And now it’s Wednesday afternoon. Tip-off is basically here and Curry Davidson has already won one game in the NIT. East Region, done. West Region, done. South Region, done. Time for the dirty ugly Midwest Region.
Overview: I don’t like this region near as much as the West, which I analyzed yesterday. I think every team here (except The Ville) is vulnerable, but I guess that’s the way it is supposed to be for the No. 1 overall seeded bracket. Teams like USC, BC and Arizona bore me to tears and show us exactly why mid-majors like Saint Mary’s should have been given a shot instead. Yes USC won the Pac-10 tourney, so they get a pass. But BC, considered a lock forever, has lost 5 of their last 9 and were 6th in the ACC. Yes they had big wins early and late in the season, and yes they deserve to be here based on the current system, but I am sure not impressed.
Cinderella: Arizona Wildcats. These are one of the teams that did not deserve entry into this tournament. But now that they are here, they are going to be a lot to handle. As the 12 seed, it looks like Vegas has them as a favorite over the 5th seeded Utes. The bigs will battle to a standstill, but Budinger and Wise should be too much perimeter for Utah. Look for Wake Forest to get the wrong end of Jordan Hill’s healthy ankle and AZ’s zone D in round two as well. And yes I know it is hypocritical to make these big conference boys a Cinderella right after I said they didn’t deserve to be here, but hey, match-ups are match-ups.
Sleeper: Like I said, this region makes me want to put pencils in my eyes, but someone has to be a sleeper. Let’s take West Virginia. Why? Because Bob Huggins is a big game coach. Da’Sean Butler is a big game player (can you say 43 points versus Nova???). And Kansas in round 2 (if they get past ND St.) is big game.
Midwest Region Randomness: While Morehead State is the underdog of all underdogs in this tournament, I have to root against them. Their most famous alum is a man that has plagued me over the course of two decades. A long long time ago, in 1992, Billy Ray Cyrus released what might be the worst song of my life, Achy Breaky Heart. Since then, Mr. Cyrus has gone on to act in some of the most annoying TV shows of my life (The Nanny, Dancing With The Stars and Hannah Montana). And of course, he spawned Miley Cyrus, who is sure to annoy for decades to come. Screw you Morehead!
Favorites: The Ville is good and they will breeze through. I won’t bother much text on them. They will make the Sweet 16. Michigan State is also solid, solid, solid and had a great season. Plus, they don’t have much of a challenge until the round of 16. But now we get to the fun. Many say Kansas is the most likely of the tourney’s top 12 seeds to go out in the first round. Kansas is young, went out early to Baylor in the Big 12 tourney, and ND St. is hungry. I don’t necessarily see it, but WV won’t be a cakewalk in the second round either. And for Wake, 4 seeds across the board this year are vulnerable (save Gonzaga), and Wake is no exception. If Teague struggles like he has for a month, watch out.
Region MVP: Sherron Collins. Like he did in back-to-back wins against Oklahoma and Missouri recently, Mr. Collins is bringing showtime. If you think he misses super-trio Chalmers, Arthur and Rush, think again. Collins has nearly doubled his point and assist production and will lead his team to the Sweet 16.
TastyBooze Midwest Region: The Ville, Michigan State, Kansas, Arizona.
