Thoughts On College Basketball

I've always had a passing interest in college basketball (more of a pro guy), aside from the occasional Duck run in the tournament, I just don't care as much about college basketball, as I do college football.  So it comes with a great deal of surprise and pleasure when I say this but, I find myself really compelled with the current college basketball season.


Maybe it's because the Ducks are relevant again, I don't know?  But I've watched some great games this year, including three over the weekend:  KU's comeback win over rival Mizzou in the border war, Wisconsin's upset win over Ohio State in Columbus, and Oregon's one point win in the civil war at Gill.


I've also watched enough games this season to get a pretty good feel for who the best teams are, which will help when it comes time to filling out my brackets.  The last time I followed college basketball this closely was the first time Oregon went to the elite 8 under Ernie Kent (back in the early 00's).  That was also the first time I filled out my brackets with money on the line (not that I'm a hardcore gambler).  I ended up winning the whole thing, and was the most accurate!  Talk about beginners luck.


Keep that in mind as I post my own version of the top 5, and be on the lookout for my picks in a couple of weeks:

1. Kentucky
2. Syracuse
3. North Carolina
4. Duke
5. Ohio State

Some thoughts:  I think it's Kentucky and Syracuse, then everybody else.  A Kentucky vs. Syracuse match in the final would be great, but it's not gonna happen.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if BOTH teams didn't make it.  That's what the tournament is all about:  you don't have to be better than a team in a five or seven game series, you just have to be perfect for 40 minutes on one night.  


That's what makes March madness so fun to watch, even for the casual fan like me.