We have now reached the Sweet 16. A long season of NCAA basketball has now brought us to the final 16 teams still alive for the national title.
Like every year, there have been bracket busters that have shaken up the tournament and have killed some people’s brackets.
For example, there were not one, but two, 15 seeds that won their first round matchups over 2 seeds. Norfolk State beat Missouri and Lehigh beat Duke; keep in mind that Duke and Missouri were among the top eight teams in the tournament.
The bracket busters haven’t been too much of an issue for me this year. For the last two years I had Butler losing in the first round, so thankfully they aren’t in the field this time around.
I did, however, accurately predict the upsets of Ohio over Michigan and N.C. State making it to the Sweet Sixteen, so I am pleased with that.
My best region so far has been the West. The only slip up I had was, obviously, Missouri who I had going to the Elite Eight.
And so far my Final Four teams have been doing great. And for the record, that is what it is all about. Very rarely does an individual get a large majority of the first few rounds correct. There are just so many rounds and things can happen in so many ways.
But when you can get the Final Four correct, or at least three of the semifinal teams correct, then you have something to talk about.
Two years ago I had three of the Final Four teams correct. In fact, all of my Final Four teams were still alive in the Elite Eight. Again, Butler had to spoil the fun.
So that was by far my best year, I also accurately chose Duke to win the tournament.
But the fun thing about the NCAA tournament is that every year your results will be different. There are a lot of people that only get one Final Four team correct, or maybe none.
Last year I only had one of the Final Four teams right, thankfully that team was UCONN who went on to win the title.
Once again, thanks a lot Butler, and VCU as well.
But I realize that I could very well not ever have a great bracket like I did in 2010. But it is always fun to try.
Right now I have chosen Kentucky, Marquette, Ohio State and North Carolina to make it to the Final Four. And so far all of those teams are still alive in the Sweet Sixteen.
This time next week I will know just how well I did in my bracket this year. You can have all the first round upsets you want, I am just looking to get the Final Four teams correct.
We are getting closer and closer to the day when Kentucky defeats North Carolina in the title game, giving Coach Cal his first national title.
We are almost there folks, hold on tight.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High School graduate and mass communications major at the University of West Georgia. You can e-mail comments about this column to
tyrollason@yahoo.com.
