Let the Madness Begin

So the seeds are set. I don't want to think about who will actually win right now. The first thing I always do is look for intriguing match-ups and through-lines for local teams each tournament. The "Wouldn't it be great if they played against", the "wouldn't it really suck if they had to play", and the "boy that would be a funny game" scenarios always pop into my head.

UK

The Wildcats get the #1 seed. The most obvious thing here is that the Cats get to play in Louisville. In the first play-in game, Mississippi Valley State takes on Western Kentucky. So obviously the Bluegrass state would be aflame if UK plays WKU in Louisville. In the round of 32, they could have a rematch from last year's Final Four with Connecticut. The Cats could also see a rematch with Indiana in the Sweet 16.

XU

Many Queen City allegiances will be tested for Xavier's first round game. Lots of folks in town not only root for either the Musketeers or the Bearcats, but often there is a strong Fighting Irish contingent here. Xavier fans will obviously swing to the Blue. But will the UC fans back the Muskies or the Notre Dame? Or simply the team that will help their bracket the most? Obviously a Blue on Blue match-up in the Elite Eight is a little far-fetched, but I suppose not totally out of the question. The 4 A-10 teams were each sent to a different region, so there's no possible match-up there til the Final Four or Championship.

UC

First, the Cats get to play in Nashville, which has been good to Cincinnati teams in post-season play this year. Should the Bearcats get past the Longhorns, they could have a shot at St. Bonaventure, who beat Xavier for the A-10 championship...although highly unlikely. What could be more likely would be a Sweet 16 match-up with big brother up north, Ohio State, or possibly old Big East foe, West Virginia. Looming in the distance, as an Elite Eight match-up could be the last team UC beat, Syracuse, or the same team the football team in the Liberty Bowl, Vanderbilt.

OSU

The Buckeyes in Pittsburgh will mean a big following. However, in the round of 32, they could lose any home-court advantage they may have in the first game, as West Virginia will most likely play them. The Cincinnati match-up in the Sweet 16 is still waiting there. Also in the Elite Eight, OSU could meet up with the Wisconsin team they split the regular-season series with.

Also things to note:

UNC and Duke are as far away from each other as possible.
Michigan State is as far away from either Ohio State or Michigan as it can be.
There are 2 Big East teams in the South, 3 in the East, 2 in the West, and 1, but potentially 2(South Florida in a play-in game) in the Midwest.
Norfolk State and South Dakota State are making their first tournament appearances.
Harvard, the country's oldest college, is making it's second appearance. Their first was in 1946.


Today's Twitter Profile is: @CraigBuschleJr

As the name suggests, that's my pal Craig Buschle. He's been one of my oldest friends. We went to elementary and high school together. We took a majority of the same classes together for the better part of 12 years. We spent as much time, from the ages of 6 to 15, at each other's houses as we did our own.

He's also one of the toughest SOBs I know. I've never broken a bone. He's busted several. I get seasonal allergies. He's spent half his life at either an allergist or an emergency room for his nasal issues. He's had more sinus infections than I can count. I once saw him tear his leg open on a chain-link fence to the point where I could see nerves. And worst of all, a few years ago, he found out he had testicular cancer. But he fought it off, and has been in remission. And through all the chemo, the bald heads, and countless doctor visits, the guy kept it positive. He smiled that bitch-ass cancer away.

So if you're looking for an off-the-wall guy who talks about the Walking Dead, Mario Kart, sports (especially the Reds, Bearcats, and UNC), and having a good time, give him a follow. He also recently got a job doing what he wants to do with his meteorology degree, so if you like weather stuff, he knows all about that stuff too.