Without further ado: I like the way Mizzou is playing and I think the pressing style could negate Theebet’s effectiveness but UConn’s guards are no slouches. All that being said, I just have a hunch about this Mizzou team, I’ve liked them all season and I’ll stick with them for an upset.

The Big East is assured of at least one Final Four team due to the Nova – Pitt Elite 8 clash tonight. Blair is the kind of player that I love and Levance Fields is just a winner (and Sam Young is a great scorer). But Nova is playing some great ball right now and Nova won at home in the only match-up b/w these teams this year. I just think Pitt will get it done, Blair and Fields are going to will Pitt to the Motor D.

It is my sincere hope that Blake Griffin treats that jittering fool Hansbourgh that a red-headed step-child. It will be a good game but in the end I think Lawson is just better than Oklahoma’s goofy #20 and that will be the difference. Roy “Shucks Howdy” Williams and his insurance salesman sports-coat will once again show you don’t have to know much about hoop to coach a team with a bunch of talent to the Final Four.

Now, for MSU v Louisville. I don’t have much in-depth analysis, just a lot of nerves and anticipation. Raymar broke his nose last night, here’s hoping he can channel the spirit of Matt Trannon in the face-mask and play like a man on a mission (and share some of that sugar with Del Roe). I just have a hunch – maybe call it a hope – but I think MSU finds a way, my god please make it so.

So, in case you’re keeping track at home that’s a Final Four of MSU v. Mizzou and Pitt v. UNC.

And just for the record: Tom Izzo is going no where and I have no idea what was up with Gus Johnson last night but Tom Izzo is appreciated more in East Lansing than the Pope is in Rome (although if you only read the Detroit newspapers or watch Don Shane and that clown Smilovitz I could see how you might be confused). But make no mistake, TI will get whatever he wants in EL and is treated like a king – I firmly believe his current coaching job will be his last.

Working on headed to Glendale, AZ this weekend for a probable UConn vs Memphis game, which should hold me over until the following weekend, and my flight to Detroit.

Looking forward to watching Michigan State later this week. Goran Suton is putting on his game face.

Here is who I would like to see:

UConn. Given the location we have chosen it seem inevitable that we get these Big East monsters, so I chose to embrace it. I have never seen them play and look forward to seeing one of the great powers of my era live and in person for the first time.Since you can’t have a #1 seed without the #16 Seed I’ll take whoever they give us there and like it. Due to our location I would bet we get the MEAC champs.  I am one of the few people in our group that likes to see a 1/16 matchup. Probably because I am one of the few who remembers the excitement of Holy Cross/Kansas. At some point a 16 will beat a 1 and I want to be there for that.

The other benefit of having the 1 seed at your site is that you get the 8/9 game which opens up a world of possabilities. My preference for this would be Dayton and either LSU, Kentucky, Tennessee, or some other SEC squad that can play its way in but not up the field. My feeling is that the A10 is really a hidden gem in college hoops and is consistently under appreciated and under rated. I would like to see what kind of damage a well coached team like Dayton could do against an SEC team with an inflated record, and possibly against a power like UConn.

For the other pod I would hope to get a 3/14 and a 6/11. The 2/15, 7/10 is to similar to the 1/16, 8/9, and 4/13, 5/12 seems like under achievers against upset specials that never quite happen when we are there. So I’ll take the 3/14, 6/11 for not only its upset potenital but because that 11 seed is usually reserved for some of the last at larges in the field. That is where I would like to see either Maryland or UNLV. UNLV is an obvious choice because it would be great for Rhett to have a chance to follow his team all the way into the NCAA tournament, and if we get UNLV it would also prevent us from getting BYU and their roster of 28 year old goof balls. UNLV is also a tradition rich program who has been resurgent in recent years under a great coach. Maryland would also be great since Gary Williams is a classic character, their fans are cool people that hate Duke, and I can make lots of inappropriate Len Bias cocaine jokes. The 6 seed counterpart has to Syracuse. I have been an admirer of the Cuse for a long time but have never had the privilege to see them in person. Magoo is a great coach, I love that big orange mascot, the 2-3 zone, and would like to buy Gerry McNamara a beer if he is in town.

In our 3/14 game I want to see Memphis and Cornell.The cerebral Ivy League approach against the running and gunning style that Calapari has established at Memphis would be fun and I love that Memphis is a powerhouse in a non BCS league, and that the Ivy League doesn’t’ play a conference tournament. And once again I’ve never seen either team.

For the record I always want to see Western Michigan, Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Oakland, and Georgetown. I’d be happy with all of them at our site every year. However we are 0-7 trying to see Michigan State and it looks like this year they will be a #2 either in Dayton or Minneapolis, and the other 4 have almost no chance at making the field so I am trying to be realistic.