Every year there are a few teams that everyone loves, but ultimately have no shot. This year there are three in my opinion.

Michigan

 

The Wolverines are 3-4 vs the Top 25 and 6-6 in the past 12. They haven't won more than two in a row in two months, and they still have Trey Burke running the show. Burke is like a smaller, less athletic JR Smith. He IS an irrational confidence guy. Even that the collegiate level his confidence is irrational. The only case you can make is that he's the only guy willing to jack shots on that team. Most of the rest of them probably realize hey Trey takes enough bad shots for the whole lot of us so we should probably lay off a bit. He can't be fun to play with. He is the kid you played with and couldn't stand. The one that would jack a three up when you were wide open in the corner. Not only did he not see you, he did not care to try and find you. He can't handle winning if he isn't the #1 guy. It's going to be a shame for his friends and family when he is out of the NBA in a few short years.

 

 

Florida

 

The SEC was really weak this year having just three teams in the tourney, yet they let Ole Miss shock them in the championship game. You may read that they had a top 5 defense, but feel free to look up their schedule this year and see for yourself all the high powered offenses they have played this year. Wisconsin? Marquette? Arizona? Watch out.

 

We will find out rather quickly how good their defense is. They square off in round 1 against the highest scoring team in the nation, Northwestern State. Which is strangely enough located in Louisiana. I watched them win their conference title in which they scored just 68 points over Stephen F Austin. But that was a team that was A. The best defense in the country (let alone merely top 5 like Florida) and a team that hadn't allowed 70 points in their past, 62 now 63 games. They didn't get to 70 but they had 68 and control of the game with about 90 seconds left and they got the job done. They didn't need 70.

 

Florida is going to feel like they are drowning in round one. Never mind if they have to square off with Tubby Smith and the Golden Gophers. However they do win and somehow UCLA beats Minnesota, then please for the good of yourself and your loved ones, bet a paycheck on whoever plays them in the Sweet 16.

 

 

Wisconsin

 

They do not turn it over and can play defense, but they can not shoot and can not score. They rely on their defense creating offense as well as their bigs getting second opportunity buckets. But when pitted against a team that can rebound as well or better than them? They are screwed. Ole Miss has heart, Wisconsin always busts early. They are going down in round one and if not, Kansas State will clean them off their windshield early.

 

mlz

Monday, March 18, 2013