Article:BAM! Bracket Thoughts!

And I am back with some more bracket thoughts. Due to personal obligations (band practice, homework, spring break) I was not able to post my thoughts about the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds in a timely fashion, so I will give them to you now.

Pregame


 * Candace Parker  put on one of the gutsiest performances I have seen against Texas A&M. That just had to hurt.
 * The Sweet Sixteen had three double-digit seeded teams. Props to these small schools for their performance.

Charlotte Region


 * Tyler Hansbrough continued his phenomenal postseason play in wins over Washington State and Louisville. I don't watch a lot of college basketball, and I really hope I do not get scorned for his, but he may be the best college basketball player I have seen this decade/century/millennium.
 * Louisville beat Tennessee to help my bracket out. I always feel Tennessee is a bit overrated. I do not know what it is, but they always seem overrated to me in (men's) basketball and football.
 * The last minute of the Louisville-North Carolina game was so painful. The game is over. Please stop fouling. You are not going to get back into it. Thanks.
 * The higher seed won every game of the Charlotte Region except for No. 9 Arkansas over No. 8 Indiana and No. 3 Louisville over No. 2 Tennessee.

Detroit Region


 * I was not digging the raised court deal in Detroit. It just seemed way too dangerous for my liking.
 * Kansas is in the Final Four after beating Davidson. I do not think a lot of people would expect to write that sentence this year.
 * I have not read anything about this, but should Stephen Curry have taken the last shot of Davidson's 59-57 loss to Kansas? I personally think that Davidson could have tried to get him open better, but then again Kansas was playing tenacious defense.
 * I have had four scenarios running through my head regarding the last bullet:
 * Curry takes the last shot, sinks it, and Davidson wins. Curry is regarded as a clutch hero.
 * Curry takes the shot, but misses it. He is regarded as a valiant hero going down.
 * Curry passes the shot to a teammate who sinks the winning basket. Curry is applauded as being unselfish.
 * Curry passes the shot to a teammate who misses. Curry is regarded as trying to be too unselfish (see: James, LeBron ; 2007 NBA Playoffs).
 * I have not heard anyone utter any of the above phrases, but they are in my mind, so I figured I would write them down.
 * Wisconsin was really a silent team this year, even in losing to Davidson. They are perennial homegrown contenders. I would not count them out next year.
 * Villanova was great in getting to the Sweet Sixteen. Even though I had Clemson in it instead of them.

Houston Region


 * Memphis ended Michigan State's Drew Neitzel 's career. I enjoyed watching Neitzel throughout his entire career. Bravo.
 * Even though they beat Stanford, Texas just looked absolutely horrendous against Memphis. Horrendous.
 * Memphis has a definite shot at beating UCLA. Just as long as Joey Dorsey can stay out of foul trouble.
 * The higher seed won only one game in the Houston Region, No. 5 Michigan State over No. 4 Pittsburgh.

Phoenix Region


 * This was probably the weakest bracket in the entire tournament.
 * UCLA was not thoroughly challenged, although I was hoping Xavier would give them a run for their money.
 * Western Kentucky, San Diego, and West Virginia get major props from this bracket.
 * The lower seed won four games in this bracket.

Overtime


 * I find it fascinating that Memphis point guard Derrick Rose has a phobia of needles.
 * Also, Memphis backup point guard Andre Allen  was suspended for violating team rules. I wanted to see him play one more time and marvel at his short length.
 * I finally get what people mean when they say they are glad the four No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four. The first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament are great to watch young teams no one has ever heard of win a few games and screw up your bracket. But once you get to the Final Four, you want to see good basketball. That's why you want to see the top four seeds make it in.

Peace.