Old habits die hard. Even when I'm away from the US and unable to watch college basketball, I can't help but fill out a bracket for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. It just feels like the right thing to do, and this year I even have an excuse -- I am a Temple student now, and Temple managed to squeeze into the tournament.
As per tradition, I fill out one bracket and use those picks in any contest I enter -- two this year, one for the Tony Kornheiser Show and the other for the Living Room Times Memorial Pool. I reject the practice of strategically tweaking and submitting multiple brackets in the pursuit of filthy lucre.
Picks are below the fold. Yes, I know the tournament play-in games have started, but I have evidence to show I already picked every game. I've just been too busy with damn near everything else to actually post it.
Play-in games (because that's what they are, to hell with the NCAA)
Wichita State def. Vanderbilt; Florida Gulf Coast def. Fairleigh Dickinson; Michigan def. Tulsa; Holy Cross def. Southern.
South
First round: Kansas def. Austin Peay; UConn def. Colorado; Maryland def. South Dakota State; Hawaii def. California; Wichita State def. Arizona; Miami def. Buffalo; Temple def. Iowa; Villanova def. UNC-Asheville
Second round: Kansas def. UConn; Maryland def. Hawaii; Miami def. Wichita State; Villanova def. Temple
Sweet 16: Kansas def. Maryland; Miami def. Villanova
Elite Eight: Kansas def. Miami
West
First round: Oregon def. Holy Cross; Cincinnati def. Saint Joe's; Baylor def. Yale; Duke def. UNC-Wilmington; Northern Iowa def. Texas; Texas A&M def. Green Bay; VCU def. Oregon State; Oklahoma def. Cal-Bakersfield
Second round: Oregon def. Cincinnati; Baylor def. Duke; Texas A&M def. Northern Iowa; Oklahoma def. VCU
Sweet 16: Oregon def. Baylor; Texas A&M def. Oklahoma
Elite Eight: Texas A&M def. Oregon
East
First round: North Carolina def. Florida Gulf Coast; USC def. Providence; Chattanooga def. Indiana; Kentucky def. Stony Brook; Notre Dame def. Michigan; Stephen F. Austin def. West Virginia; Pittsburgh def. Wisconsin; Xavier def. Weber State
Second round: North Carolina def. USC; Kentucky def. Chattanooga; Notre Dame def. Stephen F. Austin; Xavier def. Pittsburgh
Sweet 16: North Carolina def. Kentucky; Xavier def. Notre Dame
Elite Eight: North Carolina def. Xavier
Midwest
First round: Virginia def. Hampton; Butler def. Texas Tech; Purdue def. Arkansas-Little Rock; Iona def. Iowa State; Seton Hall def. Gonzaga; Utah def. Fresno State; Dayton def. Syracuse; Michigan State def. Middle Tennessee State
Second round: Virginia def. Butler; Purdue def. Iona; Seton Hall def. Utah; Michigan State def. Dayton
Sweet 16: Virginia def. Purdue; Michigan State def. Seton Hall
Elite Eight: Michigan State def. Virginia
Final Four
Kansas def. Texas A&M; Michigan State def. North Carolina
Final
Kansas def. Michigan State
As per tradition, I fill out one bracket and use those picks in any contest I enter -- two this year, one for the Tony Kornheiser Show and the other for the Living Room Times Memorial Pool. I reject the practice of strategically tweaking and submitting multiple brackets in the pursuit of filthy lucre.
Picks are below the fold. Yes, I know the tournament play-in games have started, but I have evidence to show I already picked every game. I've just been too busy with damn near everything else to actually post it.
Play-in games (because that's what they are, to hell with the NCAA)
Wichita State def. Vanderbilt; Florida Gulf Coast def. Fairleigh Dickinson; Michigan def. Tulsa; Holy Cross def. Southern.
South
First round: Kansas def. Austin Peay; UConn def. Colorado; Maryland def. South Dakota State; Hawaii def. California; Wichita State def. Arizona; Miami def. Buffalo; Temple def. Iowa; Villanova def. UNC-Asheville
Second round: Kansas def. UConn; Maryland def. Hawaii; Miami def. Wichita State; Villanova def. Temple
Sweet 16: Kansas def. Maryland; Miami def. Villanova
Elite Eight: Kansas def. Miami
West
First round: Oregon def. Holy Cross; Cincinnati def. Saint Joe's; Baylor def. Yale; Duke def. UNC-Wilmington; Northern Iowa def. Texas; Texas A&M def. Green Bay; VCU def. Oregon State; Oklahoma def. Cal-Bakersfield
Second round: Oregon def. Cincinnati; Baylor def. Duke; Texas A&M def. Northern Iowa; Oklahoma def. VCU
Sweet 16: Oregon def. Baylor; Texas A&M def. Oklahoma
Elite Eight: Texas A&M def. Oregon
East
First round: North Carolina def. Florida Gulf Coast; USC def. Providence; Chattanooga def. Indiana; Kentucky def. Stony Brook; Notre Dame def. Michigan; Stephen F. Austin def. West Virginia; Pittsburgh def. Wisconsin; Xavier def. Weber State
Second round: North Carolina def. USC; Kentucky def. Chattanooga; Notre Dame def. Stephen F. Austin; Xavier def. Pittsburgh
Sweet 16: North Carolina def. Kentucky; Xavier def. Notre Dame
Elite Eight: North Carolina def. Xavier
Midwest
First round: Virginia def. Hampton; Butler def. Texas Tech; Purdue def. Arkansas-Little Rock; Iona def. Iowa State; Seton Hall def. Gonzaga; Utah def. Fresno State; Dayton def. Syracuse; Michigan State def. Middle Tennessee State
Second round: Virginia def. Butler; Purdue def. Iona; Seton Hall def. Utah; Michigan State def. Dayton
Sweet 16: Virginia def. Purdue; Michigan State def. Seton Hall
Elite Eight: Michigan State def. Virginia
Final Four
Kansas def. Texas A&M; Michigan State def. North Carolina
Final
Kansas def. Michigan State
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