NC2A picks

I found that this year's NCAA tournament was harder to predict than previous years. But I have to pat myself on the back for predicting two huge first round upsets: Bucknell over Kansas and Vermont over Syracuse. And I was actually pretty confident going into the tournament that both would happen.

First, Kansas was/is overrated. Besides Wayne Simeon, no Jayhawk has really thrived under Bill Self's system. It's very obvious that they miss Roy's system, and that Self's system held them back. Most games I saw them in this year, they've looked inconsistent and pretty much every win I saw was ugly...including against scrubs. Hell, Mizzou won against them, and almost beat them the first time...at Allen Fieldhouse. With their new recruits coming, they might be a better team next year talent-wise, but I don't think their record will be as good. I think with Self's recruiting abilities, they'll be close to top-notch in a couple of years.

I felt that Vermont over Syracuse was more of a stretch. But I just had a gut feeling that Vermont would do it. I don't feel that Syracuse is that much better than Kansas this year, and Kansas struggled against Vermont and could've lost earlier in the season...whereas Carolina played them later and killed them.

I had Wake Forest playing Carolina in the finals with Carolina winning it all. My other two final four teams are Kentucky and Illinois. So Wake losing in the second round kind of ruined my brackets. I still have a chance to win, but I have a feeling I won't. Therefore, even though I have Kentucky beating Duke in the elite eight, I'm sort of hoping for a Duke-Carolina semifinal. I'm also sort of hoping for a Carolina-Illinois final. Both would be very entertaining.

Marvin Williams has been great all year, but in the tournament the monster has awoken. He'll be the catalyst for a Carolina championship. Unless he loves college that much or unless he really wants to be Naismith player of the year next year and have his number retired in the Dean Dome, I think he'll bolt for the NBA. If Carolina wins the championship, I think he's gone for sure, like Carmelo Anthony a couple of years ago. He'll go down as arguably the best sixth man in college history.