MARCH MADNESS: Bracketology: Final Chapter
Here's our fun, final look at our NCAA tournament bracket--if there had been one.
We hit 68 of 68 last season and say with reasonable confidence that this could have made it two years in a row of perfection.
We will even fill out the bracket for you, with winners and losers. Who says the games have to stop?
EAST (New York City)
At Cleveland, Ohio
1. Dayton
16. Robert Morris-NC Central winner
8. Texas Tech
9. Utah State
At Spokane, Washington
5. Butler
12. Liberty
4. Wisconsin
13. Hofstra
At St. Louis, Missouri
6. West Virginia
11. Texas/Cincinnati winner
3. Creighton
14. Yale
At Tampa, Florida
7. Penn State
10. Florida
2. FSU
15. Boston University
SOUTH (Houston, Texas)
At St. Louis, Missouri
1. Kentucky
16. Prairie View-Siena winner
8. Colorado
9. Michigan
At Albany, New York
5. Ohio State
12. UCLA
4. Villanova
13. Vermont
At Greensboro, North Carolina
6. Virginia
11. Arizona State
3. Maryland
14. North Dakota State
At Omaha, Nebraska
7. Providence
10. USC
2. Baylor
15. Arkansas-Little Rock
MIDWEST (Indianapolis)
At Omaha, Nebraska
1. Kansas
16. Winthrop
8. Saint Mary's
9. Marquette
At Tampa, Florida
5. Iowa
12. Belmont
4. Auburn
13. Bradley
At Greensboro, North Carolina
6. Arizona
11. Richmond/Indiana winner
3. Duke
14. New Mexico State
At Cleveland, Ohio
7. Houston
10. East Tennessee
2. Michigan State
15. Akron
WEST (Los Angeles)
At Spokane, Washington
1. Gonzaga
16. Eastern Washington
8. Illinois
9. Oklahoma
At Sacramento, California
5. Louisville
12. SF Austin
4. Oregon
13. North Texas
At Albany, New York
6. BYU
11. NC State
3. Seton Hall
14. UC-Irvine
At Sacramento, Calif.
7. LSU
10. Rutgers
2. San Diego State
15. Northern Kentucky
The Tournament
East
In games played in Cleveland, No. 1 seed Dayton has no problem handling Robert Morris--a first round winner over NC Central--in its opener and breezes into the Regional semifinals in New York City with a win over stubborn Utah State--a winner over struggling Texas Tech in its opener.
Awaiting the Flyers is a surging Wisconsin team, which knocked off Hofstra and upset minded Liberty--a 12 vs. 5 winner over Butler in its first round game in Spokane.
The bottom half of the East draw is filled with a dangerous Big East team in Creighton--a first round winner over Ivy champ Yale and a second round winner against West Virginia, which won its opening game against play in winner Cincinnati.
The other team in the East Regional is ACC champ Florida State, which romped past Boston University and Florida in its two games.
Dayton takes care of Wisconsin in its Atlantic 10-Big Ten Showdown in Madison Square Garden, but can't deal with the talent and size of FSU, which has also knocked off Creighton in the semifinals.
Regional Champ: FSU
South
Kentucky, which played its way to the No. 1 seed in the South by winning the SEC conference in Nashville rolls to a pair of easy wins in St. Louis over Prairie View and Michigan, which earns the Wildcats a trip to Houston.
Waiting is another Wildcat team--Big East power Villanova, which likes to play NCAA games in March and April almost as much as Kentucky.
Coach Jay Wright's team clubbed Vermont and Ohio State in its first two games in Albany, but the Wildcats from Lexington are a different breed.
The other two teams making it to Houston are super hot and super dangerous Virginia, which stymies both Arizona State and North Dakota State-a first round upset winner over Maryland and Baylor, which has suddenly discovered its game face.
The Bears are fuming from losing to Kansas again in the Big 12 tournament and dropping to the No. 2 line. But they are back in sync with an easy win over Arkansas-Little Rock and a tough win over Providence, a surprise Big East tournament winner.
Baylor solves Virginia's defense, but can not handle Kentucky's talent and Coach Cal's coaching prowess.
Regional champ: Kentucky
Midwest Regional
Kansas is the top-seed and No. 1 ranked and the Jayhawks are as good as advertised. Another Big 12 title sets them up for easy opening wins over Winthrop and Saint Mary's in Omaha.
They then cruise into Indianapolis to find an Iowa team that has won the Big Ten tournament and on a roll with Player of the Year contender Luke Garza carrying them.
Coach Fran McCaffrey's Hawkeyes coasted past Belmont and then won a shootout with Auburn to make it to Indy.
But Iowa can't match Kansas' firepower and loses its semifinal match up.
The bottom half of the bracket produced No. 2 seed Duke and No. 2 seed Michigan State who square off in a battle of coaching Blue Bloods in Coach K and Tom Izzo.
Duke wins this one, and ends its season the way it started, in a game against Kansas, which evens the score against the Blue Devils with a narrow victory.
Regional Champ: Kansas
West Regional
The wild, wild west has two legitimate geographical contenders, No. 1 seed Gonzga and No. 2 seed San Diego State.
Both will make it to the Sweet 16 in Los Angeles.
Gonzaga has a pair of scrimmage games in Spokane in the first two rounds with wins over Eastern Washington and Illinois.
The Zags hit turbulence in Los Angeles, where Louisville is just as talented and just as hungry.
The Zags dream comes to an end, leaving Louisville ready for anyone.
San Diego State, which was upset by Utah State in the Mountain West tournament, is ready to prove that it is No. 1 seed and more worthy.
The Aztecs get scared (overtime) against Northern Kentucky, but romp past LSU, which comes in over-confident after the Tigers post a double digit win over Rutgers, which quickly learns that Sacramento is 3,000 miles from the cozy confines of the RAC.
In LA, San Diego State finds a familar foe in BYU, which is anticipating a rubber match against Gonzaga.
BYU took care of NC State and Seton Hall in Albany, but San Diego State is a different matter.
San Diego State vs. Louisville is one of the fun match ups of the tournament, with the Aztecs prevailing.
Regional Champ: San Diego State
Final Four in Atlanta: Florida State over Kansas, Kentucky over San Diego State
National champion: Kentucky
What might have been.