N.C.A.A. Tournament Upsets: Six Picks to Enliven Your Bracket

While I always enjoy the tournament, it's a pity that all the collegians involved, can't get this excited about their studies! Granted, basketball is a cash cow for their institutions, but let's not kid ourselves, this part of college life is not about academics, and most of the players wouldn't be there, if not for their basketball abilities!!!

My advice is to look for teams with a few senior who have played together and teams not afraid to shoot the three. You can usually find a Cinderella with those criteria.

c'mon cougars!! let the madness begin!!

Clark Kellogg knows as much about the 12 seeds as the No. 1’s. He doesn’t make hunches about upsets. He tells you about the style of play of the underdogs and their unsung stars. The guy does his homework like no one else. Meanwhile, Bill Walton leaves the court for 5 minutes to smoke dope. Kellogg is underrated himself. He’s the number one seed among commentators.

"In fact, the Ducks have won their last eight games — four against N.C.A.A. tournament teams." I'm a Pac-12 fan, but a realistic one: the conference's basketball teams have been atrocious in recent years (the men that is; the women's teams have been excellent). Eight wins in a row, including four against NCAA tournament teams, sounds great until you realize: all of those games were against Pac-12 teams! There are mid-major conferences with tougher opponents. Moreover Arizona State really shouldn't be in the tournament at all. And the Univ of Washington showed how weak they are by getting thrashed in the Pac-12 final game (and losing 4 of their last 11). It's not as if Oregon was facing say Duke and UNC during this win streak. Four wins in a row against NCAA tournament teams? It's a classic big fish in a small pond situation. Or big duck -- and the Oregon Ducks are about to face badgers from a much bigger and tougher pond.

Thanks for the fun.

The word "upset" should be replaced by "over-rate", teach a little humility to the boosters who make prognostications. This is particularly true of Ohio St. in football.