Okay, the preseason is over, and it’s time to separate the men from the boys.\u00a0 The Big East is the first of the 5x conferences, and if you’re not ready now, then you might as well starting preparing for 2013.\u00a0 The Big East, as a conference, was, as usual, vastly, vastly overrated.\u00a0 Yes, Syracuse is elite, and I really like this Marquette team.\u00a0 I also think Georgetown is pretty decent, but are either of those teams really contenders?\u00a0 Other than the ‘Cuse, I’m not sure I would confidently say that ANY Big East team is a safe bet to even make the Sweet 16.\u00a0 And, yes, I’m going to get my shots in this year because it looks like Temple might be in the Big East next year, so I’ll have to start defending this overrated crap.\u00a0 But, this overrated crap is amazing at this time of the year because they have three straight quadruple-headers…in Madison Square Garden…amazing!<\/p>\n
Championship Picks Biggest Upsets Previous CTC Champions #9 Connecticut vs. #16 DePaul<\/em> #12 St. John’s vs. #13 Pittsburgh #11 Rutgers vs. #14 Villanova #10 Seton Hall vs. #15 Providence Okay, the preseason is over, and it’s time to separate the men from the boys.\u00a0 The Big East is the first of the 5x conferences, and if you’re not ready now, then you might as well starting preparing for 2013.\u00a0 … Continue reading
\n<\/em>12 for #1 Syracuse
\n4 for #2 Marquette (Doogan, Gross, RSmith, Teddy)
\n1 for #3 Notre Dame (KA)
\n0 for #4 Cincinnati
\n2 for #5 Georgetown (J, Lynch)<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>R1 – #16 DePaul (Bry)
\nR2 – #14 Villanova (Primm)
\nQF – #8 West Virginia (Gross)
\nSF – #7 Louisville (Primm)<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>2011 – Scoot
\n2010 – Teddy
\n2009 – Doogan
\n2008 – Doogan<\/p>\n
\nAnyone who even pretends to be a college hoops fans probably has an amateur psychologist explanation of what happened to the Huskies this year.\u00a0 I will save my opinions about “needing a leader” or “operating without their coach,” but let me just say that Kemba Walker did more for that team than score.\u00a0 As for DePaul, this perennial 16-seed in the Big East tournament actually looked decent for much of the season and is not quite the walkover than they normally are in this position, so UConn better watch out.\u00a0 #8 West Virginia awaits the winner of this game in tomorrow’s Second Round.\u00a0 Only Bry was dumb enough (again…) to pick DePaul here.\u00a0 Dave, Gersh, KA, Primm, Rikey, RDoc, RSmith, and Waters all have UConn winning again tomorrow.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>Trivia question – who is the youngest team in all of college hoops.\u00a0 Kentucky with all their freshmen?\u00a0\u00a0 Some small conference team that isn’t very good?\u00a0 No and no.\u00a0 The answer is Steve Lavin’s Red Storm.\u00a0 St. John’s is the youngest team in America and they have even more elite talent coming in next year.\u00a0 Lavin is about to completely turn this program around, but he’s still a year away – at least.\u00a0 Now, these kids get to take on one of the more disappointing teams in the country in Pitt.\u00a0 The Panthers – maybe because of the loss of Tra Wooddall for much of the season – have been a debacle.\u00a0 But, everyone gets new life, and they are usually very, very good in the Big East tournament.\u00a0 The winner of this game will take on #5 Georgetown in the Second Round.\u00a0 Most of the field actually took Pitt in the minor upset.\u00a0 Only 7 people took the Red Storm (Alexi, Gersh, Mac, Primm, RSmith, Teddy, Waters).\u00a0 Waters has St. John’s beating G’town in the second round.\u00a0 Bry and Gross are the two biggest Pitt believers, as they have them going to the quarters.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>See what I mean about the Big East being vastly overrated?\u00a0 We’ve only recapped two games so far and we mentioned, possibly, the two biggest disappoinments in the nation.\u00a0 Well, let me add a third to that list in this third game.\u00a0 Villanova has been a train wreck all year.\u00a0 As for Rutgers, they were actually in the at-large discussion for a while, but have pretty much ended that.\u00a0 Now, they get a shot here, with the winner to take on #6 South Florida.\u00a0 The field is basically split on this one, as 9 people took the upset of ‘Nova here (Alexi, Bry, Doogan, Gross, J, Lohse, Lynch, Primm, RSmith).\u00a0 Primm is the biggest ‘Nova supporter, as he has them in the quarters.\u00a0 KA, RDoc, Scoot, Teddy, and Waters all have RU winning again tomorrow.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>In a two-on-two tournament, Seton Hall might be a Final Four contender.\u00a0 But, unfortunately for the Pirates, Mr. Naismith decided that the game should have 5 players on a team, so Seton Hall is squarely on the bubble instead.\u00a0 Providence usually shows up at the Garden, but they don’t have all that much talent this year.\u00a0 Rick Pitino’s 7th-seeded Louisville Cardinals awaits the winner of this one.\u00a0Bry, Doogan, and Teddy are the only three to bite on the Providence upset of the Hall in the nighcap tonight, though none of them have PC beating Lousiville tomorrow.\u00a0 J, Lohse, Lynch, and RDoc all have Seton Hall upsetting the Cardinals, though.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"