Monday, March 16, 2009

Bracket Busters

Actually, my bracket is pretty boring. I'm a little ashamed to have three #1 seeds making it to the Final Four, but part of that is the way I think the brackets play out in the earlier rounds, making their pathways a little easier. I also have the Big East in a big way in the round of 8. Here is what I have:

Elite eight: Louisville, West Virginia; UConn, Mizzou; Pitt, Duke; UNC, Syracuse. [Five from Big East; two ACC; one Big 12]
Final four: Louisville; UConn; Duke; UNC
Championship game: Louisville v. UNC
Champion: Louisville

There are some problematic or questionable games in my bracket (most notably, I have Maryland beating Memphis; Mizzou beating Marquette; West Virginia beating Michigan State; and I don't feel good about a potential Louisville-Wake Forest match-up depending on which WFU team shows up). I don't feel good about UNC if Lawson is really truly hurt (he looked okay against Duke in the final game of the season). And I do feel like a bit of a homer picking Louisville (although not as bad as my Duke friends, who pick the Dookies every year).

However, I feel good about Louisville because they play the most tenacious defense of anyone and that defense does not depend upon one key player (like UConn). I think Thabeet will get in real foul trouble in a game (as he did against Pitt and as he did in the overtime against Syracuse); because UConn's defense relies on him protecting the rim, when he goes out, a team like Louisville can really attack the basket. Louisville, on the other hand, plays eleven guys and their team doesn't rely on one, not even Terrance Williams. Hence, my pick. 
 

2 comments:

Richard in Albany said...

Sean,
Being a Carolina boy I know the madness of the brackets! O for the days of my youth watch the Gamecocks and Frank McQuire out of Columbia on channel 10 with my Father and boiling peanuts!
I hope you are enjoying your "time off". One question I am looking for some information on the Vision Forum group. Do you know of any articles or paper on their theology?
Thanks
Richard in Albany Ga.

Sean Michael Lucas said...

Hi, Richard: no, I don't know of anyone who has done anything with the Vision Forum folks. They strike me as "soft theonomists"; many of the criticisms in Ligon Duncan's paper on theonomy would apply, I'd think.

Still reflect often on being with y'all last year; great time. Hope to see you at GA this year! sml