Monday, March 22, 2010

3/22: Do You Know Your Sweet 16? Part 2 - WEST REGION

I've only got two losses in the bracket pool, look good for the next round, and am in it for the win.


That's what I'd be saying if the West region were a pool in and of itself. This bracket had an expected first round upset with Murray St knocking off Vanderbilt in the first round. This bracket had Xavier returning to their third consecutive Sweet 16 with a victory over the overachieving Pittsburgh Panthers. Other than that, this bracket was chalk. That's because this bracket played out like the entire bracket did last year, the experience and line up for this bracket would normally create huge ratings. The problem is most people are not as familiar with these teams, except Syracuse. That's a shame.


This bracket contains:
- A coach with 829 career wins.
- A team in the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year, one of only two teams this year with that distinction.
- A team that lost 7 times, but 3 of those times to #1 or #2 team in the polls.
- A team whose history includes the orange basketball and Hoosiers.




WEST REGION


Syracuse Orange


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Pre-tournament: 28-4 (15-4 Big East) Big East Regular Season Champions
2010 Tournament Wins: 79-56 vs Vermont, 87-65 vs Gonzaga
NCAA Tournament History: 33rd appearance, 52-32 record, 4 Final Fours, 1 title
Deepest Tournament Run: National Championship - 2003
University History: Originated as Genessee Wesleyan Seminary
Notable Alumni: actor Peter Falk, sportscaster Bob Costas, sportscaster Mike Tirico, my high school friend a current "Two and a Half Men" stage assistant Dennis Jacobs
Basketball Venue: Carrier Dome, opened 1980, capacity 34,616, despite the name it does not have air conditioning

Their Story: Led only in wins by Coach K Jim Boeheim has put together a legendary career at Syracuse, one that has transformed a program into a powerhouse. They figure to win the talent aspect heavily, but it will all come down to a team being able to break their famous zone defense. Kansas St might be able to, but doubtful Butler can.Up Next: vs Butler - Thursday 7:07 PM


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Kansas State Wildcats


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Pre-tournament: 26-7 (13-6 Big XII) 
2010 Tournament Wins: 82-62 vs North Texas, 84-72 vs BYU
NCAA Tournament History: 24th appearance, 30-27 record, 4 Final Fours, 0 titles
Deepest Tournament Run: Final Four - 1948, 1951, 1958, 1964
University History: Founded as Kansas State Agricultural College in 1863
Notable Alumni: sportscaster Craig Bolerjack, actress Kirstie Alley, former Purdue coach Gene Keady, current UNLV coach Lon Krueger (also formerly of Florida, Illinois, & Atlanta-NBA)
Basketball Venue: Fred Bramlage Coliseum, opened 1988, capacity 12,528, known as "The Octagon of Doom"
Their Story: A few years ago Bob Huggins was the head coach at Kansas St and Michael Beasley was their star player. When both turned out to be one year visitors to Manhattan you had to think hard times might return. Instead Kansas St has shot into the college basketball landscape as potentially a power for years to come. No coach has a reputation for intensity quite like Frank Martin, whom I affectionately refer to as "Captain Crazy Eyes".Up Next: vs Xavier - Thursday 9:37 PM

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Butler Bulldogs

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Pre-tournament: 28-4 (20-0 Horizon) Horizon League Regular Season and Tournament Champions
2010 Tournament Wins: 77-59 vs UTEP, 54-52 vs Murray St
NCAA Tournament History: 10th appearance, 10-9 record, 0 Final Fours, 0 titles
Deepest Tournament Run: Sweet 16 - 1962, 2003, 2007, 2010
University History: Originated as North Western Christian University in 1855.
Notable Alumni: Ohio St coach Thad Matta, Baylor coach Scott Drew, infamous cult leader Jim Jones
Basketball Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse, opened 1928, capacity 11,043, scene of Hoosiers and real life Milan High School championship that inspired the movie
Their Story: No place screams basketball history like Hinkle Fieldhouse, it's a trip back in time, and so is Butler basketball. They play an aggressive style of defense, as proven by Murray St battling for the ball instead of getting a final shot against the Bulldogs. They will need to be at the absolute top of their game to beat Syracuse.Up Next: vs Syracuse - Thursday 7:07 PM

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Xavier Musketeers

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Pre-tournament: 24-8 (15-3)
2010 Tournament Wins: 65-54 vs Minnesota, 71-68 vs Pittsburgh
NCAA Tournament History: 21st appearance, 19-20 record, 0 Final Fours, 0 titles
Deepest Tournament Run: Elite Eight - 2004, 2008
University History: Originated as The Atheneaum in 1831
Notable Alumni: Hall of Fame pitcher and U.S. Senator Jim Bunning, U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, NBA player David West
Basketball Venue: Cintas Center, opened 2000, capacity 10,050, EA Sports polled it 3rd toughest to play in 2009
Their Story: The last four Xavier coaches have left to go to other programs: Pete Gillen 1985-1994 went to Providence, Skip Prosser 1994-2001 went to Wake Forest, Thad Matta 2001-2004 went to Ohio State, and Sean Miller 2004-2009 went to Arizona. Those coaches went on to some success, but unlike most mid-major programs Xavier hasn't fallen off. They are one of the most reliable programs, even if their coaches leave every five years.Up Next: vs Kansas St - Thursday 9:37 PM

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