And Then There Were Four

I am Orso'Grande.

Two weeks ago, 65 teams who had won their conferences, or been selected by the NCAA Men's Basketball Committee, began this year's tournament. Duke, Texas, Memphis, UConn, Tennessee, Villanova and Ohio State geared up for a run at the national championship. Georgetown, Syracuse, Pitt, Gonzaga, Washington, Michigan State, Arizona and Boston College plotted upsets. Monmouth, Air Force, Belmont, Iona and Southern were honored to be here.

Then Monmouth won more games that Syracuse. And the Big East, ACC, Big Twelve and Big 10 slowly slunk out of town.

If you'd told me two weeks ago that UCLA would make it to Indianapolis, I'd have told you (sorry, Hired Hand) that that wasn't impossible, but it wasn't particularly likely. But if you'd told me that they'd be joined in the Final Four by LSU, Florida, and George Mason, I'd have told you to adjust your medication.

No number 1 seeds are left. Only one number 2 seed (UCLA) made it. The wise men of college hoops had decreed Florida no better than tied for 9th best in the country, and (so far as they really thought much about it at all), knew that of the 65 teams invited to play, at least 40 of them were better than George Mason, a number 11 seed.

Wow!

Only three games remain this season. Here's what I think about Saturday's semifinals:

Florida vs. George Mason (6:07 p.m.): Jai Lewis will handle Noah and Flordia's big boys down low. The magic continues.


LSU v. UCLA (approx. 8:47 p.m.): Big Baby Davis is too big, too althletic, too quick, too much for UCLA.