NCAA Survivor - 12/27

So we've dumped 21 teams on a continent somewhere west of the Canaries and east of Java. One team will ultimately survive in March. Our job is to narrow down the field before then. Here's the group so far...

Top Two Tiers
Duke
SU
UConn
Gonzaga
Michigan St
Villanova
Louisville
BC
Memphis
Oklahoma
Texas
Illinois
Wake
------
Maryland
Washington
Florida
West Virginia
UNC (in some sort of odd metamorphasis of the Ewing Factor)
Kensucky
Pitt
Ohio State

First, I'll respond to a couple e-mails I got on the subject. Interestingly, more than 66% of the e-mails I got were on St. Bonaventure.

The Bonnies aren't playing ranked teams or anything, but they still have more than doubled their 2004-05 win total with a 5-2 start, and in one of the losses, they fell by only five to West Virginia.
-A. Katz, Bristol, CT

Good point Andy, but you sound non-committal. Here's someone who was willing to go out on a limb for the Bon-Bons.

Dear Paul,

As I was viewing your 20 teams that made the list to possibly cut down the nets, I was stunned to see St. Bonaventure University not in there. The Bonnies are off to a 5-2 start with a dramatic loss to West Virginia in Rochester by 6 pts. 2 weeks earlier, West Virginia lost to #2 Texas by 1 or 2 points [Paul's note: 1 point]. Can anybody show St. Bonaventure the respect they deserve?

-Confused in Olean, Brian

Thanks for your input, but the Bonnies aren't even the best team in Western NY. For dodging the 9-1 Buffalo Bulls yet again, I refuse to consider them.

I went to a bank training and the guy I sat next to was the father of Seth Taylor who's a junior on Nevada. Nevada switched from Nike to Adidas this year and Seth's got a dozen 'old' Nikes (never worn 'old') he can't wear anymore. I'm a size 13, Seth's a size 13, and his dad is going to ship me out a pair soon. Nevada is pretty good. I saw them beat Kansas and lose to UCLA. They'll be a tough 7 seed in March.
-Mark A., Chicago, IL

Mark got his shoes, by the way. I'm holding out Nevada. They're not as good as they were 2 years ago when they made the elite 8 as a 10 or a 7 seed.


OK, let's run down some of the team's I've followed recently. Mostly it's just been positive reinforcement. For this session, we'll focus on The Man. To win the championship, you must have one guy who can be The Man, when everything else is going to hell.

Wake Forest (9-2): I caught their loss to DePaul, but what I saw was Eric Williams doing everything he could to keep the Deacons in the game. He's The Man, but he's not even their best scorer or their best rebounder. Keep them on the continent.

Memphis (10-1) and Gonzaga (9-3): Just watched this great matchup. Fyall commented that Gonzaga is like a bizarro version of Nolan Richardson. "40 minutes of offensive hell." In this one, they only had 37 minutes in them. But to play that well on the road against one of the most athletic teams in the country says a lot. Adam Morrison is The Man. Memphis has some big boys in the middle, and Rodney Carney might be their best player, but Darius Washington is The Man. Both these teams can win it all.

Texas (9-2): I was willing to keep them in after the Duke debacle, but you've got to have the moxy to bounce right back from a loss like that, especially against a team that is the caliber of Tennessee (who lost to OK St. who lost to Northwestern St.). Aldridge is the Horns' best player, but he isn't special enough to carry them when they really need him. Kick em off the list!

So here's what we're left with as the conference season approaches:

Top Two Tiers
Duke
SU
UConn
Gonzaga
Michigan St
Villanova
Louisville
Memphis
Illinois
Washington
------
Oklahoma
Maryland
Florida
West Virginia
UNC (in some sort of odd metamorphasis of the Ewing Factor)
Kensucky
Pitt
Ohio State (Thad Matta Factor)
Wake
BC


Down to 20!. If you want to weigh in, do so by writing pa451@yahoo.com.

Next time on NCAA Survivor...
"Gerry McNamara is The Man!!"