Let The Fun Begin

The full onslaught of March Madness and bracketeering begins on this very day, the Thursday that is also St. Patrick’s Day. On the issue of adult beverages, then, it is fair to assume that most will consume. Me? I’m raising a glass to the teams seeded 16th in the NCAA Tournament.

Whether by luck, pluck or skill, the No. 16 seeds overcame big odds in just getting to the tournament and the NCAA makes sure the chances of them going further are nearly impossible. They are matched against the No. 1 seeds and no 16th seed has ever beaten a top seed. Upsets give the tournament its unique flavor, but you won’t see any in these matches.

So here’s to Holy Cross, which beat Southern in a play-in game in Dayton, Ohio on Wednesday night and takes its 15-19 record to Spokane, Washington, to play Oregon (28-6) on Friday. And here’s to Austin Peay (Let’s Go Peay!!!) and its 18-17 mark, which will face mighty Kansas (28-6) in Des Moines, Iowa. Nice knowing you, Governors.

Florida Gulf Coast, another play-in winner, gets the reward of playing North Carolina on Thursday night. The Eagles are 21-13, the Tar Heels 28-6. Watch the Eagles fly back to Florida in time for spring break.

Lastly, there is Hampton (21-10) playing Virginia (26-7) in Raleigh, N.C. Virginia’s seven losses are by a combined 21 points and include defeats at the hands of Duke, Miami and North Carolina – all tournament teams from the ACC. The Pirates will not steal a win (you may insert your own Pirate joke here if you wish).

Upsets are bracket-busters, but upsets are fun. Just don’t expect them to come from the No. 16 seeds. Not much grows from these seeds.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman