Why _____ can win the Final Four?

I going to keep it pretty simple in terms. I'm going to give you a compeling reason why each team will win and a reason that they may hold them back. By the way, I have two teams from my bracket in the final four. Georgetown, in the span of seven minutes, kept me from having three teams; bastards!


The Gators will win the National Championship because they have the greatest mix of talent and experience since the UNC team with Sean May and Raymond Felton. This team is actually a lot better than them. Al Horford is the best big man in the country on offense and defense. Joakim Noah is one of the better big man in the country, Taurean Green is great point guard and Corey Brewer, a great swing man. If these guys are on, they are almost impossible to beat.

If there is an area where they need to improve it is how they start games. They now have had four straight slow starts. It won't work against a hungry UCLA team. They will be looking for the confidence to put the team that defeated them away. If UF digs themselves a hole it may be hard to get out.


Ohio State will win if they show the moxy and offensive brilliance that they have shown down the stretch in games. Mike Conley Jr. is to this year's tourney what Joakim Noah was to last year's tourney. He's a breakout star that keeps dazzling each game. He is the best point guard left in the tourney. If Greg Oden can stay out of foul trouble and truely assert him self, Ohio St. has a great chance to win.

There youth, while not being a factor up to now, could become a factor as the stakes become considerably higher. They are the least experienced of the four teams.

Georgetown is the hottest team coming to Atlanta. There Princeton-style offense seems to gnaw teams down over the course of the game. What they did, down the stretch, against UNC was masterful. They may have single-handedly forced Tyler Hansborough to come back next year. Jeff Green would be the story of this tournament if it wasn't for the fact that many people already know that he is good. His ball handling and shooting will cause match up problems. However, Roy Hibbert is the key, when he is on they don't lose. His match-up against Oden is a marquee match-up and an interesting one because both guys can fade away at times. Which brings me to the bad news about the Hoyas, they have a tendency to fade away at times as well. If UNC had the ability to step on the throat last week, we would have a different final four. Hibbert and Green have to stay out of foul trouble. They have gotten away with it in previous contests, but remember, the stakes are much higher.

The Bruins have almost as much experience and talent as Florida but they will be hungrier having come so close last year. Their complete committment to defense will keep them in the game against any of the remaining teams. Look for them to have a little chip on their shoulder this weekend. They are the only team the media hasn't really talked about (hell, there even last to be mentioned in this segment.) If Ben Howland can harness that attitude into action on the court, they certainly have the talent to beat Florida on Saturday.

If there is a drawback for UCLA, its that Kevin Love won't be on campus until next fall. The Bruins don't have as much talent on the front line as their compeitors. This could really hurt, especially against Florida. It almost forces them to get off to a hot shooting start. If that doesn't happen, guys like Aaron Afflalo and Derrick Collison will not have the ability drive the lane.

Obervations of Day 3 of SEC Tournament

At this point, Arkansas has won the first game of the semifinal over Miss. St. There is a shirtless guy with a mullet that is thrilled right now. They are probably turning the food court upside down as we speak. All seriousness, they are a very spirited and talented group. As my man James said "they have a swagger." As Patrick Beverly displayed his jersey as he walked to the tunnel you could feel a sense of pride and validation.

They will a bring a lot of energy and a suprising amount of talent at all five positions into tommorow's title game. A question that fans from Syracuse to down here in the A will have to ask tonight. Did they just steal a spot from a team that is already in the tourney?

As the Arkansas fans come back out of the tunnel it is a love fest with their group of fans applauding their efforts in the recent match-up.

UF represents most of the proud audience here at the GA Dome. I just fulfilled a request for a UF media guide.

In the end, UF pummeled yet another team. Their games become boring towards the middle of the second half because they kick so much butt. It's a shorter day for me so I'm going to go home and veg out.

Observations of Day 2 of the SEC Tournament

Dude got a pass to the SEC tournament. I was luke warm initially about this, but once I got there it all came together. The first game was Kentucky vs. Miss. St. Every one who knows Kentucky, knows that their fans travel. 1 p.m. at the Ga. Dome was like a UK home game. Those fans absolutely live and die on every possession. You would figure that most of their aggression would be towards Tubby Smith or, maybe, Randolph Morris, but instead fans were harshest on Sheray Thomas, a senior forward from Quebec. Long before the lane violation heard round the world, Thomas was berated by fans for no rebounding, missing three-pointers, breathing. Obviously, the lane violation didn't help.

The Arkansas/Vandy game was exciting but the highlight of this game for me was after Gary Ervin hit the game winner. It was at this point that freshmen guard, Patrick Beverly ran off the court knocking and jumped up into the stands, where his family cheered him on. In the process of doing this, Beverly knocked over a state trooper. James, a fellow reporter, summed it up best when he said, "he better be glad he has that uniform on." I would have to agree. If I was the one who knocked the state trooper over, I'd probably be doing this blog from county. Shouts out to law enforcement everywhere.

In between sessions, I discovered the food court at the CNN Center. Someone can tell me this, if they know. Do they always serve beer there? As throngs of fans from throughout the southeast converged on this place, I decide to do as the Romans, or at least the LSU fans do and partake in chicken fingers and a "thirstbuster" sized cup of Heineken.

I returned to the GA Dome a little warmer just in time for the start of the FL/GA game. For those of you who only saw this on Sports Center, FL was even more impressive in person. It looked as if they were playing a high school team. They dominated in every facet of the game and yesm Horford did knock that ball into the third row.

I didn't stay for Tenn/LSU because I had to get home to watch G-Tech and Wake. Overall observations of the day"

-Kentucky fans live and die by their team

-If you are a ball player you may be able to get away with knocking over a cop.

-LSU fans drink, a lot.

-When they assert themselves, FL is hard to beat.

Okay Let's get down to business- NCAA Tournament

In light of the events of this week, we need to ask the question:

Who are the top seeds in the NCAA Men's tourney going to be? Does your opinions change after G-Tech beat UNC, UTenn beat UF, Ohio St. beat Wisconsin. Here's my bracketology takes for this coming weekend:

Ohio St.- While I do not think that they are the best team in the country, it is their turn on the mary-go-round that is the AP no.1. They do not get the ball to Greg Oden enough but, he does not have the aggressive demeanor to call for the ball more. It may be a sign of his youth. However, Oden and the Buckeyes are going to have to grow up quickly if they want to get to Atlanta.

UCLA- No one talks about them because the play their games in the middle of the night but they are good. Aaron Affalo is about the best player in the country that gets on attention. That have some African prince that is really good as well. And people are going to point to the lost at Washington and say that they deserve to be a no. 1 seed, but if you look at the entire body of work you'll see a pretty impressive resume.

Kansas- It's time to talk about Kansas. No one has talked them very much either. Not sure why. Last Saturday, they blue by the force that is Kevin Durant. They have an excellent core of players in Mario Chalmers, Julian Wright, and Brandon Rush. They also have a experience after getting wacked by Bradley last year in the tournament. Let's see can they cash in on a little of that potential; something that haven't been able to do in recent years.

Florida- Aside from the events of the last few weeks, the Gators have been one of the few teams that have separated themselves. They have dominated a league that is like to get, at least, six teams in the tourney. And of course, they have experience. What will be the test for them is if they have the killer instinct. They will need.

Now for the two seeds:

North Carolina- They have been relegated to this list because someone had to go. They have falter this week and while they have look dominant at times, they are still very young. Please don't look at the game against Duke as any sort of "indicator" because Duke sucks. Their key to victory is to play with poise because most teams they face will have more experience than them. Luckily for the Tar Heels, few will be as talented.

Wisconsin- Wisconsin may still win it all in the end, but they have got to get over their current slump. Yes, other teams are limping into the tournament but once again someone has got to be the second seed. This really isn't a bad place to be. There is a little less pressure. However, you may not be able to play in your backyard.

Texas A & M, Georgetown (watch out for Georgetown. The way they ended the Pitt game was phenomenal.)

The treys:

Memphis- Perhaps the nation's premiere mid-major team, they have run rough-shot over the Conferance USA. What they did to Rice was brutal. A couple times I literally saw them take the ball out of a Rice player's hands and coast to the basket. Even Big Joey Dorsey was leading the fast break. They are a little young and that would concern me in terms of how deep they can go in the tourney.

Pitt (potential tourney sleeper), Wassou (who knew they were good), Nevada (if they wrap up their conference tourney)

The four seeds: Texas, L-Ville, Notre Dame, Maryland