Breaking Down the Brackets – Part I

The following are my reactions to the seeding, locations and match ups of the ball that begins in less than 48 hours.

Georgia Tech - Getting a No. 10 seed might be the best thing that happens to Georgia Tech all year. I've seen this team many times on TV, and once live at Cameron Indoor. The talent is immense in Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young. But even more encouraging is the balance GT gets from Ra'Sean Dickey inside and Anthony Morrow on the perimeter on the perimeter. Tech's not a lock, but I have no doubt saying they could snip UNLV, Wisconsin (Yep, I said it), and Notre Dame/Winthrop/Oregon. The Elite 8 would probably be Tech's brick wall - the Florida Gators. The Gators are more talented and possess the chemistry that has escaped Tech this year.

Kentucky vs. Villanova - This one stands out as I my eyes glance down the bracket. Scottie Reynolds is my Freshmen Player of the Year if Greg Oden and Kevin Durant were allowed to take their immeasurable talent from high school à NBA. Reynolds has secured Nova’s relevance with Mike Nardi and Curtis Sumpter’s injury-proneness. He’s kept them steady.

Kentucky is more talented than its 21-11 record indicates. Kentucky always plays team basketball. When Randolph Morris dominates inside and Ramel Bradley, Joe Crawford and Bobby Perry T-it-up from outside, they are tough to stop. Don’t forget about the Cats’ unrelenting ball pressure, either. Lastly, I imagine the junior leaders will come out with great passion to embrace Tubby Smith and prevent his firing.

My Pick: Kentucky – My Tourney picks are greatly influenced by tournament-experienced coaches. Tubby Smith defines that and Jay Wright is quickly catching up. Despite the Kentucky AD’s comments, Tubby will be motivated to quell his doubters. This team is also well balanced inside and out.

Marquette vs. Michigan State – Tom Crean confronts his mentor with a slightly better team. This is an engaging match up because Dominic James is a great college player who has not been playing like one. I expect him to revert back to penetrating and getting to the line.

But, Drew Neitzel has got all the will in the world. This kid elevates his game in the big ones – i.e. 10-17 for 28 points in a victory over Wisconsin. Tom Izzo is an impassioned tournament coach who finds a way to get it down – i.e. championships. But to continually compare, Tom Crean got Marquette to a Final Four before it reached national prominence.

My pick: Michigan State – This one’s real tough for me, but Izzo always finds a way to win. I think Marquette is the better team, but I’m not sure the pupil can make this happen.

With the imminent beginning of the NCAA Tournament, I was inspired into a rebirth of this blog. Spring break offers a little extra time, too, which never hurts.

I hope to supply as much insight, analysis and comical youtube videos as I can.

Enjoy.

Roddick Tallies Ace Hiring Connors

*This column was to be printed for The Daily Gamecock, the student newspaper at the University of South Carolina. I'm not sure that it made it in, but it was to be published about one day into the U.S. Open. As I watch Andy Roddick take a 2-set lead on a long-time nemesis of his, Lleyton Hewitt, the old Roddick is definitely back. Roddick's showing genuine excitement from tennis - something I haven't seen in some time.*

These days tennis columns are typically confined to Roger Federer’s world dominance and Maria Sharapova’s...well, just Maria Sharapova.

But as the U.S. Open’s first week unravels in New York it’s worth noting that hometown hopeful James Blake is not the lone American competitor. Andy Roddick has emerged from public criticism this summer and is seen as one of the tentative favorites.

In June, Roddick punctuated a year of letdowns with a third-round loss to rising Brit Andy Murray. Something must have hit him. He then latched onto eight-time grand slam champion Jimmy Connors as his new coach and has reemerged ever since.

Since, Roddick has made a final, won the Cincinnati Masters and claimed the U.S. Open Series crown (the latter refers to the player who earns the most points during the tour’ series of American hard-court tournaments). He also took off a couple weeks between these honors to reportedly nurse an injury. This may be true, but one speculates whether he was just having a “getting-to-know-you” session with Connors.

Either way, Roddick appears healthy and more importantly, back to his style of play – intimidating, energetic offense. To top it all off, he seems to be having fun. This is trivial to some athletes, but Roddick is all about fun. He loves taking a risky forehand down the line, punching a 125 mile per hour second serve out wide or rebuking an official when he feels it necessary.

“It's a lot of fun right now. I don't think you can overemphasize how important that is,” Roddick told ESPN.

This all sounds a lot like Connors. Connors loved risk and reward, is second only to John McEnroe in passionate yelling and OK, he didn’t hit 125 mph second serves. But Connors was also master of celebrations - joyous leaps, glaring smiles and famously slapping hands with on-court fans.

But Connors is about his business more than Roddick has been in the last year. Roddick’s missed the physical intensity that Connors clung to, even in utter frustration.

Connors has been the arrogant, excited personality on and off the court. He’s played in the shadows of greats like Bjorn Borg. He’s the opportunist who would always take that daring shot. He’s the free spirit Roddick was when he won the 2003 U.S. Open.

Perhaps Connors’ most remarkable moment came at age 39, when he made it to the U.S. Open semifinals nearly 20 years after his first grand slam title. He found his intensity and flair one last time. Roddick may not win this Open, but he’s found his coach and their very similar flair.