Final Four picks!!!

Four will become two

The 2012 NCAA season has reached the Final Four in New Orleans with Louisville battling Kentucky for the right to represent their state in the Championship game and Kansas squaring off against Ohio State for the other berth.


My bracket was busted long ago and none of my picks for the Final Four made it through after North Carolina and Baylor were beaten last weekend. Oh well, there’s always time to start working on my 2012-2013 predictions!! 


Now on to this weekend’s predictions, may as well try to end on a positive note!!


Louisville vs. Kentucky


This one is bigger than the normal bragging rights tilt which Kentucky won 69-62 on New Year’s Eve.


Form is out of the window for this one, though conventional wisdom says Kentucky should win but Louisville is looking UConn-ish this season.


I have predicted their demise a few times this season so now I will probably put a curse on them by giving the nod to the Wildcats.


Kentucky by 9


Ohio State vs. Kansas


This one is another rematch with Ohio State hoping to reverse a 78-67 loss at Kansas in early December. After losing to Michigan State in the Big 10 title game the Buckeyes have picked themselves up and powered through the tourney. 


The story is the same for Kansas who have advanced after losing to Baylor in the Big 12 title affair.


This time around, the game will be closer and I will have to give the slight edge to Ohio State on a neutral court.


Ohio State by 4


I will have a quick look at the NCAA Women’s Final Four tomorrow along with preparing my pick for Monday night’s championship game.

Elite Eight picks...

Final Four spots available!!

I had a decent day, prediction wise yesterday with only NC State not getting through from my picks. Oh well…today I will give my picks for all four regional championship games.

Here we go:

West Region:

Florida (7) vs. Louisville (4)
Louisville is healthy and the Cardinals have shown it in this UConn like run through the Big East tourney and the NCAA field thus far. This matchup is also a teacher versus pupil game with Rick Pitino facing off against his former player Billy Donovan. 


I will give an edge to “teacher” in this one…Louisville by 8.

East Region:


Ohio State (2) vs. Syracuse (1)
This region went to form in the end with a 1 vs. 2 for the ticket to NOLA. But Syracuse may have survived as long as they can without being exposed. Ohio State has been brutal inside and has gotten good results from beyond the arc.


Ohio State by 3 in a close one…

South Region:


Baylor (3) vs. Kentucky (1)

Hmm….I will predict the end of the line for Kentucky here. 


Baylor by 5.


Midwest Region:

Kansas (2) vs. North Carolina (1)

Carolina is hurting … Kansas has overachieved…Roy Williams vs. former school … this one has a bit of everything…not to mention a few “Duke” fans I know who would love to shut me up if Carolina loses!! Well, in spite of it all. Look for the ‘Heels to roll on. 


Carolina by 7.

Back later in the week with my Final Four picks….remember I predicted Carolina over Baylor for the title!!!

Fridays Sweet 16 picks....

Sweet 16 Day 2

(Gotta be better)

Oh well….none of my picks from yesterday won so I will have to soldier on for Friday’s games….with the East and the West regionals down…we move now to the South and Midwest.


South Region:


Xavier (10) vs. Baylor (3)
Baylor should win this one but will need consistency…Baylor by 10
Indiana (4) vs. Kentucky (1)
Kentucky gets revenge by 3


Midwest Region:


Ohio (13) vs. North Carolina (1)
North Carolina by 11
NC State (11) vs. Kansas (2)
Upset here…NC State by 6


Today’s picks have to be better!! LOL!!!

Sweet 16 picks...

Bracket Sweetness (16)

We are down to the Sweet 16 in the men’s 2012 NCAA tournament with the West and East Regions in action Thursday night (Friday morning Aussie time).

East Region:

Wisconsin (4) vs. Syracuse (1)

So far…the Orangemen have survived but the end is here….Wisconsin by 6.

Cincinnati (6) vs. Ohio State (2)

Two of the four Ohio teams meet for a spot in the regional final…Cincy in an upset…by 7

West Region:

Louisville (4) vs. Michigan State (1)

Mich. St.by 9

Florida (7) vs. Marquette (3)

Marquette by 10

Back tomorrow with Friday's picks....

Sunday's NCAA predictions...

Final Sweet 16 spots up for grabs….

After going 5-3 on a Saturday where all of the favourites had wins, I am looking forward to a few of the matchups on Sunday. Will chaos ensue again?? Hmm…let’s pick ‘em!!

Midwest Region:

N.C. State (11) vs. Georgetown (3)

The Wolfpack should have been seeded higher and will get a win on Sunday by 7

Ohio (13) vs. South Florida (12)

One of these lower seeds will get into the Sweet 16….Ohio should roll on by 9

Creighton (8) vs. North Carolina (1)

Will be a good test for UNC who should win by 11

Purdue (10) vs. Kansas (2)

Kansas gets by ….by say 10 points

West Region:

St. Louis (9) vs. Michigan State (1)

Mich. State by 4

Norfolk State (15) vs. Florida (7)

Upset number 2 for Norfolk State?? Yep….Norfolk State by 3

South Region:

Lehigh (15) vs. Xavier, OH (10)

Xavier by 7

East Region:

Cincinnati (6) vs. Florida State (3)

Florida State by 3

See you later in the week when the Sweet 16 games kick off!!

Here we go....Saturday's picks...

After a day of surprises….we have 32!!

Friday was definitely “freaky” for some of the higher seeded teams in this season’s NCAA Tournament. Overall I had a relatively good 10-6 picking record that saw San Diego State, Missouri, Memphis, Duke, Michigan, St. Mary’s, Temple and Notre Dame lose to lower seeded teams.

I’m back for more so here we go with Saturday’s picks:

East Region:

Kansas State (8) vs. Syracuse (1)

Syracuse may survive one more round before crashing…they beat K-State by 7

Gonzaga (7) vs. Ohio State (2)

Ohio State by 5

Vanderbilt (5) vs. Wisconsin (4)

Vandy by 4

West Region:

Murray State (5) vs. Marquette (4)

Marquette by 8

New Mexico (5) vs. Louisville (4)

New Mexico by 2

South Region:

VCU (12) vs. Indiana (4)

Why not…VCU by 8

Iowa State (8) vs. Kentucky (1)

Not yet Kentucky but soon…Kentucky by 12

Colorado (11) vs. Baylor (3)

Baylor by 14

Ok…see you tomorrow!!

NCAA Friday games....

Round of 64…Day 2

Now the action is heavy with the full field of the 2012 NCAA Basketball tournament seeing action. After Thursday’s games I had a 12-4 record…putting me at 12-8 overall factoring in the First Four games.

Friday sees a few heavyweights in action and I am looking for a better record as my ACC teams see action.

East Region:

Texas (11) vs. Cincinnati (6)

Cincy by 5

St. Bonaventure (14) vs. Florida State (3)

FSU by 9

Midwest Region:

NC State (11) vs. San Diego State (6)

Not a big upset but NC State by 7

Alabama (9) vs. Creighton (8)

‘Bama by 4

Belmont (14) vs. Georgetown (3)

Georgetown by 12

Vermont vs. North Carolina (1)

Carolina by 21

Ohio (13) vs. Michigan (4)

Upset alert!! Ohio by 6

Purdue (10) vs. St. Mary’s (7)

St. Mary’s by 8

South Florida (12) vs. Temple (5)

Temple by 13

Detroit (15) vs. Kansas (2)

Kansas by 17

West Region:

Norfolk State (15) vs. Missouri (2)

Missouri by 15

Virginia (10) vs. Florida (7)

Mild upset…UVa by 3

St. Louis (9) vs. Memphis (8)

St. Louis by 1

LIU-Brooklyn (16) vs. Michigan State (1)

Mich. St. by 24

South Region:

Lehigh (15) vs. Duke (2)

Duke by 17

Xavier (10) vs. Notre Dame (7)

Xavier by 5

Back with more after tomorrow’s games….

NCAA dill bracket tips off!!!

NCAA 2012 Regional Games begin!!!

The 2012 NCAA tournament kicks off with regional action from the East, South and West regionals on Thursday (Friday morning Aussie time).

So far I am glad I don’t get paid per correct pick as I went 0fer in the First Four play in games!! Hopefully my luck will change now that the main bracket is set….you can see my picks for my Yahoo bracket here or my ESPN one here. They vary slightly due to the current situation with the Syracuse team. In one I have Vanderbilt joining Baylor, North Carolina and Marquette in the Final Four with Carolina beating Baylor for the title. In the other I have Florida State instead of Vandy but the same result for the final.

Ok…let’s jump in and pick ‘em!!

Thursday’s Games

West Region:

Weirdly the early games are from the West regional in Louisville Kentucky.

Colorado State (11) vs. Murray State (6)

Murray State by 12

Davidson (13) vs. Louisville (4)

First upset!! Davidson by 7

BYU (14) vs. Marquette (3)

BYU played in to get bounced out by 14

Long Beach State (12) vs. New Mexico (5)

New Mexico by 4

East Region:

Southern Miss (9) vs. Kansas State (8)

Kansas State by 3

Montana (13) vs. Wisconsin (4)

Wisconsin by 16

UNC-Asheville (16) vs. Syracuse (1)

Syracuse by 17

Harvard (12) vs. Vanderbilt (5)

Vandy by 11

West Virginia (10) vs. Gonzaga (7)

Gonzaga by 3

Loyola, MD (15) vs. Ohio State (2)

Ohio State by 22

South Region:

W. Kentucky (16) vs. Kentucky (1)

Kentucky by 30

VCU (12) vs. Wichita State (5)

VCU pulls the their firs upset this year by 6

South Dakota State (14) vs. Baylor (3)

Baylor by 22

UConn (9) vs. Iowa State (8)

UConn by 9

New Mexico State (13) vs. Indiana (4)

New Mexico State by 3 in a minor upset

Colorado (11) vs. UNLV (6)

UNLV by 10

Ok…I’m 0-4 so far….back with more tomorrow….