Hoping for Madness

As I watched today as my Spartans faltered late against a surprising UConn team, I thought to myself: "You know, what a couple of great weeks of basketball this has been."  Not just for my Panthers or Spartans but for all the teams.

March Madness offers something that no other tournament on the planet does - equality.  Every team, big or small, has a chance of winning.  It's the only place where a team like Mercer can upend a national powerhouse like Duke.  It's the only place where a team like Dayton can captivate an entire nation in nothing short of 3 days.  It's the only place in sports where hope truly reigns supreme, for in this tournament, in the madness comes a sort of optimism that is found no where else.

Every team, from Florida to Mercer, all entered this with the hope and optimism that it would indeed by they who would walk away with the national championship this year.  That it would be they who defied the odds and came out on top.  As I starred at my empty bracket a few weeks ago, before this all began, I felt myself feel some of the same things.  What if Pitt did defy the odds and win it all this year?  What if this would be the year a #16 seed upset a #1 seed.

What if........... - You can apply this to almost an infinite number of situations leading up and into March Madness every year.  It's a beautiful thing in that no one, no matter how much research you do or basketball knowledge you have, knows how this tournament will shape out.  In the same note, no basketball team, no matter how talented or well coached, truly knows what opposition lies ahead of them.  But they, team after team, coach after coach, player after player and fan after fan, all have that hope that it is fact they that have all the answers.  That it is they who have the perfect game plan.  That is is they who have the perfect bracket.  That it is they who will defy the odds and come away with glory.  It's that kind of optimism that makes this whole thing so special.  Beyond the basketball, beyond the brackets, beyond statistics and billion dollar bracket pools, it's the simplest thing that that shines through here more than all of those things.
Hope.
Hope that no matter what team your rooting for (or playing for), big or small, has a shot to make history.

You just can't create that kind of hope anywhere else.

It's what makes this tournament the greatest sport spectacle on earth.

BIG 10 Tournament - Prediction

Now that the BIG East is no more, the BIG 10 is the best basketball conference by far.  I have always payed the most attention to the BIG 10 tournament because I know teams coming out of the BIG 10 always have decent shots at going deep in March Madness.  It's the way these teams are set up and the level of competition they are held to throughout the course of the season that, in my opinion, sets them apart from other conferences.  Any BIG 10 team is dangerous in the tournament, plain and simple.  Which is why this is the most important conference tournament to take a look as it usually has the most NCAA tournament able teams in one conference.  Here's a quick look at who in this writer's opinion, will take home the BIG 10 trophy home this season.

Round One
Illinois vs. Indiana 
Winner: Illinois

Ohio State vs. Purdue 
Winner: Ohio State

Minnesota vs. Penn State
Winner: Minnesota

Iowa vs. Northwestern 
Winner: Iowa

Round Two
Michigan vs. Illinois 
Winner: Michigan

Nebraska vs. Ohio State 
Winner: Nebraska

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota 
Winner: Minnesota

Michigan State vs. Iowa
Winner: Michigan State

Round Four
Michigan vs. Nebraska 
Winner: Nebraska

Minnesota vs. Michigan State 
Winner: Michigan State

Championship Round
Nebraska vs. Michigan State 
Ok, I am a bit biased here.  My love for Michigan State always has them going far in any tournament but I really like the possible match-ups they have at the bottom of the bracket.  I think they will make it to the championship no matter who they play.  Also, Tom Izzo has a knack for winning in tournament play.  It's what he does - despite a rough second half of the season.  Nebraska has surprised me all season long.  They've played well when they've needed to and are red hot coming into the tournament.  They also are very lucky in terms of where they located in the bracket and I think that their hot play will carry them into the championship game.  At least, I hope they do so Michigan doesn't end up there.  Because no one wants that.  Winner: Nebraska  

ACC Tournament - Prediction

Despite the ACC Tournament starting yesterday, I still would like to take a very quick look at it.  Honestly, this is just a warm up for the greatest sports tradition of the year - March Madness.  Before the Madness hits though, we must get through the division tournaments.  I chose to take a look at the ACC and BIG 10 this year.  Here's just a quick look at what I think will take place this year in North Carolina.

As a note, I don't follow every NCAA team with a microscope.  That would be impossible.  All of these predictions are based off of results from the past couple years.  Because if there is one thing I believe in is that, especially with sports, history tends to repeat itself.  Most of these predictions are based off that mindset.

Round One
Wake Forest vs. Notre Dame 
Winner: Wake Forest

Miami vs. Virginia Tech 
Winner: Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech vs. Boston College 
Winner: Georgia Tech

Round Two
Maryland vs. Florida State 
Winner: Maryland

Wake Forest vs. Pittsburgh
Winner: Pittsburgh

Virginia Tech vs. N.C. State
Winner: N.C. State

Georgia Tech vs. Clemson 
Winner: Clemson

Round Three
Virginia vs. Maryland
Winner: Virginia

UNC vs. Pittsburgh
Winner: UNC

Syracuse vs. N.C. State
Winner: Syracuse

Duke vs. Clemson 
Winner: Duke

Round Four
Virginia vs. UNC
Winner: UNC

Syracuse vs. Duke
Winner: Duke

Championship Round
UNC vs. Duke 
As if this should surprise anyone.  UNC and Duke are by far the most talented teams in the ACC.  They've both gotten better as the season has progressed and they are playing the best basketball of both of their respective seasons at the right times.  If this really is the championship game the outcome will be a toss up.  Both team has beat one another once this season.  I give UNC the benefit of the doubt though because they are playing better, in my opinion, coming into the tournament The tournament itself is also being played closest to the UNC campus - giving them a slightish home court advantage.
Winner: UNC