Well It's here folks…..the Madness. Let's get to it, get yer straight jacket out. Dust 'er off, get 'er pressed, starched and take advantage of the Insanity Discount at Asylum Drycleaners on Broadway and Traflagar!!!!
Let's get straight to the point, this year ANYBODY can win the tourney! There will be upsets, because EVERY top 15 team have had inexplicable losses this year. From St. John's beat down on Duke to Colorado's beat down of Texas earlier this season. Bottom line, there have been inexplicable results all season, and the Madness will be no different.
The Insanity Report Staff have been working hard all year. We have recipes for a team's success in the tourney just like all prognosticating honks out there. There's the half cup of senior experience. The teaspoon of quality wins/quality road wins. The cheesy slice of a quality point guard. Lets add some killer coaching and team defence to go with the presence in the paint and a great x-factor player, but all of this will still get you as far as Lloyd Christmas' one and million shot with Mary Swim….Swammi…..Swenson….Swanson………….Samsonite!!!!! I was way off!
So what we're doling out this year is the best we can muster up from games played, and taking the easy, disclaimer way out, by giving some insight with a healthy dose of Smack! But who'll win? You're guess is as good as the Insanity Staff's. If you're betting games ATS, the stats and records help, but we feel that those stats mean squat for your bracket and to look at the match-ups. So here goes….
Enjoy.
Let's start with the:
EAST REGION
1. OHIO STATE vs. #16 UT-SAN ANTONIO/#16 ALABAMA STATE
Ohio State is the unanimous choice as the #1 team in the nation GOING INTO THE TOURNEY. They have all the ingredients with guard play, although no true point guard. Fr. G Aaron Craft is a complete spark plug off the bench; He'll get in the trenches and he's as close to a true PG they got. Jr. G William Buford and Sr. G Jon Diebler can shoot the lights out from downtown. 15th year Redshirt Sr. Wing, David Lighty is one of the top 5 x-factors in the nation, although he seems not as dangerous as he was pre-6 redshirt seasons ago. Plus he seems skinnier then he was before his medical redshirt. Regardless, he's still as dangerous of an x-factor as Marc Paulsen's Muhammed Ali-like return to his PG Men's League team!
And then there's all-world Fr. Center, Jared Sullinger. Everyone has heard of his freakiness, so all that needs to be added is to notice the increased size in the junk in Jared's trunk since November, and his freaky Olajuwon-like footwork in the blocks.
OSU have had quality win after quality win this year, but Charles Barkley put it perfectly when he mentioned that OSU looks perfect on paper, but often fail to impose their presence on other teams such as in the Big Ten Final on Sunday. OSU should be heads above the rest, but they keep teams in it, which is not a great omen in single elimination Madness-ness!
#8 GEORGE MASON vs. #9 VILLANOVA
Haven't seen George Mason play. They are a sexy sleeper pick for many people. I'm leaning towards the Masonry over 'Nova by the sheer lack of guard defence on Villanova's part. Watching their one-on-one defence from their guards is like watching Dave Adolph try to trek up the Wreck Beach stairs: ATROCIOUS! Their guards are slow-footed and cross their feet when running laterally. Any guard can beat them off the dribble and G-Mace guard should do the same. Plus Villanova's considerable front court size shows spagetti-like weakness in the blocks, particularly from So. C Mouphtaou Yarou. Let's go with G-Mace!
#5 WEST VIRGINIA vs. #12 CLEMSON
Leaning towards West Va. but this is a pretty even match-up. And cue the #12 upset radar! But West Virginia have some interesting players in So. F Deniz Kilicli's timely left-handed, awkwardly-sweet hook shots, even though he's right handed. Sr. F John Flowers led the Big East in blocks at only 6-7. Jr. G Darryl "Truck or Treat" Bryant and Sr. G Crazy Joe Mazulla can show flashes of penetrate-and-dish genius or UNC guard-like turnovers within the same game! West Va. are well coached by the Huggy Bear in how they can make adjustments in mid-game and calmly break any full-court press. Clemson has talent, but never jumped out and caught any of the Insanity Report Correspondents' eyes this season, but they have a similar record vs. similar opponents as West Virginia.
A plus for West Virginia in leading scorer, Sr. G Casey Mitchell can be a Clemson plus in that Mitchell can be hot or cold. He is a shadow of his first half of the season self before he got suspended and has been coming off the bench since his return from suspension. Flipping a coin on this one, and the tie-breaker goes to the Big East tested Mountaineers.
#4 KENTUCKY vs. #13 PRINCETON
Loving Kentucky as a sleeper pick to go deep into the tourney. They definitely have a Top 5 team in the nation as far as talent goes. Kudo's go to them in terms of gelling like Magellan (they're soooooo gellin'), compared to last years Kentucky squad. They have been an up and down team all year, but I feel their defence will lift them up to anchor the gellin'!
Brandon Knight is a crafty freshman point guard, but his strength is definitely in his 3-pt gunnerage! Fr. Gunner, Doron Lamb will hit from downtown as well. Former walk-on, Sr. C Josh Harrellson has been a great surprise in his timely scoring and bruising rebounding throughout the whole season.
Fr. G Terrence Jones is this year's Gordan Hayward, as by the end of Kentucky's run, wherever they end up, the nation will know Terrance Jones' name! He is a silky smooth 6-9 wing who can create shots from all points of the court, and has alright defence positioning, but can get out muscled on particular match-ups.
And Princeton? Not even Princeton alumnus, Carlton Banks' "Carlton-dance" can dance around Harrelson's size and Jones' athleticism.
#6 XAVIER vs. #11 MARQUETTE
Can Marquette stop Tu Holloway from Xavier? That's the main question for these 2 teams who has been seen very little by the Insanity Report Staff. Paulsen says to ride the Canadian karma of Marquette with So. PG Junior Cadougan. But Tu Holloway is a killer scorer who is still under many peeps' radar, including Commissioner Adolph's.
Marquette has shown resiliency in the Big East this year, but this is a pick 'em game. Flip your loonie. Queen's grill: Xavier. Loonie Bum: Marquette. Best 4 outta 7 flips. Go!
#3 SYRACUSE vs. #14 INDIANA STATE
I'm taking an incredible gamble here and definite flack from T by going Indiana State on this one. From the onset of the season in November, even Coach Jim Boeheim has questioned Syracuse's Hoop IQ. They still have the killer Boeheim 2-3 zone with the incredible wingspan in the backcourt of that zone.
But Syracuse have over-rated players in Jr. F Kris Joseph, Jr. PG Scoop Jardine and especially in Fr. C Fab Melo. The 'Cuse had a 2-6 Big East run followed by their 6-1 finish after that 2-6 run. They've peaked, and my hunch says Indiana State based on Larry Bird alumni karma and Slider karma!
Somewhere Alex Vieweg is heard saying, "Wird to Larry Bird!" Noted, Al. Noted! Word!
#7 WASHINGTON vs. #10 GEORGIA
UDub have one of the Top 5 talented teams in the country. Bar none. A great combo of guards and forwards that compliment each other greatly in any half-court set or fast break opportunities. Jr. PG Isaiah Thomas is one of the quickest guards in the nation and probably pound-for-pound one of the strongest players in the nation, which is evident in his drives to the paint, standing up to much bigger guys compared to his 5-8 frame. Big guy, Matthew Bryan-Amaning is a definite presence in the paint, as Venoy Overton has timely hoops and defensive stops off the bench.
So what's the problem!?!?!? The problem is that the Dawg's found a way in 90% of their games to shoot themselves in the feet with horrible turnovers and easy buckets for their opponents digging themselves into nightly holes.
The Dawg's parlayed their talent into a rare backdoor Pac-10 Tourney Title, but their up tempo style will be an interesting match-up in the 2nd round vs. UNC as both teams are prone to feet self-shooting!
Georgia? Dunno. Anyone have any smack on Georgia?
#2 NORTH CAROLINA vs. #15 LONG ISLAND
Roy Williams has done THE BEST COACHING JOB with this year's Tar Heels then any of his previous KU/UNC squads! UNC still have Hoop IQ scharts, but Roy has been able to limit those scharting accidents while harnessing UNC's strength in their size and wingspan.
So. F, John "Olive Oil" Henson still has his spagetti-arm strength in the blocks, but his athleticism allows him to board and get many blocks. Fr. F Harrison Barnes has grown immensely since his ill-advised pre-season All-American nomination by the national media. His jumpshot is silky smooth and it's pretty to watch his consistent release with his shoulders nice and square on every jumper. He still needs to harness the killer instinct that he can possess, but lacks in expressing it consistently.
Jr. C Tyler Zeller is the most consistent player for UNC giving great efforts in the paint and like Shawn Kemp, is always banging! Zeller's hustle is as regular as Harry Dunne on Turbo Lax!
The thing with North Carolina is that they will commit horrible turnovers, particularly on their post entry passes, but no one in the nation can keep up UNC's fast break. That's why we're liking UNC into the Sweet Sixteen as they match-up well to UDub's turnover-prone uptempo style.
That's it for the East Region. Make your picks. Stay tuned for more.
Commish A-Dish
Out!
