Coffee Break Bracketology '06

It's officially March Madness, and everyone is running around, placing bets and making their opinions known about who they feel is going to make the Final Four. So, I decided, "Why not publish MY picks for the Final Four?" And so, without further ado, these are the four teams I feel will be left standing after 5 rounds of play in the NCAA Tournament:

1) Villanova
2) Illinois
3) Pittsburgh
4) Syracuse

WHAT?! No Duke?! No UConn?! Damn skippy. Of the four number 1 seeds in the tourney, the only one I think that will actually make it to the Final Four are the Villanova Wildcats. I think UConn, with all the hype they've been getting, will collapse and lose to Dee Brown and the incredible Fighting Illini in the Sweet 16. As for Duke, my man G-Mac and company will take out the Blue Devils and show the world that 'Cuse is in the house.

Yeah, I know I'm biased. So what?!

I know my pics are a bit... "unpopular." But, given the trends in college basketball, the teams that all the pundits have selected to win it all usually choke at some point. And, c'mon, I can't leave Cuse out of it. It would be a sin for me to fill out my brackets without placing Syracuse in the Final Four.

I guess we'll see next week whether or not my picks for the tournament actually vindicate me.