Bracketeering - Dec 7th

A volitile week in the Top 25 will leave some room for debate, so feel free to complain or make your team's case! Enjoy the Maniac's third edition of Bracketeering for 08-09

FINAL FOUR:

1. UNC - The Maniac called the fierce beatdown of Michigan St. The question isn't whether they are number one, the question evolves now into "can they run the table?"


2. Gonzaga - A little high? We think not. With as challenging a non-conference schedule as anyone in the nation, the Zags "Anyone. Anywhere." scheduling mentality could pay dividends this March. This team is legitimately loaded, three NBA prospects and FIVE guys over 6'11', could have them pointing to Ford Field come April

3. Oklahoma - Beat a tough USC squad in a close thriller. Has beaten Davidson in another tough ball game. DItto for Purdue and add a solid beating of UAB, and they have proved their "Final Four-Worthiness." IF their guard play remains steady, the Sooners are a legit National Runner-Up contender. Their next 6 games should be wins, so look for the Sooners to enter Big 12 play 14-0.

4. Pitt - I am temporarily shelving my "anti-Pitt" bias. There really is no other alternative. Pitt has not shown anyone they can beat the big boys, but Duke, Texas, Tennessee and Notre Dame have all shown they can lose to them... Pitt is well on its way to the inevitable destiny of being the first 1 or 2 seed to lose in the NCAA tourney this March.


ELITE EIGHT:

5. UConn - They sleepwalked through a near-loss of Buffalo. While they were there, Calhoun should have borrowed Turner Gill for a day. Maybe he could fire up the oft-comatose Huskies to reach their potential

6. Tennessee - The loss to Gonzaga looks better and better every week. Tennessee is deep and athletic, and will get another crack at the Zags on January 7th at home.

7. Duke - Exactly four days after I guzzled the Duke Kool-Aid, proclaiming their man-to-man defense impregnable (shout out to Mikey Tyson), they laid an absolute stinkbomb in Crysler. So which is it? The dominating scrappy tough bunch that hijacked Mackey Arena and the Boilers? Or the team that appeared much too jump shot reliant and a little slow defending backcuts in Michigan? Probably somewhere in between. That said, their sub 25% 3-point shooting against Michigan might be a low water mark on the season when it is all said and done.

Either way the loss does take a little of the shine off of the looming UNC matchup in February...for now.

8. Xavier - I keep striving for clear objectivity, but Xavier keeps winning while no one else around them does. They beat Auburn easily this week, but must now gear up for a brutal three week stretch which includes a scrappy Ohio club, a trip to cross-town rival (and underrated) Cincinnati, and a neutral court tilt with the scorned Blue Devils. Add in a Dec 23rd game against fellow "don't call me a mid-major" power Butler, and there are plenty of chances for someone to knock down my Muskies...

Sweet and lurking: The next tier (8 - now in order)

Texas, Syracuse, Louisville, Memphis, Ohio St (back-to-back wins over Miami & Notre Dame - I don't care that they are not "ranked" - I have them 13th) Wake Forest, Villanova (big "show-me" game Tues. v. Texas), and Michigan (overreaction? Maybe. But I'll take wins over UCLA and Duke offsetting the earlier Duke loss as well as the Maryland 5-pt loss)

13th? Look at the quality wins this week, the Bucks are back.

Bracket Busts: Some early season disappointments
Michigan St, Purdue, UCLA, Southern Illinois, Florida, Winthrop, The ENTIRE SEC!

Half Court Heaves: Teams outside the common radar worth keeping an eye on
Dayton, Davidson, Minnesota, Cincinnati, St. Mary's, Air Force, Arizona St, Butler, Washington St, Missouri, Northwestern, Liberty, & Western Kentucky,