Thoughts Before the Madness

Championship week in College Basketball brings with it, a peak into the madness that will be approaching in a little less than two weeks time. I've found though, that the best way to pick your tourney favorites and upsets is to not follow what transpires on the days leading up to Selection Sunday, but rather to ride your gut instincts all the way to the bank.

For example, this afternoon, Georgetown (the team that by record is the best in the Big East) beat a very scrappy and energetic group from Louisville. However, come tourney time, I'm much more inclined to pick Louisville to go deeper than the Hoyas because of the way their game and team are structured. They play better defense (by  a lot), hustle more on loose balls, rebound better as group, and have few turnovers. This is much more of a "tournament team" than Georgetown, which relies heavily on one player, Roy Hibbert. Louiville's offense, under veteran coach Rick Pitino, has turned into a versatile attack that can kill you in the paint and from behind the arc. Look for this team to go deep into March and perhaps make a run at San Antonio if things go right.