Random Thoughts...

On the upcoming NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament:

• There is no clear cut favorite this year.  It will be an extremely difficult year to fill out a bracket.
• The tournament field this year is unbelievably weak.  There has been talk of six Atlantic 10 teams making the tournament this season. SIX!  Are you serious?
• Senior leadership is hard to find.  The only team in the Top 5 that has significant senior leadership is newly #1 Kansas.
• I have an absolute man-crush on Scottie Reynolds.  I'm still not sure why, but I find it very hard to pick against him.  In my opinion, he is the best point guard in the nation.  (I have seen mock drafts that have him being drafted in the second round.  NBA teams are crazy!)
• Evan Turner is an absolute monster.  Turner is leading the Big Ten in points and rebounds and is second in assists and steals.  And he has played half of this season after BREAKING HIS BACK!  He returned from a broken back and might have been ever better than before he got injured.
• The Big Ten is scary good.  (I don't care if I am biased.  They are.) 
• Ohio State is seriously dangerous with a great supporting cast along with Turner. 
• I would love to talk about Purdue, but they won't be the same team without Hummel. 
• As always, Michigan State will be a threat to reach the Final Four with their typically talented and well-coached team. 
• Wisconsin will be a tough out this year with Trevon Hughes in the backcourt and Jon Leuer back from injury.  (Leuer's injury was a blessing in disguise for this team because role palyers like Jordan Taylor and Keaton Nankivil learned how to step-up into bigger roles.)
• The Pac 10 is scary bad.  They don't deserve more than one team in the tournament, but because of the weak field they might get two.
• The mascot of Coastal Carolina University is the Chanticleer.  What is a Chanticleer?  A chanticleer's origins can be found in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.  A Chanticleer is a proud and fierce rooster that protects the barnyard.  Figured you wanted to know.