NOW PLAYING: March Madness

11 March, 1998
It's March, and that means college hoops. I wasn't always what you'd call a big basketball fan. Growing up in Minnesota, hockey was more my speed. But when I went to school at UNC, that changed somewhat. In Chapel Hill, you could see an NHL game maybe once a week on ESPN, but during that week there were 2 or 3 ACC Basketball games being played along Tobacco Road.

Working as a photographer for the Daily Tar Heel, the Yackety Yack (the UNC yearbook), the UNC Sports Information Office, the AP, UPI, and the Durham Herald-Sun I must have shot almost 200 ACC roundball matchups. That includes 3 ACC Tournaments, and a few NCAA playoff games.

I missed photographing Jordan at UNC by one year, but have been courtside for the college careers of many of today's top NBA stars. Oddly enough, I don't particularly care to watch any NBA games, not even the finals. (My Mom loves the NBA, as well as the ACC -- she roots for "Her Carolina Guys" and only has trouble when two former UNC players are going against each other.)

Along with a zillion other Office Serfs, I've entered an NCAA pool at work. A buck a throw, winner takes the pot. The Wife and I have our own in-house pool, too -- winner gets dinner at the restaurant of his/her choice.

Here are my picks:

East

  • UNC beats on Navy, then takes out their fellow UNC-System school UNC-Charlotte in the second round.
  • Princeton knocks out UNLV, cutting short their return to the Big Dance after back-to-back appearances 7 years ago. Boo-hoo. Then they send Michigan State packing.
  • Everybody's favorite X-School, Xavier, advances over Washington, but then gets whacked by South Carolina.
  • Bob Knight, poorer by $10k but coaching his Hoosiers, get by Oklahoma, only to face UConn and get thumped by the Huskies in round two.

East Regionals

  • The Tarheels beat Princeton, and UConn beats the Gamecocks. The 'Heels down the Huskies and go to San Antonio.

West

  • Arizona has no trouble with Nicholls State, then takes out Illinois State and head to the regionals.
  • Illinois beats S. Alabama, but then get overtaken by the Terps from Maryland.
  • Nebraska upsets those damn Hawgs from Arkansas, but can't pull another one outta the hat, and Utah beats them.
  • Temple takes out West Virginia, but Chaney's Owls can't beat the Bearcats, and Cincinnati goes to Ananheim.

West Regionals

  • Arizona's too tough for the Terps, and Cincinnati edges Utah. But the Wildcats outscrap the Bearcats, and Arizona goes to the Final Four.

South

  • Duke vs. Radford; the score is one of the tie-breakers in the office pool. Devils win big, then take out the father of our country, George Washington.
  • Syracuse over Iona, but New Mexico squeezes the Orangemen in the second round, and advances to the regionals.
  • UCLA takes the wind out of Miami (FL), but Michigan freezes them out and heads to St. Pete.
  • UMass handles St. Louis, then loses its grip against Kentucky.

South Regionals

  • Duke toasts New Mexico. Kentucky fries Michigan, then has Duke for dessert, and is Final Four bound.

Midwest

  • Kansas scorches Prarie View, then snuffs out poor Murray State.
  • TCU runs down Florida State (I know -- nobody I've talked to knows why they're here, either) and then keeps the track show going as they race past the 'Rebs of Mississippi.
  • The Thugs down in Clemson beat up on W. Michigan, but run out of ammo against Stanford.
  • Detroit upsets St. John's (PTP, Baby!) but that's as far as they go. Purdue puts an end to their party all to soon.

Midwest Regionals

  • Kansas stops TCU in their tracks. Stanford waters down the Boilermakers, then -- yes, this is the upset of the Tourney -- takes out Kansas to fill the last slot in the Finals. (Actually, I'm questioning myself on this already, but what the hell....)

Final Four

  • Stanford plays Kentucky, but their upset days are over, and Kentucky is in the Championship game.
  • North Carolina keeps the Arizona Wildcats at bay, and makes the Final game.
     
  • UNC Coach Bill Guthridge wins the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in his "rookie" season as a coach by beating Kentucky 87-81.

Let's see what kind of psycho -- I mean, psychic, I am.... it's time for the tip-off!

 

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