Kansas Provides the Kryptonite

I refuse to use any Cinderella references when referring to Davidson. They proved they belonged on this stage. Stephen Curry shot a pedestrian 9 for 25, and yet the Wildcats had a shot to win the game at the buzzer.

Davidson's defense kept them alive, forcing 13 turnovers and holding the Jayhawks to 59 total points.

In the end the Wildcats shot themselves in the foot, shooting 5 for 12 from the foul line. Couple that with Curry's cold streak late in the 2nd half, and it was too much to overcome.

The "White Lobster" did his part to keep the dream alive, scoring 11 points in the 2nd half. In the end though, the Jayhawks were too athletic on the defensive end and forced Davidson out of their comfort zone just enough to pull out the win.

Many, including me mocked the "experts" for predicting four #1 seeds would make it to San Antonio. Well I guess I'm the idiot now.

I'll be crying myself to sleep tonight over this one, and I'll be missing Stephen in the Final 4.

Curry is human after all, Santa's not real, and Elvis really is dead . . . but we'll all dream again next March.

Dad, I'm Scared!

Dear Dad,

The pressure is building. It feels like the eyes of the whole country are staring in my direction. With every shot I make and every upset we pull off, more people jump on the bandwagon. They call us a Cinderella, but really we're just a good team. I mean, we played North Carolina, UCLA, NC State, and Duke close . . . and that was early in the year. We're a lot better now (in case you haven't noticed)!

So, why is it that I had trouble sleeping last night? It may be because I watched an NBA team masquerading as the Kansas Jayhawks. I know those guys could beat the Miami Heat by 30! Sure, Kansas always chokes come tournament time, but I'm starting to wonder if they're "due". I mean, I'm only a 13 year old pretending to be in college, I don't know if I can win a 4th straight game all by myself.

But then again . . . maybe I can.

Love You Son,
Stephen Curry

Ladies and Gentlemen . . . My New Hero!

Night 1 of the Sweet 16 provided the mild surprise of Louisville dominating Tennessee. But . . . Stephen Curry and Davidson has one upped Pitino's squad. Davidson cruised to a 73-56 win over Wisconsin in the first batch of games Friday night. I now find myself strongly routing for Villanova. Could there be anything better than a 10 vs 12 in the Elite 8? OK, I admit it, I'm a sucker for a Cinderella, but if you're not in love with Stephen Curry (I'm man enough to admit it), I'm questioning your basketball fanhood.

Updated Bracket
NY Times on Davidson Upset

March Madness Predictions

It's time for my tournament predictions. I have to mention this as a disclaimer: I absolutely suck at making picks in the "Big Dance". But you never know, maybe this is my year. And now onto the picks . . .

Sweet 16
Midwest
(1) Florida - Arizona or Purdue will be a dangerous 2nd round matchup
(4) Maryland - Davidson is a tough 1st round draw, if they get by them I see them in the round of 16
(6) Notre Dame - I can see them losing in the 1st round against Winthrop, so this is risky
(2) Wisconsin
West
(1) Kansas
(4) Southern Illinois - This is a team on the edge, they could easily lose either of their first two games
(3) Pittsburgh - It's going to take steady guard play to beat Pitt, Duke and Wright St. don't have it
(10) Gonzaga - Gonzaga is back to being a Cinderella team, time avenge last year's loss to UCLA
East
(1) North Carolina
(4) Texas
(11) George Washington - George Washington kinda sounds like George Mason . . .
(2) Georgetown
South
(1) Ohio State
(5) Tennessee - They need to take care of business against Long Beach St.
(3) Texas A&M
(2) Memphis

Elite 8
(4) Maryland - They've been hot as of late, and can sneak up on Florida
(6) Notre Dame - Wisconsin struggles to score and ND can shoot the lights out, upset special
(1) Kansas
(10) Gonzaga - They'll play focused, and play with discipline; this will be enough to beat Pitt
(1) North Carolina
(2) Georgetown
(1) Ohio State
(2) Memphis - Very tough game against Texas A&M

Final 4
(6) Notre Dame - the dream run ends here
(1) Kansas
(1) North Carolina - They've beaten Ohio State once, they'll beat them again
(1) Ohio State

National Championship
(1) Kansas 68
(1) North Carolina 76 - UNC is viewed as the weakest #1 seed in the field. I say, forget about the mask, UNC wins it all.