As the NCAA Hoops season winds down, it is time for us to try our hand at prognostication. Yes, yes, yes here is the spot for you to enter into the Sweet Sixteen Challenge.
The rules are simple: pick the Sweet Sixteen. The task is tricky: you must do this by high noon March 1st.
Yeah it sounds a little kamikazee in nature. You must try and pick the Sweet Sixteen BEFORE the brackets are released…actually you have to pick before many conference tournaments begin. Sounds crazy but others have done it before and been able to 10 of the 16.
So get ready – watch some hoops – follow a hunch and make your picks.
Post your answer below.
When you don’t know much, and have no luck in the pools anyway, might as well post early.
UConn
Okla
UNC
Pitt
Mem
Mich St
Lou vul
Duke
Nova
ASU
Xavier
Gonzaga
Butler
Texas
Utah
Davidson
This is easy because we can already eliminate all Big 10 teams. What a miserable conference. Here goes nothing, eyes closed:
1. UConn
2. Pitt
3. UNC
4. Arizona State
5. Oklahoma
6. Duke
7. Memphis
8. Utah State
9. Louisville
10. Wake Forest
11. Missouri
12. LSU
13. Clemson
14. Washington
15. Temple <----- homer alert 16. Siena <---- my crazy pick
Rey, Buffalo having a run in football AND BB! What is the sports world coming to?
1. UConn 9. Clemson
2. Pitt 10. Gonzaga
3. Louisville 11. Oklahoma
4. No. Carolina 12. Kansas
5. Duke 13. Memphis
6. Villanova 14. Butler
7. Michigan State 15. Arizona State
8. Wisconsin 16. Mizzou
Pete – first of all, I think a 10-12 seed will sneak in this year. Just a hunch. A lot of good teams are doing well against other good teams, then dropping games against average teams in their own conference.
I wanted to go with Siena. They’ve played some tough teams in non-conference and they have a very good Niagra team in their conference. Both these teams beat Buffalo. Now that I’ve thought about it, the MAC is very, very weak this year. UB has played some good teams non conference (lost by 4 to UCONN). But they’ve dropped their last four and based on conventional wisdom, they have little mojo going into the tournament.
So Casey, can I switch my crazy pick to Siena???
Consider it switched.
Gee, Rey, I was excited about a UB double run. Darn.
Pittsburgh
UConn
West Virginia
Louisville
Oklahoma
Missouri
Washington
Washington St.
Michigan State
Butler
Memphis
Xavier
Gonzaga
UNC
Wake
Duke
By the way – nice job Rey! Your Big10 prediction assures us that we will see at least one those teams in the final four. 🙂
Rochestie did it again this week for Wazzou. Yep, Casey … both Washington schools could make some noise. I’d like to put UW in my S16, but it’s too late per the rules.
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Pitt
UConn
Louisville
Villanova
Wake Forest
Duke
Michigan State
Gonzaga
Butler
Washington
Memphis
West Virginia
UCLA
Xavier
I apologize for the tardiness, but it would be greatly appreciated if you found it in your heart to allow me to join in the fun!
I have found it in my heart to allow you to join the fun. 🙂
I was so consumed by the Mount Rushmore and picking my All-American teams ( soon to be sent in) – I forgot to contribute to this thread. So if the good Commish can see it to allow my picks in – I would greatly appreciate it.
Oklahoma
Pitt
UConn
North Carolina
Louisville
Villanova
Wake Forest
Duke
Michigan State
Gonzaga
Butler
Washington
Memphis
Siena
Kansas
Xavier
Yes – I agree with the Siena pick and I am also showing some love for Kansas and Coach Self. Coach Self has done an incredible job after losing just about the whole starting team from last year’s championship team. Sunday’s beatdown on Missouri was the deciding factor for me. Plus, Coach Self has taken a beating on this website. Time to show some love..
Well, I suppose I can take the Irish off my Sweet Sixteen picks. jk. Poor shooting and poor defense in a HOME game when they HAD TO WIN just points to the fact that yet again … Mike Brey’s ND squad collectively clutched the esophagii and went down in flames. After 9 years, he has no answer, no solution. What you see right now is what you’re gonna get for as long as you keep Brey.
Again, ND hoops fans can look across the court at a Villanova team … another small, private school (Catholic too, I think) that consistently does better than the Irish on the hardwood, but with far fewer resources and advantages. It’s got to be the coaching guys!!! So go get Jay Wright immediately … hell … go get anybody who doesn’t wear a mock turtleneck EVERY DAY … and send Mikey B packin’ his bags to go sit next to Coach K again so he can figure out what it was about WINNING that he didn’t get the first time he sat to K for a decade!!!!!!
Well … at least my main team is out and I can just sit back and enjoy the tourneys. Go Lou’ville! go Huskies!
None of us picked VCU! What were we thinking. Eric Maynor and Larry Sanders are dynamite. Sanders is three blocks from a triple-double right now.
Eric Maynor can be a little turnover prone when faced with pressure
Yeah he may – he may also be lights out.
Wally and Smitty with 12; Doug, Casey, and Pete with 11, if I calculate correctly.