The NCAA tournament starts later on today. It technically already started with the play in games, but those featured 4 16 seeds and California, so who really cares? Since I’ve been pounding out pieces all day long Wednesday and one on Tuesday, I’ve come up with reasons every team could win the tournament. Don’t believe me? Watch this.
Kentucky – Kentucky can win the tournament because they are the best team in it. I mean, have you watched them? Davis and Jones and Kidd-Gilchrist and Teague and Lamb and Miller and so on, they are all NBA players. When Kentucky is playing well, they win. When Kentucky is playing poorly, they win. They can beat anyone. And they will.
Western Kentucky – Western Kentucky does have a losing record, but they haven’t lost a game since Ken McDonald became their coach. They have rallied around him. WKU nearly beat Louisville in the YUM Center. They could catch Kentucky sleeping. If they can beat UK, Iowa State isn’t great shakes.Upsets happen and they play New Mexico State in the Sweet 16. In the Elite 8, they play Duke. America wills them to a win. Once in final 4, they beat a Louisville team that they nearly beat before. Then they win on Monday to win it all. The most improbable story ever.
Iowa State – The Cyclones could and possibly will beat UConn. They have beat Kansas and Baylor, so they could beat Kentucky. They match up well with the bottom of the bracket. Plus, Royce White is a stone cold killer. If they get to the final game and play Kansas, they know they can beat them. And they will.
Connecticut – The Huskies have the advantage of having 3 NBA players on their roster. After a long season of not playing to their potential, they could turn it on. We know they can play elite teams well. They have a point guard who isn’t afraid of the moment and a coach who has multiple rings. UConn could very well run the table again.
Wichita State – The Shockers are a very good offensive team. Once they get it rolling, they are hard to stop. All it takes is for them to knock down jumpers and they are easily in the Sweet 16. Kentucky lost to Vanderbilt, which is worse than the Shockers. They have the talent and mindset to make a run and cut down the nets.
VCU- They lost some key members off of last year’s squad, but they have a great coach and as style that catches people off guard. When the Rams can score, they are a pressure machine. A pressure machine that could break anyone.
Indiana – Even without Verdell Jones, Indiana has the pieces to make a tournament run. They have a good big man, they have great shooters and they have a coach who has been to the final four. When Indiana fans take over every neutral site, every game will be like Assembly Hall and they will win it all.
New Mexico St – The Aggies might be the 1 team that I didn’t see play this season. They won the WAC tournament, so they have to slightly good. They can take down Indiana. Once there, hope for upsets and boom. Champs. Not all of these are persuasive.
UNLV – The Runnin’ Rebs have showed off that they can run elite teams out of the gym. Remember what they did to North Carolina? If they can up the defensive effort, the Rebels could out offense everyone. Their collection of transfers like Mike Moser could lead the way to a title.
Colorado – The Buffaloes don’t play pretty basketball, but they can guard. Teams that play defense are annoying to teams that play offense. If you slow the pace down, you can beat almost anyone. Colorado is from the Pac 12, but they were in the Big 12 last season, so the stink hasn’t rubbed off on them. If you keep games close, you can beat anyone.
Baylor – Baylor has a team of hamburger All Americans and Brady Heslip. They can walk on the floor and beat anyone with just their talent. Once they realize the stakes of what they are playing for, they will band together and go on a run to the title.
South Dakota State – The thing South Dakota State has going for it is every nerd college basketball analyst’s, I’m looking at you Matt Norlander, favorite player, Nate Wolters. We saw what mid-major teams with stars can do the past few seasons. They can do it. That Mt Rushmore power will pay off.
Notre Dame – Everyone knows that Notre Dame plays a boring style of basketball. They won 9 in a row in the Big East. They break teams mentally and slash them with their 3 point shooters. Plus, luck of the Irish.
Xavier – Yes, even Xavier can win the title. Actually, no. Fuck Xavier. Lose by 50.
Duke – Duke has a couple of things in their favor. 1, they have Austin Rivers, who is really good. 2, Coach K knows what he’s doing. 3, they open in Greensboro, so there are 2 wins. 4, they get every single call when it matters.
Lehigh – Lehigh can win the title because I just heard Jim Nantz say “They are flying LeHIGH to a national championship!” in my head.
Michigan State – The Spartans can get to the Final Four pretty much when Tom Izzo fells like it. This season, he will feel like it. Then, Draymond Green will get hurt in the title game and limp around like Mateen Cleaves did in 2000 to complete the image.
LIU – WWE wrestler Zack Ryder is from Long Island. Just like this team, no one heard of him. He went on the internet and got himself over, which is what LIU did by making the dance. Once he got the spotlight, Ryder won a championship. Just like Long Island. Woo woo woo, you know it.
Memphis – Memphis has a nice collection of talent, and they are under seeded. That should give them good match ups the whole way through. They have so much talent that they can beat anyone. How confident is anyone going to feel standing across from Memphis? Not very. 8 seed champs.
St Louis – St Louis has as good a chance of going on a miracle run and winning the NCAA tournament as the Cardinals did. Oh wait, the Cardinals won the World Series.
Louisville – Rick Pitino’s team is playing some of their best ball. Pitino has been to multiple Final Fours. He can get them there this year. A dream game win in the Final Four would give the Cards all the momentum they needed to crush in the title game.
Davidson – Davidson went to the Elite 8 a few years ago. They don’t have anyone as good as Stephen Curry, but they still have a coach who knows how to win games. Many people are picking them over Louisville. If they can beat Louisville, why not New Mexico? And so on. Then Curry secretly rejoins the team, posing as a seldom used walk on. Champs.
Murray State – The Racers lost once all season. They can win 6 games in a row in their sleep. Playing in Louisville with plenty of Murray fans, and Kentucky fans rooting for Murray, will help them to the Sweet 16. Winning 4 games after that will be easy as cake.
Colorado State – My high school used the same logo as Colorado State. We won state once. Badin pride. Time for Colorado to return the Ram pride.
Marquette – The Golden Eagles have 2 great players. 2 great players can take a team anywhere. Buzz Williams knows what he’s doing, and made eye contact with me in the press conference after the game. The spirit of Scott will take him higher.
BYU – BYU is on cloud 9 after their furious comeback against Iona. They believe they can beat anyone. When you believe it, you can achieve it.
Florida – The Gators are an interesting team because they have a lot of good players, but underachieve. They have the talented for a Final Four run. They nearly beat Kentucky. They can beat anyone. And they will beat everyone.
Virginia – The Cavaliers could follow the Cleveland model of 1 great player and many role players. They have Mike Scott. He’s very good. They play a frustrating style. Throw in the Michael Scott ran the Office and Mike Scott will run the tournament analogies, boom, roasted.
Missouri – Missouri is clearly one of the better teams in the country. When you are one of the better teams in the country, and you have a lot of interchangeable parts with a funky style, you are a team that’s going to bigger and better things. The first year coach push will work for Frank Haith.
Norfolk State – Norfolk State is one of the hottest teams in the country. They beat tournament teams in the non-conference. They nearly won at Marquette. They can catch Missouri sleeping and hang with everyone else until the regional finals. When things get crazy, people will be yelling, “Norfolking way they just won the title!” Book it.
Syracuse – People are making a big deal of how Fab Melo was suspended for the tournament. Syracuse lost their first game without Melo last time. This time it’s against UNC Asheville. That won’t happen. Syracuse won the rest of their games without Melo, just like they will do here.
UNC Asheville – You just heard me say Syracuse lost their first game without Melo last time, right? It’s gonna happen here. UNC Asheville is not a bad team. They can beat a Southern Miss. They can beat a Harvard. They can beat a team in the regional final. Once in the final four, anything can happen.
Kansas State – The Wildcats have Frank Martin. He’s very scary. That’s a win right there. They match up well with Syracuse, even with Melo. They beat down Baylor twice, so they can pound on non-elite teams. There is a good chance they could avoid every elite team.
Southern Miss – The Golden Eagles have one play in their entire sports history anyone remembers. It’s a Brett Favre Hail Mary. Southern Miss is going to pull the basketball version of a Hail Mary.
Vanderbilt – Is there a team riding higher after a conference tournament win than Vandy? All they did was beat the best team in America. They can play with anyone, and they can make 3s. Plus, they have a man named Festus.
Harvard – When the Social Network came out, it dominated cinema. Harvard will do just that in basketball. Where the movie failed to win the big prize, Harvard will take the NCAA trophy and say how about them apples in it’s face.
Wisconsin – When it comes to team with boring styles, Wisconsin has been doing it longer than anyone else. Like most elite programs who keep plugging away, they will be rewarded with a title. Then Bucky the Badger and Bo Ryan will hug, giving us an image that will live forever.
Montana – Montana will use the magic of another Montana, Joe, to power it’s way to a title. Montana sounds like they wouldn’t be good in basketball. That’s where they get ya.
Cincinnati – It’s the Bearcats. This is Bearcats Blog. Champs, bitch.
Texas – Once Texas somehow beats UC, the team of freshmen will go on a 2003 Syracuse type run straight to New Orleans. It will be the one time where Texas basketball gets talked about nearly as much as Texas football. Texas forever.
Florida State – The Seminoles play great defense. They can win many slow down, drag out affairs. They also have the ability to get the ball to guys who can score. Ian Miller is pretty good. Michael Snaer will make any 3 from the right wing if the game is close. Keys to a title.
St Bonaventure – Andrew Nicholson will be the Bonnie version of Anthony Davis and carry the team to the promised land. Teams will look at the jerseys that say Bona on them and get pissed off because they are stupid. That and the brown uniforms. They will ugly their way to success. In brown.
Gonzaga – One of these years Mark Few has to actually win games in March, yes? This year.
West Virginia – The Mountaineers have already gone to a Final Four under Bob Huggins. On the back of their last year as a member of the Big East, they will do the league proud and bring home a trophy.
Ohio State – The Buckeyes were regarded as one of the best teams in America until a recent fade. They just have to get the ball to Jared Sullinger and William Buford and let the wins roll in. I think Aaron Craft will have a big tournament. Plus, they don’t have a ridiculously tough sweet 16 game, unlike last year.
Loyola – Loyola went 24-8 this season. There is a case to be made that they were seeded a bit too low. They have the talent to upset Ohio State. Bob Huggins and Mark Few both have a history of disappointing first weekends. When they make the title game, all the things they did wrong against Kentucky the first time, they will do right the second.
North Carolina – The top team from the preseason will simply do what it’s been ordained to do, win the title. This one was easy.
Vermont – The Catamounts already won a game in the tournament. They have upset history in their past. All it takes is for the bottom of the bracket to fall apart, and boom, final four. A little Sorrentine part 2 action against Syracuse in the final four would get them into the title game, where they would win by 7.
Creighton – Creighton is an underrated 8 seed with a very good player. We saw Butler make this run last year. Creighton has the father/son combo people love. Great story for fans and journalists alike.
Alabama – They just won it in football. There are championships in the water down there.
Temple – Temple beat Duke earlier this season. They can beat North Carolina in the Sweet 16. They certainly can make shots to beat anyone in the bottom of the bracket. They are a legit dangerous team to make a run.
South Florida – We saw first hand that the Bulls hate the game of basketball. They will continue doing it a disservice just to piss off America. Well played, Stan Heath.
Michigan – Michigan plays kind of a funky style and they have a lot of guys who can shoot. I like the offense that they run. Unlike past years, they have a very talented point guard in Trey Burke. Tim Hardaway Junior will take after his father. Hail to the victors, indeed.
Ohio – The Bobcats knocked off Georgetown a few years ago in the tournament. They can certain catch Michigan. They played at Louisville very well. They have guys who can make shots. They could be a team from Ohio to be proud of if Cincinnati doesn’t win the title.
San Diego State – The Aztecs have very good guard play. Guards can take you a long way in March. They are coming off a disappointing loss to New Mexico in the MWC tournament, which will only fuel their fire for a title.
NC State – The Wolfpack already had 1 miracle run in the NCAA tournament. Lighting will strike twice. It will also strike twice when Karl Hess works the final four as an usher and kicks Tom Gugliotta out.
Georgetown – The Hoyas can beat anyone in the nation when they are hitting shots. They play much better defense than Hoya teams of the past. The Hoyas have the talent, they have the offense and they have the defense for a long run.
Belmont – The Bruins are a team that may be seeded a spot or two too low. They nearly beat Duke. They played Memphis tough when Memphis was playing it’s best. They have lost 1 time in 2012. Belmont has the horses to make a run.
St Mary’s – St Mary’s is a very solid team. They won the WCC tournament and regular season. They know how to win games. They get matched up with teams that they could beat early. All they need to make a run is an upset or two. There will be more than an upset or two.
Purdue – Everyone likes Robbie Hummel. It’s his last season. In the vain of Jerome Bettis, Michael Strahan and countless others, Robbie will go out with an improbable title.
Kansas – Kansas has arguably the best player in the nation in Thomas Robinson. He has a second banana in Tyshawn Taylor. Jeff Withey is white. That trio can carry a team, especially one that plays this good of defense, to a title.
Detroit – Anyone else remember when they were called Detroit Mercy? Just me? Am I that old? Detroit has more McDonald’s All Americans than Kansas. Sure it’s 1-0, but the Horizon league gets teams into the final game. Period.
You didn’t think it was possible, but there is the case for every team to win the title. It’s why March is the best month.
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