We all go a little mad sometimes...

Well its Selection Sunday, my favorite sports selection show, narrowly beating out Diorama-rama and the NFL Draft (also known as can the Cleveland Browns figure out the difference between their ass and a hole in the ground?). Despite the 64 team format there is inevitably controversy over the "bubble teams". Frankly I wish the Mid-Majors didn't have tournaments and merely sent the best team. 1) They would be more likely to win a game in the tournament and 2) This format often blocks more deserving bubble teams. On the other hand any kind of controversy should deflect my attention from Congress and Baseball steriods (why exactly aren't GMs, agents, owners, trainers, union leaders, journalist being called to testify? Oh, merely having a show trial for athletes keeps it from being McCarthy style witch hunts. Yeah keep repeating that to yourself.

So while typically I'd throw in my 10 cents (given the price of gas 2 cents sure doesn't go as far as it used to) about who is going to win. However that might help people and my contract with Back Seat Drivers specifically forbids any kind of help. Hence I'll just outline some strengths and weaknesses of the top teams.

Before I do that, I just wanted to highlight the best and worse of the Conference Tournaments. The best part was when Marrisa Miller did a strip tease for me to alleviate the pain of Duke winning the ACC. The worse part was when Darius Washington, freshman for Memphis, missed two consecutive free throws to give Louisville the 74-73 win. Now I really can't imagine a more pressure filled situation than shooting free throws AFTER time has expired and my heart just broke when I saw that poor kid crumple to the floor after he missed. I hadn't seen a man cry like that in public since Hart found out Toys R US was out of "my little pony".

Anyway onto the main event...
The Contenders
1) Illinois - Big 10 Champs and except for a trip to the Buckeye Nut House, undefeated. They've had big wins over major teams (read Wake Forrest), great guard play and probably the best 3 point shooting team of the true contenders. However as OSU showed, if the team gets cold or if the opposing team can dominate the offensive boards, Illinois turns quickly into a paper tiger.

2) UNC - The regular season ACC champ and since the ACC has the most number of true contenders of ANY conference that deserves some dap. They're probably the deepest team in the tournament with well balanced scoring, high octane offense and big enough to have their way in the paint. However the team goes through droughts because of a lack of outside shooting, compounded by Rashad McCants recent stomach ailments (he saw the recent Vin Diesel movie)

3) Wake Forrest - Probably has the best player in the country in Chris "Nut Puncher" Paul. They have size, speed, strength and a shaman that can put curses on the opposing team. However relying on one player is a risky business. Without Paul this team doesn't have the balance to go deep (witness their thrashing at the hands of NC State when they were without Paul)

4) Duke - The Dookies as always are locked and loaded for a potential Final 4 run after winning the ACC tournament. JJ Reddick can hit a three pointer from the Men's Room of Tokyo's International Airport. Coach K still has his Jedi Mind powers (These are not the fouls you are looking for). However Duke only has 3 players on their entire team. If you ever see more than 3 players for Duke, remember its all CGI effects. Impressive, no?

5) Kansas - This team has been a bigger mystery than why is Kevin Costner still in show business. They've been consistently inconsistent. When they are on, they can go into Kentucky, make fun of the hill billies and come away with a win. When they are off, the Young Jewish Professionals of Columbus can beat them. Part of the inconsistentcy is that they've been injury plagued. Now its looking like for the first time since the start of the year they will be healthy but...

6) Kentucky - Good team defense (opponents averaging only about 40 points) but frankly I couldn't identify anyone on that team if you paid me. Their slip up against Florida and the weakness of the SEC points out they might not have the offensive firepower to hit the Final 4.

7) UConn/GTech - Last Year's Championship Game. Both have had a rocky a start but have come on as of late. UConn does it with their big men (Boone and Caveman Lawyer (i.e. Villeuneva) and GTech does it with their small men (Jack and Elders) but both are dangerous (UConn more so but only because they carry guns)

8) Other Teams that you have probably never seen play (Arizona, Washington, Louisville, Harlem, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Polytechnic Center for Orthopedic Medicine, Syracuse) - Do your own research!

Viva La Madness!