Hoops Ramblings

I have decided to blog about nothing except college basketball during the month of March. If you are looking for pop culture observations, check back in April. If you enjoy college hoops insights sans journalistic integrity, then read on.

• Before I get to March Madness, I want to update you on the UVa men's basketball team. Tony Bennett came in as head coach from Washington State before this past season. Shortly after he arrived, John Brandenburg -- a fundamentally sound white big man whose game is seemingly perfect for Bennett's style -- transferred to Colgate. Before the first game, talented big man Jamil Tucker took a leave of absence from the team for unknown personal reasons -- he never returned. Near the end of the season, Calvin Baker -- an experienced senior point guard -- left the team for family reasons. Last week, highly touted freshman Tristan Spurlock decided to transfer (he says he wanted to stay but Bennett advised him to transfer) and star sophomore Sylven Landesberg decided to go pro. Landesberg had been suspended from the last three games of the year for academic reasons (apparently he skipped a few art classes), but he did not fail out. He could have returned to the team and school next season, but he dropped out of classes last week. Landesberg is good, but in my opinion he needs at least another year to develop his outside game. Since he was dropped out of school, he cannot test the waters and return to school. I think Bennett will be successful at UVa once he gets his type of players, but it is a little disheartening that 5 key members of the program left before season's end or after the season ended. UVa has a solid class coming in next season, but I expect it to take 3-4 years before UVa returns to respectability. Let's now talk about teams that actually made the Big Dance.

• March Madness 2010 has been one of the best of all-time. Double digit seeds won 11 games. Two 5-seeds are in the Final Four. Only one 1-seed is in the Final Four. Three buzzer beaters. West Virginia saved the Big East from being vastly overhyped -- the first time I filled out a bracket, I had four Big East teams in the Final Four (I later switched UK in for West Virginia). Speaking of which, everyone's bracket sucks. In a normal March Madness, only about 90% of people will say their bracket sucks (as opposed to 100% this year).

• I still think 1998 is my favorite March Madness of all-time. This year has probably been just as good or better, but I was on high school Spring Break on the first and second weekends of March Madness 1998 -- my friends and I drank at least ten liters of Mountain Dew each per day, crushed a few boxes of Hot Pockets, and filled out our own bracket on a giant posterboard. We watched just about every game, and it seems like every game was close and there were a few unbelievable upsets every day. My favorite March Madness moment is Bryce Drew's three at the buzzer as Valpo upset 4-seed Ole Miss by one (Valpo also won its second round game against Florida State). 14-seed Richmond upset 3-seed South Carolina. Rip Hamilton hit a fade-away floater in the lane to beat Washington at the buzzer. UK won the title in Tubby Smith's first season.

• There have been some great storylines in this year's Madness: Butler gets to play in its hometown of Indianapolis for the Final Four. Baylor made the Elite Eight less than seven years after one player murdered another player and the coach tried to cover it up. West Virginia and Michigan State advance to the Final Four without injured point guards. Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh hit a game-winning three against UNLV then made the ballsiest shot of the tourney against Kansas. Michigan State underachieved during the regular season, but Tom Izzo led the Spartans to their 6th Final Four in the last 12 years.

• Gus Johnson had another great Madness as an announcer. I am waiting for CBS to realize that Gus should be announcing the Final Four games instead of Jim Nantz. When Jim Nantz tells me that the Masters is a tradition unlike any other, I believe him. He was born to be a golf announcer. Gus was born to announce every close March Madness game. See below for a Gus Johnson soundboard and the video of Gus' best game of the tourney (although the video does not contain some of Gus' best calls from that game).

http://www.gusjohnsongetsbuckets.com/

Final Bracketology - March 14

1s: Kansas (#1 overall), Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke

2s: West Virginia, Kansas State, Ohio State, Purdue

3s: Villanova, Georgetown, Tennessee, Temple

4s: Maryland, Pitt, Michigan State, Vanderbilt

5s: Texas A&M, Baylor, New Mexico, BYU

6s: Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Butler, Richmond

7s: Xavier, Marquette, Texas, Louisville

8s: Oklahoma State, Cal, Florida State, Clemson

9s: Notre Dame, Missouri, UNLV, UTEP

10s: Northern Iowa, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, San Diego State

11s: St. Mary's, Minnesota, Florida, ODU

12s: Utah St., Siena, Washington, Cornell

13s: Houston, Murray State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State

14s: Oakland, Wofford, Ohio, UCSB

15s: Vermont, Morgan State, North Texas, Montana

16s: Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Lehigh, East Tennessee State, Winthrop, Robert Morris

Last 3 in: Utah State, Minnesota, Florida

Last 3 out: Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, Illinois

Bracketology - March 8

Midwest (St. Louis)

1 Kansas

16 Quinnipiac / Lehigh

8 Wake Forest

9 Notre Dame

4 Vanderbilt

13 Murray St.

5 Maryland

12 Arizona St.

3 New Mexico

14 Oakland

6 Xavier

11 Utah St.

7 Louisville

10 Virginia Tech

2 Purdue

15 Morgan St

West (Salt Lake City)

1 Syracuse

16 Vermont

8 Florida St.

9 Missouri

4 Baylor

13 Sam Houston St.

5 Gonzaga

12 Old Dominion

3 Tennessee

14 Wofford

6 Wisconsin

11 Siena

7 Cal

10 UNLV

2 Kansas St

15 North Texas

East (Syracuse)

1 Duke

16 ETSU

8 Marquette

9 UTEP

4 Pitt

13 San Diego St.

5 Texas A & M

12 Cornell

3 Michigan St.

14 Kent St.

6 Butler

11 St. Mary’s

7 Texas

10 N. Iowa

2 West Virginia

15 Winthrop

South (Houston)

1 Kentucky

16 Jackson St.

8 Richmond

9 Clemson

4 Temple

13 Washington

5 Georgetown

12 Memphis

3 Villanova

14 Weber St

6 BYU

11 Florida

7 Oklahoma St.

10 Georgia Tech

2 Ohio St.

15 UCSB

Last 5 In: Florida, Memphis, Arizona St. SDSU, Washington

Last 5 Out: Illinois, Wichita St, Mississippi St., UAB, Ole Miss

Seeds

1s: Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke

2s: Purdue, Kansas State, West Virginia, Ohio St.

3s: New Mexico, Tennessee, Michigan St., Villanova,

4s: Vandy, Baylor, Pitt, Temple

5s: Maryland, Gonzaga, Texas A&M, Georgetown

6s: Xavier, Wisconsin, Butler, BYU

7s: Louisville, Cal, Texas, Oklahoma St.

8s: Marquette, Wake Forest, FSU, Richmond

9s: Notre Dame, Missouri, UTEP, Clemson

10s: Virginia Tech, UNLV, Northern Iowa, Georgia Tech

11s: Utah St., Siena, St. Mary's, Florida

12s: Arizona St., ODU, Cornell, Memphis

13s: Murray State, Sam Houston State, San Diego State, Washington

14s: Oaklnad, Wofford, Kent St., Weber St.

15s: Morgan St., North Texas, Winthrop, UCSB

16s: Quinnipiac, Lehigh, Vermont, ETSU, Jackson St.

ACC Basketball Awards

The following is Chop Culture's ballot for ACC basketball awards:

1st Team All-ACC

Jon Scheyer - Duke

Greivis Vasquez - Maryland

Malcolm Delaney - Virginia Tech

Al-Farouq Aminu - Wake Forest

Trevor Booker - Clemson

2nd Team

Kyle Singler - Duke

Nolan Smith - Duke

Sylven Landesberg - Virginia

Gani Lawal - Georgia Tech

Tracy Smith - NC State

3rd Team

Ishmael Smith - Wake Forest

Solomon Alabi - Florida State

Chris Singleton - Florida State

Joe Trapani - Boston College

Jeff Allen - Virginia Tech (tie)

Dwayne Collins - Miami (tie)

Player of the Year: Vasquez

Rookie of the Year: Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech

Coach of the Year: Gary Williams - Maryland

Bracketology - March 1

It's March 1 so it's time to talk hoops. I am pleased to announce that Matt Borman has been hired as Chop Culture's resident bracketologist. Matt has been projecting the March Madness bracket since 2006. Over the years, Matt has outperformed Joe Lunardi (ESPN), the New York Post, the Sporting News, SI, and CBS Sportsline, among others.

The results of Matt's final bracket from the last four years are as follows (fourth category is Matt's grade according to The Bracket Project Scoring System (bracketproject.blogspot.com), fifth category is where Matt finished in rankings according to all brackets TBPSS found online):

2006 – 61 teams correct, 25 seeds correct, 45 seeds with in 1 line, 278, 17 of 23

2007 – 61 teams correct, 30 seeds correct, 54 seeds with in 1 line, 297, 2 of 30

2008 – 64 teams correct, 24 seeds correct, 53 seeds within 1 line, 293, 49 of 53

2009 – 64 teams correct, 28 seeds correct, 54 seeds within 1 line, 302, 39 of 60

Matt will project the final NCAA Tournament bracket each week, leading up to his final projections on Selection Sunday (March 14). Without further ado, below is Matt's bracket for this week.

Midwest (St. Louis)

1 Kansas

16 Quinnipiac / Lehigh

8 Northern Iowa

9 Louisville

4 Vanderbilt

13 Murray St.

5 Gonzaga

12 UConn

3 New Mexico

14 Oakland

6 Xavier

11 Illinois

7 Baylor

10 Virginia Tech

2 Purdue

15 Morgan St

East (Syracuse)

1 Duke

16 Belmont

8 Texas

9 Utah St.

4 Tennessee

13 Notre Dame

5 Butler

12 Old Dominion

3 Ohio State

14 Akron

6 Richmond

11UNLV

7 Wake Forest

10 Florida

2 Villanova

15 Coastal Carolina

West (Salt Lake City)

1 Syracuse

16 Stony Brook

8 Florida St.

9 Missouri

4 Texas A&M

13 Sam Houston St.

5 Maryland

12 UAB

3 Pitt

14 Wofford

6 Wisconsin

11 Mississippi St.

7 Cal

10 UTEP

2 Kansas St

15 North Texas

South (Houston)

1 Kentucky

16 Jackson St.

8 Georgia Tech

9 Oklahoma St.

4 Temple

13 St. Mary’s

5 Georgetown

12 Cornell

3 Michigan St

14 Weber St

6 BYU

11 Siena

7 Clemson

10 Marquette

2 West Virginia

15 UCSB

Last 5 In: UAB, Illinois, UConn, Notre Dame, St. Mary’s

Last 5 Out: Dayton, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Washington

*Conference champions in bold

Seeds only version:

1s: Kansas, Syracuse, Duke, Kentucky

2s: Purdue, Kansas State, Villanova, West Virginia

3s: New Mexico, Pitt, Ohio State, Michigan State

4s: Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Temple

5s: Gonzaga, Maryland, Butler, Georgetown

6s: Xavier, Wisconsin, Richmond, BYU

7s: Baylor, Cal, Wake Forest, Clemson

8s: Northern Iowa, Florida State, Texas, Georgia Tech

9s: Louisville, Missouri, Utah State, Oklahoma State

10s: Virginia Tech, UTEP, Florida, Marquette

11s: Illinois, Mississippi State, UNLV, Siena

12s: UConn, UAB, Old Dominion, Cornell

13s: Murray State, Sam Houston State, Notre Dame, St. Mary's

14s: Oakland, Wofford, Akron, Weber State

15s: Morgan State, North Texas, Coastal Carolina, UCSB

16s: Quinnipiac / Lehigh, Stony Brook, Belmont, Jackson State