November 27, 2006

College Basketball Sweet 16 - Ending 11/26/06

Antonio Graves has Pittsburgh out to an undefeated record.What a week and the season is just getting started. We are going to have a treat with the ACC - Big Ten Challenge this week, but there is no beating last week's fun.

You had Butler, yes Butler winning the pre-season NIT. You had losses by Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and LSU, four teams that are expected to not only be in the Sweet Sixteen this season, but should be fighting to get into Atlanta and the Final Four.

Plus, I think we saw the emergence of some of those teams on the fringe from last year - Marquette beating Duke, Syracuse remaining undefeated, Maryland continuing to roll.

The first thing you will notice is that I didn't drop Florida far after they lost to Kansas. If you watched the game, you know why. You have to give your all against Florida for 40 minutes, and 45 if you are Kansas. Otherwise, there is too much talent and too many options for that Gator team. They can turn on you in a second. And don't forget, they had two chances at the end to win it, although I might argue with Corey Brewer's shot selection on the first one.

I am also giving recognition to Butler with my #16 team this week. Butler did a lot to get through a very stacked NIT field. And they went home the next day and won in double overtime against Kent State. That is after being taken to the limit by Tennessee and Gonzaga in New York. If anything, that is good training for the NCAA tournament and the quick turnaround between games.

My Sweet 16:

  1. Pittsburgh

  2. UCLA

  3. Ohio State

  4. Memphis

  5. Florida

  1. North Carolina
  2. Washington
  3. LSU
  4. Wisconsin
  5. Marquette

  6. Syracuse

  7. Alabama

  8. Kansas

  9. Arizona

  10. Maryland

  11. Butler


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

Posted by bmiraski at 12:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 20, 2006

2006-7 College Basketball Sweet 16

Taurean Green is a big reason why the Gators are picking up where they left off last season.College basketball season officially kicks off tonight in the minds of many people. Maui is always a spectacle to see. It attracts the best teams year after year, and has constantly provided the perfect atmosphere for upsets (Think Chaminade over a #1 Virginia squad in 1982).

With that in mind, we have had games for a few weeks now, and it is time for me to weigh in on what I think are the top teams in college basketball. Each week, I will rank my Sweet 16 based on the games through the previous Sunday. Remember, this is my brain, not the MRI here.

My Sweet 16:

  1. Florida

  2. Pittsburgh

  3. North Carolina

  4. Wisconsin

  5. LSU

  1. UCLA
  2. Ohio State
  3. Memphis
  4. Washington
  5. Syracuse
  6. Duke
  7. Alabama
  8. Arizona
  9. Texas
  10. Maryland
  11. Georgetown

How do I leave Kansas out? Easy. They have lost two many players over the first few weeks of the season, and they have a tough loss to Oral Roberts. I would have them in the top 25, but right now, not the top 16.


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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