Chalk?

Luau at the Grand Wailea
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

First thoughts on the brackets (taken from someone who has not watched much hoops this year). Could this year be like 2009 when you see 4 #1's in the Final Four again? I think the crop of 2's is really weak and the 3's have very good chances for early knockouts (Cuse, Uconn and Wisconsin). I can't get too worked up about it but UAB should not have gotten in and USC was a weird pick as well. I'd have taken Colorado and St Mary's - the WCC was down a bit but SMC played about as hard of a OCC schedule as they could have possibly gotten but they had some bad losses (USD for one and losing to UP by 17). I think there is going to be a lot of seed upsets in the 6-11 , 7-0 and 8-9 games but these are not upsets in all reality. Almost all of these games are pickems or 1-2 point spreads. When the dog wins those they aren't upsets. As for real first round upsets watch Belmont and Bucknell - I think at least one of them wins and wouldn't surprise if either did. I hate going chalk for four one seeds but it is tempting - I do like K-State as a possible Final Four team but the record for 5's going to the Final Four is really spotty. Utah State will give them a tough game but the Aggies have a terrible habit of playing just well enough to lose in the First Round (er Second Round now) of the tourney. As a final note good luck to Oregon in the CBI. Normally I'd pass on playing in something like that but any chance of getting Altman some more time to work with his kids is a positive in my book . . . Weber State has 6 road wins this year which is solid but they are missing their top scorer.