Final Fortune-tellers

March has arrived—with a blizzard to boot! It's also time to look to the court and let the madness begin. For this week's blog picks, I'm throwing down the gauntlet: make your picks for the Final Four. (In men's basketball, Handwerk, not Premier League semifinals!!!).

The winner gets bragging rights, and the ever-so-valuable extra chip the next time we play poker. — John


The 4 teams I like to go the farthest in the NCAA tournament are Oklahoma (my pick to win it all), Kansas (best coach in college hoops), UNC and Pitt. Not sure on the Final Four until the brackets come out since these teams may be placed in the same regions.

Sleepers are Butler and Washington.
Out early: Villanova, Xavier and every Big Ten team.

Great time of year. — Dave


Dave,
Good idea making at least one sleeper pick. Something tells me it pains you too much to pick a certain Jesuit university to reach the Final Four. I'm talking Gonzaga—what, were you thinking St. Joe's???? — John


As Dave wrote… a tough task without knowing who’s going to end up in which region, but alas, my final 4 picks: UConn, Pitt, Oklahoma, Kansas.

Sleepers: Creighton, LSU

Slugs: Clemson, Missouri, Marquette—Kurt


Hey,

Tough tasks—that's our business, gentlemen, and that's why a throng of 7 follow our deep thoughts (8 if we accidentally include Gray on an e-mail).

I'm going off the board for my first pick: Gonzaga, not as a sleeper pick, but one I think will make it and shouldn't be considered a sleeper anymore. Gonzaga is one of only nine schools to have reached each of the past nine NCAA Tournaments, and is the only school not from a major conference to do so. (Thank you, Wikipedia). The Zags have also been to three Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight since 1999—it's breakthrough time. Plus they have the talent to do it.

My other three picks: An ACC team (North Carolina), and two Big East teams (UConn and Louisville). My sleepers: Arizona and Xavier. The duds: All SEC teams (particularly Tennessee) and Duke (3 total wins in the last 3 NCAA tourneys). — John


My Final Four: UNC, Duke, Wake, Miami .... wait a second, you probably meant the NCAA tourney, right? My bad. I thought we were to pick the ACC Final Four. Sorry.

NCAA Final Four: UNC, UConn, Memphis, Oklahoma

Home by 3/23 (if not sooner): Duke, Mich St.

Wearing a glass slipper (makes it to Elite 8): Butler — Phil


Ouch, picking UNC over good ol' Wake—that had to hurt. — John


Final four what? How about Samuel Adams Lager, Blue Moon, Guinness, and Molson.

Sleepers: Riverhorse, Labatts

Might as well be water: Coors Light

Sorry guys, without the brackets I'm lost. — Troy V. of Yardley