My bracket

Update: I made some 11th-hour revisions because I was getting too cute with some of my picks. Major changes include West Virginia and Duke in the Final Four and revising my 4/13 and 6/11 upsets…

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OK, so I can say I know myself pretty well. After a day off (and a good night’s sleep) from pretty much all things sports (including an 8-2 win by the Stars over the Sharks — pretty irritated I missed that!), I’m ready to talk b-ball.

Yeah, big surprise, I picked Kansas to win it all, defeating Kentucky Duke in the championship game. This just isn’t the year for Cinderellas to make noise, folks.

However glad I am that my alma mater defeated KU at one point in the year, I don’t see the Jayhawks falling again. They’ve got the experience and the coaching to take them all the way again. More power to the Big Tweezy (the conference, not the rapper).

Some random bracketly thoughts:

Final four: Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky, Baylor, West Virginia, Duke

Upsets

13 Siena over 4 Purdue: Some think the Boilermakers will adjust without their star, Robbie Hummel, who is hurt, but they say every bracket needs a 4/13 upset, so this is mine.

12 UTEP over 5 Butler: I like UTEP a lot. They didn’t win their conference tournament, but they’re a tough out. I’m calling the Miners a Sweet Sixteen team.

11 Old Dominion over 6 Notre Dame: This is just for fun. Besides, the Irish were one of the last teams in.

7 Richmond over 2 Villanova in the second round: I’m drinking the Kool-Aid. The Spiders will make noise with their defense.

Toss-ups

UNLV over UNI

Texas over Wake

Clemson over Mizzou

Other

6 Tennessee over 11 San Diego State: This is a trendy upset pick, but Big Game Bruce has led the Vols over Kansas and Kentucky. That counts, in my book.

Local faves

7 Oklahoma State over 10 Georgia Tech: I know people love to pick 7-10 upsets, but if Matt Pilgrim stays out of foul trouble, the Pokes will handle their 2004 nemesis. Then they’ll meet the “other” OSU, and they’ll be done. Sadly…

P.S. I have to give a shoutout to one of my inspirations, Bakerella, for St. Patrick’s Day. If I get a chance, I’d love to make green cake today!

Does this not look delicious???

Is it April yet?

Normally, I love March Madness. For whatever reason, I’m kind of already over it.

Nah, I’m just tired. I’m sure I’ll reread this later and want to take it back. I think I just need a vacation…

It was a long day, though. Selection Sunday will wear you out. You don’t want to publish a bad bracket, that’s for sure. (I think at least five people checked it. It’s a time-consuming task.)

I haven’t begun to fill out my bracket(s) yet, so I haven’t had a chance to do any research. For me, making educated guesses on who will advance is half the fun.

But after listening to my co-workers talk about the picks all night long, I think I can regurgitate some of their opinions, if you like.

“Duke has by FAR the easiest draw.”

“Baylor could make a run — the Final Four is not out of the question.”

“UTEP could be a Sweet Sixteen team.”

“Richmond could be the most overlooked team in the tournament.”

“Purdue might not win a game.”

And nearly everyone picked Kansas to win it all.

So there you go. After a good night’s sleep, I think I’ll be in a better state of mind to make my picks tomorrow.

P.S. Shameless plug: You should fill out your bracket here.

Minor revelation

It’s March, and only just now have I finally figured out why OU freshman Tiny Gallon’s name bothers me.

A gallon is a unit of measurement. It is standard. There is no large or small gallon. There are only pints, quarts, cups, etc. If it were any size other than 128 ounces, it would be something else!

Whew. Glad I got that sorted out. I hate to go all “does not compute” on you, but something just kind of tickled the back of my brain whenever I heard or read his name. I swear I’m not a robot. Just logical.

A gallon is a gallon is a gallon.

Anyway, while looking up Gallon’s info on OU’s Web site (6-foot-9, 296, if you are interested), I noticed the headline for tonight’s Big Monday OU-Texas matchup that said “Sooners Go For Sweep of Texas Monday Night”. Wow. I’d forgotten about that, an 80-71 win over the then-No. 9 Longhorns in Norman three Saturdays ago.

I’m pretty sure a 13-15 OU team that has lost six straight and a spiraling Texas team that might not be ranked later today was not what ESPN had in mind when it planned its Big Monday schedule many months ago.

OSU-Kansas

Pretty impressive win for OSU over Kansas over the weekend. Not a whole lot to say, really. A decent team caught a really good team on an off day. Plus, the rowdiness of Gallagher-Iba was totally throwback. Hopefully the students there now will see how much better the atmosphere is when they care about the team. (It helps when your team is beating a top-ranked conference opponent into the ground, but hey. Whatever works.)

"The rowdiest arena in the country."

Despite the score, I had a hard time getting into the game. I kept thinking OSU would play them hard for a half, then come out after halftime shooting poorly or Kansas would wake up and realize they’re the No. 1 team in the country.

Also, I kept flipping back to CNN to make sure Hawaii hadn’t been destroyed by a tsunami. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to visit Hawaii, and I was legitimately concerned that a tidal wave was about to annihilate it. Thankfully, the whole tsunami thing seemed to have been a scare. I know I sound like a dork, but I was pretty relieved when nothing happened.

It’s awful to see and read about the devastation caused by the 8.8 earthquake in Chile though. (On an unrelated note, I think Texans should feel a special kinship with Chile because their flags are so similar.)

USA-Canada

I still am sort of in shock that the U.S. took silver today. Partly because I didn’t think they had much of a chance going into the Olympics, and partly because once they tied the game with seconds left, I thought they might steal the win.

I’m pretty proud of the Americans for fighting to the end. Canada looked strong all game. I didn’t get to watch all of it, but the parts I did see did not look promising. The Americans’ power play was pitiful. It’s really frustrating to watch a team with a man advantage stumble like that. They kept dumping the puck into the corner, then Canada would easily recover and clear. Finally they got one going when someone carried it in. Geez, about time.

I thought the U.S. looked tired for most of the game, except at the end of regulation and the beginning of overtime, when they were going on pure adrenaline. After about five minutes of OT, the Americans just looked a step behind and sluggish.

I’m a little happy for Canada. I guess I lack that killer instinct of a winner that says “step on their throats!” I would have absolutely loved to have seen my country win another gold, but clearly this game meant more to our northern neighbors. And how fitting that legend-in-the-making Sidney Crosby scored the game-winner.

I think a U.S. gold would have been good for the NHL, but the game got so much hype and press that I don’t think it makes a big difference that the Americans won silver. All I know is that it got people who don’t normally watch hockey watching it, which is a good thing.

A very good Friday: OSU beats Tennessee

Just watched my alma mater, Oklahoma State, beat Tennessee 77-75 in the most evenly matched basketball game I have seen in a long time.

The teams were like mirror images of each other. Tennessee can hit 3s, but the Vols also went ice cold on shooting late in the first half, continuing into the second half. Bad Tennessee looks a lot like bad OSU.

But enough about bad OSU. When Byron Eaton drove to make it 76-75 OSU, I about lost it. Nice way to end the first NCAA tournament game of the senior’s career.

I really thought the Cowboys would dig themselves too far into a hole with foul trouble, but somehow they pulled it off. I began mentally preparing myself for a loss when James Anderson picked up his fourth.

Really, the only thing that kept me thinking OSU could win were two very interesting stats that our OSU beat writer, Jimmie Tramel, dug up.

1. Tennessee usually wins when it turns the ball over MORE than its opponent.
2. Tennessee nearly always wins when it outshoots its opponent, and it nearly always loses when it doesn’t.

The final stats? Vols 11 turnovers, Cowboys 12. FG percentages: Vols 42.9, Cowboys 56.6.

So Pitt is next (assuming). I picked Pitt to win it all in at least a couple of brackets. Don’t know much about them, but I am looking forward to the game anyway.

Speaking of brackets, mine are all blown up. I filled out about six because I kept getting invitations, and I thought, why not?

My brackets are like snowflakes this year: Each is unique.

I got way too cute with upsets, even I though I myself said there wouldn’t be too many this year.

One good one I did get away with was Western Kentucky over Illinois. I almost got away with Utah State over Marquette, and I picked North Dakota State over Kansas in five of my brackets. I saw virtually nothing of that game, but the score atop the screen indicated it was pretty close most of the game.

But enough about brackets. They are kind of like fantasy teams; no one cares about yours, just their own.

And while it’s fresh on our minds, let’s talk about the flippin’ sweet OU game last night. If you haven’t heard or seen the flip yet, watch any game today. I guarantee it is mentioned at some point.

For the record, a Morgan State player flipped Blake Griffin over his back, WWE style. Griffin just popped up and smirked after coming dangerously close to having his neck broken.

Obviously, that kind of thuggy behavior and lack of self-discipline has no place in the game. But I have to admit as cheap and dirty as the foul was, it looked kind of cool. (Obviously I can only say that because Griffin appeared OK, for the most part.)

I know a lot of people are tired of Blake coverage and were secretly glad to see a cheap foul like that, but 1) it only gives him more air time (literally) and 2) makes him look like a saint for not retaliating. So there.

Well, I have to run some errands before I go to work today. I am slotting, but the only real late thing we’ll be waiting on is the Tulsa-Auburn NIT game. I really wish it was on TV.

The most wonderful time of the year

Don’t get me wrong. I have forgotten more about pro hockey and baseball than I know about college basketball.

But I do have a growing affection for the most hectic sports month of the year: March. You can’t beat the Cinderella dreams, Selection Sunday, mammoth upsets, overtime classics and of course, the brackets.

Besides, what other time can you turn on the TV at practically any given hour and see a decent hoops game?

Anyway, what a day for Big 12 basketball. Baylor beating Kansas, OSU coming out on top in a crazy Bedlam finish… long day.

Add in the high school basketball state tournaments, a.k.a. gold trophy weekend, and you have a looong week. Really, it’s a long month until all the local teams have been bounced.

I really think that, barring major injuries, OSU could be a Sweet 16 team this year. I wouldn’t have dared think that two months ago, but the surprising Cowboys seem to have really jelled. Marshall Moses gets the title of “luckiest man alive” (he supplants the man who survived jumping into Niagara Falls on Wednesday).

I know he was frustrated over his fifth foul, but there’s no excuse for the naughty language that got him T’d up. OU made 1 of 2 of its free throws on the technical and 1 of 2 on the foul, tying the game at 64-64. Considering the final margin was 71-70, he is very lucky his lack of discipline didn’t cost his team the win. John Wooden would not approve.

OU has further proven that it really is a one-man team. Shut down Blake Griffin, shut down the Sooners. Poor guard play plus 19 turnovers equaled the Bedlam that got away.

Analyzing the game is hard because it was a combination of OU throwing it away with a pesky OSU team using heart to overcome a superior foe. I think OU has been exposed, but I also think the Cowboys got lucky in that they caught the Sooners at just the right time.

All in all, it was definitely a classic Bedlam, no matter which side you are on.

Speaking of classics, how about Syracuse-UConn? Six overtimes?! 102 points scored AFTER regulation?! Those poor guys looked exhausted.

UConn took the loss, but the Huskies might have also gotten the better end of the deal. The Orange has to play West Virginia today with dead legs. UConn gets to rest until the tournament starts.

I hope Tulsa plays well against Alabama-Birmingham today. TU will be shorthanded, as Bishop Wheatley was suspended one game for a flagrant foul committed Thursday against Rice. But the Blazers went to overtime yesterday, which might have worn them down a bit.

The Golden Hurricane is rolling right now, but unless TU beats Memphis (or Houston) for the Conference USA title, it’s NIT City. As of 1 a.m. Friday, TU’s RPI had fallen to 63 on collegeRPI.com. Not good enough. A weak schedule really hurts them.

Well, I’m not sure what to make of OSU-Missouri (RPIs of 18 and 15, respectively). When they met earlier in the season, OSU nearly rallied back from a 19-point deficit, and would have too if not for a suspect foul call during a frenzy under the net in the waning seconds.

I know Missouri prides itself on being the “Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball,” but I think OSU is athletic enough to keep up. And the Cowboys have confidence after the big win Thursday. I just hope they aren’t already emotionally spent.

OSU is a tournament lock. I think it would be OK to lose tomorrow just to catch up on rest and heal up any nagging late-season injuries.

No matter what, it’ll be an action-packed weekend.

Or should I say month?

Hard to watch

On a rare Saturday off, I spent the better part of a beautiful, 75-degree February afternoon indoors watching college basketball. And I’m a little frustrated.

First off, the world is not right when Oklahoma State sucks at basketball. (The men, not the women. The Cowgirls can hold their own.)

OSU got whooped by Kansas, 78-67, in Lawrence. Yes, the Jayhawks are ranked, defending national champions and were at the Phog.

But I don’t care. I hate OSU’s style of offense right now.

I admit I know much less about basketball strategy than baseball, football or hockey. But even I can tell when something is broken.

You live by the 3, you die by the 3. OSU died by it today. Missed shots all over the place. And when a shot would clank off the rim, a Kansas player nearly always snatched it up. That made for many short possessions, which is frustrating to watch. OSU gets the ball, brings it down the court, takes a quick shot from beyond the arc, misses, and it’s KU ball again. Over and over. It’s a very impatient offense.

My favorite thing to yell at the TV is “REBOUND!!!”, and I did that quite a bit today. (“FOUL!” is a close second.) It drives me crazy when no one is there to get the ball back after a missed shot.

I have to admit that when the system works, it is too much fun to watch. The 3-pointer is one of the most exciting plays in all of sports. I think it’s the delicious anticipation that occurs between the release and the swish. And I have seen it work for OSU this season against lesser competition. That style of offense is great when it works, but unbearable when it fails.

One more thing: While I love the exposure of nationally televised games, I hate the announcing. While I am certainly not the first person to complain about this, the mistakes were ridiculous today.

During the OU-Colorado game, the announcers were talking about the work ethic of Sooner bench player Ryan Wright, and how “Kelvin Sampson” works with him in practice. Really?! This is only Jeff Capel’s third season at OU! Give the man some credit.

And during the OSU-KU game, someone said Rotnei Clarke (a former Oklahoma high school standout) was at Mississippi State. He’s actually at Arkansas. Ugh.