By Robert Weiler
So far, so good.
With two rounds in the books, March Madness has lived up to its reputation. Outside of a legitimate buzzer-beater win, everything you could hope for has come to fruition. No. 1 seeds have had to battle, Davids have beaten Goliaths, a 12th seeded team is wearing the glass slipper and the guy or girl who knew the least about any of the teams is in the lead of your bracket pool.
And what?s even better is that the best basketball has yet to happen. Now that the Rajin? Cajuns, Purple Eagles and other crazy mascots are gone and best of the best have proven themselves, the road to the Final Four will provide as much human drama as ?The Amazing Race.?
If you didn?t completely clear your schedule for the next four days, you would be wise to set aside a few hours to watch some of the more intriguing games that will be the topic of conversation around the water cooler.
Utah vs. Kentucky: As much as Utah would like to believe that the history between these two doesn?t play into this game, it does. Rick Majerus might be gone, and the Utes beat Kentucky back in 1947, but Ashley Judd?s beloved Wildcats have taken the last five tournament meetings, including the championship 1998 championship game.
Then again, Utah has never had a player like Andrew Bogut and Kentucky doesn?t have the All-American players like before. Curses can be broken. Just ask Red Sox fans. I?m still sticking with my battered and tarnished bracket though and taking Kentucky in this one. Look forward to another Duke-Kentucky instant classic in the Elite Eight.
Texas Tech vs. West Virginia: The big name here is Bobby Knight (although if you?ve seem him lately, you?d think his name is Bobby O?Reilly Auto Parts). It?s a wonder why the only people who saw these teams making a run were the ones making their selections based on mascots.
Each made great runs in their conference tournaments and played some of the toughest schedules in the NCAA. The winner of this game also has the best chance of a sleeper team to crack the Final Four with a win over Washington or Louisville.
Oklahoma State vs. Arizona: The Chicago bracket provide the two best games overall with the only No. 2 and No. 3 seeds left in the same region squaring off and the best team in the tournament facing the biggest surprise of the tournament when Illinois and Wisconsin-Milwaukee collide. The Cowboys and Wildcats should be a fantastic coaching duel between Lute Olson and Eddie Sutton, two of college basketball?s biggest names.
The best game of them all is still pending, but a North Carolina vs. North Carolina State regional final would be a selection committee?s dream come true. Instate rivalry games in the NCAA Tournament happen about as often as Blackboard functions properly.
This is what the phrase ?Must See TV? is all about.