BRACKETOLOGY: Big Ten is a big mess

Not in terms of the quality of the conference because it is one of the top two leagues in the country. However, from week-to-week, you just can't tell who the best team in the league is. This week I see it being Illinois, but last week I thought it was Wisconsin. Wisconsin then goes out and loses at home to North Dakota State. North Dakota State is even on full Division I status yet. Next week I might be saying the best team is Michigan St, Ohio St or Indiana, but who knows?

The Pac-10 is a major league disappointment. I didn't think it would produce the best basketball out of the 6 major conferences, but it is pretty bad right now. Even the top teams are inconsistent at best. This is one of the leagues you have to watch out for when the conference tournaments come around because I can see a team that wasn't going to make the Big Dance winning the Pac-10 tournament. That would be a shame.

On to the bracket. So much for the CAA having two at large bids. Both Old Dominion and George Mason lost last week. Thus Mason, being the last team in, falls out of the bracket. UCONN replaces Duke as the #1 overall seed and thus gets to play it's regionals in DC, if it would be fortunate enough to make it that far. I've decided to give more of my insight on the process by giving you my last four in and last four out. It's still Washington, DC vs Oakland and Minneapolis vs Atlanta in the Final Four. This are through games of January 22.

Last Four In: Miami (FL), Missouri St, Air Force, Southern Illinois
Last Four Out: Kansas St, Wake Forest, Nevada, Clemson

Washington, DC
1.UCONN16.Florida Atlantic/Binghamton Philadelphia, PA
8.Xavier9.Oklahoma
5.Indiana12.Miami (FL) Jacksonville, FL
4.Tennessee13.Winthrop
6.Maryland11.Southern Illinois Salt Lake City, UT
3.Gonzaga14.San Diego St
7.Cincinnati10.Vanderbilt Auburn Hills, MI
2.Michigan St15.UC-Irvine
Oakland
1.Memphis16.Oral Roberts Dallas, TX
8.Georgetown9.Kentucky
5.UCLA12.Missouri St San Diego, CA
4.Ohio St13.Louisiana Tech
6.Iowa11.Air Force Greensboro, NC
3.NC State14.Penn
7.Creighton10.Arkansas Philadelphia, PA
2.Villanova15.Southern
Minneapolis
1.Texas16.Northern Arizona Dallas, TX
8.North Carolina9.Marquette
5.George Washington12.Wisconsin-Milwaukee San Diego, CA
4.Washington13.Akron
6.LSU11.Old Dominion Dayton, OH
3.West Virginia14.Manhattan
7.Boston College10.Wichita St Dayton, OH
2.Illinois15.Delaware St
Atlanta
1.Duke16.Sacred Heart Greensboro, NC
8.Bucknell9.Michigan
5.Northern Iowa12.Western Kentucky Salt Lake City, UT
4.Pittsburgh13.Tennessee Tech
6.Arizona11.Iowa St Auburn Hills, MI
3.Wisconsin14.Northwestern St
7.UAB10.Syracuse Jacksonville, FL
2.Florida15.Elon

Now Try and Top That!!!

January 21, 2006 will always have a special meaning to me. Yesterday I witnessed, in person, the greatest sports moment of my life.

Now it wasn't the most important and I've been to events were the stake were higher, but there was just something special about the entire experience I had yesterday.

Most people who know me know that I'm a huge Georgetown (yes, I did go to not 1, but 2 different colleges) basketball fan and for Christmas I got season tickets. When I received the tickets, I made sure the game on January 21 was there. That's the day Georgetown was to play Duke.

I was sick Friday night and Saturday morning and had brief thoughts about staying home. But how many times would I have the opportunity to see Duke play...on the lower level...for free? Exactly. So I took some Dayquil and went. Now, I'm on the Subway with the chills and snifling, but I'm NOT going to miss this game. The closer I get to the MCI Center the more Duke fans I see and I'm real upset about it.

I got inside the MCI Center about a half hour before tip and it was already a mad house. My seats are right beside the Georgetown student section and students are nuts. The entire upper deck was for Duke, the middle section was mostly for Duke and the lower level was mostly for Georgetown. It looked more like a NCAA tournament game than a Hoya home game with the different cheers from the crowd.

Georgetown need to play the best game it could to win. That's exactly what happened (outside of shutting down JJ Redick-ridiculous). Brandon Bowman finally showed up and Jeff Green (PG county) sonned Sheldon Williams. Green along with Roy Hibbert kept Williams to a season low 4 points.

Even though Georgetown played well, they still almost lost. Duke came back and had a chance to time with under 7 seconds left in the game. However, when Greg Paulus dribbled the ball off his foot and Bowman jumped on it...the place went nuts (I did NOT rush the court though).

This would still be a big deal if I hadn't gone, but not had the meaning it did with being there. I have been going to Georgetown games for about 20 years now and it has NEVER been like that. It was a great day and I'm excited about the rest of the season.

First the Redskins make the playoffs and now this. 2006 is off to a damn good start.