Sweet 16 Picks

Soccer Practice
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

First week of the tourney was a lot of fun but not "great basketball". I think folks need to accept that college basketball is not the NBA and that the level of play we saw in say the mid 80's isn't coming back. The NCAA Tournament is simply a fun event with all sorts of twists and unexpected moments. Here are my picks for the Sweet Sixteen Winners:

Ohio State over Kentucky
UNC over Marquette
Duke over Arizona
UConn over SDSU
Kansas over Richmond
FSU over VCU
Butler over Wisconsin
Florida over BYU

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.

Thoughts with Quake/Tsunami Victims

Sunset from the Grand Wailea
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Quite a tragedy unfolding in Japan hope for the best for that country and all involved. Thankfully that country, unlike Haiti a few years ago, has very stringent and thorough building requirements and that has certainly prevented it from being an even greater tragedy. This was a massively strong earthquake. I am hoping that no one was hurt in Hawaii and that the damage was minimal. It sounds like Kihei had some flooding. This photo was taken in Wailea a week and a half ago, I'd imagine the waves probably made it up to the spot it was taken from.

Maui Recap

Whale Watching
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

We got back from Maui 5 days ago - tough to go from sunny and 82 to Oregon in February and to go from a life of leisure to a life of routine. We had a great time swimming and relaxing. Aside from those activities we fit in time to attend a luau, go zip-lining, tour a plantation, visit the Maui Ocean Center, attending a luau and going whale watching. Maui seems like it could be home for us someday - life moves slower there - the sun is always shining and the sight of water brings me a sense of peace.

Soccer Practice

Soccer Practice
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks

Evie has been taking at soccer class at the park and rec center. I think daddy enjoys it more than her but she has for the most part participated and is one of only two girls. She appears to be fairly coordinated and likes sports. Her biggest area of improvement probably is that she will pick the ball up with her hands a lot. Four year old soccer is pretty funny - I'd compare it to the herding cats. The coaches have to have a lot of patience . . . off to Maui in two days!