Office Pool 101

Office Pool 101

Selection Sunday is this Sunday. The NCAA Tournament begins March 17th. Throw out the National rankings. Throw out the seeding for the tournament. Throw out the fact that BC lost by 20 to Pittsburgh. Throw out the fact that Kansas lost by 20 to Villanova. Throw out the fact Illinois lost to Ohio State in their last game. None of it matters anymore. The only thing that matters is what happens from here. Since nobody watches more college hoops than the good people of The Stool, we thought we’d put together our power rankings. In other words, here are the only 11 teams that you should be bidding on in your office pool because nobody else has a chance to be cutting down the nets in April.

11. Oklahoma State - I had the Cowboys much higher on this list until their recent struggles down the stretch. I hate reading too much into one game, but I don’t know how you lose to a depleted Texas team at home on senior night. Regardless, OSU has all the ingredients of a Final Four team. They have two guys in John Lucas and Jameson Curry who can create their own shots and score at will. They also have an experienced and tough front line with Joey Graham and Ivan McFarland. It wouldn’t shock me to see the Cowboys in the Final Four but they’ve got to get their confidence back in the Big 12 Tournament.

10. Michigan State – I know what everybody is saying right now. Michigan State? How can a Michigan grad look himself in the mirror after putting them on this list? Well in my opinion MSU has flown underneath the national radar after losing to George Washington early in the season. There is no weakness in their starting 5. And not only isn’t there a weakness but they have a ton of experience. Alan Andersen and Chris Hill seemingly have a combined 93 years of college basketball experience. I love Tom Izzo as their coach as well. If Paul Davis can stay out of foul trouble this will be a very tough team to beat.

9. Washington Huskies – How could I leave the Huskies off this list when we told people to bet on them at the beginning of the season when they were at 50-1 to win the whole shooting match? As a side note they are now 35-1 and I wouldn’t recommend betting on them at this point. To be honest, I sort of thought they’d be around 10-1 by the time the Big Dance started. It’s real simple with Washington. If they get hot they will be an almost impossible team to beat. The flip side is that if they are cold they won’t be able to survive because that’s all they really bring to the table. They are very undersized up front but make up for it with quickness and 3 point shooting. All five starters can shoot from downtown. Nate “The Great” Robinson is one of the most electric players in the country and if he can catch lightening in a bottle for two weeks they have as good a shot as anybody to win the championship.

8. Wake Forest – Wake Forest has one of the best inside/outside combinations in the country with Chris Paul and Eric Williams. But I flat out hate Vytas Danelius. Until further notice Danelius is my least favorite player in college basketball. I hate guys who do the tough man face after hitting wide open 3’s at the top of the key. This maneuver is a Danelius special. There is no doubt that Wake Forest can score, but the question is can they play defense. I’m not one of those guys that think you can just turn on great defense when it matters. The Deacons have given up 100 pts in two of their losses which is unheard of in college hoops. Eventually this will be their downfall.

7. Oklahoma Sooners – The Sooners are another team that is rolling down the stretch. OU closed the season with equally impressive blowout victories against Texas Tech and Texas. Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout give the Sooners a formidable front court and they have a great point guard in Drew Lavender. My only question with the Sooners is who will nail the big shot down the stretch in a close game. I feel like the Sooners win games by attacking the glass and playing tenacious defense, but they don’t have that pure scorer to carry them in a tough situation.

6. Kentucky – I don’t understand Kentucky. I look at them and I don’t see much. Their best players are Chuck Hayes and Kelenna Azubuike, both who seem like they were role players back when Walter McCarty and Antoine Walker were on the team. There is nobody on the Wildcats roster that jumps out at you. And despite the fact they lost their last game at Florida they still were 23-5 on the season. They still managed to somehow beat Louisville and Alabama on the road overcoming huge deficits in both games. The Cats also have got this white guy Patrick Sparks who seems to be the difference maker for them. When he shoots well Kentucky becomes impossible to stop. The weird thig about Sparks is that every time I hear people talking about him it is always about how he is struggling, but then he proceeds to nail like 39 straight big shots. Maybe he is at his best in big moments? If this is true then Kentucky and their band of no names are a legitimate threat to win the whole thing.

5. Alabama – I don’t know why, but I’ve been infatuated with Alabama since last year’s tournament. I just don’t see a weakness in their game. They are tall, athletic and can shoot the 3 ball. Maybe the reason I’m so impressed with them is because of the fact that they beat bad teams by 50. Yes, I’m still trying to figure out how they lost by 50 at Florida just a few weeks ago. I’ve totally erased that game from my memory. The Crimson Tide’s weakness may be the same as Wake Forest in that I’m not sure they can stop a good offensive team in crunch time.

4. LSU Tigers – I may over rate these guys for two reasons. First I’ve bet on them the last six games of the regular season and they won every time. And second, I’m in love with LSU freshman Glen Davis who tips the scales at 310 pounds. Keep in mind he’s only 6”6”. As Davis has gotten better and more accustomed to the college game the Tigers have become a very dangerous team. LSU started the season 6-5 and have since won 13 out of their last 15 games including six in a row. They’ve beaten Alabama, Florida and Miss State all within the last two weeks of the season.

3. North Carolina - I don’t know what I think of North Carolina. Sure they have talent, but there is something about them that still bugs me. How’s that for top flight analysis? Maybe it’s the fact that Roy Williams always finds a way to lose the big game? Regardless, the Heels have only lost twice since the first game of the season. But the impressive record is not why I have them so high on this list. The only one reason I have them so high is because they went into Storrs and beat UConn on the road just a few weeks ago. This fact alone leads me to believe that this is a Final Four team. However, if McCants isn’t back before the tournament, UNC is very vulnerable.

2. Illinois – I’ve got a feeling that for the ignorant masses, Illinois may be a cute pick to get upset early in the NCAA tournament. People think that their record is inflated because of weakness of the Big 10. The bottom-line is that anytime you put together a 20 something game winning streak you are legitimate. Illinois not only won at Michigan State and at Wisconsin but they did it easily. They simply blew these teams out down the stretch. Everybody on the floor can score for Illinois and they play tremendously as a team. They’ll also have the benefit of playing close to home and have a large following at their games. It would absolutely shock me to not see Illinois in the Final Four.

1 UConn – Charlie Villanueva guaranteed a National Championship in the beginning of February and everybody laughed at him. Now nobody is laughing. The Huskies have firmly established themselves as one of the favorites again for this year’s tournament. After a slow start the Huskies have hit their stride. It was only a matter of time. Many people are saying that the entire Husky front line is potential NBA lottery picks. UConn has won 10 out of their last 11 games with most of their victories being in blowout fashion. Their only loss was at home to North Carolina in a close game. I also think that the Big East prepares its teams better for the Big Dance than any other conference in America. If UConn can just get decent outside shooting they will win the National Championship.

Check www.barstoolsports.com for the brackets and our official selections all next week. No one covers March Madness like the degenerates at The Stool.