NCAA Tournament Tip-off Time Approacheth...

... and with apologies to Mike and Mike, here is my version of the SHEET... OF INTEGRITY!

EAST REGIONAL
FIRST ROUND
(1) Kentucky over (16) East Tennessee State
(9) Wake Forest over (8) Texas
(5) Temple over (12) Cornell
(4) Wisconsin over (13) Wofford
(6) Marquette over (11) Washington
(3) New Mexico over (14) Montana
(10) Missouri over (7) Clemson
(2) West Virginia over (15) Morgan State
SECOND ROUND
Kentucky over Wake Forest
Temple over Wisconsin
New Mexico over Marquette
West Virginia over Missouri
SWEET 16
Kentucky over Temple
West Virginia over New Mexico
ELITE 8
West Virginia over Kentucky

I think Kentucky relies too heavily on freshmen... and John Calipari is a sleazebag. WVU's Bob Huggins isn't much better, but at least his clothes are rumpled.

SOUTH REGIONAL
FIRST ROUND
(1) Duke over (16) Arkansas-Pine Bluff
(9) Louisville over (8) California
(12) Utah State over (5) Texas A&M
(13) Siena over (4) Purdue
(11) Old Dominion over (6) Notre Dame
(3) Baylor over (14) Sam Houston State
(7) Richmond over (10) St. Mary's
(2) Villanova over (15) Robert Morris
SECOND ROUND
Duke over Louisville
Utah State over Siena
Baylor over Old Dominion
Villanova over Richmond
SWEET 16
Duke over Utah State
Baylor over Villanova
ELITE 8
Baylor over Duke

How could I possibly pick ND to lose in the first round? Old Dominion plays exactly the same slow-tempoed game and has been winning with that style for far longer than ND. I have a bad feeling that ND emptied its tank during the drive to get to the tournament and may fall victim to "happy to be here" syndrome.

MIDWEST REGIONAL
FIRST ROUND
(1) Kansas over (16) Lehigh
(9) Northern Iowa over (8) UNLV
(5) Michigan State over (12) New Mexico State
(4) Maryland over (13) Houston
(11) San Diego State over (6) Tennessee
(3) Georgetown over (14) Ohio University
(10) Georgia Tech over (7) Oklahoma State
(2) Ohio State over (15) California-Santa Barbara
SECOND ROUND
Kansas over Northern Iowa
Maryland over Michigan State
Georgetown over San Diego State
Ohio State over Georgia Tech
SWEET 16
Kansas over Maryland
Ohio State over Georgetown
ELITE 8
Kansas over Ohio State

The biggest shock of the tournament would be if Kansas lost anytime before the Elite 8. In fact, I think that their toughest game may come in the second round against Northern Iowa.

WEST REGIONAL
FIRST ROUND
(1) Syracuse over (16) Vermont
(8) Gonzaga over (9) Florida State
(5) Butler over (12) Texas-El Paso
(13) Murray State over (4) Vanderbilt
(6) Xavier over (11) Minnesota
(3) Pittsburgh over (14) Oakland (Mich.)
(10) Florida over (7) Brigham Young
(2) Kansas State over (15) North Texas
SECOND ROUND
Gonzaga over Syracuse
Butler over Murray State
Xavier over Pittsburgh
Kansas State over Florida
SWEET 16
Butler over Gonzaga
Kansas State over Xavier
ELITE 8
Kansas State over Butler

Nicky insists that Syracuse (with its center out with injury) will lose to Vermont. I can't bring myself to predict that but I'd be surprised if they survived the first weekend. I also think that Butler is a lot better than most people think and this is their year to make a run at the Final 4.

FINAL 4
West Virginia over Baylor
Kansas over Kansas State
NATIONAL TITLE GAME
Kansas over West Virginia

Kansas has the best team by far. The Jayhawks are a pretty safe pick in my mind.