Let’s face it, you probably forgot the NCAA final game was tonight. We certainly did. Sure, Opening Day and the Man taking control of our souls on a Monday had something to do with it. But mostly we just wanted to move on from the horror that has been our selection skills.

However, with one of the most memorable March Madnesses in recent history about to come to a close, we’d be remiss if we didn’t give our picks for the final game. By now, you should be familiar with the main players. Representing Hickory High, Coach Brad Stevens and Gordon Hayward look to lead the Bulldogs to the promised land, with a home crowd rooting them on. Representing South Bend Central are Coach K and his clan of crew cut robotic basketball drones, trained in the fundamental arts of pick setting, bounce passes, three pointers and general on-court doucebaggery.

Who will hoist the trophy tonight in Indianapolis? Well, just read below to find out.

Duke – they were the one #1 seed many expected to sent packing by the end of the first weekend. Call it a favorable draw, luck or guidance from Dr. James Naismith himself, but the Blue Devils find themselves 40 minutes away from their fourth national title. They’re heavy favorites and for good reason. Coach K’s bunch is shooting the ball well and playing even better defense. If the experts are right, Duke’s size in the post will be the deciding factor with Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas proving to be too much. But, as a great man once said (Chris Berman), this is why we play the game.

Butler is the most improbable title contender since ‘Nova in 1985 when they shocked the world by beating then-powerhouse Georgetown. No one really expects the “mid-major” from Indiana to actually win, but lest we forget, B.U. touts the nation’s longest winning streak at 25 straight. And the last three have come against Syracuse, Kansas State and Michigan State. This means the last thing this team is lacking is confidence. To win, the Bulldogs must crash the boards and knock down open shots. Sounds simple, but this is the biggest stage in college basketball. Nothing is guaranteed. Read the rest of this entry »

This is the last hurrah with “One Shining Moment” looming in the distance.  By the end of the night four teams will be whittled down to two and the pieces will be in place for the ultimate prize.  Each team has taken different paths to this point and not many people expected any of them to be here.  Let alone us here in the Crew.   We’re resilient to say the least & are back with our picks for your amusement.
(5) Michigan State Vs. (5) Butler

The Flint-stones are back & rollin’ again.  Tom Izzo’s team has overcome adversity and is in line to make amends for their loss last year to North Carolina.  They’ve been able to overcome the loss of Kalin Lucas thanks to the emergence of Draymond Green & Raymar Morgan finally living up to the expectations that have been placed on him since his arrival.  Meanwhile, Butler is riding  in with a 24-game win streak and will essentially be playing a home game this weekend.  They’ll be relying heavily on Gordon Hayward, whose draft stock is continually rising, and Matt Howard on the inside to lead them to victory.  Both teams rely heavily on man to man defense and are adept to low scoring games, so look for this one to go down to the wire.

MZ | Patrick M. | J. Tinsley | Jason H. — Michigan State

(1) Duke Vs. (2) West Virginia

Whether they were in a easy bracket or not, Duke won the games that were placed before them.  Devoid of the singular star which lead prior teams, they’ve rode the Singler, Smith & Scheyer to this point and the balance they provide to spread the floor out.  Flying somewhat under the radar for most of the year, this is the Blue Devils best chance for a return to prominence in years.  The Mountaineers are carrying the hopes of an entire state on their shoulders, as they make their first trip to the Final Four since Jerry West was lacing up for them.  They kept rolling after the loss of Darryl Bryant midway through the tourney, thanks to the emergence of Joe Mazzulla & Kevin Jones.  Their guards will need to stay out of foul trouble and be effective with their 1-3-1 zone to win.

Patrick M. | J. Tinsley | Jason H. — Duke

MZ – West Virginia

Our picks have been all over the place and wrong more often than not.  But like the weatherman predicting rain for 17th consecutive day without a cloud in the sky, we carry on.  The games have been entertaining throughout and we can always take solace in the fact that we concentrate most of our energy on music around here.  With a trip to the Final Four on the line, all teams involved will need to bring their A-games today, because as we’ve seen all tournament long, anything can happen. Read the rest of this entry »

Even those of us strung out in Texas in the midst of deafening Hip-Hop managed to keep one eye on The Tourney last weekend. And for hoops fans, it couldn’t have gone better. Comebacks, overtimes, buzzer beaters and a few mammoth upsets made for a wild first two rounds. Today the Madness continues. To adequately prepare you for another weekend of your ass parked on the couch, the TSS Crew pick the Elite 8 and preview the match-ups. Read the rest of this entry »

Day three of the world’s greatest postseason tournament, so how is your bracket looking? Great? Horrible? Keeping your head above water? At this point, if you’ve still got your Final Four teams around, consider it a win-win and count your blessings. West Virginia shut the talk up about the Big East being the most disappointed conference thus far, at least momentarily. And Cornell did what most of the experts predicted them to do, beat number 5 Temple to advance to the field of 32. However, after today, half of the Sweet 16 will be set. Here’s who we think will be there.
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Today’s gonna be a good day y’all.  Between March Madness & SXSW, along with recuperating from St. Patty’s day, this is definitely one of those unofficial holidays.  With North Carolina out of the picture & Michigan State most likely gone by the end of the weekend, the door is open for a new champion to walk away with the crown. Read the rest of this entry »