Just 40 Minutes

40 minutes. That's all they have to play out their dreams. Just 40 minutes.

The montages shown as CBS returns from commercials bring us back to the afternoons, nights, weekends and work nights we spent at friends' houses, bars, restaurants, computers, living rooms, offices, dorm rooms, bedrooms and hotels watching these games.

The highlights remind us why we watch, showing Bryce Drew hit a shot he dreamt of taking since his childhood, Texas Western start five black players and win a national title while the world around them allowed racism and hate to rule their ways of life, Christian Laettner and his turnaround jumper to start a Duke dynasty or Ty Edney running the length of the court in five seconds to devastate Missouri on the way to UCLA's eleventh title.

As tears well up in my eyes-- tears of joy and sheer love of the game-- I hear the voice of Gus Johnson call the 2005 shocking upset of Kansas by Bucknell:

"Simien...No! No! He missed it! Bucknell wins! Bucknell wins!"

I see the teardrops of delight-- pure, unequivocal delight-- stream down Thomas Hill's face as time runs out and his Duke Blue Devils take a title.

I see the eyes of elation, euphoria, ecstasy, enjoyment, exhilaration and excitement.

18-year-olds, 19-year-olds, some players even in their mid-20s, all reaching the highest of all highs, the goal of all goals while never knowing quite what to do.

I see Jimmy Valvano sprinting around the court after his North Carolina State Wolfpack shocked the ranks of college basketball, the nation, the world, the critics and even their supporters. I see unparalleled joy in his eyes.

In a world filled with anger, barbarism, death, divorce, fighting, grief, hatred, murder, racism, rape, robbery, resentment, road rage, sexism, suicide, terrorism and war, we find ourselves searching. Searching for an escape, a chance to let go and let other people create history. Amidst the pain that consumes everyday life, we find one month. One month in our world that takes all that pressure, all that chaos, all that confusion and produces the greatest competition in sports.

We tune in on Selection Sunday to see a bracket we will look at for the three weeks immediately following its release. Look at it, memorize it, compare it, contrast it, tear it up, frame it, black ink for the predictions, blue ink for the right ones, red ink for the wrong ones, the bracket consumes our thoughts and minds.

Some might call that an obsession, an unhealthy love of something that ultimately has no real effect on our lives.

But it is something.

It is something that gives us that escape, that break from the woes of the world. We watch basketball from noon to midnight, Thursday through Sunday, constantly checking our bracket predictions with the hope that maybe, just maybe, we can win that office pool and the bragging rights that come with that victory.

We find our eyes glued to 10 student athletes, fighting for the right to stay alive in the proverbial battle to recognize their biggest dream. Wedding receptions seem empty on first glimpse, only to find hordes of basketball fans-- men and women, children and grandparents, mothers and fathers-- all swarming the closest television.

All they have is 40 minutes. 40 minutes to make a mark on our lives, change our memories, shape our future or simply ruin our ride home.

Like the young boy named Bryce Drew dreaming about taking that last second, game-winning shot outside his house in Valparaiso, Ind., we all dream of heroics and fame. Where else can a young man with nothing but his dreams and aspirations driving him find his place in history?

It’s everything we need as people to get through the troubling times. It's watching a 20-year-old kid and that's what they are-- kids-- live out his dream of playing just 40 minutes on that floor. It's watching people make history, break records, forge the future or even challenge the norms of society.

It's March Madness, and I'm so glad it's here.

Weekly Picks...A shortened edition

Hello all. Welcome to my shortened edition of picks. As we all know, this is the last week of college basketball's regular season. I am excited for the week of conference tournaments where teams like Stetson shock Florida Atlantic, Drake wins the MVC or South Florida beats UConn.

Anyway, enough emotional babble. Let's see some picks, right?! C'mon guys! Let's go!

Wednesday--March 1

DUKE at Florida State-- In Durham, Duke beat FSU by one point. One! Duke is still rolling, though. They will win this one by a few. Call it Duke by three.

Colorado at KANSAS-- Kansas will gain some momentum heading into the Big 12 tournament with a big home win. Colorado will need to win a game in the conference tournament to solidify a spot in the tourney. Kansas by four.

Kentucky at TENNESSEE-- Tennessee is a better team. Kentucky has seen an improvement lately in their style of play, but it still has major flaws. Tennessee is home, so I'll take the Vols by six.

Thursday-- March 2

Wisconsin at MICHIGAN STATE-- It's so hard to win on the road in the Big 10. Michigan State is more talented, but they are a team I've tagged as a potential tournament bust. State by eight.

MEMPHIS at UAB-- Memphis will be able to keep running with UAB. I like this matchup, as UAB is the only real challenge to Memphis in the Conference USA. Memphis by three.

UCLA at Cal-- UCLA is the best team in the Pac-10. Cal will put up a good fight, but the Bruins are the superior pack of bears. UCLA by five.

Friday--March 3

Seton Hall at PITT-- It's Carl Krauser's senior night. Hopefully he doesn't pull another 3-for-16 shooting night. Pitt by eight.

Saturday--March 4

ILLINOIS at Michigan State-- Illinois is so good. Michigan State just gives me the willies. Illinois wins by three.

West Virginia at CINCINNATI-- West Virginia seems like they are vulnerable. Cincinnati needs this win a lot more. 'Nati by three.

Wisconsin at IOWA-- Wisconsin might be playing themselves out of the tournament if my predictions are accurate. This is another really tough road game for the Badgers, so maybe the Committee will see the difficulty in their games and give them a break. Iowa by four.

UNC at DUKE-- Duke will win this game on every screen ESPN shows it. Duke is a better team this year, but UNC is hitting its stride with their youngsters. Next year, Duke won't have it so easy. Expect a good one. Duke by two.

Friday--March 5

Florida at KENTUCKY-- Florida is garbage. They're 5-5 in their last 10. Kentucky needs it more. Kentucky by six.

OKLAHOMA at Texas-- It's the Bruce Greer Birthday Upset Special. Yes, March 5 is my dad's birthday. Yes, I am picking Oklahoma over Texas. By how many? Say, three.


Well that will do it until conference tournaments. I will come up with some awards for a post later in the week, I promise.

Winners: 98-50
Spread: 68-80

George Steinbrenner? Ha!

Just some thoughts in the absence of too many weekly picks:

-It's a good thing Steinbrenner is so confident in his Yankees to win the World Series. With that rotation, I don't know if he should be confident they can even win the division. Wait until July to see who is still starting for the Yanks. If Aaron Small, Chien-mien Wang and Shawn Chacon pitch well, then all the power to 'em. Let's see if they can duplicate last year's miraculous second half. Plus, Randy Johnson isn't getting any younger.

-The Red Sox will not win 90 games this year. I'm sorry. Curt Schilling throws more meatballs than Emeril Legazzi after his show got canceled. Mike Lowell will hit a nice .230 and Josh Beckett will enjoy his first, second and third rehab stints in Pawtucket before topping out at 10 starts for the Sox.

-The Indians are my early pick to win the World Series. They came close last year and added some veteran starting pitching to their staff. Watch out for Andy Marte. He will be playing third by July and producing like a young Chipper Jones.

-Will Ozzie Guillen just shut up? Please, just keep your mouth shut and go home. Nobody cares what you think. A-Rod will do what he wants. Your team cheated their way to the World Series and played one of the worst offensive teams in the history of the Fall Classic. I'm surprised AJ Pierzynski hasn't done anything to alienate the 263 White Sox fans left on the planet. Oh, but wait, they just won the Series, so they have what, a couple thousand fans now? Just like the Red Sox the year before, thousands of "huge, relieved" fans came out of the woodwork when they won the Series.

-That being said, the White Sox will still be good. My early thoughts lead me to a 92-95 win season. Closer to Opening Day, I will probably increase that number.

-Does anyone care about the National League? They haven't won a game in the World Series in two years and the AL has won the last eight All-Star games. The Mets will probably manage to lose 75 games despite their lineup. The Cardinals supporting staff of Pujols isn't getting any younger. Man, I am furious today.

Anyway, those are some quick thoughts on the Major Leagues. More when it gets closer to the season.

ps Did I already tell Ozzie Guillen to shut the hell up? No? Ozzie, shut your friggin' pie hole. You are not entertaining anymore, just annoying. Go away.

Weekly Picks: Shortened Edition

Sorry for the wait, folks. I know some of you out there are nervous about me and my absence. Fear not, faithful readers, for I am suffering from a rare, acute illness otherwise known as laziness. I will pick winners just from Thursday to Sunday this week. (Huzzah for Tennessee, by the way, who beat Florida 76-72 to complete a season sweep and show the world that Florida IS NOT THAT GOOD.)

Season records:

Winners-26-16 last week to bring the total to 86-43
Spread- 24-18 to bring the season tally to 58-71

Thursday--February 23rd

GEORGE MASON at Hofstra--This is a huge game in the CAA. The battle for the beans. The fight for the right to party come Selection Sunday. George Mason will win this game because they are one of the hottest teams in the country, carrying an 8-game winning streak into tonight's game. George Mason, in a close one, by 2.

VILLANOVA at Cincinnati--Cincinnati is coming around and Andy Kennedy is making headway as a top coaching prospect for teams with vacancies this summer. Villanova, in my opinion, is the best team in the country. They will handle the Bearcats rough defense and score more than Cincinnati will. That is how you win, isn't it? The argument seems foolish--and it is--but 'Nova will win because they are just too good. Villanova by 5.

Friday--February 24th

East Tennessee State at LIPSCOMB--The last time these two teams played, Lipscomb won by two in a thriller. This time, Brian Fisk and Eddie Ard will bring the pain. LIPSCOMB by 5.

Saturday--February 25th

SYRACUSE at Georgetown--I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Hoyas' victory over Rutgers might be even bigger than their win over Duke. They were sliding out of the top 25 and back onto the bubble with three straight losses. Syracuse needs this game and they are very hot right now. It's hard picking against Georgetown at home, but I have a feeling about this one. Syracuse by 4.

Arkansas at TENNESSEE--Coming off the huge win over 'Bama, Arkansas will hit a brick wall when they reach Knoxville. Tennessee just proved that they are the studs of the SEC. This will be one heck of a game. Tennessee by 2.

Michigan at OHIO STATE--The Buckeyes are playing good basketball right now. Michigan is coming off an emotional win so we'll see if they can keep the energy high on Saturday. I don't think they can in this rivalry game. State by 5.

Louisville at WEST VIRGINIA--Louisville is playing their way out of the NCAA tournament, despite the deceiving tally of 17 wins. West Virginia is far superior to the Cardinals in every aspect and now David Padgett is out for the season. See you next year, Louisville. West Virginia by 9.

NORTHERN IOWA at Southern Illinois--Northern Iowa is a tough team and looks like a Sweet 16 candidate. Southern Illinois is struggling and squarely on the bubble. This will be a good game, like every other MVC matchup. Northern Iowa by 3.

Kentucky at LSU--Yes, I am picking against the university that hails from my birthplace, Lexington, Ky. Nonetheless, LSU is a better team AND they have the Wildcats at home. Kentucky, I think, is in the tournament, so a loss here isn't too bad. LSU by 4.

Boston College at NC STATE--How about NC State stinking up the joint against UNC? Maybe I was wrong about the Tar Heels...nah, they are still garbage. Boston College is too. Heck, the ACC should just give Duke the conference tournament bid now and avoid the embarrassment of having one of the worst conference finals in ACC history. NC State by 6.

Nebraska at TEXAS A&M--I like these teams. I really do. But I think a loss to A&M here puts Nebraska out of the tournament. In fact, I think they are probably done anyway. Texas A&M by 5.

MARQUETTE at Notre Dame--Marquette can beat anyone in the Big East at this point. They are playing solid ball. Notre Dame will probably have a chance to win this game and blow it. Just shocking if you ask me. Marquette by 1.

Iowa at ILLINOIS--Picking this game is hard. These are two good teams with legitimate shots at making a run in the NCAA tournament. Illinois wins, because they are home, by 3.

Providence at PITT--The Panthers do not lose at home. Providence has been playing well lately, but they blew their chance of beating Pitt this year in the second half of the game in the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Pitt by 7.

Creighton at MISSOURI STATE--This is another huge MVC game. The loser of this game is in serious trouble of not making the tournament. State wins by 3, but Creighton will still find a way to get in the tourney.

Kansas at TEXAS--I think Texas could very well lose this game. Kansas plays without fear and some serious athleticism. They could cause Texas trouble. But the Longhorns are home and making a push for a 1 seed. Texas by 4.

Sunday--February 26th

MICHIGAN STATE at Indiana--Indiana's season went from shocking group of upstart, energetic players to disenfranchised, timid losers. And it's not Mike Davis' fault. Michigan State by 5.

VILLANOVA at UConn--I don't know why, but I have that feeling again. UConn will be at home, yes, but they don't have the guard play to keep with 'Nova. Cats by 3.

Florida at ALABAMA--Ronald Steele will be the best player on the court. Oh, slam! Florida just got served! 'Bama by 3.

CAL at Washington--Both good teams. Cal needs it more. Cal by 4.



That concludes another edition of Weekly Picks. To reiterate: The ACC is trash, Florida stinks, Villanova and Duke are clear and away the best teams in the country and I am a very lazy person.

JG Poll: Feb. 20-26

Here is my new JG Top 25:

1. Villanova
2. Duke
3. UConn
4. Memphis
5. Gonzaga
6. Illinois
7. Texas
8. Pitt
9. Tennessee
10. George Washington
11. Ohio State
12. NC State
13. Kansas
14. West Virginia
15. Washington
16. Florida
17. UCLA
18. BC
19. Iowa
20. Oklahoma
21. Michigan State
22. LSU
23. George Mason
24. Nevada
25. Northern Iowa

I don't think North Carolina is worthy of a ranking. I think Boston College is still garbage and will lose in either the first or second round of the tournament regardless of their seed. Florida dropped because they haven't played well lately. Georgetown played themselves out of the rankings with three straight losses.

George Mason played well on the road and earned a ranking. Nevada is a very good team that will cause trouble in the tournament. Northern Iowa is ranked here because there is no one else to put in that 25th spot. They barely beat Bucknell at home, and it took a crafty clock operator to give them the chance to win.

Tune in later today for my picks of the week.

Projecting the Seeds and the Final Four

With Selection Sunday just four more Sundays away, I thought I'd do something risky for a change: I'm going to predict the top 32 teams in the tournament by seed. To top it all off, I will project Final Four teams, a title game and a champ'een. So, here goes nothin':

Atlanta Washington DC Minneapolis Oakland

Duke Villanova Memphis Connecticut Pittsburgh Tennessee Gonzaga Texas Florida Ohio State West Virginia George Washington Iowa Illinois UCLA Boston College Georgetown NC State Michigan State Oklahoma LSU North Carolina Kansas Washington California Colorado Northern Iowa Wisconsin Seton Hall Wichita State Southern Illinois Michigan

Here are some teams that will probably find themselves somewhere between a 9 and a 13 seed that will cause the aforementioned clubs some problems:

ARIZONA 15-9 RPI: 20 SOS:5 A club that was supposed to be good at the beginning of the year and has struggled all season. Really dangerous in the tournament.

GEORGE MASON 20-5 RPI: 27 SOS: 87 Would create havoc against 5 and 6 seeds.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 18-8 RPI: 28 SOS: 60 They come from the Missouri Valley and they will compete with fire and heart, not unlike Captain Planet.

MISSOURI STATE 17-7 RPI: 29 SOS: 42 Sometimes when we touch, this 10 seed is too much.

CREIGHTON 17-7 RPI: 30 SOS: 58 Even without Nate Funk for the majority of the season, the Blue Jays still compete harder than their pro baseball dopple gangers.

NEVADA 19-5 RPI: 32 SOS: 97 Just beat Louisiana Tech for a huge conference win. Nick Fazekas is crazy delicious.

CINCINNATI 17-9 RPI: 33 SOS: 8 They got a big win at Syracuse. They have scorers and kids that just like to play. Unfortunately, the name across their chest will probably hurt them in the end.

MARQUETTE 16-8 RPI: 36 SOS: 29 They can play with the big teams in the Big East. Hell, they beat UConn. Watch out for them as a nine, ten or 11 seed. Trouble's a-brewin'.


Here is my Elite Eight if the tournament started today, and the seeds were in the order I projected:

Atlanta Regional Final: 1 Duke vs. 6 LSU
Washington Regional Final: 1 Villanova vs. 3 Ohio State
Minneapolis Regional Final: 4 UCLA vs. 2 Gonzaga
Oakland Regional Final: 1 UConn vs. 2 Texas

Yeah, you gotta have some upsets. Believe me, I do. LSU stunned Pitt in the Sweet 16. Michigan State beat Memphis. Texas beats UConn. UCLA sneaks into the Final Four.

Final Four: 2 Texas-1 Duke at 6pm EST and 1 Villanova-4 UCLA at 9pm EST

Championship: Duke-Villanova

Winners: Villanova

Boy, that UConn-'Nova game really convinced me of Villanova's potential. This is just some rampant prediction, so just enjoy it as such.

Villanova 69, UConn 64

As Mike Patrick would say, "Holy Toledo!"

Man oh man, the 'Cats of Villanova are just nasty. They operate at full octane for about 35 minutes a game, and when they are on, they are downright tough.

Kyle Lowry and Allan Ray put on a show last night, each picking a half to dominate. Randy Foye had a tough night-- 3 for 10 shooting, just 10 points-- but it didn't matter as Ray and Lowry combined for 43 points and seven steals.

'Nova was everywhere. UConn couldn't put the ball on the floor during the big Villanova runs or they'd lose it. The Wildcats just ran, ran and then ran some more.

UConn was able to start the second half well, going on a 13-0 run to open up a 12-point lead. During that stretch, the Huskies controlled the pace of the game and used their inside presence to their advantage. But foul trouble and stubborn coaching allowed 'Nova to get back in the game and play at the tempo they wanted.

Jim Calhoun is one of the best coaches around, no doubt about it. He is arguably one of the top three or four college coaches of all-time. But last night, his old fashioned, New England stubbornness lost the game for UConn.

He goes by the principle that if a player has two fouls in the first half, he will sit the remainder of the half. In the second half, if the player collects a third foul, he will sit until the clock reaches single digits and then maybe, just maybe, he will return.

Last night, Marcus Williams, debatably the best ball handler and point guard in the country, committed his second foul with 6:25 left in the first half. He sat the rest of the period, leaving freshman Craig Austrie as the default point guard. Austrie is good, don't get me wrong, but in that atmosphere and that kind of pressure, he is in trouble.

Why is he in trouble? Because Austrie and Williams are the only two legitimate ball handlers on the team. Rashad Anderson and Denham Brown combined for five turnovers last night, often dribbling to the wings without paying attention to the collapsing guards returning from the 1-2-2 press.

Calhoun isn't the only coach who practices this, but Williams committed his third foul with 18:07 left in the game, and immediately sat. Not that Williams had a great game-- six turnovers while just five of 13 shooting-- but he is the team leader and primary floor general. Without him on the floor, UConn looked lost. The guards of Villanova were too quick for Josh Boone, Rudy Gay or Hilton Armstrong to be dribbling towards the corners without being aware of the crashing guards.

Villanova had 13 team steals, 13! If they win the turnover battle, they will sink their opponents. The outside shooting brought 'Nova back in the game in the second half. The slashing ability of Kyle Lowry gave them the lead in the first period. The combination of a hot-handed Allan Ray with baseline jumpshooting virutuoso Will Sheridan will devastate any team 'Nova plays.

I would not want to be the coach that prepares for Villanova in the tournament. If Kyle Lowry is penetrating at will, Randy Foye and Allan Ray are shooting, slashing and dishing, and Will Sheridan and Jason Fraser get going down low, this team might very well win the NCAA title (and that's without me even mentioning Mike Nardi, one of the best point guards in basketball). The keys for 'Nova come tournament time will be maintaining the high level of pressure and intensity on defense, taking smart shots, creating scoring chances off the dribble and getting the big men involved. If they can avoid foul trouble and health problems, this 'Nova team could hustle and heart its way to a national title.

What a game. I hope we see the same in Storrs in less than two weeks. Last night was one of the best games I've seen in a while-- and I've seen a whole lot of college basketball. The speed of Villanova was just electric, but let's see how they do on the road without the energy of the Wachovia Center behind them.

I love this here game of basketball. Or "Baskabawl" as Dicky V. would say.