I Love March Madness 2013! It’s just as I predicted, unpredictable.
What I didn’t predict was some early upsets. Did anyone have #2 Seed New Mexico losing to #14 Seed Harvard (President Obama’s Alma Mater) in the West Region showdown? I know I didn’t. Or how about in the East Region with #12 Seed California beating #5 Seed UNLV. Uh, nope, didn’t have that one either. I also chose the Pitt Panthers from the West, Missouri and Oklahoma St. from the Midwest. Not a bad start, thank you very much.
Thus far in the opening round, I had a modest 11 of 16 games correct but guess what, I’m leading our President by one game. So far, President Obama is 10 for 16. According to the Bracketologist, the teams the President selected that are going home early are;
- Midwest: 5-seed Oklahoma State and 9-seed Missouri
- West: 8-seed Pittsburgh and 11-seed Belmont
- East: 5-seed UNLV
According to a USA Today article, 75% of the country is outpacing the President this year in their guesses, uh, selections (sorry prognosticators).
As I had stated in an earlier blog, the parity and non-dominating teams should make this one of the most fun tournaments of ‘Madness’ to watch. This weekend be no different with more upsets and ‘Bracket-Busters’ to come. Sure, #1 Seed Louisville destroyed N.C. A&T 79-48 in their opener in the Midwest Region, but #1 Seed Gonzaga in the West barely surpassed #16 Seed Southern University, 64-58.
And these college kids are laying it on the line and leaving everything on the court. Some real heartbreaking, post-game interviews with some teams and players have gotten very emotional, as we saw with one star athlete point guard, Tray Woodall for the Pitt Panther’s who had a dismal shooting night (1-12) from the floor in a first round lost to #9 Seed Wichita St. He cried throughout the entire interview, apologizing to both his teammates and his school for his performance. Even the play-in game with N.C. A&T escaping Liberty University on the Wednesday night opener was a nail-biting missed lay up by the Liberty point guard in the final seconds of the game. He, too was dismayed
Yes, many great moments have already occurred in this year’s edition of March Madness. The ‘Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat’ has taken place in just a few short games…and we’re only ¼ of the way home.
Hold on Tight March Madness Fans and Enjoy the Ride. It’s going to be a Wild one.
