Madness ready to launch in NCAA Tournament

What do Valentine's
day, Mardi Gras and
March Madness all have
in common?
If you said, "they're all
on Tuesday," you're probably
missing the point.
It's hard to explain the
excitement consistently
generated by each of these
quasi-holidays, but it is
essentially ineffectual to
even try. The majority of us
can already feel it.
Unfortunately, I fall into
the uninformed minority.
Not being an avid basketball
fan, or a basketball fan
at all, I struggle with picking
a bracket. To put it delicately,
'I go with my gut.'
For those of you who
think 'March Madness' is
an allusion to mid-term
week, you should stop reading
here. The rest of you, I'm
sure, know it begins officially
on Mar. 13th, after 'Selection
Sunday' on the 11th.
As of right now, there
are few things set in stone,
although some speculations
can be made fairly
accurately.
With upsets from No. 6
University of North Carolina
over No. 4 Duke, No.
10 Ohio State over No. 5
Michigan State and Iowa
State likely securing its
first NCAA tournament
berth in seven long years,
we seem to be in for a good
month of basketball.
Predictions have already
placed Kentucky,
North Carolina, Syracuse,
and Kansas at No. 1 for the
South, West, East and Midwest
regions, respectively.
The North Carolina Tar
Heels, with a lineup including
big names such
as John Henson, Kendall
Marshall, Tyler Zeller and
Harrison Barnes, and with
their recent win over Duke
may be a strong pick this
year. They are projected to
win the ACC title and expected
to do very well in
the NCAA tournament.
Kentucky, the current
number one team in the
nation, has done well this
year and is also expected to
win the SEC tournament,
although they will face formidable
opponents such as
Florida and LSU.
While many people
have pegged head coach
John Calipari and his Kentucky
program as a "oneand-
done" factory, where
college freshman play for a
year before leaving for the
NBA, this year has proven
that sometimes college
glory trumps NBA dollars.
Sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb returned
to school in favor
of entering last year's NBA
Draft, and together they
have given the Wildcats a
formidable inside-outside
punch.
Both Syracuse and Kansas,
in the Big East and Big
Twelve respectively, are
annually formidable competitors
and will be, obviously,
teams to watch.
Additionally, Marquette
has been a team of interest
lately, winning 12 of its last
13 games in the Big East.
The young team might be
much more focused during
the post-season - with
one more year of experience
under their belt.
And of course, you cannot
look at the Big East
without acknowledging
the play of the defending
national champion Connecticut
Huskies. While
the team has struggled
after entering the season
in the preseason top 5, the
return of head coach Jim
Calhoun after serious back
surgery will surely give
the team a new spark.
Despite all of these
speculations, however, it is
important to consider the
past when deciding on a
bracket.
Very few of us can
claim to have predicted
last year's March Madness
final between Butler and
University of Connecticut.
It is just this type of result
which can make or break
a bracket, which is why
sometimes hard analysis
of the facts can lead someone
astray.
It can sometimes be
more important to consider
the 'intangibles,' such as
team chemistry, possible
distractions or style of play
- all of which I have referenced
in defense of my 'gut
picks.'
This year Louisville,
Marquette, and Missouri
all seem like good picks
to me.
For those of you looking
to show your bracket-picking
expertise, or simply
test out your gut, there are
easy ways to do so.
On campus, JHU
Crossover Basketball, a
Center for Social Concern
group, is holding a bracket
competition with a $5
entry fee and some great
prizes for the top three
winners. The donations
go directly to Barclay Elementary/
Middle School
and Greenmount Recreation
Center.
To take part in this, simply
email jhucrossoverbball@
gmail.com before
Mar. 14th.