I won the first March Madness pool that I ever participated in. It was my freshman year in high school and I rode Michigan State and the Flintstones to $65. My brother was the bookie, and thus, some tried to taint my hard-earned victory by saying we cheated. We didn't. I won.
The lesson? I had an inflated ego when it came to picking brackets from an early age. After that first win, I took it upon myself to create a pool for the rest of high school to try to win some dollar bills by applying my magic each March.
It hasn't worked since. But that doesn't mean I'm not trying. And since I'm as sure as ever that my picks will win this year, I have decided to let you, the reader, in on some of that action. Now, I can't guarantee you'll win your pool if you follow these picks. But I did win back in 2000.
On to the picks: We'll start in the Atlanta region, which some "experts" are claiming is the toughest division. I have never put much value on what the "experts" claim, and I'm not starting this year. Duke will beat UNCW in the second round, as George Washington realizes you can't play cupcakes all year long and expect to win in the NCAA. Syracuse will advance to the Sweet Sixteen as they continue their roll, beating Texas A&M and LSU. On the south side of the bracket, I'm tempted to take the Salukis of Southern Illinois in the first round, but I think better of it, and go with Kevin Pittsnogle and the Mountaineers to make it to the Sweet Sixteen, beating Iowa in the second round. Texas will be their opponent, as they knock off Penn and Cal in the first weekend. Forging on, Duke will end Gerry Mac's career as an Orangeman and Texas will knock off West Virginia. In a classic 1-2 game in Atlanta, Duke will advance to the Final Four.
First region down, three to go. I played that one pretty safe, as I tend to think people overreach early when looking for upsets. Moving on to the Oakland region, Memphis will roll into the Sweet Sixteen after disposing of Bucknell in the second round. Continuing my belief that the 5-12 upset special will be overrated this year, I've got Pitt taking on Kansas in the second round. In a matchup of two very athletic teams, Kansas will use its trio of talented freshmen to beat Pitt and advance. In my first upset worth mentioning, I'm taking San Diego State over Indiana as an 11-seed. With lame duck coach Mike Davis, I don't see IU doing much to control sharp-shooting San Diego State. Gonzaga will beat Xavier to face SDSU, and promptly end the Aztec's Cinderella push. Marquette will beat two-seed UCLA to make the Sweet Sixteen, as my East Coast bias kicks into full gear.
In a game I wrestled over for a good bit, I've got Memphis and Darius Washington beating Kansas. The Tigers will face Adam Morrison's miserable mustache in the Elite Eight, and as I believe very much in the power of a single player to elevate his team in the NCAA Tournament, I've got the 'Zags in the Final Four.
In the Washington, D.C. region, I've got my biggest upset. First, I'm going to go with my only 5-12 upset, and take Utah State over Washington. However, the Aggies will lose to Illinois in the second round. And the Illini will not get past UConn in the Sweet Sixteen after the Huskies beat UAB. Now, for my biggie: I'll take 15-seed Winthrop over 2-seed Tennessee in the first round and then have them beat 10-seed Seton Hall to make the Sweet Sixteen. A 15-seed hasn't won in five years, but Winthrop is from the greater Charlotte area -- I'm feelin' it. However, after disposing of Michigan State, UNC will end Winthrop's season as the young Tar Heels advance to the Elite Eight to take on UConn. In a hard-fought ACC-Big East clash, I'm going to be a homer and take UNC.
Finally, in the Minneapolis region, I continue my hate on the two-seeds, and I'll put Georgetown in the Sweet Sixteen over Ohio State. They'll face Florida, who will have beaten UW-Milwaukee in the second round. In the top side of the region, Villanova will breeze by Wisconsin to face Boston College in the Sweet Sixteen. And if it was any other one-seed, I'd probably take BC, but I've got Villanova going places. Villanova will face Florida in the Elite Eight, and advance to the Final Four.
That makes a Final Four of Duke vs. Gonzaga and North Carolina vs. Villanova. On April 3, give me a Villanova-Duke final, in which the Wildcats and their four-guard lineup will shut down J.J. Redick and the Blue Devils.
Lassies and lads, your 2006 national champion, the Villanova Wildcats. Of course, I could be wrong. But remember: I won one of these things when I was fifteen.
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