AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2008 > March > 16 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFiasco’s best guess? I’ll take UCLA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
The 21st annual Final Four Fiasco begins with a woozy confession: I’m still dazed by Georgia. In one tornado-tossed weekend the Bulldogs won as many games against SEC opposition (four) as they had over the two-month conference season. Which only goes to show …
You never know.
The genesis of the Fiasco was, way back in 1988, to get a peek at other people’s brackets. I’ve seen a slew of them over these two decades, and from experience I can tell you: When it comes to college basketball in March/April, we’re all just guessing. That in mind, here are this year’s guesses:
Three No. 1 seeds will reach San Antonio. Two No. 1 seeds will meet for the NCAA title. And the least likely name on the grid — that’d be Georgia, above and beyond Coppin State — won’t win another game. (Then again, I didn’t think the Bulldogs would win a game in the SEC tournament.)
Even a roll as giddy as the Bulldogs’ eventually reaches an end. Remember Syracuse and Gerry McNamara storming to an improbable four-games-in-four-days Big East title in 2006? Remember what the Orange did in its first NCAA game? Lost to 12th-seeded Texas A&M.
The worst thing that can happen to a hot team is to sit for three days and ruminate over what it just did. Owing to the delirious events on two Atlanta courts, Georgia’s season will be a success even if it ends at 17-17 against Xavier on Thursday. The belief here is that it will. Feel free to disagree.
Feel likewise free to disagree with the pick to win the South Regional — fourth-seeded Pitt. I’m going against Memphis on principle: I don’t believe any team that can’t make 3-pointers or free throws is a Final Four team. And I’m going against Texas, which will be playing the regional in Houston, because I don’t think geography negates size and tenacity.
I’ve liked Pitt’s toughness for years but was always chastened by the Panthers’ inability to make shots come March. With the return of Levance Fields from injury, they have their shotmaker back. (His trey beat Duke in December, you’ll recall.) I see the South final as a cage match between Pitt and Stanford, and I see the Panthers doing to the Cardinal what they just did to Georgetown in the Big East title game.
In the Midwest, I’m breaking a vow broken many times over the breadth of the Fiasco: I’m picking Kansas. I’ve taken the Jayhawks and been wrong so many times that every March I swear to myself, “I’ll never trust those guys again.” But I’m trusting them this time because I trust everyone else in the region even less.
Clemson has to steal the ball to win, and that never works for long in this tournament. Georgetown isn’t as good as it was a year ago, and the Hoyas will face a tricky Round 2 game against Davidson, which will beat Gonzaga. Assuming Georgetown gets past the Wildcats, it’ll have a brutal semifinal against Wisconsin, and Kansas will pick off the winner — let’s say the Hoyas — in the final.
As I type, the ESPN crew is going on about North Carolina’s rough road in the East. Let the record show that road is still Tobacco Road — Rounds 1 and 2 in Raleigh, the regional semis and final in Charlotte. (When it’s geography coupled with talent, I feel rather differently.) I don’t like Tennessee for the same reason I don’t like Clemson, and the Tigers at least have inside scorers, which the Vols lack. Tennessee will exit in Round 2 against South Alabama, which will then be dismissed by Louisville.
The most intriguing matchup on the board will be the Carolina-Washington State semifinal. The Heels want to go really fast, and the Cougars prefer to go slow. I can see Carolina getting frustrated and falling behind. I can also see the Heels, as they seem always to do when playing in their home state, winning at the end.
The Heels will beat Kansas in the Final Four — hey, didn’t Roy Williams used to coach the Jayhawks? — because Carolina has two men capable of making the big shot (Tyler Hansbrough and Wayne Ellington) and Kansas has only Mario Chalmers. Having just watched Carolina win the ACC tournament, the temptation is mighty to take the Heels to win it all. I’m resisting because of four little letters.
U-C-L-A.
The West Regional should be easy pickings for the Bruins. Fading Duke will lose to West Virginia in Round 2, which will beat Xavier in the regional semis. Connecticut might have given UCLA a run a month ago, but not now.
The Bruins were derailed by Florida in the past two Final Fours because they couldn’t score against the Gators. The advent of Kevin Love changes that. UCLA still defends as well as any team anywhere, and they now have an offensive complement. Love can score inside and can fuel the break with outlet passes, and Darren Collison is the best point guard in the land.
Love won’t necessarily conquer Hansbrough in the championship game, but he’ll score enough to approximate Psycho T’s output. And the rest of the Bruins are slightly better than the rest of the Heels. So make it 12 NCAA titles for UCLA, which won its 11th under Jim Harrick, who used to coach Georgia, which just played its way into the Big Dance.
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
Permalink | Comments (35) | Post your comment | Categories: Mark Bradley, Tech / ACC, UGA / SEC
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By Herschel Talker
March 16, 2008 11:46 PM | Link to this
What do Mark Bradley and the Georgia Tech basketball team have in common? They’ll both need a ticket to go to the Tournament.
By bostero33156
March 16, 2008 11:58 PM | Link to this
GO CANES !!! Miami is Final Four Bound !!!
By Really
March 17, 2008 12:01 AM | Link to this
Mark you are a gaf (backwards).. and yesterday you did not even have your local Dogs (UGA) in the Dance. Any high school hack could do your job and you know it… ENJOY WHILE YOU CAN.. Sports.. any sports are just not your thing…(we have a group that just bets against you) I mean really.. like SNL really..
By MOM
March 17, 2008 12:06 AM | Link to this
WHY DO YOU HAVE ANY SAY IN THIS?? I MEAN REALLY!!!!!
LOVE MOM
By Mike
March 17, 2008 1:08 AM | Link to this
You know what? It doesn’t matter if we (UGA) don’t win another game. We are SEC champs, baby!!!
By LA Dawg
March 17, 2008 2:46 AM | Link to this
Bradley, You’re an effin’ doofus. You brag that your bracket is unlike anyone else’s…well, duh, everyone else goes all the way to the end! Guess what? You can still try to pick the final four and the champion, too. This is just too ridiculous to comprehend. It’s beyond words how dumb it is to stop it at the Final Four and then brag that you’ve got something special. It’s laughable and I don’t care if you are the best columnist in the history of the world (which, obviously, you’re not) having a dumbazz contest like this and thinking it’s ‘different’ would be serious cause to discuss your dismissal. Ugh. Moron.
I’m having a pie contest. It’s the coolest ever. You’re gonna love it. You’ve never been to a cooler one. See, what we do is we eat them before they’re cooked! Isn’t that a great idea? Everyone has pie contests where you get to try them AFTER they’re cooked but that’s so lame. It’s been done a million times. So we try to guess which one MIGHT be the best after it’s cooked. Damn, I can’t believe no one ever thought of this before. I’m a genius. Just like Mark Bradley.
By GT in NorCal
March 17, 2008 2:47 AM | Link to this
Mark, you used to be an idiot but somehow morphed into a genius a few years ago and haven’t been wrong since. Some of your picks are absolutely laughable (which is no doubt what you intended). Thanks for being hilarious.
Paul Hewitt is still the man to lead Tech- they’ll be solid next year!
By Paddy
March 17, 2008 7:05 AM | Link to this
Mb column and the following comments are what make March basketball so enjoyable. Keep it up guys.
Happy St Paddy’s day
By True Braves Fan
March 17, 2008 7:58 AM | Link to this
It’s a shame that by somehow winning the SEC tournament, they kept some deserving team out of the NCAA tournament.
By DARTDAWG
March 17, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this
IF NOT WINNING 4 GAMES IN 3 DAYS IS NOT ENOUGH. WHAT IS? UGA IS AS DESERVING AS ANY TEAM. THEY DID WHAT THEY HAD TO DO AND REAP THE REWARDS. THEY DID IT AND EARNED IT.
By takedowndawg
March 17, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this
To True Braves Fan:
Sometimes, someone who plays with heart overcomes others abilities. That was the case for our Dawgs this weekend. If given a choice, I’d choose the heart team over the ability team every time. Most of us who don’t always show our ability relate better to the heart team. That is what true America is all about! I wish you great success Dennis Felton and our Georgia Bulldawgs!
Mike
By scooter11
March 17, 2008 8:59 AM | Link to this
TrueBravesAhole: What about all the minor league tournament winners that get in to the Dance (Southland, Colonial, SWAC, etc.)? Did they keep other ‘deserving’ teams out, also? Guessing your team didn’t make it, ‘deserving’ or not.
By Already Tailgating
March 17, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this
True Braves Fan - As we learned from football, you don’t deserve a shot at the National Title unless you won your conference. I am appalled that teams like Duke and Tennessee get to play in the NCAA tournament. They didn’t even make it to their respective conferences’ championship games! Surely they’re not good enough to be playing for a title. In all seriousness though, I find it extremely satisfying that Ohio State was a team that was possibly denied a bid due to UGA’s SEC Championship.
By LizDawg
March 17, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this
Regarding the Dawgs chances, as Obama is so fond of saying - “YES! We Can!”
Enjoy your extended spring break Techies while the Dawgs are dancin’! Thanks for hosting the Dawgs to 3 out of the 4 tourney wins
By Gary
March 17, 2008 11:09 AM | Link to this
Gee Mark, I was ready to write off the Dawgs in the 1st round too, but since you’ve pretty much said they have no chance, I’m certain that they do. Thanks.
By CJ
March 17, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this
why are you such a dawg hater? Worst to first in 4 days. Anything can happen in the big dance.
By elvisdawg
March 17, 2008 11:47 AM | Link to this
Do your homework idiot. Memphis shoots the three just fine and hit their free throws when it counts. See last year’s dance and this year’s conference tourney. They will make quick work of Pittsburgh just as they did Georgetown. They have no answer for the quickness and intensity of the Memphis defense.
By Livin' Large
March 17, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this
What? No Georgia Tech in the tournament with a special Mark Bradley exemption?
I wonder if he’s taken down all his Tech action posters in his mommy’s basement yet.
By Rob
March 17, 2008 1:49 PM | Link to this
This stuff is hilarious! Keep it up! I wonder if MB actually reads these comments? If so, he has to crack up at how his columns rile folks up.
By GabillDawg
March 17, 2008 4:38 PM | Link to this
I can live with you not picking the dogs against Xavier. But I think you need to do your home work on Memphis ability to hit the three, and see that if the guys playing the trash minutes didn’t shoot them Memphis would be an excellent three point shooting team. Plus defense wins championships and they have the best defense in the country.
By bb
March 17, 2008 5:34 PM | Link to this
Incredible! The Bulldogs just had an incredible weekend and over half the posts here mention that GT is not dancing. Seems like most UGAG fans get more enjoyment at Tech losing than enjoy their team winning.
BTW, congrats to the Bulldog team for an incredible run.
By Edubb
March 17, 2008 6:04 PM | Link to this
Yes i admit that im a kick the chair underneth my feet jayhawk fan. I will continue represent but not whole heartly. As allways we come dancing red hot but leave head hung cuz we forgot how to leave the fire burning. Topeka rock chalk!!!
By Texas Wreck
March 17, 2008 6:05 PM | Link to this
Hey, the Bulldogs did something on the GT home court that we never did, win a conference championship! I kept watching for Buzz to reach up and trip those pesky Dawgs, but he let me down. Then the Dawgs played like champions and by goodness now they are the champs of the SEC. Good luck in the tournament, and yes, I have bought a ticket so I can go the games in Houston!! Go Jackets, next year.
By Edubb
March 17, 2008 6:06 PM | Link to this
Yes i admit that im a kick the chair underneth my feet jayhawk fan. I will continue represent but not whole heartly. As allways we come dancing red hot but leave head hung cuz we forgot how to leave the fire burning. Topeka rock chalk!!!
By Dan
March 17, 2008 6:33 PM | Link to this
Wow, I can’t believe you have Duke going past the first round. You are the most blatant Duke-hater south of Charlotte, why not have them lose in the first?
I mean there’s NO WAY they can make it to the Sweet 16, right? They’ve only done so 9 of the past 10 years.
By Gdog
March 17, 2008 8:20 PM | Link to this
Alright Mark, we know you are a Techy at heart and we know you hope the Dawgs get pounded by Xavier Thursday afternoon. Even Georgia is going to be in a layoff, I still think they have a good shot at beating Xavier and ending up in the sweet 16 against Duke. The one thing Georgia has in its favor is they have nothing to loose. We were not supposed to be in here the first place so if we loose no one is going to throw a fit over it. I think Georgia is going to come out still hot with Gaines and Humphrey leading the way. And my final four picks, UCLA, North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas with North Carolina winning it all.
By Najeh Davenpoop
March 17, 2008 10:13 PM | Link to this
For what it’s worth, my pick to win it all is…
North Carolina.
Come on and raise up.
Take your shirt off.
Twist it around your head.
Spin it like a helicopter.
By TechDawg
March 18, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this
Xavier is really good, not sure if the Dawgs will have the fire power to beat them…..
Tech will be incredible next year. My guess is a final four appearance at least…..
Good luck Dawgs!
By WCC
March 18, 2008 1:04 PM | Link to this
In many ways I can understand the lack of patience that was starting to rear its ugly head with Dennis Felton and his lack of wins following the recent stints of success of his predecessors. I think the reason is simple. Most UGA fans either did not care or could not grasp the reality of how compromised the program had become.
A recent ESPN article that highlights the graduation rates of the teams in this year’s NCAA field. It noted that, of all of the 65, only Western Kentucky graduated 100 percent of its players between 1997 and 2001. These were Felton’s players. If UGA fans will give Felton the time he needs to clean this program up, they will be rewarded in kind with a program they can be proud of both on and off the court. After all, as an institution of higher learning it should be UGA’s top priority to produce productive members of society rather than playground hoops legends cast aside after their eligibility has run out. In the meantime, they should regard the time it is taking Felton as a reflection of the work that has been done and needs to continue to transform this program into one that in which UGA can take pride.
By Pigskin Dog
March 19, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this
2 thoughts:
Thank you Tech for the floor.
When does football start?
By JackP
March 19, 2008 12:07 PM | Link to this
Bush did it.
By LizDawg
March 19, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this
I have one of those vanity plates on the front of my car that says “Girl”, except the ‘G’ is the UGA logo.
I am, like, the hottest thing in the trailer park.
By uga bubba
March 20, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this
did we have to play em on their court so we don’t have to fight em on ours
By Scott
March 21, 2008 3:41 AM | Link to this
Hey,
How do you check the Tournament Bracket Challenge you have going?
Just want to see how I’m doing compared everyone else, but I can find where the results are being tracked.
Thanks, enjoy your columns.
Scott Baton Rouge, LA
By Scott
March 21, 2008 3:41 AM | Link to this
Hey,
How do you check the Tournament Bracket Challenge you have going?
Just want to see how I’m doing compared everyone else, but I can find where the results are being tracked.
Thanks, enjoy your columns.
Scott