Kentucky will win the NCAA Tournament, beating Kansas in the final. Pittsburgh and Villanova are Final Four losers.
What else do you need to know for your brackets?
Grab a red pen and a bracket sheet. It’s time to get some of that reported $2.5 billion wagered in office pools. Disclaimer: I’ve won twice in 25 years (also my Kentucky Derby record), but I’m overdue.
Kentucky gets my nod for simply having the best roster in the tournament. Freshmen guard John Wall should be the national player of the year. The Wildcats also have freshmen DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe, meaning they’re awfully young, but also matured quickly in the SEC. This seems like the best NBA team in waiting since North Carolina won the 2005 national championship.
But Kansas could run the wheels off a Ferrari. The Jayhawks play great defense, holding opponents to a 37.7 field goal percentage. If Kansas frustrates Kentucky early, the Jayhawks can win. That is, if Kansas survives the toughest bracket. The Jayhawks face possible games against Maryland and Georgetown.
Speaking of the Terps and Hoyas, the local teams are second weekend casualties to Kansas. Seriously, what did Washingtonians ever do to Kansas to warrant the Jayhawks knocking out both local teams? Bob Dole must hold a grudge over not living in the White House. Maybe the Midwesterners are still mad Washington claims Walter Johnson as ours. Still, it’s not like we heckled Zasu Pitts when she appeared on stage.
Maryland nearly gains a bye in the opener against Houston, but Michigan State in the next round is dangerous. The Sweet 16 is bittersweet because Kansas will end the Greivis Vasquez era.
Kansas also will knock out Georgetown in the Midwest Region final. The Hoyas have rebounded to the form they showed when they devastated Duke in January. After a standout Big East tournament, Georgetown will beat Ohio, Tennessee and Ohio State before falling to Kansas in the Elite Eight.
Who are potential bracket busters? Duke is a soft No. 1 seed, and will win two games before falling to Purdue. In fact, the ACC will prove soft with Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida State and Georgia Tech all losing in the first round.
No. 12 Cornell will knock off No. 5 Temple in the East first round. Cornell nearly beat Kansas, won 16 games away from home and hit 304 3-pointers this season.
Otherwise, this looks like a tournament that goes according to plan. Not a lot of longshots, so play the chalk.
Just not Rock Chalk Jayhawk.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
