March 18
"Brackets"

In the Chicago O'Hare Airport this morning, I saw a man straining over his NCAA bracket at 7:30am as he was putting his finishing touches on the South Region. He had Texas beating Pitt to go to the Final Four. I told him I thought UT and Pitt would match up in that regional final too! I loved the way Pitt battled in the Big East Tournament. They won four games in four days, beating favored Georgetown in the finals! Their defense was awesome and their toughness was evident. UT played a classic game vs. Kansas in the Big 12 Final. I think Pitt and Texas are on a collision course in the tournament.

A few Memphis fans sent me e-mails after I said on Sporting News radio two weeks ago that I felt "UNC, UCLA, Kansas, Duke and maybe even Texas" were the teams I felt had the best chances to go to the Final Four and that Memphis was in the "second tier" of schools that had a chance to travel to San Antonio. I think they felt I was calling Memphis a "second-tier school", which I wasn't. I just feel that UNC, UCLA and Kansas, especially, have the depth and talent to go all the way. Those three schools also have very good consistent shooters and interior scoring. These are areas which may come to hurt Memphis in the NCAA's.

What are my predictions?

Stay tuned!

Coach Doh