If Kansas is the safe pick, who is your risky pick to win it all?

[Chi_archie]

just like Howland left for a big time hoops school.....

sooner or later, Pitt will get to a final four, and a little later or sooner they could win a championship.


the fact of the matter is, that you can't count on one hand a team in a power conference with a better winning percentage than Pitt over the past 5-10 years.

things do change gradually over time on the ncaa landscape.... Pitt becoming a long-term premiere program could be one of those changes

[hoopster42]

just like Howland left for a big time hoops school.....

sooner or later, Pitt will get to a final four, and a little later or sooner they could win a championship.


the fact of the matter is, that you can't count on one hand a team in a power conference with a better winning percentage than Pitt over the past 5-10 years.

things do change gradually over time on the ncaa landscape.... Pitt becoming a long-term premiere program could be one of those changes

true, i give you that. i am not a pitt hater and am fact am a jamie dixon fan. dude can seriously coach. i was down on him before last yr as he never seemed to make even a sweet 16. as a person, i've never been down on him as he was class before his sister tragically passed and he is still as solid as ever.

[Chi_archie]

I'm a fan of his because he is able to do GREAT things with good talent......


that is why he won the national coach of the year last year.....


the guy has 1/4th the mcdonald's all american recruits in his entire career as a duke, UNC, or Kansas has had in any 1 year over the past decade.

but he takes a team that is picked to finish 8th-10th in the big east, with almost all underclassmen, losing 4 starters and now professional basketball players..... and leads them to a 2nd place finish in the conference.....

reason being.... every year, he coaches EVERY player.... and it pays off 1, 2 or 3 years down the line.... that's why a Pitt player wins the most improved big east performer 6 out of the past 10 years.


I don't know Dixon and don't pretend to know his motivations...... If I were him, i'd want to go to a place that AUTOMATICALLY gets 2-5 all american recruits every year, and see if I could win a national championship with them.

the fact is that he's never been given the talent that you need from the get-go to win a national championship.

Dejuan Blair was the first "lightening in a bottle" that they have caught..... Sam Young is playing in the NBA now... but it took him a full 5 years of development after graduating High School to become an NBA talent..... I believe he would have rotted on the bench, quit, transferred or just been an avg player at many higher profile schools

but Dixon, brought the absolute best out of him....

My hope is that Dixon stays around awhile and continues to build on this program, and break coaching record milestones. But if he doesn't I'll still be a fan of his, wherever he coaches

[tofuman]

i'd say baylor

[tylerguy02]

Baylor and WV

[Chi_archie]

I'd love to see another 4-6 seed make a deep run.... I hate saying 2-3 seeds are a "dark horse" in a year like this where things are a bit more wide open..... I don't have the foresight to call it. maryland and MSU are 4 and 5 seeds in a bracket with Kansas, with coaches that know how to win in March, and with senior leadership and talent to "take-over" at times....


so MSU and Maryland would be my "long-shot" picks

[texashighroller]

kansas has to be the favorite, but how often do the favorites actually win it

[WillC]

Kentucky over Ohio State in the Final

Everyone is on Kansas ... so it'd be smart to fade them (brackets wise)

[NBAStats]

Georgia Tech. A team with some NBA level talent, who if they put it all together (give Favors or Lawal the ball every possession) can be extremely dangerous. If they can limit turnovers they can beat anyone.

They could also turn the ball over 10 times in 2 minutes and get blown out of the gym by a hot shooting team.

But if you want a talented darkhorse for a nice sweat at +25000, have a look at the Rambling Wreck that can sometimes be Georgia Tech.

[seaborneq]

Bring back all of the "risky" picks. Kansas is dead.

[Chi_archie]

I feel like Kansas got screwed in some ways..... best team in the country but they are in a bracket with teams that Gary Williams and Tom Izzo coach are in?

second of all, why don't they get to play the winner of the winthrop, pine bluff game?

and I'd take having Nova in my bracket as a #2 over Ohio St.
and I'd take having Baylor in my bracket as a #3 seed over Georgetown
purdue w/o hummel over a gary willams/maryland at #4
tamu over having MSU and Izzo in my bracket....

Kansas got fuked and Duke got duked

WOW, Kansas didn't even get to the potential MSU or Maryland game that I thought would be the first stumbling block...... this stuff is crazy

[seaborneq]

I'd love to see another 4-6 seed make a deep run.... I hate saying 2-3 seeds are a "dark horse" in a year like this where things are a bit more wide open..... I don't have the foresight to call it. maryland and MSU are 4 and 5 seeds in a bracket with Kansas, with coaches that know how to win in March, and with senior leadership and talent to "take-over" at times....


so MSU and Maryland would be my "long-shot" picks

Butler is a 5 seed. You have your wish. Plus WVU. Amazing how little we knew about this tourney.

[seaborneq]

small bets on msu (my team) @ 45-1 and nova @ 16-
both teams are experienced, deep, shoot the ball well, and rebound

You are in good shape. Are you going to hedge?