March Madness

Tomorrow starts the first games of the NCAA Tournament which ends on Monday April 2nd in Atlanta. There is no doubt in my mind that the winners of the tournament will be THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES. Of course you are probably thinking that I'm picking them because they are my favorite team, well that is true but I do have some facts to back me up.

• 8 Head Coaches have won the Championship before they turned 40. Ohio State Coach Thad Matta will turn 40 in July.


• Ohio State has a relatively easy bracket to get to the Final Four (on my brackets OSU is the only #1 seed that I have making the Final Four).


• Greg Oden (pictured below) is able to use his right hand again after he had surgery early in the year.

• Besides Oden, they have another great freshman named Mike Conley Jr. who can shoot, pass, and run the break.
• They also have guys like Jamar Butler, Ron Lewis, and Daequan Cook who were in the tournament last year when Ohio State lost, and they are looking forward to showing the country that Greg Oden is not the only player on the team.
• The most important reason why Ohio State will win is because April 2nd is the first night of Pesach and I will not be able to watch the game. When the football team played Miami for the National Title, a few years back, the game was on a Friday night, I couldn't watch the game so of course they win. This year when they played Florida the game was on a Monday night when I was able to watch and they lose. The fact is "I can't watch = winning National Championship".

Other thoughts as March Madness approaches:

• Texas F Kevin Durant reminds me of Marcus Camby. I know everyone is saying that Durant is better than Oden, and that he is the guy to build a team around, but every time I watch him play all I can think about is how they use to say the same things about Marcus Camby. He has had a nice career but Duncan has won.
• Georgetown C Roy Hibbert is another one in the long line of great Georgetown Centers, which include Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning.
• Memphis, a #2 seed, has only beaten one team in the top 25 when they beat Kentucky on November 22nd, by the score of 80 - 63.
• Tyler Hansborough of UNC is wearing a protective mask because of the shot to the face that he endured from Duke's Gerald Green. He may start getting used to playing with the mask on by the Final Four...but don't be surprised if they don't make it that far. UNC has a very tough road to the Final Four, having to get passed Michigan St. If Drew Neitzel is on then UNC will be going home. In the next round they would have to face Texas and Kevin Durant. If they can make it past them they would face Georgetown, and Roy Hibbert will overpower Hansborough.
• And finally Davidson freshman G Stephen Curry could do some damage in this tournament. His father was long time NBA sharp-shooter Dell Curry, and the apple does not fall far from the tree.

ENJOY THE GAMES!!!