March Madness, Round 1

Have you wasted time this week at work studying the bracket?  Have you helped cost your employer millions of dollars in wages that were spent being unproductive talking about how good a match-up BYU vs. Florida will be at 11 am Thursday to open the tournament?  Do you still need help figuring out your bracket? 

The Man Speak is here to help.  We won't give you the cupcakes.  Why bother giving you advice on the dreadful, insanely boring, blow-out 1 vs 16 match-up.  Nor are we going to speculate like everybody else does about the 5 vs 12 or 4 vs 13 upset.  Brackets are won in the trenches, and the real first round battles are between the 8 vs 9 and the 7 vs 10.  We'll give you a break and help you fill in your bracket so you can submit it first thing in the morning.  You can thank us on Final Four Monday, because these picks could make the difference after Kansas wins the whole thing. 


8. UNLV 25-8 vs 9. Northern Iowa 28-4 - Midwest Region
The Mountain West has a strong showing in the tournament with 4 teams, but that doesn't mean they'll win any games.  Not this one atleast.  Northern Iowa plays fundamentally sounds, has a 7 footer, and has only lost 4 times.  The Valley wins this battle of "mid-majors".  Fill in the Panthers on your bracket. 

7. Oklahoma State 22-10 vs 10. Georgia Tech 22-12 - Midwest Region
The ACC is groslly overrated this year and this will be one of a few games in which they will be exposed.  Without a single quality win all year, unless you count a win against a topsy-turvy Clemson team a win, the underachieving Yellow Jackets will bow out early in a 10 point plus loss to the Cowboys.  Fill in Oklahoma State in your bracket. 

8. Gonzaga 26-6 vs 9. Florida State 23-8 - West Region
Again, not a big fan of a highly overrated ACC.  Gonzaga played anybody that had a whole in their schedule early in the season and with the youth on their team, you wonder if they will be ready for an athletic club after playing in the "slower" West Coast Conference.  I think the Zags' get it done  Fill in Gonzaga in your bracket.

7. BYU 29-5 vs 10. Florida 21-12 - West Region
I watched the Florida Gators get aboslutely man-handled by another mid-major darling Xavier on their home floor late in the season.  They didn't look good then and they won't look good against the best the Mountain West has to offer.  It will be raining 3's in this one.  Fill in BYU in your bracket.

8. Texas 24-9 vs 9. Wake Forest 19-10 - East Region
I'm in Dickie V's camp.  I don't understand how Wake got into this tournament.  Their best win was at home (aren't you suppose to win conference games at home?) against Maryland.  Texas WAS the number one team in the land and 17-0.  They can't shoot the ball, but they play great defense and Pittman is a force in the middle.  Fill in Texas in your bracket.  Bonus: We think you can write their name in twice!

7. Clemson 21-10 vs 10. Missouri 22-10 - East Region
Did the committee set up these ACC - Big 12 match-ups on purpose?  Did they set this match-up on purpose.  These teams entered the selection process as two of the lower seeds that nobody wants to play.  This game will be non-stop, up and down action.  It also will possibly the ugliest basketball game in the history of the NCAA tournament, but it will be close.  We think the Big 12 is a stronger league than the ACC.  Fill in Missouri in your bracket. 

8. California 23-10 vs 9. Louisville 20-12 - South Region
The easiest of the bunch.  Louisville is too strong, physical, and deep for California who hasn't beat anybody any good all season.  Fill in Louisville in your bracket. 

7. Richmond 26-8 vs 10. Saint Mary's 26-5 - South Region
Two teams we are disappointed to see matched up against each other.  They could've nighmares for some favored teams, instead they will be nighmares for each other.  Richmond is strong on the defensive end while Saint Mary's relies on their big center Samhan to do everything for them on both ends and on the glass.  When it comes down to it, defense wins ball games.  Fill in Saint Mary's in your bracket.