Ah, the Madness

Here we go! Even before my obsession with high school football, I was infatuated with college basketball. Hours upon hours spent in front of the couch on the first two days of the NCAA Tournament watching my bracket go to pieces was a highlight of my year. I don't get to play hookie anymore but I still get very amped about the Tournament. This year it is especially exciting because seven teams from Texas are in the field including two teams that I have a close connection with, UNT (Alma Mater) and Sam Houston State (Southland Rep).

First let me say that all seven teams are deserving of the Dance. I am sure that the three Texas teams who received automatic bids, Houston from C-USA, UNT from the Sun Belt, and Sam Houston from the Southland, would not have made the field if they had not won their conference tournaments. That being said, winning a conference tournament is an accomplishment that is worthy of the automatic bid. As for the at-large bids (Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and UTEP) I have no problem with any of them reaching the final 64, they all produced a body of work that merits post-season invitation.

I am very interested in two games that take place at the same time on Thursday. North Texas as a 15 seed taking on number 2 seed Kansas State in Oklahoma City, and 3 seed Baylor playing 14 seed Sam Houston State in New Oleans. The Mean Green are red hot and coming off a Sun Belt Conference Championship but is obviously a huge, huge underdog to the Wildcats of the Big 12. They say backcourts win in the tournament and UNT has a good one in Point Guard Josh White and SG Tristan Thompson, plus George Odufuwa can rebound with anybody. I can't sit here and predict a North Texas victory but there is no team I will be pulling for more than the Mean Green.

The Bearkats of Sam Houston State are right behind North Texas in my rooting interests. I really respect Coach Bob Marlin and the staff at SHSU and watching them for the last two years on the Southland Conference Television Network I have been impressed with the Bearkats style of play. They are agressive on defense, pass the ball extremely well and normally shoot well from the outside. They will need to be near perfect in all those areas to have a chance against the Bears. Gilberto Clavell will have to play much bigger than his 6-6 frame, which he usually does. Corey Allmond cannot have an off day. But if the Bearkats can play at their best, they can take down Baylor, giving the Southland Conference it's biggest basketball win ever including Northwestern State's win over Iowa in in 2006.

Had some thoughts up here about Tiger Woods returning for the Masters, but took them down. It has been my opinion from the beginning that what goes down between Tiger and Elin, or between any married couple for that matter, should stay between the couple and not become a media spectacle and fodder for talk shows. I can't stop the runaway train that is "Tiger Talk" but I can choose not to jump on. Jesus told the people about to stone an adulteress "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone". As Bob Dylan said: "It ain't me Babe".