You can view it here. And though I haven’t looked into next year’s rosters, and really have no clue who’s going to be good and who isn’t, I find it odd that they put UNC as the No. 3 team under the assumption that Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson return. If that’s the case, Danny Green and Tyler Hansboro will be the only players gone, Marcus Ginyard will be back, and Ed Davis will take over for Tyler Hansboro, and he showed in this tournament that he can definitely handle the load.

Anyway, enjoy the preseason, way too early top 25. It is what I thought it was.

[Rivals]

If you watched the first five minutes of last night’s game, then you already know the end result: Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansboro and Wayne Ellington were just unstoppable. Danny Green and Deon Thompson, they hit shots when they needed to. All together, MSU just couldn’t get anything going.

The Tar Heels jumped off to an early lead, and had 55 points posted by halftime, a NCAA Finals record. Ty Lawson had 21 points to lead the Tar Heels, dishing 6 dimes and getting a Finals record 8 steals. All in all, it was a game dominated by UNC, with MSU occasionally looking as if it was going to make a run in the second half, only to have those hopes dampered by another UNC three pointer or some second chance points off the board.

I’d have to go look to give a prediction for next year, but an early favorite of mine is Kansas. I’ll have a pre-season top 10 out at some point this week.

Tonight marks a very sad night: The end of the college hoops season, and the beginning of nothing but baseball and the NBA. Wheep, friends, wheep.

UNC and Michigan State tip off at 9:22 tonight in a game not many picked — I personally had UNC, but Louisville, who lost to MSU in the Elite 8, was the team I tabbed to play them. Vegas says UNC by 8, and given that UNC hasn’t had anyone play them within double digits, it may be a good bet.

I’m just hoping for a good game. It’s the last sporting event I’ll care about until the NFL Draft, so my hope is that it’s one that lingers for a while. I may chime in from time to time during the game, but will more than likely be drunk. Sorry.

UNC beat Oklahoma in a game where the Sooner didn’t look like they knew what to do when Blake Griffin didn’t carry them on his shoulders. Michigan State beat a Louisville team that just didn’t look like it knew it was doing, period.

UNC advances to play for in its second Final Four in as many years, where it will meet the feisty Villanova Wildcats, who needed a last second driving basket to sink Pitt in the waning moments.

In the first game this afternoon, Michigan State beatdown Louisville, who couldn’t dribble, couldn’t rebound, and couldn’t shoot. MSU hit big shot after big shot, and when they did happen to miss, one of their guys was there to grab the board.

Don’t be surprised to see UCONN and UNC in the finals. Right now, both teams just look too good to lose.

If you went through the bracket when they were first given, and you said, “You know what, I think I’m going to have the top 16 teams in the Sweet 16,” then you’re probably doing pretty well right now, given that Arizona and Wisconsin (both 12 seeds) are the only two “surprise” teams in there, if you can call them that.

The best game waiting in the flats? Mizzou and Memphis sure looks tasty, and I think watching guards play guards in Duke and Villanova will be fun. My original Final Four was Villanova, Mizzou, Louisville and UNC. If I had to go back and change it, I’d swap Mizzou out and insert Uconn, who’s been beating teams like they’re a high school Texas all girls team (it’s a hundred point reference, people).

The rest should be entertaining. The tournament resumes this Thursday.

…. everyone called in sick to work, even a mouse (yeah, couldn’t think of anything better than rhymed with house).

Tomorrow marks the madness, and it begins at 12:20, sharp, with Butler and LSU, then five minutes later kicks off the beating that will be Memphis and CS Northridge, and then five minutes after that we’ve got BYU and Texas A&M.

At 2:30 Purdue and Northern Iowa tip off, which should prove to be a very good game; UCLA and Virginia Commonwealth, thought to be another good one in the hopper, isn’t until after 9:00 p.m., same with Illinois and Western Kentucky, which might very well finish with an upset (if you can call W. Kentucky winning an upset).

All in all, it’ll be a good day. Call in sick to work, sit back, drink some beers (the doctor’s told me it’s a good way to cure the flu), and enjoy the first couple days of March Madness, which are surely two of the best days of sports. My Final Four: Missouri, Villanova, Louisville, UNC, with UNC beating Louisville in the title game. Enjoy the madness, everybody.

What a day it was. I would hvae written this a bit earlier, but a bit earlier I was a bit drunker. Anyway, here’s the recap of yesterday’s action, minus the Duke game (see below).

Kansas State 55, Wisconsin 72: When I filled out my bracket, I was this close to picking Wisconsin to the Final Four, and then backed out. Watching them dominate K-State the entire game yesterday, and watching Kansas struggle a bit, I’m wishing I went with my gut.

Purdue 78, Xavier 85: Purdue started strong, and Xavier started sloppy. The Boilermakers mounted a comeback in the end, but Drew Lavender and C.J. Anderson’s 18-point performances were too much to overcome.

Notre Dame 41, Washington State 61: I picked Notre Dame, falling for the Big East Irish hype. After a 19 point first half and 22 point second half, I was left scratching my head.

Marquette 81, Stanford 82: I was sweating watching this one. My bracket was falling apart before my eyes. The lanky guy for Stanford that sunk the game winning shot? Well, he’s my hero now. Really.

UNLV 56, Kansas 75: This game was actually kinda close, but Kansas has just got too much offense for the Runnin’ Rebels.

Michigan State 65, Pitt 54: Don’t be surprised if MSU makes it to the Final Four. I have them beating Memphis in the Sweet 16, and then losing to Texas in the Elite Eight, but if they made it, I wouldn’t be at all surprised.

Texas A&M 49, UCLA 53: I’m still sweating from this one. . . .