the big boys. OSU and WVU are the most likely, but they are also matched up with KU and UK

3 seeds - G'Town, New Mexico, Baylor, Pitt - Excuse me? Yes, G'Town has the talent... and 10 losses, 16th ranked Pitt and 21st ranked Baylor are 3 seeds? Huh?

4 seeds - Maryland, Wisconsin, Purdue, Vandy - 29 losses between these teams including a crippled 27-5 Purdue team without their best player.

Can I be that guy who picks all 1 seeds? Is that allowed now after last year?

*My biggest problem with the at large selections are inconsistency. Virginia Tech finished 10-6 in the ACC while Georgia Tech finished 7-9. VT beat GT head to head. GT has good run to ACC Tournament Final and makes the tournament over VT. OK, so evidently we are rewarding conference tournament performance here.

Switch to the SEC. Mississippi State and Florida finish at 9-7. Both teams have solid resumes, FLA beating MSU on their home court. MSU beats FLA in the 1st round of the SEC Tourney, beats 4 seed Vandy, and comes within .1 seconds of beating Kenutucky. MSU makes it over FLA because of their great SEC Tourney run, right..... wrong. FLA is in.

Maddening.

*Kansas is the overall #1 seed - this means that Big 10 Champion Ohio State, who was in contention for a 1 seed, is the last 2 seed. They're behind Nova, WVU, and Kansas State. Does the selection committee know who Evan Turner is?? Ohio State is simply better than any of those teams, except maybe WVU, who beat the Bucks at home earlier this year. But the champs of the 2nd toughest conference in the country as the 8th overall seed? Again, insanity.

*The Midwest is the proverbial Group of Death. Kansas, Ohio St, G'Town, and Mich St, and Tennessee are the best seeds at their slots in the entire tournament. Tennessee, who beat UK and KU, and is ranked 14th in the country, is the same seed as Notre Dame, who supposedly slipped in this past week off the bubble. This is just crazy.

*The Group of TeleTubbies is the South, which in irony of ironies, is Duke's bracket!! Somewhere Dickie V is smiling. Duke has the weakest 2 (Nova), 3 (Baylor, yes, Baylor is a 3 seed), 4 (Purdue - without Robbie Hummel and coming off of an 11 pt 1st half in the Big 10 Semis), and 6 (ND). Glad to see the committee is doing all they can to get Coack K back to the Final 4. Only Duke's terrible recent tourney history can keep them from reaching Indy. Ridiculous.

*1st Round upsets to watch - Siena over Purdue, Utah St over Texas A&M, Cornell over Temple, Murray St over Vandy, Winthrop over Duke

The tournament doesn't look great on paper, but here's hoping for a March Madness full of upsets, buzzer beaters, and classic games... and bracket pool wins wherever you are.

Who Wants to Be #1?

As Y1 begins his march towards insanity and the Super Bowl, college basketball slowly starts to creep back into national focus. However, as the eyes of many sports fans come back to the college hardwood, they all must be left asking, Who's #1? Not only that, does any team this season want to be #1? With South Carolina's upset of Kentucky, there'll be a new #1 for the 4th time in 5 weeks. Here's our look at the short and long-term future of the current candidates, the Top 6 in the AP Poll, all of which have received #1 votes at some point during the young season.

(1) Kentucky

Kentucky was able to savor their reign at #1 for one whole day, before being knocked off at South Carolina. Finally, the talented freshmen core of Kentucky played, well, like freshmen (save another solid performance from DeMarcus Cousins). However, most worrisome was the play of Patrick Patterson (5 points in 35 min??), who needs to assume a leadership role for this team to succeed in the long-term. When the backcourt of Wall and Bledsoe isn't dominating, Patterson has to be the man for this team to score pressure baskets. Hopefully for the Wildcats, their loss was just another example of everything President Obama touching turning to dust, instead of a harbinger of things to come.

Short Term: Expect at least 2-3 more losses in conference as this young team continues to gel and teams dare the Cats to beat them from the outside. They should still win the SEC and be in line for a #1 seed, but they won't be back at #1 in the polls for a while.

Long Term: With the way guard play has dominated the NCAA tournament, Kentucky certainly is sill a viable contender for the title. It also doesn't hurt to have the best player in the country on your side, like UK does with John Wall.

(2) Kansas

With Kentucky's loss, Kansas becomes heir to the throne nobody wants. But, they'll have to endure a test of their own at Kansas St., who already claimed Texas as an upset victim while they were ranked #1. While Kansas has undoubtedly played one of the weaker schedules of the Top 6, they've also got perhaps the deepest, most talented roster as well. If they can handle their challenge in Manhattan on Saturday, they could be poised for a long run at the top of the polls.

Short Term: As mentioned above, if they take care of business in an overall weak conference, they'll enjoy a solid reign at the top of the polls. But slipping against K-State or Texas could see them slide to the back of the pack in the upper echelon of teams.

Long Term: With the best inside/outside combo in the country (Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins) and a talented supporting cast, they should honestly stroll to the Final Four. However, they've also shown they can be snuck up on...I mean, did you see them have to be bailed out at home...to Cornell?!

(3) Villanova

1a in terms of easy scheduling among the Top 6 has to be Jay Wright's Villanova. They've coasted out of conference and have avoided the heavy hitters so far in Big East play. And while longtime RSS fave Scottie Reynolds is still playing at an All-American level, this seems to be a much less talented bunch than last year's Final Four team. If Reynolds can do some more heavy lifting, they can stay in contention for #1 throughout the year, but that prospect looks bleak.

Short Term: Will begin to stumble once they face the likes of WVU, Pitt, Syracuse, and UConn. It will be tough for them to compete at the top of a loaded Big East with their lack of depth.

Long Term: While Reynolds is one of the toughest, and most talented guards in the country, it doesn't seem he has the supporting cast to make a deep run at MSG in the Big East tourney or in the Big Dance.

(4) Syracuse

The Orange are the highest ranked team to not have been ranked #1 so far this season, but they have a look of a team that will only get better as the season improves. With a great balance of returning players (Jackson, Onuaku, Rautins) and emerging talent (Scoop Jardine and Wesley Johnson) Syracuse is the early Big East favorite, as long as Jim Boeheim's famed 2-3 zone continues to stifle the opposition. Their comeback from an early hole against a solid GTown team suggests they have the heart to compete in what will once again be the nation's toughest conference by a mile.

Short Term: The Big East will be a battle, but they have a favorable schedule the rest of the way playing UConn and Louisville at home before traveling to Georgetown. If they win the games they're supposed to, they should be next in line after Kansas for #1 in the polls.

Long Term: Wesley Johnson has been spectacular, but they have to develop a consistent second option to succeed deep into March. Much like Villanova, they lack the depth of other elite teams who are contenders for the Final 4.

(5) Michigan St.

The Spartans have walked the tightrope to their best conference start in school history, going to 8-0 in the Big Ten with their last second win against Michigan. They also return much of the team that made it to the National Championship game last season and have played perhaps the toughest schedule in the country (vs. Florida, vs. Gonzaga, @UNC, @Texas, and an underrated Big Ten). They will be a factor in both the race for #1 in the polls, and the Final Four.

Short Term: They look due to lose a conference game, but a game at Wisconsin and two against Purdue are the only games they wouldn't be a strong favorite. A two game lead in conference should be enough to see them through to the regular season conference title.

Long Term: Their experience and depth will certainly allow them to be right in the mix for a #1 seed and a Final Four berth. Jr. Kailin Lucas should continue to become even more a driving force for this team during the Big Dance. The scariest part, Michigan St. historically doesn't even peak until March.

(6) Texas

Last, but not least, are the Texas Longhorns who have fallen from a brief cameo atop the polls to 6th thanks to losses at Kansas State and UConn. Those losses combined with other tough games out of conference should have them battle tested for the rest of the season. They also have the benefit of getting Kansas in Austin and avoiding K-State. Other than a trip to Mizzou, there doesn't seem to be any other difficult games on their schedule. A long winning streak could be in the cards for the Longhorns.

Short Term: Led by Damion James and a cast of young, talented guards and wings (sense a theme here) the Longhorns will be able to scrap their way back to another reign at #1 in the rankings. They'll fight it out with Kansas all the way in the Big 12.

Long Term: James is a great player, but Rick Barnes's teams usually seem to underperform in the tournament for some reason. If they're matched up with a team who has experienced guard play, they could be in for an early rude awakening.

So, those are the fortunes for the Top 6 as they stand. Are we missing someone else who could be a legitimate contender for #1 during the season? Let us know by leaving a comment below. Also don't forget to follow us on Twitter and join us later this week for Y1's ongoing Saints diary. Until next time, it's bye for now!

Campus Countdown - Dec 10 Edition

It's time for the first installment of our Campus Countdown! Throughout the CBB season we'll keep you in the know as only RSS can. We'll give you our Elite 8 Teams, Starting 5 (star players), 4 Corners (games to watch), 3 Point Play (3 Random Thoughts), 2 Man Game (coaches in the spotlight), And 1 from now until the end of March... or April, whenever the tournament ends. We'll update periodically throughout bowl season and then hit the hardwood in full come January.

Elite 8 - We don't just regurgitate the AP or Coaches Polls. These are the real rankings based upon which teams have actually done the most and looked the best in the first month of the college season. All these teams are currently unbeaten. UK (our friends at Strait Pinkie, who cover UK BBall among other things, ask whether their unbeaten start hides some flaws here) and Syracuse have the best resume by beating multiple Top 15 teams. The rest of the Elite 8 are fairly standard, although it would be nice to see teams like Kansas, Texas, and Purdue get tested in the next few weeks.

1) Kentucky

2) Syracuse

3) Kansas

4) Villanova

5) Texas

6) Purdue

7) Georgetown

8) Florida

Starting 5 - The 5 Players You Need To Hear About...

G - John Wall (UK) - The sensational freshman is on his way to the Naismith Award. If they had a Naismith type ceremony (or if they do and nobody knows/cares), Johnnie Wall can book his ticket. As Y2 said, he's a DWade/DRose crossover. The numbers back it up: 25 pts against UConn and 2nd in the nation in assists.

G - Evan Turner (OSU) - Had 2 Triple Doubles for the Bucks before breaking his back (yes, you read that right) on this hard fall...

Alongside John Wall, Turner was playing the best bball in the nation. The Buckeyes will struggle until he comes back in a couple months.

F - Craig Monroe (GTown) - His all-around play (15 ppg, 10+ rpg, 3 apg) has led GTown to an unbeaten start and he had a huge game of 24 and 15 in the Garden to beat Butler.

F - Luke Harangody (ND) - Notre Dame isn't making a big dent on the national landscape, but Harangody leads the NCAA in total points and is averaging 10 boards per game.

F - Wes Johnson (Cuse) - The transfer from Iowa State has been the main reason that Syracuse has been able to recover from the losses of Flynn and others. Plus he plays big in big games: 25/8 v UNC, 17/11 v Cal.

4 Corners - The 4 Games to watch this week...

-Thursday 9PM (ESPN): #6 Syracuse v #11 Florida - The two most pleasant surprises in CBB square off in something called the DirecTV SEC/Big East Invitational, whatever that is... anyways, this is one of the more intriguing games we'll see in the non-conference slate to see if one or both of these teams are a legit threat for a Final 4 run.

-Saturday Noon (ESPN): #15 OSU v #20 Butler - Thad Matta faces his old club, but don't buy too much into this as a statement game with Evan Turner missing. Expect the Bulldogs to bounce back after a tough loss to Georgetown.

-Saturday 2PM (FSN): #13 GTown v #11 Washington - Craig Monroe and the Hoyas travel cross country to face Quincy Pondexter and the Huskies in the Wooden Classic. Two teams under the radar that will be popular dark horse picks come March.

-Sunday 7PM (ESPNU): #19 Cincy v Xavier - One of the best rivalries that you don't know about. The Crosstown Shootout is always a rough and tumble affair and while Xavier has had the edge recently, the Bearcats are back on the rise with FR Lance Stephenson and Yancy Gates.

3 Point Play - 3 Random Thoughts

1) The Big 10 finally won one!!! WOOOO!! After sooo many years of toil and heartache, the Big 10 finally won a Big 10/ACC Shootout. Wow, I've waited all my life for this... wait, no one cares? Oh, sorry. It'll give people pause when ripping the conference as slow, unathletic, and methodical, but in the grand scheme of things these conference showdowns are shallow media creations and money grabs. Do you think Dick Vitale and others will love the ACC any less? Do you think anybody will players, pundits, or fans will mention this come March? Didn't think so.

2) So... to combat that, the Pac 10 & Big 12 and SEC & Big East are starting a series of matchups for conference supremacy. Again, who cares? I don't know when the hysteria about conference power rankings started, but it's very overrated. If I were a fan, I want my team cutting down the nets in the end, period. If it's a conference rival, I'm not going to be jumping up in down in jubilation. As a Missouri fan, I'm not going to be glued to my TV to see if Colorado can beat USC or if Kansas can beat Arizona and win one for the Big 12.

3) Is the one and done rule good or bad for the college game? On one hand, guys like Wall, Rose, Durant, Anthony and the rest do feature for one season. But, on the other, it seems like there are no lasting iconic figures in the college game. All of the great players are gone before they have a lasting impact. It's the nature of the beast and I don't think it is a black and white issue. It's one of those things where it's both.

2 Man Game - Two Coaches In The Spotlight

-Bob Huggins (West Virginia) - Huggy Bear has had his ups and his downs in his career. But, when he was hired at his alma mater in West Virginia, I don't think anyone expected that he would make the Mountaineers a Top 10 consistent presence. Huggins took a program that had grew exponentially under Jon Beilein and taken it to another level. Mountaineer fans should knock on wood that it stays that way... I guess there's not too much trouble in West Virginia to get in to (insert it's all relative joke here)...

- Matt Painter (Purdue) - With the Bobby Bowden mess going on at Florida State, it's important to look to Purdue to see how the whole "coach in waiting" or transition period should be handled. Painter was hired from SIU as an assistant for one season while Purdue legend Gene Keady retired. It was much smoother than anything we've seen on the football side of things and now Painter's Boilermakers are the favs to win the Big 10 for a program that had gone stale at the end of the Keady regime. Painter has done a great job.

And 1...

-The proposal to expand the tournament from 64 to 96 teams might be the single worst idea that I have ever heard. Why would you want to fix something that is absolutely perfect the way it is? Why would you want to let in not 1, or 2, or 5... but 32 more flipping teams to the tournament!!! I don't think people grasp how many mediocre teams that will bring into the "big dance." The bubble talk would consist of teams that are 13-18. Do we really want to put Joe Lunardi through that? Would you tune in to see Duquesne square off with Colorado State in the "First Round?" How about Northwestern vs Rider? Maybe we'll get two titans in the "First Round" and see Sacramento State and South Dakota State square off!! Get juiced to fill out those office pools! 96 teams?? We can't even get 8 in a football playoff!

*Self-promotion note... we'll have our YCS playoff coming soon here at RSS! Stay tuned to find who earns the real national championship! Oh, and follow us on twitter by clicking on the upper right hand part of the page*

Seriously though, if the tournament expands, it might be the death of March Madness as we know it. Expanding to two extra rounds kills the chances of Cinderellas (could a George Mason make it through 2 extra rounds?), turns off all of the extra viewers that tune in for the tourney, takes away the magic of the early rounds, and most importantly screws up something that is perfect as it is. March Madness is sport in the most purest and best sense as we know it in this country... don't cheapen it forever for a few extra bucks.