East Region Picks

(SCSD now has multiple daily posts. Don't miss the others below.)

Uppety Toppety:


Cornell-Temple is a game where everyone wants to pick the underdog, but I don't think it's going to be a good idea. Temple is a really strong A-10 team, and I can't see them going down. My friend Brian made an excellent point that the 5/12 match-ups are real downers this year. This game is one example, and Butler-UTEP is another. All four teams are really fun and hot and could potentially make the Sweet 16, but two will have to lose right away. Why couldn't UTEP play Texas A&M, while Cornell played Michigan State? Isn't that way more fun than just matching small conference teams against each other?

Wisconsin has looked a bit weak lately, so I have them going down to Temple in the second round, while Kentucky moves on pretty easily. Texas-Wake Forest is another awful game. These might be the two most undeserving teams in the entire field, and both have stunk in the second half of the season. You couldn't pay me to watch this game.*

*I probably will watch it, and I definitely won't get paid.


Bottomsy Wottomsy:


Morgan State over West Virginia is the trendy pick for this year's psychopaths, those people who have a compulsive need to pick something ridiculous despite the fact that they're not 11 years old anymore. I will admit I briefly considered the let-down factor, but the aforementioned friend Brian ridiculed me enough that I came to my senses with time to spare.

I have Missouri beating Clemson just because Purnell is a bad game coach and they have a history of going down in the first round. This is yet another crap match-up, though. Why not let smaller conference teams with 7/10 seeds (BYU, Richmond, St. Mary's) take a crack at these light-weights? It's a total shame that Richmond and St. Mary's have to meet in the first round. The committee sucks.

I was kinda tempted to take Washington over Marquette, because you figure at least one of the eight Big East teams has to go down in the first round, right? And this is the logical choice; Washington had a good run in the Pac-10 tourney, and Marquette got destroyed in the Big East semis. But I'm just not feeling it, and I think the Golden Eagles will actually make it two rounds by beating New Mexico. Although this is another game where the more I think about it, and the more I read, the more I start liking New Mexico. But not enough.

Finishing up with the east this afternoon. Enjoy the early games. Come on Robert Morris!