My picks for the Final Four (revisited)

Now that we know what teams will be in the Final Four, it is time to compare them to the teams I originally picked back on March 13. Back then, I picked Kentucky, Ohio State, Missouri and Kansas. Despite all the bracket-busting upsets, I think I did well.

Three of my picks made the Final Four (Kentucky, Ohio State and Kansas). Missouri's upset back in the second round destroyed that bracket for me, but I did pretty well every place else. So, if somebody followed my picks and bet their life savings on it, they are sitting pretty right now. If a person did not listen to me...well, maybe they will listen next time. By the way, I do not advocate gambling. I only advocate listening to me when I make picks.

I like Kentucky to win the title, but their semi-final game against Louisville should be exciting.

My picks for the Final Four

It took a lot of sweating and gnashing of teeth, but I have finally arrived at my Final Four picks for the men's tournament. I'm going with Kentucky, Ohio State, Kansas, and Missouri.

That's three #2 seeds and one #1 seed. I'm not exactly going out on a limb in picking Kentucky, but I did hesitate a bit after they lost to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament. Still, I can't see a better team in the entire field, and I expect them to win the whole ball of wax.

I've liked Missouri all season, and I'm not going to back off them now. They are in the same regional as Michigan State, but the Tigers should be able to outscore them if they meet.

Ohio State is in the same bracket as Syracuse, but I simply do not trust the Orangemen for some reason. I'm also taking Kansas over North Carolina for the same reason. I don't trust the Tar Heels.

So, there you have them. Read them and weep.

One out of four isn't bad...right?

Back on March 19, I made my picks regarding who I thought would reach the final four in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. I picked North Carolina, Missouri, Louisville, and Pittsburgh. So, how did I do?

Not so good. The only school I got right was North Carolina, but I was very close to getting all four. Missouri, Louisville, and Pittsburgh all made it to the regional finals before losing. Close but no cigar.

Michigan State, Connecticut and Villanova will join Carolina in the final four. Since Carolina has brought me this far, I am going to stick with them to win the title. As long as guard Ty Lawson is healthy, I don't see how the Tar Heels will get beat.

NCAA March Madness: I am officially jinxing North Carolina, Missouri, Pittsburgh and Louisville

Well, for college basketball fans, the best month of the year has arrived as the NCAA men's and women's tournaments are starting. It is a time of year when fans are tempted to call in sick to their employers just to watch a little basketball. There is nothing wrong with a case of March Madness flu.

I will start with the women's tournament because it is the easiest to forecast. The women's tourney can be summed up in one word: Connecticut. The Connecticut Huskies are undefeated and have dominated women's basketball this year. If they do not win the tournament, it will be an upset of historic proportions.

As for the men's tourney, picking a winner is much trickier. As certain as the women's game has been this year, the men's has been wildly uncertain. Because of this, there will be no attempt to pick a winner. However, here are the teams that will likely win each regional to advance to the final four.

South Regional – North Carolina. Tyler Hansbrough gets most of the publicity, but guard Ty Lawson is the real leader of the Tar Heels. Of course, Lawson is struggling with a toe injury that caused him to miss the ACC tournament. If he is healthy, Carolina will advance to the final four. If not, the regional is more wide open. For now, the pick is Carolina.

West Regional – Missouri. The Tigers played in the shadow of Kansas and Oklahoma in the Big 12 all year, but they are dangerous. They are the third seed in the West behind Connecticut and Memphis. However, Connecticut's problems at point guard will catch up with them, and Memphis is overrated. True, Memphis has won 26 in a row, but they play in a limp noodle conference. DeMarre Carroll leads the Tigers in both scoring and rebounding. Watch out for Mizzou.

East Regional – Pittsburgh. Forward DeJuan Blair is one of the best rebounders in the country, but he also leads his team in field goal percentage. Despite being upset by West Virginia in the Big East tournament, the Panthers remain formidable. Just ask Connecticut, which lost to Pittsburgh twice this season.

Midwest Regional – Louisville. It is painful to pick two Big East teams to reach the final four, but it should happen. The Cardinals have won nine games in a row, including a beat down of Syracuse to win the Big East conference tournament. Keep your eye on Terrence Williams, who leads the team in assists and steals. He is flat-out fantastic.