Gab Session: A Dog In The Hunt
by: Brian Gabrielle
Damn you, Villanova.
That's right, I had the Wildcats over the...um...Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Villanova over Kentucky, that is. Not only that, but I also picked Villanova to upset everyone's current chic pick of the moment, Kansas, to get to the Sweet 16. Once the boys from Philly were erased in the first round, the Jayhawks were set loose in my bracket to wreak non-points-gaining devastation. My pick of Southern Illinois to the Elite Eight is suddenly looking pretty shaky, huh?
This week I've heard a few pundits wondering aloud about whether it's more fun to watch the tournament having filled in your own bracket, or whether you get a finer appreciation of the event if you don't fill one in, and thus don't have a dog in every single first-round hunt. To this debate, I say: are you serious? The kind of person who sits around and enjoys 20 some-odd hours of basketball the first weekend of March Madness without having filled in a bracket is the same kind of person who breathlessly tunes into the Buick Open, "just to see how great those golfers really are." Puh-leeze.
You have to fill in a bracket, and you have to live and die with your selections. Normally, I hate Duke. But I picked 'em in their first-round game against VCU. Too much size for the Rams, I reasoned, and plus too many people were calling that as their upset special. So there I was on Thursday, rooting for the hated Blue Devils. (To no avail, I might add.) Had I not made any bracketology selections this month, I'd simply be watching every game and rooting for the underdog. Anyone's mom can do that. (And mine does.)
Twelve of my Sweet 16 teams are still alive, and all of my Final Four squads made it through the first week, which is better than I usually do. Of course, I've had my share of stinkers, too (et tu, Villanova?), and surely as Kansas progresses further and further, I'll lose more and more ground in my brackets. But I'll be loving every minute of it, because if I didn't have someone picked over someone else, I can honestly tell you I wouldn't give two poops about North Carolina vs. Georgetown, or Pittsburgh vs. UCLA. As it is? Go Hoyas and Bruins. Make papa proud.
It was an interesting first week of the NCAA Tournament. How's your bracket? Which results were most surprising to you?
BoDog Bookmakers, BoDog.com: A lot of basketball fans have to be asking, "Where's the Madness?" A year after a deadly March for favorites, the first weekend of the tournament was a boon for higher seeds. Although underdogs had a decent run, going 20-28 against the spread overall, only three mid-major schools remain. For me, that's the most surprising result: how poorly the underdogs fared. The lowest remaining seed is No. 7 UNLV. Although they beat Wisconsin, it wasn't a big shock because the Badgers were considered an overrated No. 2 seed anyway. Butler and USC pulled off greater upsets because they beat teams (Maryland and Texas, respectively) that were streaking heading into the tournament.
Was there a particular game or games that hurt the sportsbooks in Round 1or Round 2?
BDB, BoDog.com: The first day of the NCAA Tournament, which is usually known for its close calls and upsets, was filled with blowouts by double-digit favorites. Favorites were 13-3 against the spread on Thursday, making nearly every game besides Virginia Commonwealth's 79-77 upset over Duke a significant loss for books. Most notable was No. 3 Pittsburgh's 79-58 blowout of No. 14 Wright State as an 11-point favorite, No. 2 UCLA's 70-42 win over No. 15 Weber State as a 20-point favorite, No. 2 Georgetown's 80-55 win over No. 15 Belmont as a 16.5-point favorite, and Ohio State's 78-57 win over No. 16 Central Connecticut St. as a 20-point favorite. Although Friday was a lot easier on books, Thursday was definitely a wild day.
Is there a particular team remaining in the Sweet 16 who the books really would like to see lose?
BDB, BoDog.com: As 5/2 favorites, the Florida Gators are by far one of the Sweet 16 teams fans will be backing. Experience, efficiency on offense (they lead the nation with a 52.9 field-goal percentage) and ability to defend the three (they rank second in the nation with a 28.7 three-point percentage against) has made Florida a favorite pick to win it all since the beginning of the '06-'07 season. Though they had some lapses late in the season, the Gators' performance in the SEC Championship solidified their position as title contenders for casual bettors looking to make a last-minute future bet before the tourney tipped off.
Completely unofficially, which four teams do you like to make it to Atlanta?
BDB, BoDog.com: Everybody wants to see if Florida can become the first team to capture back-to-back NCAA titles since Duke did the deed in the early '90s. With Wisconsin and Maryland both out of the Midwest, that task has been made all the more easier for the Gators. They should capture the region. UCLA has been fantastic all season and appear to be on pace for a mouth-watering Elite Eight showdown with Kansas. UCLA has a lot of tourney experience from last season's run, while Kansas is now entering unfamiliar territory (the Jayhawks haven't been to a Final Four since 2003). Look for UCLA to head to Atlanta. In the East, it's all about two storied programs in No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Georgetown. While the Tar Heels boast superior depth, the Hoyas are a little older, wiser and more experienced when in comes to tournament play. In the later stages of March Madness, it's usually the team with the best player who wins. In the East Rutherford, that's Georgetown's Jeff Green. Many believe Ohio State had their "Tyus Edney" moment in their thrilling OT victory over Xavier in the round of 32. That game showed how gutsy and determined the Buckeyes are...and that they can win games without Greg Oden (Oden spent the end of regulation and all of the OT on the bench having fouled out vs. Xavier). None of the remaining teams in the South -- Tennessee, Texas A&M or Memphis -- have the size to bang with Ohio State. The Buckeyes should march on.
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