Picks and upsets for the 2009 NCAA Tournament

Starting tomorrow I will not only lose my mind, but my life as well. I̢۪m no psychic, but I already know how the next 19 days will play out.

I guarantee my neighbors will say, “what is going on next 
door?â€Â at least a half dozen times. When I visit and go back home, my 
mom will say, “more basketball?â€Â And I apologize in advance, because I could already picture girls telling me how much of a flake I’ve been 
for the last couple weeks. 


Every year around this time, my voice isn̢۪t the same until April, my heart doesn̢۪t need an energy drink to speed up the beat and if my blood pressure and stress level were an earthquake, it̢۪d be off the Richter scale.

All of this can only mean one thing – It must be March Madness. 




As the NCAA Tournament’s first game tips off at 9:20 a.m. tomorrow, there still is time to finalize your bracket. I’m no expert, but is there such a thing as an expert? Every
ESPN “expertâ€Â is just making their best guess in reality.

So here is my best guess in breaking down the field of 64.

Midwest Region

Winner: Louisville

I like the Cardinals, however, if everything goes as planned, Louisville will face one of the toughest Sweet 16 games ever, if they end up playing Wake Forest. Wake arguably has the most talent in the nation, but I couldn̢۪t pick them this year due to the youth of their team and the inconsistency they showed in the second half of the season. If Louisville gets past Wake, I am confident they will breeze through the rest of their bracket.

Further breakdown:

I like West Virginia to make a surprise run to the elite eight. Also, I feel Michigan State and Kansas are overrated. I have the Spartans to the Sweet 16 and the Jayhawks losing to West Virginia in the second round.

Jeff Siner / McClatchy Tribune

Upsets: No. 9 Siena over No. 8 Ohio St., No. 12 Arizona over No. 5 Utah

Siena features guard Kenny Hasbrouck, who is an explosive player with good range. The Saints won their first round game last season and I wouldn̢۪t be surprised if they send the Buckeyes home early.
Arizona has a good trio, but that̢۪s about it. If the combination of Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise don̢۪t perform, the Wildcats don̢۪t stand a chance. However, Budinger and Hill are NBA prospects and I feel they will be a little too much for Utah.

Attractive Upset Picks: No. 13 Cleveland State over No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 10 USC over No. 7 Boston College

I have to admit, I really wanted to pick Cleveland State over Wake, but couldn̢۪t pull the trigger. If you̢۪re feeling bold, this Cleveland State team is athletic enough to pull off the upset.

USC is coming off winning the Pac-10 championship, and if the Trojans could slow Boston College̢۪s Tyrese Rice down, they should win.

West Region

Winner: Memphis

Believe me, I didn̢۪t want to pick Memphis or UConn to the Final Four. But the West region, in my mind, is by far the weakest region. If the Tigers and Huskies face off in the Elite eight, it̢۪s a tossup. I chose the Tigers, because they have arguably the best defense in the nation and have an easier road to the Elite eight than the Huskies.

Further breakdown:

This region is full of inconsistent teams. Missouri, Maryland, Marquette, Purdue and Washington can make runs, but I like UConn and Memphis to survive.

Upsets: No. 9 Texas A&M over No. 8 BYU, No. 10 Maryland over No. 7 CAL

Texis A&M will rely on senior forward Josh Carter for scoring as they have trouble scoring. But they do play solid defense and BYU̢۪s lack of depth was enough for me to choose A&M.

I like Maryland for one reason: Greivis Vasquez. Vasquez is capable of scoring 30 points and having a triple double on any night. He must not let his emotions get the best of him. Vasquez likes big games. Cal likes the 3-pointer too much.

Attractive Upset Pick: No. 13 Mississippi St. over No. 4 Washington

This is a possible upset pick due to center Jarvis Varnado for Mississippi State. He leads the nation in blocks and will change the route of Washington guard Isaiah Thomas, and make it tough for Jon Brockman to score inside. But this game will be played in Portland giving the Huskies home court advantage.

East Region

Winner: Pittsburgh

I am confident that Pitt will make the Final Four. There is no one in this region that can match up with forward Dejuan Blair. Their hardest game may come in the second round when they face a big Florida State team.

Further breakdown:

There̢۪s a lot of good teams in this region, but no great teams with the exception to Pitt. Duke̢۪s Gerald Henderson is explosive, but the Blue Devils don̢۪t have enough fire power to go along with Henderson to make it through.

Upsets: No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth (VCU) over No. 6 UCLA

VCU̢۪s Eric Maynor is one of the best point guards in the nation. The Rams shocked Duke in 2007, and if Maynor̢۪s 3-pointers are falling, I like UCLA to fall to VCU.

Attractive Upset Pick: No. 9 Tennessee over No. 8 Oklahoma St.

With a talented starting five, the Volunteers could pull it off. However, Oklahoma St is playing well at the right time and is a bad matchup for Tennessee.

South Region

Winner: North Carolina

The Tarheels have too much talent not to reach the Final Four, but do face a couple potential tough games. A second round game with LSU is tough, along with Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and Syracuse in the Elite eight.

Further breakdown:

I don̢۪t see Oklahoma making much noise in the South region. Blake Griffin is the best player in the nation, but won̢۪t have enough help when the Sooners face teams like Clemson and Syracuse. I like Syracuse to face UNC and Clemson to upset Oklahoma in the second round.

Upsets: No. 12 Western Kentucky over No. 5 Illinois

Western Kentucky features a backcourt duo of Mendez-Valdez and A.J. Slaughter. If the game is ̢۬close down the stretch, look for Valdez to take the big shots. Illinois is an overated No. 5 and ̢۬prime for an upset, I̢۪m confident.

Attractive Upset Picks: No. 11 Temple over No. 6 Arizona St. (ASU), No. 10 Michigan over No. 7 Clemson

I really wanted to pick Temple, and if streaky guard Dionte Christmas is able to score around 30 points, ASU should lose. However, the Sun Devils have James Harden and more depth. Harden is a future lottery pick in the NBA, and that̢۪s why you shouldn̢۪t expect Christmas to come early for Temple.̢۬

If Michigan were playing almost any other No.7, I would have chosen the Wolverines. However, Clemson is not a typical No. 7. Michigan has proven they could beat some talented teams like Duke and UCLA. If Wolverine guard Manny Harris plays well, the Tigers have a good chance of ending their dance early.
Final Four: Louisville over Memphis, UNC over Pitt

Championship: UNC over Louisville,76-67, MVP: Tyler Hansborough

My Guarantee

Now, I have picked the national champion in five of the last seven years, but I̢۪m only 1-2 ̢۬in the last three years. I̢۪m ready to get out of my mild slump, and ̢۬that is why through research and my past experience: I guarantee that I will have at least two correct Final Four teams selected right and the national champion correct.

In the end, there will be buzzer beaters and heart breakers, jubilation and tears, outstanding individual performances and a Cinderella sighting. But only one team will get to cut down the nets.

While teams around the nation are anxious to get the tournament underway, I am too, and more than happy to be ‘mad.’