March Madness

 Let the madness begin!

The tournament is upon us and to all college basketball fans this next week or so is our holiday. Getting to experience all the pageantry, the upsets, and the rising stars; for a fan this is what we wait all year for.

In the Eastern Region bracket with the season and tournament number one is Ohio State University. They have one of the best forwards in the country in Jared Sullinger. Whom is averaging a little over 17 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game. The Buckeyes are approaching their first game in the tournament against the 16 ranked University of Texas-San Antonio.

In the Western Region you have the reigning National Champions, Duke. Duke is packed with talent in all positions with Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, and returning to the lineup is Kyrie Irving who has been sidelined since Dec. 4th due to a right ankle injury. Duke faces the 16th ranked Hampton in the Western Regional. About the only thing going for Hampton is their five game winning streak, could they keep the momentum going?

In the Southwest Region the Kansas Jayhawks are looking to avoid their upset that occurred last year, when Northern Iowa upsetting the number one Jayhawks, destroying their hopes for what most had expected a National Championship. They are facing the 16th ranked Boston University Terriers. Kansas talent is one of the best with the twin Morris brothers Markieff and Marcus, Tyshawn Taylor, and a great 3-point shooter Brady Morningstar. Kansas is looking for redemption and to add one more National Championship.

In the Southeast Region the University of Pittsburgh Panthers are once again back in the tournament, and once again a number one seed in the region. They had already faced off against the University of North Carolina-Asheville, breezing by 71-54 in their first round. They now face the ninth seed Butler Bulldogs, ho most remember as the upset kings in last years tournament making it all the way to the final to play Duke for the championship, and to lose a heart breaker. Butler got out of their first round game in the tournaments typical nail-bitter fashion beating Old Dominion 60-58. This is going to be a fantastic game between these two.

This year's tournament has already shaped itself to be another great one. I am picking Duke and Kansas to play for all the marbles. I am also choosing the National Champions to be the repeating champions the Duke University Blue Devils winning 74-69.