I won't be updating this shebang too often, but will definitely provide some off-the-cuff commentary on the jayhawks' path to the final four.
And just for fun, here are my last eight in, and last eight out, all assuming georgia steals a bid by holding on...
LAST EIGHT IN:
South Alabama
Baylor
Kansas State
Arizona
Oregon
Arizona State
St. Josephs
Kentucky
LAST EIGHT OUT:
Ohio State
Villanova
Massachusetts
VCU
Illinois State
Dayton
Virginia Tech
Mississippi
Just for fun.
I still cant believe this Georgia stuff, just awesome, awesome stuff.
Stuff.
Wow.
5:55 ET :: I really think we get the #1 in the Midwest, with Tennessee being the #2 in our bracket. I'll take that, I would be pretty confident in a game against the Vols, although I think that they are primed for an early upset. Just get a feeling Lofton will go cold early, and they won't be able to win. In any case, games will be announced in about 5 minutes. My heart is skipping beats right now, this is easily the most exciting hour of sports where no game is played.
6:00 ET :: I'm with Clark. Let's get this show on the road. And for the all-important question, will you watch the actual unveiling of the bracket on CBS, or the seconds-later ESPN unveiling that is retarded. Please tell me CBS.
6:04 ET :: UNC is the #1 overall seed, no surprise there. 33-2 is insane for a power conference team, they are a really good team. Or, as Coach Calipari said, "they are what they are". Memphis is #2 overall, I would have put UCLA there but it doesn't mean a whole heckuva lot. UCLA is #3 out in the west, and looky there. Kansas at #4 overall. I love it. Hopefully we get the Vols as our #2 seed, I think we can beat them. Suck it Jimmy Dykes.
6:13 ET :: East bracket unveiled first. I hope they get the play-in winner, I like having more time to prepare, even if that means playing a better opponent. Yes! That means we will know our opponent tonight. Oooh, Indiana as an 8 seed. I don't think they are that tough, and I think Arky will beat them, and neither should be too tough for UNC. ND is a really solid team, and I am scared of Gody. That is an interesting 5/12. I was hoping we would see Wazzu, I wouldn't be surprised to see a watered-down Winthrop team to actually beat them. Wow, UNC gets the Vols. Apparently, Tennessee wasn't even close to a #1 seed. Good, South Alabama definitely deserved to go in. There is a potential USA-American matchup in the second round, and USA will be playing in close-to-home Birmingham. Good, St. Joe's got in. They deserved it too.
More analysis to come after all brackets are introduced.
6:22 :: We are up next, let's see who we will be playing. As long as the #2 seed isn't Texas, I will be happy. OK, I am starting to get pretty nervous. Good, we play on Thursday. I like it. I'm sick of these late-night Friday games. And we play...Portland State. First-time NCAA Tournamenters, interesting matchup. And in the second round, if we make it (wink, wink), we will play either UNLV or Kent State. Not the greatest news of the world, I am petrified of Al Fisher and the Golden Flashes. And crap. We get to play Clemson. Crap, crap, crap, crap. Clemson could go all the way to the Elite Eight. And Vandy too, crap. Crap. I'm not a big fan of this bracket. And Villanova got in, very surprising IMO. I did not think they would sneak in. I like G'Town as our #2 seed, we can beat them. Actually, I am less nervous of G'Town than either Clemson or Vandy. Wisconsin is pretty good, that G'Town-Wiscy game should be an awesome one. Wow, this bracket is loaded. K-State as a 11 seed? Crazy, crazy stuff. K-State-USC is going to be absolutely incredible, I can't wait to see that. Tough bracket for us, but we are good enough to beat anybody so I'm not too worried. More stuff x 1000 on this particular section of the bracket a little later on.
More analysis to come after all brackets are introduced.
6:30 :: Let's see how the South breaks down. Texas-Arlington were no doubt the worst 16 seed not in the opening round game. Oregon gets in, and incredibly comfortably. Crazy stuff, a 9 seed for the Ducks? Michigan State is weak this year, we could kill them, and I will call a Temple victory right now. Pitt is legit, I am glad they aren't in our bracket. I want no part of the Panthers. Good, the Longhorns deserved the #2 seed in the South the way they played today and all season long. I don't know if I have said this already, but that was one of the best games of all time and GOTY. Miami is a really good team, their opening round game against Saint Mary's will be sick. Stanford is a little overrated, I think. All they got is the Lopez brothers, and I think their game against the Big Red will be awfully close awfully late. And Kentucky gets in. They deserve it, the way they are playing right now, but I wouldn't have been shocked for them to be left out.
More analysis to come after all brackets are introduced.
6:36 :: OK, before the West is introduced, the Baylor Bears better be somewhere in there. Same with Texas A&M, they both definitely deserve a ticket considering how weak the bubble is. Glad we can't possibly play UCLA until the Championship game, I think they are the best team in the country besides us. Good, there are the Ags. Hopefully the Bears get in too. Ags/Mormons should be a good one. Drake is weak, although Emmenecker is an awesome name. One of those 5's has to fall, Drake might be the most vulnerable. Connecticut is a very good team, I would want no part of the Huskies. Crap. Zona makes it in, meaning that really there is only one more slot for Baylor to fit in, the 11 seed. I will be incredibly pissed if the Bears don't get a ticket. Wow! Georgia as a 14 seed, that has to be teh lowest for a BCS conference team. Purdue is a legit team, glad they are in someone else's bracket. YES YES YES YES YES YES YES. Good, the Bears got the very last slot, and very deservedly so. They, without a doubt, deserved a ticket, and how awesome it is that they got the very last slot announced.
More analysis to come after all brackets are introduced.
6:43 :: As always, I am freaking out at our bracket. I always envision ways we can lose and be knocked out early before realizing that we really should be able to coast to the second round. Then it gets crazy-tough. See, I can be a little optimistic.
7:15 :: Any talk of expanding the NCAA Tournament is more than stupid. 128 teams would be way too much for the NCAAs. Lots of complaining and whining going on. You can talk about "deservation" all you want, Hubert Davis, but the only thing I disagree on is Villanova over Arizona State. And even that is reasonable, when you match up the resumes. Honestly, ESPN is pissing me off pretty incredibly. Hey, Bobby Knight, the entire thing of "deservation" is based off of the number set. So if you upped the number of teams in the Tournament, the teams left out then would talk about "deservation". I can't refute all of their stupid arguments and childish complaining here, but I just want to say that I think the Committee did a fine job.