Bracketology time!

So the brackets have come out. The fields of 64 (or 65 on the men's side) have been set in stone and now comes the in depth analysis you've come to expect from me on a semi-regular basis:

I don't have a fucking clue. Honestly, nothing would surprise me this year, especially on the men's side. This could be the year that all four #1 seeds make it to the final four. This could be the year that a #16 seed finally beats a #1 seed. UConn ended up as a 4 seed, which seemed a little high given their end of season disappointment, but this is also a team that won 13 of its last 16 games, so whatever. On a selfish note, I want North Carolina to do well, as it gives me more opportunities to see Tyler Hansbrough do his "I'm a goofy white boy but I still kind of kick ass at basketball dance" seen here:



On the women's side, a lot of time was spent analyzing whether Stanford was hosed by being the #2 seed out west behind #1 Maryland. Head coach Tara VanDerveer gave the diplomatic answer saying she was just happy to be there and hoped to have the opportunity to play Maryland for the right to reach the Final Four. I imagine UConn coach Geno Auriemma would have had a different reaction. What it all comes down to is...does it really make a difference if you switch Stanford and Maryland? Either way, Stanford and Maryland would probably have to play one another to make the Final Four, and the difference between #4 Vandy versus #3 Baylor in a potential Sweet 16 matchup is pretty negligible. Sometimes the perceived slights the analysts try to wrench out of the brackets are just a bunch of noise. If Stanford is able to use this as motivation to whoop some ass, good for them.

On a more analytical note, the Tennessee Volunteers are still the defending national champions, and they still have Candace Parker. Look for them to repeat if you're filling out a women's bracket.

Finally, a quick shout out to Cornell athletics who became the first Ivy League school ever to represent their league in both the Men's and Women's NCAA tournament. Here's to you you fucking cheaters!