Styling Our Brackets: The Top 10 Heads of Hair in College Hoops

Matt Hoover

Before we being, a quick note. There's only going to be 8 people listed. You wanted 10? Tough shit. You want me to change the title? Tough shit. As we all scramble to fill out our brackets and deciding which Atlantin 10 team we'll regret putting in our Final Four in about two weeks, there are plenty of  things to keep in mind. An example of something NOT to keep in mind is Tom Crean's hair, which probably confuses and frustrates you even more than the Midwest Region. But regardless, here's how I've ranked the top 8 hairdos in college hoops this year....

8) Tom Izzo

I feel as if more people should be talking about this. The dude slicks back his hair. Everyone is so quick to point out that Izzo always has his teams playing best in March, but what about his hair? Can his hair get any love? It's not as memorable as some other dos on our list, but its still not bad...

7) Ryan Kelly

A familiar face on Out of Our League, Mr. Kelly's moppy combover/horrible beard combination is fantastic and further cements his legacy as the ultimate soft, unathletic white person. And as a soft, unathletic white person, I am loving every minute of it.

6) Tom Crean

Oh, wait. Sorry. Wrong picture....

I'd love to hear the story behind college basketball's most notorious center-part. Center parts often mark the beginning of a marginalized social life for middle school girls, but in the case of Indiana basketball, the center part has marked the beginning of new life. Respect to Tom Cream for that. He's a role model for awkward 6th grade girls everywhere.

5) Kevin Young

Classic. There's not really much to say that isn't already said by Mr. Young's fro itself. But speaking of Kevin Young, there are really alot of athletes by the name of Young, aren't there. You got Kevin, Vince, Delmin, Michael, Brigham, Cy, Dimitri, and probably several others. What happens when they hit 40? Do they change their name to Old?! But yeah moving right along....

4) Cody Ellis

Some people aren't fans of the blue streak, but I fall firmly into the pro-blue streak camp. Ellis's St. Louis team is going to be an extremely sexy pick as more and more people fill out their brackets this year. For Ellis's sake, they better make some noise. It's not okay to have a blue streak in your hair unless you're on a good team.




3) Mike Bruesewitz

Some people will probably argue that Bruesewitz needs to be moved up (or down, depending on your perspective, I guess), but I like Mike where he is. His ginger Jewfro, along with desiring seasonal Starbucks beverages and bumping into acquaintances at Whole Foods, provides modern, middle class, suburban white people with a sense of comradery  We really mond over people like Bruesewitz. He provides us with a sense of identity.







2) Jordair Jett

If anyone wasn't already high on St. Louis, I'm sure seeing not one but TWO Billikens on my list will make you think long and hard about the Midwest Region (or as I like to call it, the Region of Death. Seriously, the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games in the Midwest might end up being better than the Final 4). Jordair Jett, in addition to having a wonderful, alliterative name, has awesome hair. He looks kind of like a pirate or something. If you imagine him dressed in raggy clothes with an eyepatch, a curved, one-handed sword, and some gold teeth, he wouldn't look out of place on the Black Pearl. That's a good thing, if you ask me.

1) Kelly Olynyk

Who were you expecting? Despite Derek's shot at him a few posts ago (in which he suggested that Olynyk check out Bobbie Thomas's fantastic new book, The Power of Style: Everything You Need to Know Before You Get Dressed Tomorrow, available for pre-order now!), I'm sure deep down we all agree that there's no touching Olynyk in the hair department. This is a safe, boring pick for the top of the list, but it's the correct pick. Olynyk, which I'm told translates to "the God of Flow" in Greek, is a monster on many, many levels. It'll be interesting to see if his locks can carry Gonzaga to and through the second weekend. Should be a fun ride.







That's all I got for now. When you finish up filling out your brackets, be sure to head over to ESPN and sign up for the Out Of Our League Bracket Challenge. Free to enter, and there may be prizes involved. I'm thinking an autographed picture of Derek and I or something. Maybe lunch if we like you. It's up in the air, but it's like 60/40 there's some sort of prize. So sign up.

Tourney Time: Some First-Round Previews

Derek DeNote

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Literally it’s the most wonderful time of the year, and I could not be happier. Here are some first round previews…

(5) Oklahoma State v. (12) Oregon: First off, how in God’s name did Oregon get a 12 seed? Coming into the tourney, I was so high on OK State (No, it wasn’t because I was on an IV or just injected with 3 different medications.) since they have 3 quality NBA players. Marcus Smart is pretty fun to watch and is accompanied by LeBryan Nash (the one and done that most will most likely be a 3 and done) and Markel Brown, who is slightly underrated on this team. The sad thing about OK State is that they run into the most proven 12 seed ever. Oregon is good, but their uniforms don’t compare to their court or their football team’s uniforms. This will be the hottest 12-5 upset this year and a must see.

Echenique is a big dude.

(7) Creighton v. (10) Cincinnati: A great game that boils down to offense (Creighton) versus defense (Cincinnati). If you haven’t seen Creighton play this year, you’re missing out. They’re your typical mid-major that run quality sets for quality shots and their offense just seems fluid. They’re scrappy on the defensive end and Echenique provides some nice size on the interior with some bright pink shoes that compliment his big bully look. If you haven’t seen Cincinnati play this, year you’re one of the luckiest people alive. Their offense, at times, is literally pass it to their right let him try to break his man down one on one and if he can’t pass it to his right and so far and so forth until it’s in the corner. Then they pass to the left and try it again. Cincy is really missing Yancy “Joe Frazier” Gates’s presence on the low block. Expect a dandy.

(6) Arizona v. (11) Belmont: Don’t get confused, people… Belmont is good. At one point they were ranked in the top 25. Don’t get confused, people… Arizona is overrated. I credit this to the lack of playing time that Jackson Callahan is seeing; they need a defensive stopper like him out there on the court. Arizona is dreadful at defending the 3 and Belmont is great at spreading their opponents out and kicking it out for an open trey ball. The one thing Arizona has going for them is that after Sean Miller’s speech in the Pac-12 tournament I’d certainly go to war the man…he loves him team and you have to admire that.

(2) Ohio State v. (15) Iona: This one isn’t one you’re gonna hear the experts talk about, but this Iona team is flat out explosive. Ohio State is really, really good, but they’re predicated on their defensive pressure from their guards, Craft and Smith, and scoring for Deahaun Thomas. I expect Thomas to go off for 55 since he’s on my fantasy team, but I expect tOSU to have trouble guarding Momo Jones. Craft is great at defending on the ball, but you literally have to pick up Momo from half court because his range is unbelievable. Also, tOSU has not seen a team this explosive this year. It might be a shock for them, but I’m sure Thad will be able to come up with something. This will certainly be an entertaining game nonetheless.

(4) Michigan v. (13) South Dakota State: Don’t make the mistake, America (and by America I mean the 13 people that reread our articles 6 times and we’re very appreciative of each one of you) but, Nate the Great is good and Michigan’s lack of defensive intensity could make them go home early in March. Michigan is another one of those teams that I loved coming into March, but I’m certainly not in love with their matchups. I can’t see them entering the Sweet 16 unless they can win two games (I am so goddamn insightful). But na, I can’t see them beating VCU if VCU can escape an Akron team that’s missing their weed transporting point guard.

(6) Butler v. (11) Bucknell: I’ll de-myth this right now. Brad Stevens, don’t let me down, but I cannot see Bucknell pulling this upset. Bucknell’s strength is no doubt, Mike Muscala, who can score and rebound the ball, but Butler has Andrew Smith, who will be able to neutralize him. I don’t have the confidence that Bucknell will be able stop Rotnei Clarke and company; so I tell you to carry on, pick Butler to go far. Bucknell does have the brother of the great Ryan Ayers, who filled it up once or twice at his time at Notre Dame, but I don’t think Cam (Cameron Ayers, but we’re good enough friends for me to call him Cam) is as good as his brother, and I think he’ll have one less win than Ryan…meaning zero. Also, Brad Stevens is still at Butler, so they will most definitely be fine. Go bulldogs! And Seth Greenberg is extremely adamant that Bucknell will…so yeah! Definitely go with Butler.

Buzz Williams should probably stop
going to Helen Keller for fashion advice.

(3) Marquette v. (14) Davidson: Marquette is coached by a guy that certainly could read Bobbie Thomas’ new book The Power of Style: Everything You Need to Know Before You Get Dressed Tomorrow and learn a few things. But, he’s also quoted in an ESPN special saying, “we don’t really run plays and that’s why we’re successful later on.” So, yeah! This Marquette team certainly isn’t filled with NBA talent, but Buzz does coach the game of basketball well. They’re running into a freight train called Davidson that won 14 straight games. 

And very quickly, for those of you who haven't yet, don't forget to sign up for the Out of Our League Bracket Challenge over on ESPN. The winner may or may not get anything, but it's free to enter to what the hell, right? And also, if you want credit if you win, make sure we can tell who you are by your ESPN name or else let one of us know.

Announcing the OoOL Bracket Challenge

We set up a Tournament Challenge group over on ESPN. Feel free to join and submit your NCAA Tourney bracket. It's free. One entry per person. Winner gets a shoutout in our first post-tournament post and possibly other things depending on who the winner ends up being.

Happy March!

Derek’s All NCAAB Man-Crush Team: A Completely Normal Topic to Blog About

Derek DeNote

With the 2012-2013 college basketball season coming to a close, I thought I should write about all the guys that have stolen my heart (yes, you read that correctly). Presenting my all man-crush team….

Surprisingly, I’d go guard-heavy. My four guards would be…

If you can name a white person with a better
first name than "Rotnei," I'll do a backflip.

Rotnei Clarke: The silky smooth stroke of Clarke combined with his unlimited range can only make you think of Kyle McAlarney. Both were shooting guards forced to run the system at the point because their team lacked a sufficient point guard. Luckily, for Clarke he’ll be playing off the ball in my unorthodox system, coming off more off ball double screens than you thought humanly possible.

Nik Stauskas: The Canadian can flat out play. His athleticism is lost in his ability to have one of the wettest jumpers in the game. (He also doesn’t care much using extra letters, seeing he dropped the “c” from Nick, but I guess that could be why Zach Hensinger doesn’t think Canadians are the brightest of the bunch. Stauskas can hit 3’s and… wait for it… dunk. The kid has countless highlights of driving to the lane and throwing it down big fella. I’d mainly like to space the floor nicely with him, with him on the left wing with a screen foul line extended and let the defense pick their poison…if they go under, splish splash that’s a trey ball baby…if they switch or mirror him, watch him expose the bigger defender…and if they hedge, watch him exploit the defense with his vision.

Rasheed SULAIMON: Yes, he’s fallen off a bit and lost his starting role to Tyler Thorton (which I’m not too upset about because Thorton was prematurely thrown into the dog house after Quinn Cook played out of his mind in The Battle for Atlantis [which was, by the way, possibly the greatest regular season tournament ever played]). Now, this is where Coach K and I differ. Coach K has SULAIMON playing without the ball in his hands (off the ball), but I think he’s at his best with the ball in his hands. He has great vision and in case you missed him play in the first game against North Carolina, those celebrated guards couldn’t stay in front of him. The kid is flat out explosive. Also, the thing I absolutely love about this kid is the fact that even as a freshmen he forgets about a bad play and just focuses on the next play (I know this is easy to say, but watch the kid play and you’ll see this too). He was held scoreless in the first half against tOSU…what did he do in the second half? Go off for 17. SULAIMON has the ability to take over games and that’s why he makes my man crush team…also to provide a little athleticism to my starting five.

Momo Jones: He’ll be my 6^th man for his explosiveness. He’s averaging over 22 points a game and is fearless enough to chuck it up from just about anywhere. This team would be an announcers dream because they could use the cliché, “he pulled up from [a town they aren’t currently playing in] with that last shot!” Momo, who plays for Iona after having transferred from Arizona, adds athleticism, spark, attitude, and sheer scoring ability to my guard play. I completely adopt the idea that your 6^th man should be able to get his own shot…think James Harden as the 6^th man for the Thunder last year.

I’m pretty sure you can see where I am going with my bigs, but here they are:

Kelly Olynyk: He’s making the team strictly for style purposes. His high white socks, with the flow of a god that is held back by a string headband…is perfect. I love the style, Kelly, and I understand that you’re trying to recapture the 90’s just like me, but my sister suggests you read Bobbie Thomas’s The Power of Style: Everything You Need to Know Before You Get Dressed Tomorrow. (Sidebar: For all of you struggling with style out there, you can also pick up the book on April 23^rd or preorder it today.) I’ll have her send you an early addition copy free of charge. But, back to your basketball ability…it’s not too shabby. You have nice range and aren’t afraid to get some boards. Also, I absolutely love the fact you redshirted in the middle of your tenure at Gonzaga for no apparent reason other than to get better.

P.S. I really suspect Olynyk has a Rick Flair-esque suit that he sports on the reg to Gonzaga parties.

Mitch McGary: If you’ve ever heard an announcer say, “Wow! He’s an energy guy,” and thought to yourself, “Wow! This announcer is a douche guy,” you were probably right unless he was talking about Mitch McGary. McGary is so active on defense that it almost makes me tired watching him. It’s like he came into Michigan with a chip on his shoulder…I wonder what that could’ve been from. Possibly ESPN dropping him out of the number 3 spot and stripping away one of his stars, making him a 4 star by the time he graduated. Hey ESPN, I talked to Mitch last weekend and he says thanks for motivation and that making my man crush team is a lot more valuable than being a 5 star. Mitch will mostly be used for his basketball IQ, rebounding, and passing ability.

When you search "Doug McDermott" in Google Images,
this picture of Rick Majerus appears on the first page for
some reason. The things you learn maintaining a blog...

Doug McDermott: Yes, he can rebound, he can shoot, and he has great footwork in paint. He’s very fundamentally sound, which is extremely important for my bigs. I like my players to be able to score from wherever on the court (including just inside half court) and boy can McDermott. Talk about another silky smooth stroke. For all you South Jersey readers out there that for whatever reason haven’t been able to see McDermott play but watched a lot of the State Champion Camden Catholic 2009-2010 team, think Gerry Wixted. Their games are unbelievably similar. And just to clarify, the only person that I believe that falls into the group of people who haven’t seen McDermott but watched a lot of the 2009-2010 Irish squad is Basketball Steve. He didn’t miss a game that year and I also believe he exclusively watches Camden Catholic basketball. If you don’t know Basketball Steve, you’re missing out. He’s a real treat.

I almost forgot, my team is coached by the brilliant Brad Stevens, so yeah. You know we will be successful because if “Wonder Boy Brad” (his new nickname) can do it with a bunch of Midwesterners, imagine what he would do with this squad.

This team is filled with silky smooth shooters that can hit from anywhere and scorers, so make your jokes now. “Are you gonna play any defense?” “No. As Mark Titus has stated, the objective of basketball is to put the ball into the hoop and that’s exactly what we’ll do…most of the time for 3.” “How many balls are you gonna play with?” “One, dumbass. The game of basketball is played with one.” “Don’t you think having a team compiled of strictly 3 point shooters will hurt come tourney time?” “In reality, most likely, but in my fantasy world no way in hell, it’s called playing the odds. There is no plausible way all of these guys have an off night on the same night.” So there’s the Man Crush Team of 2012-2013 and they’ll beat anyone you throw at them, so don’t even think you can compile a better team.

Extras (This piece is entirely too long, so if anyone makes it this far, you might as well keep reading…)! My media coverage would be exclusively:

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, who finally gave me the shout out on Twitter on March 10, 2013 (the greatest day of my life). He will have all access to the team and essentially be the exclusive reporter on them besides…

Mark Titus of Grantland, who I suspect would write wittier pieces and constantly rave about how he’s never seen a team filled with so many wet jumpers. Needless to say, we’d be atop his power rankings every week and run away with not only his heart, but also the National Championship.

Where Are They Now? – Greg Paulus

 Derek DeNote

It’s time for the annual “Where Are They Now?” article. And by, “It’s time for the annual ‘Where Are They Now?’ article,” I mean Matt (who’s now going by “The White Raven,” by the way) made me write an article since I haven’t in over a month. Let’s begin.

Greg Paulus

Columbus, Ohio

I actually just got off the phone with Greg the other night. He’s doing well and really likes working with Thad Matta at The Ohio State University, but he informed me that he never got his MVP trophy from the 2010 Duke team that won a National Championship. I know at this point you smartasses are probably saying, “But Derek! He wasn’t on that Duke team! He was actually at Syracuse playing quarterback and getting a graduate degree in Communications, which is proving to be useful seeing as he’s the video coordinator for tOSU!”

Quick, Greg! Point to your favorite OoOL post!

Let me take you through a series of simple questions at the conclusion of which you will say, “Goddamn! This kid’s crazy theory actually makes sense”. Okay here it goes…

Q: Could Duke have won a championship without Nolan Smith in 2010?

A: Not a chance in hell, his unbelievable play throughout the season played a pivotal role in their constant success.

Q: Why did Nolan Smith go to Duke?

A: Nolan’s dad, Derek Smith (all joking aside, who I am actually named after), was Johnny Dawkins when he played. Derek Smith tragically died on a cruise and Johnny Dawkins became a father figure for Nolan. Johnny Dawkins was an assistant coach at Duke when Nolan was recruited.

Q: What did Johnny Dawkins do in the middle of Nolan Smith’s career?

A: Leave Duke to become the head coach at Stanford.

Q: What did Nolan Smith want to do when this happened?

A: Leave Duke to follow Johnny to the west coast.

Q: What was Coach K’s response to the idea of Nolan Smith leaving?

A: Cried himself to sleep every night realizing this team that had potential to be a National Champion was going to lose one of their best players. (This may have been exaggerated slightly, but the essence of what happened is there.)

Q: How did Duke end keeping Nolan Smith?

A: Greg Paulus offered to come off of the bench and allow Nolan Smith to start, and there is no way in anyone’s right mind do they turn down starting for Duke to go to Stanford unless you’re promised to meet Lennay Kekua (too soon?). So, there is the simple way of how Greg Paulus was the MVP for the 2010 National Champion Duke Blue Devils.

Also, I assume by reading this entire article that you realize that this is in no way an actually “Where Are They Now” thing. If you actually want to find out where people are…type it into Google! Alternatively, if you want crazy explanations about people or just my opinions on them, Tweet their names to @ddenote9 and use #WhereAreTheyNow #OOoL …And to be clear, the hash tags don’t actually matter, but it’ll make me feel better about writing this blog.

An Open Letter to Ryan Kelly

Dear Ryan Kelly,

I’m not trying to be trendy by writing you this letter. Anyone that I discuss college basketball with will back me up when I say that I’ve been on your bandwagon for years. I believe your sophomore year was the first time I referred to you as Christian Laettner version 2.0. Out of everyone in the world that has absolutely no legitimate affiliation with you, I’ve probably been your biggest fan over the last 3 years or so.

After tonight, though, I have to apologize for comparing you to the lowly Christian Laettner; you’re another animal entirely. I may be getting a little to excited if I were to declare you the greatest athlete of all time, so, for now, I will settle for declaring you the greatest college basketball player this side of Lew Alcindor. This seems reasonable. It’s not every day (or ever, really) that a basketball player comes along who is his team’s best three-point shooter and leader in blocks per game. You’re a freak of nature.

Also, nothing about you makes sense at all. Look at you, for Christ’s sake. It’s a small miracle that someone who looks like you is playing basketball and not selling used cars in the first place. What position do you play? Are you actually a power forward? That’s what you’re officially listed as. It's always seemed to me that you’re one of the all-time greatest 2 guards in the history of the sport, though. Which is it? Is there an answer? Who are you, Ryan Kelly?

After your sudden reemergence after missing the last 13 games and your absurd, 36 point, 7 rebound, 7 of 9 from 3 performance against Miami tonight, I have a new theory. It’s all starting to make sense now, Mr. Kelly. I’m on to you. The hair. The beard. The seemingly God-like abilities on the court. Are you Jesus Christ, come again? You can be honest with me. It’ll be our little secret. I’ve always though of Jesus as a sort of genie on steroids, so in case I’m right about you being the Messiah and the Messiah being a type of genie, I’m going to ask you for a wish. There have been points in the last 8 hours or so since the Miami game began that I’ve been tempted to say that YOU have done the impossible and supplanted JJ Redick as my all-time favorite Duke Blue Devil. With that in mind, I wish that you do something so ridiculously absurd, even more so than what you did tonight, that I will have no choice but to concede that you are my all-time favorite Duke Blue Devil. Ideally, your absurdity would help propel Duke to victory as it did tonight. But honestly, at this point, I’m just as concerned with your own, personal legacy as I am with this Duke team’s legacy.

I was at work last night when I received a notification on my phone that you were playing tonight. I was lucky that I was in the back and that no one important was around because I started screaming and hitting objects in excitement. You turned a bad day into one of the best I’ve had in awhile. Thank you, Ryan Kelly. You continue to inspire me on countless levels. I wish you nothing but the best and continued success. You'll always be my favorite 7-foot shooting guard. Now, onwards to Atlanta!

Sincerely,

Matt Hoover

Damned If I Do, Damned If I Don’t: Some Things to Keep in Mind as March Madness Approaches

Matt Hoover

With less than three week until Selection Sunday, it’s time for everyone to start paying attention to college basketball if they haven’t already. If you’re one of the clowns that doesn’t really watch college basketball until the tournament because you think the regular season if boring, you missed one of the most exiting regular seasons in any sport that I can remember. The clusterfuck that is the 2012-13 season makes Syria look like as orderly as an OCD guy’s sock drawer. Seriously, you goofballs missed out big time. But I’m here to save your asses as usual. Here are some dos and don’ts for you people as you start thinking about your brackets...

DO: take Indiana’s #1 ranking seriously. A about a month and a half ago, it was very fashionable to suggest that there were no truly elite teams in college hoops this year and that the field was pretty wide opened. Down the conference stretch, though, Indiana has separated itself from the pack. With wins against Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Michigan State (2), it’s clear that this extremely balanced team is for real. Their only losses this year came against a dangerous Butler team (more on them further down) in OT, a decent Wisconsin team (more on them further down as well!), and at Illinois on a rather fluky last-second play during which Cody Zeller decided to snuggle up and take a little nappie. The Hoosiers will probably at least one more game before tourney time; they still have Ohio State at home, at Michigan, and the Big Ten Tournament. If and when this happens, don’t panic. Indiana and their balanced attack have created enough separation from the field that they’re the de facto favorite to cut down the nets in Atlanta.

EDIT: Yeah, I wrote this before Indiana lost at Minnesota tonight. My faith still isn't shaken, though. Cody Zeller had an awful game tonight, which serves as a nice reminder that no matter how much press Oladipo gets or how much their depth is emphasized, they still rely on the consensus Preseason National Player of the Year to play like the consensus Preseason National Player of the Year. As an aside: I hate Tubby Smith.

He knows.

DON’T: hop on the Georgetown bandwagon. When the new polls came out this week, the Hoyas found themselves ranked in the top 10 for the first time this season. Whatever you do, do not panic. Keep calm. You may want to take a moment tonight to go over emergency procedures and locate your nearest emergency exit. The Hoyas are still coached by John Thompson III, who understands the game of basketball about as well as your average Miami Heat fan. He always recruits a very athletic bunch of players and then coaches a molasses-paced half court offense. It just doesn’t make sense. Unleash your players’ athleticism and let them play. Don’t imprison them within your ill-conceived set offense[1]. Whatever. For this reason, I’ve never had much faith in Georgetown’s abilities in March. No matter how fashionable it may become to get behind the Hoyas this year, I’m sticking by my guns.

Everyone point to Derek's favorite basketball coach! Na, but
Brad Stevens has done a lot with a little already at Butler.
How will his most talented team ever fare in the big dance?

DO: have faith in mid-majors. There are currently 6 mid-majors ranked in the AP Top 25, and the first five teams on the “others receiving votes” list are also mid-majors. Having been ranked in the top 10 or so for a decent chunk of the year, the Gonzaga Foreigners won’t be sneaking up on anybody. Butler is another legitimist Final Four contender. There may not be a hotter team in the country than Saint Louis at the moment. VCU is another team that could make a run. The Mountain West has a chance at getting 4 teams in the tournament. I said in the beginning of the year that the Atlantic 10 would rank 3^rd among all conferences in the number of teams they have in the tournament, and suddenly I don’t look so bat-shit crazy. Basically, mid-majors are one typical-Xavier-year away from having one of their best showings collectively in recent memory.

DON’T: miss Miami at Duke on Saturday, March 2^nd. We will learn a tremendous amount about both teams in their rematch at Cameron Indoor. In spite of what polls are telling us, Duke isn’t the third best team in the country right now, but they’re also not 27 points worse than Miami. Until they get Ryan Kelly back (which sounds like it is going to happen), they’re not a legitimate Final Four contender, but they may be able to make a reasonably deep run in the tournament. Their rematch against Miami should tell us a lot about where this team stands. I also have concerns regarding Miami. They lost by 15 at a miserable Wake Forest team (Iona beat Wake by 28 this year) and played some too-close-for-comfort games against other ACC foes of questionable quality. This game will be a measuring stick for the U as well. If either team wins the game decisively, I will have much more faith in them going forward. Disclaimer, though: If Ryan Kelly comes back (as I suspect he will) close to full health (which may or may not happen), Duke has to be considered on the same level as Indiana

DO: reread my first ever post on here before you fill out your bracket. It’s so tempting to have faith in the Wisconsin Buzzcuts. Ignore that temptation.

DON’T: forget about Louisville or Arizona. Both Louisville and Arizona were considered to be among the best teams in the country at certain points this season. Both have fallen off slightly and are now considered second-tier teams. Louisville, however, is returning a ton of guys that were part of their Final Four run last year and are coached by Rick Pitino, who always seems to have his team playing their best ball in March. Louisville could very well ride their experience, coaching, and defense to another Final Four. They should be considered the most dangerous team out of the Big East in the tourney. Likewise, Arizona should be considered the most dangerous team out of the Pac-12 (much less impressive than being the most dangerous team out of the Big East and a little bit being like the best woman at driving, but hey! Danica Patrick just did something important, I think. I don’t really follow NASCAR. I enjoy sports….). Arizona has had a bit of a strange year. They were supposed to be driven by the high-profile freshmen foursome of Kaleb Tarczewski, Grant Jerrett, Brandon Ashley, and Jackson Callahan. While they’ve all been decent players, none but Callahan have truly lived up to expectations. Instead, Arizona has been relying on upperclassmen for most of their scoring. If Arizona’s freshmen can catch fire (a big “if”), look out.

Even after the tragic death of their head coach/
basketball genius/triangle-and-two pioneer/
frumpy sweater advocate Rick Majerus, St.
Louis is putting together a great season.

DO: watch the conference tournaments. I disagree with the idea of conference tournaments, but I cannot deny how exciting they always prove to be. Obviously, the Big 10 tournament will be exciting and a number one seed or two will probably be on the line. The Big East tournament never disappoints. But don’t sleep on the Big 12 tournament (both Kansas schools and both Oklahoma schools are solid teams), the A-10 tournament (St. Louis, Butler, VCU, La Salle, and Temple are all in the March mix, and several teams have the potential to catch fire during this tournament), and the Pac-12 tournament (a very top-heavy conference with 3 or 4 very good teams). The setup of the NCAA Tournament favors teams that are on fire over teams that are super talented, and we’ve seen many teams carry momentum from their conference tournament into the big dance and end up doing big things. It’s the kind of year where that could easily happen yet again.

DON’T: put Michigan in your Final Four. Michigan has had a very good season, but they simply don’t have what it takes to be playing ball in April. They probably have the most talented backcourt in the country, which has been enough to make them a perpetual top 10 team this season and will be enough to get them through the first few rounds of the tourney, but their somewhat disorganized slashing offense and their lack of an interior presence will be their Achilles’s heels. Not having a big man to throw the ball inside to when perimeter shooting goes cold or the pace is out of control ends up killing a lot of teams in the tourney. I don’t see how Burke and company will be able to avoid the same fate.

DO: mute the TV whenever Seth Greenberg is talking. I didn’t mind the dude at Virginia Tech. I really didn’t. Sure, he didn’t do a whole lot of winning when it mattered most, but he was at a school where football is the big thing and no one really gets on a basketball coach for finishing 4^th in the ACC or whatever. I thought it was a weird move that VT fired him. And nowadays, my God, I wish he was still coaching. He’s horrible. He’s just horrible.

---

[1] For a wonderful, wonderful analysis of pacing in college basketball, check out this article by Grantland’s Michael Weinreb.