WVU, Pitt, PSU in the dance but winner is …
All three were on the bubble at times, some until the actual brackets were announced, but when it was all said and done West Virginia, Pitt and Penn State were all included in the field for this year蘑菇视频 March Madness.
Can any of them make a run at the Sweet 16 or even the Final Four? Is Houston destined for Houston? Can Duke make a run in its first season without Coach K?
I鈥檓 here to give my annual thoughts on the NCAA Men蘑菇视频 Basketball Tournament and fans of the Mountaineers, Panthers and Nittany Lions won鈥檛 like it. I did have two of the four Final Four teams last year in Duke and Kansas, though I also incorrectly had Arizona as the champion.
No, I don鈥檛 see any of those local teams getting beyond the second round, although kudos for Pitt and their gutsy victory over Mississippi State in one of the First Four games. It蘑菇视频 nothing short of remarkable what Jeff Capel did with the Panthers through the transfer portal to get them into the dance. He deservedly was named ACC Coach of the Year.
No. 11 Pitt will hold its own against No. 6 Iowa State but the Cyclones advance in the Midwest.
Likewise, Bob Huggins and Micah Shrewsberry turned in sparkling jobs at WVU and PSU.
The Mountaineers started their slate in the vaunted Big 12 with five straight losses but Huggins kept his team together and they received a No. 9 seed in the South and an intriguing matchup with nearby No. 8 Maryland.
Huggins鈥� squads fear no one and I see them getting past the Terrapins and giving No. 1 overall seed Alabama a tough game before falling.
The Nittany Lions鈥� run to the Big Ten championship game, where they suffered a one-point loss to Purdue, helped them barge the door down into the tourney as they went from a bubble team to a No. 10 seed. They go up against No. 7 Texas A&M in the Midwest but I think they come up short in a tight battle with the Aggies.
How many of you have both Pitt and Penn State advancing into the Sweet 16 where they would face each other? Please, stop it. Panthers would lose to Xavier, coached by former Pitt star Sean Miller, and the Nittany Lions aren鈥檛 getting past No. 2 Texas.
When it comes to my Final Four selections, I like to first start by eliminating teams I feel will come up short. Here are some of those I recommend you leave out of your list of region winners.
In the South, No. 2 Arizona, and in the West No. 2 UCLA. No I鈥檓 not a Pac-12 hater, but I also just wasn鈥檛 impressed in watching these two teams battle it out in the conference final.
The Bruins are admittedly very good but every time I鈥檝e watched them in a high-profile game this year and last it seems when they need to make a shot they can鈥檛 unless it蘑菇视频 a layup or a short jumper. That蘑菇视频 not good in a tournament such as this. Have to make big shots. I don鈥檛 like the Wildcats in a tight game either.
Instead I鈥檝e got No. 1 Alabama over No. 3 Baylor in the South final and No. 1 Kansas over No. 3 Gonzaga in the West final.
I鈥檝e heard some rumblings about the Zags. Things like they鈥檙e under the radar for once, this could be the year they break through and finally win it all. Their problem is they鈥檙e never as talented as some of the other elite teams and the Jayhawks are better than them though I could see Gonzaga knocking off UCLA.
In the Midwest, I don鈥檛 have No. 1 Houston getting through. Yes, they were in the Final Four two years ago and Kelvin Sampson is a great coach but when one of your best player (Marcus Sasser) is a game-time decision for the tournament opener it makes me think even if he does go he蘑菇视频 not 100 percent. Sasser has to be at the top of his game for the Cougars to get by No. 4 Indiana and Texas.
I have the Longhorns over the Hoosiers in the Midwest final in a clash of more battle-tested teams than Houston.
In the East it蘑菇视频 funny how a tournament run can change some perceptions. Everyone bashed the ACC as being way down all season yet now that Duke, under first-year coach Jon Scheyer, claimed the tournament crown the No. 5 Blue Devils are suddenly the hot pick to not only reach the Final Four but by some experts to win it all.
That蘑菇视频 not happening. The ACC was, indeed, down, and Duke is being overvalued.
Another team to avoid like the plague is Tennessee. It蘑菇视频 true, they have players and they beat Alabama but the No. 4 Vols consistently lose close games and underachieve so I strongly advise against making them one of your Final Four selections.
I do like No. 1 Purdue a lot but there蘑菇视频 one team I really love in the East that probably hasn鈥檛 gotten the attention it蘑菇视频 due and that蘑菇视频 No. 2 Marquette. I have the Golden Eagles joining the Crimson Tide, the Jayhawks and the Longhorns in the Final Four.
Once there in Houston, I鈥檓 going with Marquette in an upset over Alabama, Texas over Kansas again, like in the Big 12 tournament final, and then coach Shaka Smart and his Golden Eagles cutting down the nets in the end.
That蘑菇视频 how I filled out my bracket for the contest group I鈥檓 always entered in. I guess at this point as you take all this in, I should point out that both of my sons, Avella students Colton and Westley, have more recently won that competitive group than I have. In fact, Westley was our winner last year as he correctly had Kansas claiming the title.
It蘑菇视频 my turn now to claim first place, though, so proceed with my picks with confidence.
Here蘑菇视频 a sampling of some area high school basketball coaches鈥� choices for the Final Four (winner in ALL CAPS):
Rob Ramsey (Brownsville boys):听ALABAMA, Duke, Kansas, Houston.
Dan Bosnic (Monessen boys):听Alabama, PURDUE, Texas, Kansas.
Rob Kezmarsky (Uniontown boys):听Arizona, Purdue, HOUSTON, Kansas.
Ian McCombs (Carmichaels boys): Alabama, Duke, Texas, UCONN.
Sara Larkin (Geibel Catholic girls):听Alabama, Duke, HOUSTON, Gonzaga.
Joe Salvino (Belle Vernon boys): Alabama, Purdue, Houston, KANSAS.
Penny Kezmarsky (Uniontown girls): HOUSTON, Kansas, Purdue, Arizona.
Jim Nesser (Yough boys):听Alabama, Purdue, TEXAS, Miami.
Don Porter (Geibel Catholic boys): Arizona, PURDUE, Houston, Gonzaga.
Frank Muccino (Southmoreland boys): DUKE, Texas, Alabama, Gonzaga.
Brandon Lawless (Jefferson-Morgan boys): ALABAMA, Tennessee, Houston, UConn.
Steve McIntire (Waynesburg Central boys): Houston, Kansas, Arizona, PURDUE.
Patty Columbia (Brownsville girls): Virginia, DUKE, Houston, Gonzaga.