Well, something interesting has transpired, kids. My main bracket, as is its habit has gone to hell in a handbasket- I'm sitting at 38.5% with a ranking of 5,011,622 according to ESPN.com. Out of the Final Four in this bracket, I picked one correctly- going with Louisville, who worried me for a little bit after Kevin Ware's horrible injury against Duke but who came back strong to blow the Dukies out of the water. (Which made me happy. As a side note, I think Duke is now approaching that sweet spot that UNC currently occupies in my basketball universe: not my favorite team out there, probably not going to pick 'em but if they're genuinely good and talented, I have no problem with them winning the whole ball of wax. Couple of more years, Duke should qualify.)
My nieces did surprisingly well picking the South Region- especially given the fact that they're two and this is their first time out. In the bottom half of that region, they picked Minnesota, Florida, FGCU and San Diego State correctly- the top half, not so much, though they would have had me sitting pretty had their pick of the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky proven to be correct.
The Cinderellas of Wichita State and La Salle did the top half of my West Region in. (Again: Damn you, Gonzaga!) And although my East Region in this bracket was my best overall, I should have listened to my gut about the Hoosiers- trusting them, like trusting Gonzaga ultimately proved to be foolish. Marquette was also a pleasant surprise in that region as well.
Now my second bracket is what's interesting... currently, it's sitting at 95.9% with a ranking of 322,156 according to ESPN.com- so I've got a passing grade and then some in at least one of my two brackets. Here, although Gonzaga and Indiana screwed me, I managed to get Louisville and Michigan correct out of the Final Four. In what's probably a personal best for me- though I admit I might have put a wee bit more thought into this year than I normally do, I swept the First Round games in the East Region and barring Marquette (again, an altogether pleasant surprise) I would have swept the Second Round as well.
The West Region was probably my worst (again, the dark horses and the Cinderellas did me in) but I managed to three out of four teams right in the Sweet 16 in the South and picked both Michigan and Florida in the Elite 8.
So we're down to the Final Four. None of my teams save Louisville in one bracket and Louisville and Michigan in another bracket are still standing. My picks of Gonzaga and Indiana to win it all proved wrong so what do I think will happen? My prediction: Louisville versus Michigan and in one for the ages, Michigan pulls it out. Go Blue! (Why? Well, the Wolverines are playing really well right now- they've got momentum and the players they need to have big games are doing so. Though if they're not ready for that Hoosier confounding zone that 'Cuse runs their run could end in the Final Four. Louisville blew Duke clean out of the water and have been dominating everyone. Now watch as the 'Cuse zone takes down the Wolverines and the Shockers of Wichita State shock Louisville and I'm proven totally wrong again. Isn't this fun?)
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