Chalk It Up

We've made it through the first two rounds of the NCAA tourney and my bracket sheet isn't as blood stained as it usually is.

I went with a new strategy this year and pretty much just picked the favorites (A) because I just had a feeling and (B) that's what my Fiance always does and she has beaten me head-to-head the last two years and I was getting tired of that.

Seriously, the biggest upset I picked in the first round was #10 USC over #7 Boston College (got it!) and I thought long and hard about #12 Arizona over #5 Utah but just couldn't pull the trigger.

Now I'm obviously kicking myself over that one.

In hindsight, my biggest mistakes of the first two rounds were picking Illinois (#5 seed in the South Region) and UCLA (#6 in the East) to go to the Sweet 16. If I had done my homework beforehand I would have known the Illini' was limping into the tourney due to injuries and that the Bruins would be playing Villanova IN PHILADELPHIA.

I knew that one was over before it started.

The only other Sweet 16 pick I missed was Wake Forest and if you had them losing to Cleveland State than I salute you because you are apparently a genius or a Cleveland State alum.

Other than those three, I'm still in good shape. My Final Four is still intact (I've got UNC, UConn, Duke and Louisville - but now I've got a sneaky feeling about Kansas in that Midwest bracket for some reason) and I've got UNC and UConn in the title game.

How sweet would an ACC (UNC-Duke) and Big East (UConn-Louisville) Final Four be?

I picked UNC to win it all and as much as I will be pulling for the Heels the rest of the way, there is just something scary about UConn right now.

But, maybe that's just me.

Should be a good tourney down the stretch. Let the Madness continue!