Big 12 Tournament Picks

Yeah, I know no one is looking here for gambling advice...more for comic relief...but my motto has always been to talk trash when you can, because chances are later you won't be able to. So, right now, my Jayhawks are a #1 seed in what looks to me to be the most bottom heavy of all the brackets. What I mean by that is that I think the 2-4 seeds (Georgetown, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt) are weaker than the other brackets, but the lower seeds (#7 Gonzaga, #10 Davidson, #11 K-State, #12 Villanova) are stronger than the other brackets. Is it possible that Kansas won't play a single digit seed en route to the Final 4? I think so, but I won't predict it. In fact, I predict their route will be...

Win over Portland State
Win over Kent State
Win over Clemson
Win over Georgetown
Loss to North Carolina

It's not so much that I don't think the Jayhawks could win it all...they certainly could...but are they better than the 97 team that lost to Arizona? What about the 02 (or 03) team with Hinrich and Collison? I don't think so...at some point you get burnt enough that you stop believing... maybe I've reached that point. Still, Final Four is a nice season.

I see Oklahoma and Baylor going one and done. Baylor because they got a crappy draw, Oklahoma because I've lost faith in them and Phil Martelli will coach circles around Capel. K-State could beat USC...even Wisconsin in Nebraska...but once we get to Detroit, they can't hang with Georgetown. Seems like them getting one game away from a KU/K-State Elite match up and then fading out sounds about right.

This leaves Texas...I hate this...Has any team had a better set up? They leave the state for one weekend, into a pod with Miami, St. Mary's and Austin Peay...really? After that they head to Houston, where they'll probably face the worst #3 seed (Stanford) or an upset winner to get to the Elite 8 against Memphis (worst case). Hypothetically, if they win that they'll face UCLA ( a team they've already beaten) in Texas. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if a #1 seed doesn't win it all, it will be Texas....Excuse me while I go puke...