Moni's 2018 NCAA Women's B-Ball Bracket

Since it's Women's History Month, I also show love to the women's NCAA ballers and do a bracket for their tournament as well.  Since 2008 I've done a bracket for the NCAA women's tournament, and had much better results (6-4) thanks in large part to UConn's sustained excellence.

These are my 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 , 2014, 2015 TransGriot NCAA women's tournament brackets.here   In 2016 I only got one of the Women's Final Four teams correct, but it was the right one in the eventual national champion UConn Huskies.

In 2015 I correctly predicted the NCAA women's title game, and I've also correctly picked all four women's NCAA Final Four teams in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2015.

Last year I got half of the 2017 NCAA women's championship game correct.   Like everyone else that watches women's collegiate basketball I was not anticipating UConn going down in the semis to an on a roll Mississippi State team and picked UConn over eventual surprise champ South Carolina.

So who will be cutting down the championship nets in Columbus?   Good question.   Time to answer who I think it will be. 


Albany Regional
First Round
UConn, Miami (FL), Duke, Georgia, South Florida, Florida State, California, South Carolina

Second Round
UConn,  Duke, Florida State, South Carolina

Sweet 16
UConn, South Carolina

Albany Regional Champion
UConn
 

Kansas City Regional
First Round
Mississippi State, Syracuse, Maryland, NC State, Iowa, UCLA, Arizona State, Texas

Second Round
Mississippi State, Maryland, UCLA, Texas

Sweet 16
Mississippi State, Texas

Kansas City Regional Champ
Mississippi State 

Lexington Regional
First Round
Louisville, Marquette , Missouri, Stanford, Oregon State, Tennessee, Michigan State, Baylor

Second Round
Louisville, Stanford, Tennessee, Baylor

Sweet 16
Louisville, Baylor

Lexington Regional Champion
Louisville

Spokane Regional
First Round
Notre Dame, Villanova, DePaul, Texas A&M, LSU, Ohio State,  Minnesota, Oregon

Second Round
Notre Dame, Texas A&M, LSU, Oregon

Sweet 16
Notre Dame, LSU

Spokane Regional Champion
Notre Dame


Final Four
UConn, Mississippi State, Louisville, Notre Dame

Championship Game
UConn,  Louisville

2018 NCAA Women's Champion
UConn 

Moni's 2018 NCAA Men's B-Ball Bracket

It's that time of year again, and once again as I've done since 2007, I'm posting a NCAA men's tournament bracket for y'all to peruse and pick apart.   2015 has been the only year I didn't do a bracket, frankly because that year I was too busy to properly do it.

And for the first time since 2010, I finally get to see my alma mater play in the Big Dance, and it may not be a one and done appearance either.

UH lost in the AAC title game 56-55 (boo hiss) to Cincinnati, but doesn't take away the fact they have had one of their best seasons since I was walking the campus and Phi S;lama Jama was slam dunking their way to three straight NCAA finals appearances

The last time the UH Cougars won an NCAA tournament game was in that 1984 Final Four in the Kingdome against Virginia, so we're way overdue for a tournament win.

This year's Final Four, thanks to SB 6 being killed twice (you're welcome) is in San Antonio. 
And yes Texas conservafools, it's more evidence of the Lone Star State getting nice things when we don't pass unjust legislation.

I got the NCAA Men's Champion right last year, and that evens my all time record to 5-5.

Here's the previous NCAA men's brackets for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 , 2016 and 2017 

And now, my 2018 NCAA men's bracket

First Four Games
Radford, UCLA, Texas Southern, Syracuse 

South Regional 
First Round 
Virginia, Kansas State, Kentucky, Arizona, Miami (FL), Tennessee, Nevada, Cincinnati  

Second Round
Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Cincinnati

Sweet 16
Virginia, Cincinnati 

South Regional Champion
Virginia


West Regional
First Round
Xavier, Missouri, Ohio State, Gonzaga, Houston , Michigan, Texas A&M, North Carolina

Second Round
Xavier, Gonzaga, Houston, North Carolina

Sweet 16
Xabier, North Carolina

West Regional Champ
North Carolina 

East Regional
First Round
Villanova, Alabama, West Virginia, Wichita State, Florida, Texas tech, Arkansas, Purdue

Second Round
Villanova, Wichita State, Florida, Purdue

Sweet 16
Villanova, Purdue

East Regional Champ
Purdue 

Midwest Regional 
First  Round
Kansas, Seton Hall, Clemson, Auburn, TCU, Michigan State, Rhode Island, Duke

Second Round
Kansas, Auburn, Michigan State, Duke

Sweet 16
Auburn, Duke

Midwest Regional Champ
Duke 

Final Four
Virginia, North Carolina, Purdue, Duke

Championship Game
North Carolina, Duke

20
2018 NCAA Champion
North Carolina 

Moni's 2015 NCAA Women's B-Ball Bracket

As part of Women's History Month I started compiling in 2008 a women's NCAA tournament bracket, especially since I have a lot of women's sports fans and I think it's only fair that the NCAA women's ballers get the same kind of love I give the men.

Giving them more love this year because I got squeezed for time in doing my men's bracket.

Here's my 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 women's brackets.   I have only a 4-3 record in picking the eventual NCAA women's champion, but bear in mind I have correctly picked all four Women's Final Four teams in 2008, 2009 and 2012.

The Road to Tampa Bay starts March 20 , and who will be the team cutting down the nets on April 7?

Despite Geno Auriemma trying to downplay it, I and everybody else in America believes it'll be UConn getting their 3-peat, but they will have to work for it.

But then again, that's why we're playing this tournament.

Albany Region

First Round
Connecticut, Rutgers, Texas, California, LSU, Louisville, Iowa State, Kentucky

Second Round
Connecticut, Texas, Louisville, Kentucky

Elite Eight
Connecticut, Kentucky

Albany Region Champions
Connecticut

Spokane Region

First Round
Maryland, Princeton, Mississippi State, Duke, Gonzaga, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee

Second Round
Maryland, Duke, Oregon State, Tennessee

Elite Eight
Maryland, Tennessee

Spokane Region Champions
Maryland

Oklahoma City Region
First Round
Notre Dame, DePaul, Oklahoma, Stanford, Washington, Iowa, Northwestern, Baylor

Second Round
Notre Dame, Stanford, Iowa, Baylor

Elite Eight
Notre Dame, Baylor

Oklahoma City Region Champions
Notre Dame

Greensboro Region

First Round
South Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio State, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Florida State

Second Round
South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Florida State

Elite Eight
South Carolina, Texas A&M

Greensboro Region Champion
South Carolina

Final Four Teams
Connecticut, Maryland, Notre Dame, South Carolina



Championship Game
Connecticut, Notre Dame

2015 NCAA Champion
Connecticut

Moni's 2015 NCAA Men's B-Ball Prediction

I absolutely love March Madness except when they show video of a certain 1983 NCAA title game,. 

Since 2007 I have posted my NCAA men's brackets for the whole world to see.

Because my schedule has been so packed full of events combined with breaking news that had a must write about priority, just wasn't able to sit down long enough to put together my 2015 NCAA bracket post before the First Four games started on Tuesday.

Oh well, with all the upsets yesterday my 2015 bracket would have been trashed anyway.  And darn it, I'll be out of town when the South Regional Final happens at NRG Stadium March 29

And assuming our stupid azz GOP controlled state legislature doesn't pass any hate legislation, the NCAA Men's Final Four is scheduled to return to NRG Stadium in 2016.

Just in case you're curious, here's the brackets for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014

All I have time to do unfortunately is predict who will win the men's NCAA title this year when they cut down the nets in Indianapolis on April 6

That team will be undefeated Kentucky

Yep, I'm predicting that they will run the table, get those six tourney wins they need  and finish as the first undefeated.team since Indiana did so back in 1976.   Ironically this year's title game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Will the Cats do it?   We'll see as the 2015 edition of the NCAA tourney unfolds.

The Kentucky Basketball Hatetrix Reloaded

When I lived in Kentucky from 2001-2010, one of the more entertaining events for me next to Derby Week was watching the annual December basketball hatefest between the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals.

From the time I moved there in September 2001 until I left in May 2010 to come back to Texas I had the rabid fanbases of Cats and Cards Nations trying to get me to publicly declare whether I was a UK or Louisville fan.

They wanted me to choose to take either the blue Wildcat pill or the red Cardinal pill, but I managed to stay neutral during that time.

To be honest, the wall to wall coverage of that annual rivalry game is one of the things about the state I miss.

When I was setting up my 2014 NCAA men's tourney brackets, I noted the way they were set up, if both teams won their opening round games it would lead to a potential Sweet 16 clash between the current (Louisville) and last (Kentucky) NCAA champions to be played in Indianapolis. 

After the Wildcats narrow 78-76 tournament win yesterday over previously unbeaten Wichita State and defending NCAA champ Louisville knocking St. Louis out of the tournament with their 66-51 win to advance, we can take the word 'potential' out of that last paragraph and deal with the reality that the Kentucky basketball hatetrix has been reloaded.

It's Battle of the Bluegrass, Part II at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.  This time they are playing for higher stakes than just bragging rights as they did December 28 at Rupp Arena.  The Cats fans are already reminding the Cards fans of the 73-66 result of that December game, while the Cards fans are firing back it's all about what happens this Friday.   

And what it's all about is a trip to the NCAA tournament Elite Eight at their bitter basketball rival's expense. 

The bitterly disappointed loser will have a hour and a half long lament filled drive down I-65 south from Indianapolis back to Kentucky while the winner stays in Circle City and plays for a possible trip to the Jerrydome and the Final Four.

The Kentucky Basketball Hatetrix will ensure this is not going to be a quiet week along I-64 or at any job locations, homes, sports bars or churches in Louisville, Lexington or anywhere else in Kentucky this week.  

Moni's 2014 NCAA Women's B-Ball Bracket

Since it's Women's History Month and I do have a lot of women's sports fans who peruse this blog, ever since 2008 I have been posting on TransGriot an NCAA Women's basketball tournament bracket in honor of it. 

And frankly, the other reason I do so is to show the women NCAA ballers some love, too.  

The road to Nashville begins for 64 teams this Saturday with the Final Four being played April 6-8.  I'm only 3-3 in picking the women's NCAA champs, and you can see my results for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

But bear in mind TransGriot readers I have picked the women's Final Four teams correctly in 2008, 2009 and 2012.   

Prairie View A&M has to be wondering who they pissed off on the NCAA selection committee.  For the third consecutive year, winning the SWAC women's tournament championship gets them an opening round game against the number one overall seed.   In 2012 and 2013 they opened tournament play against Baylor and now they face an unbeaten UConn. In 2011 they opened tournament play against number one regional seeded Baylor. 

Last year I picked Baylor to repeat in what was Brittney Griner's senior season but Shoni Schimmel and Louisville had other ideas.

My fellow Taurus (we share the same May 4 birthday) her little sis Jude and her Cardinal teammates merrily bombed away from the three point line and fearlessly drove the lane with attitude against my imposing Houston homegirl Griner as the Cards shocked the basketball world and escaped with an 82-81 upset victory that trashed my bracket and ended Baylor's repeat bid. 

The Cardinals rode the wave of that ginormous Sweet 16 upset and the subsequent takedown of number 2 seeded Tennessee all the way to the NCAA title game that UConn won 93-60 to capture their 8th NCAA women's title.

Well, Shoni's back for her senior season along with her little sis and Da Ville.  The Cardinals are not only motivated by that title game thumping, but like the menz are pissed off about their seeding.  They are also playing to get to their home arena the KFC Yum Center.  

Defending champs UConn enter this tournament undefeated  (34-0) and the number one overall seed.  UConn is not only determined to repeat and win their 9th NCAA title, this Huskies team wants to join the others in UConn women's b-ball history as the fifth to do so with a zero in the loss column.  

Stanford has been an NCAA elite women's basketball powerhouse.  They have made it to eleven Final Fours, were runners up in 2008 and 2010 but unlike UConn and Tennessee only have titles won in 1990 and 1992 to show for it.   My Houston homegirl Chiney Ogwumike wants to change that in her senior season and win a title for the Cardinal in the 21st Century. 

The Cardinal also feel along with some women's basketball media pundits they deserved a number one seed in this tournament.

Notre Dame is minus the graduated Skylar Diggins but are still dangerous as their undefeated 32-0 record proved.  The Irish lady ballers romped through their inaugural season in the ACC and also enter this tournament as a number one seed. 

The Irish, like Louisville are trying to make it back to their home arena for the Elite Eight round   They not only want to make it to their third NCAA final in the last four years, but this time take the championship trophy home, especially if it's at UConn's expense.

The Irish have beaten UConn seven out of the last nine times they played them, but one of those two losses was to the Huskies in last year's national semifinal game. 

Dawn Staley has been quietly building South Carolina into a national power, and was rewarded with the regular season SEC women's title. They were upset in the SEC women's tournament but still earned a number one seed for their 27-4 season long body of work.   

Will UConn, the current queens of the NCAA women's hardwoods continue to reign and execute the repeat as an unbeaten squad?  Can the Irish make that trip down I-65 south to cap a perfect season by cutting down the nets in Music City?   Can Louisville also make that short trip down I-65, make it to the final again but this time send Shoni Schimmel out as an NCAA champion? 

Or will another women's team on the rise like South Carolina or on a roll like USC crash the Music City party?    

We'll see who will be cutting down the nets at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville April 8.

Lincoln Regional

1st Round
Connecticut, Georgia, NC State, Nebraska, Gonzaga, Texas A&M, De Paul, Duke

Sweet 16
Connecticut, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Duke

Elite 8
Connecticut, Texas A&M

Lincoln Regional Champion
Connecticut

Notre Dame Regional

1st round
Notre Dame, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Syracuse, Kentucky, California, Baylor

Sweet 16
Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Baylor

Elite 8
Notre Dame, Baylor

Notre Dame Regional Champion
Notre Dame

Louisville Regional

1st Round
Tennessee, USC, Texas, Maryland, Iowa, Louisville, LSU, West Virginia

Sweet 16
Tennessee, Maryland, Louisville, West Virginia

Elite 8
Tennessee, Louisville

Louisville Regional Champion
Tennessee

Stanford Regional

1st Round
South Carolina, Oregon State, Michigan State, Florida, Penn State, Florida State, Stanford

Sweet 16
South Carolina, North Carolina, Penn State, Stanford

Elite 8
South Carolina, Stanford

Stanford Regional Champion
South Carolina Final Four Teams
Connecticut, Tennessee, Notre Dame, South Carolina

Championship Game
Connecticut, Notre Dame

2014 NCAA Champ
Connecticut

Moni's 2014 NCAA Men's B-Ball Bracket

I love March Madness like 'errbody' else, except when they keep showing replays of the last painful seconds of a certain 1983 NCAA tournament final game in Albuquerque.

One of the things that I've done on TransGriot is to put my men's NCAA tournament bracket up for the whole world to see, and I've done so every year since 2007.    You can also see my brackets for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 here.

Since it's Women's History Month, I also do a bracket for the NCAA women's tournament,  and that goes up tomorrow.

As for last year's NCAA men's tournament, for the second straight year I picked the eventual NCAA champion correctly (Louisville), but not without some of my regional brackets being totally trashed.

And yeah, it irritated Cat Nation to no end that the Cards won the title in a year they didn't even make the tournament and that NCAA championship trophy moved to the Louisville end of I-64.   Speaking of irritated, the defending champs are pissed off about their seeding.

Will the NCAA title stay in the state of Kentucky?   I'm saying yes.  

Later today the Journey to the Jerrydome begins for 68 teams with the First Four games tonight and tomorrow night.   For the first time since 2003 the Texas Southern University Tigers are in the Big Dance after winning the SWAC tournament championship at Toyota Center in H-town last weekend .   You'll also recognize TSU Tiger coach.Mike Davis.   If that name sounds familiar, he's the same Mike Davis that took Indiana to the national championship game in 2002.  

Wichita State became the first team since the 1991 UNLV squad to enter the tournament unbeaten but fell to Duke in the title game.    Can the Shockers shock the NCAA b-ball world and become the first champion with a perfect record since Indiana ran the table in 1976? 

Nope, they won't..

But as to who I think will be cutting down the nets at AT&T Stadium, as you can see, I'm picking a repeat champ.  I'm 4-3 so far in picking men's NCAA champs, and we'll see if I'm correct for the third year in a row on April 7.    

So enough jibber-jabber and let's get busy with this year's edition of my NCAA Men's tournament bracket.

  
First Four Games
Albany, NC State, Texas Southern, Iowa

South Regional

Second Round
Florida, Pittsburgh, VCU, UCLA, Ohio State, Syracuse, New Mexico, Kansas

Third Round
Florida, VCU, Syracuse, Kansas

Elite Eight
Florida, Kansas

South Regional Champion
Florida


West Regional

Second Round
Arizona, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, San Diego State, Baylor, Creighton, Oregon, Wisconsin

Third Round
Arizona, San Diego State, Baylor, Oregon

Elite Eight
Arizona, Baylor

West Regional Champion
Arizona

Midwest Regional

Second Round
Wichita State, Kentucky, St. Louis, Louisville, Iowa, Duke, Texas, Michigan

Third Round
Wichita State, Louisville, Duke, Michigan

Elite Eight
Louisville, Duke

Midwest Regional Champ
Louisville

East Regional

Second Round
Virginia, Memphis, Cincinnati, Michigan State, North Carolina, Iowa State, Connecticut, Villanova


Third Round
Virginia, Michigan State, North Carolina, Connecticut

Elite Eight
Michigan State, North Carolina

East Regional Champion
Michigan State

Final Four Teams
Florida, Michigan State, Arizona, Louisville,

Championship Game
Florida, Louisville

2014 NCAA Champ
Louisville

 



 

Barack-etology 2013

Well, you've seen my NCAA brackets for the 2013 men's and women's tournaments which have already taken a hit on the men's side with New Mexico being upset by Harvard (score one for Eli Blake) and Georgetown's shocking loss.  

But my Final Four teams on my men's and women's brackets are still alive for now.

Here's what President Obama had to say about the 2013 NCAA men's and women's tournaments.

The NCAA women's tournament

 

The NCAA men's tournament

Moni's 2013 NCAA Women's B-Ball Bracket

In honor of Women's History Month, in 2008 I started doing an NCAA women's tournament bracket similar to what I was doing for the men. 

My readers who are women's basketball fans like me loved the idea so much I've continued what has become an anticipated TransGriot tradition in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Unlike the menz, The Lone Star State is well represented in this edition of the NCAA women's tournament, and one of the teams involved just happens to be the defending champs.  Baylor compiled an unprecedented  40-0 unbeaten record enroute to knocking off Skylar Diggins led Notre Dame for the 2012 NCAA women's basketball title and keep that trophy in Texas.   The other Lone Star State schools besides 32-1 Baylor participating in this 64 team tourney are SEC tournament champ Texas A&M, SWAC tourney champ Prairie View A&M and Texas Tech. 

Prairie View has the misfortune of once again facing the overall number one seeded Lady Bears and Brittney Griner in the opening round of the tournament.

Speaking of the Lady Bears, can they send my Houston homegirl Brittney Griner out in her senior year a winner as a repeat NCAA champion?  Will she dunk in the title game or sometime during the tournament? 

Will Chiney Ogwumike and her Stanford teammates spoil the title coronation and hang another loss on the Lady Bears?  

Will Skylar Diggins and Notre Dame in her senior year finally get the NCAA title she and the Fighting Irish have come so close to winning twice? 

Does UConn have a long NCAA title run in them?  Or will some new contender to the women's basketball throne spring some upsets that send them all the way to New Orleans?

The road to the 2013 NCAA Women's Final Four in New Orleans starts on March 23 with the title game happening April 7-9 

Oklahoma City Region

Ist Round
Baylor, Florida State, Louisville, Purdue, Oklahoma, UCLA, Syracuse, Tennessee

 Sweet 16
Baylor, Louisville, Oklahoma, Tennessee

Elite Eight
Baylor, Tennessee

Oklahoma City Region Champion 
Baylor

Spokane Region

1st Round
Stanford, Villanova, Iowa State, Georgia, LSU, Penn State, Texas Tech, California 

Sweet 16
Stanford, Iowa State, LSU, California

Elite Eight
Stanford, LSU

Spokane Region Champion
Stanford


Norfolk Region

1st Round
Notre Dame, Miami, Colorado, South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas A&M , Oklahoma State, Duke

Sweet 16
Notre Dame, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Duke

Elite Eight
Notre Dame, Texas A&M

Norfolk Region Champion
Notre Dame

Bridgeport Region

1st Round
Connecticut, Vanderbilt, Michigan St., Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, Dayton, Kentucky  

Sweet 16
Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky

Elite Eight
Connecticut, Kentucky

Bridgeport Region Champion
Connecticut

Final Four Teams
Baylor, Stanford, Notre Dame,Connecticut

Championship Game
Baylor, Notre Dame

2013 NCAA Champion
Baylor


     

Moni's 2013 NCAA Men's B-Ball Bracket

March Madness is upon us once again and for the 75th year the NCAA men's basketball tournament is being contested.   68 teams begin playing for that trip to the ATL April 6-8 and for the opportunity to be the last ballers standing on the floor of the Georgia Dome.

They have the dream they want to make a reality of  cutting down the nets and holding up the NCAA championship trophy. 

For the first time since 1977, none of those 68 teams including my beloved UH Cougars will be from Texas.   Kentucky, who won it all last year won't be in the tournament either and they have to deal with the fact that the hated Louisville Cardinals travel that 70 miles on I-64 east to open their 2013 NCAA tournament run at Rupp Arena .  

All that one and done recruiting finally caught up with the Cats this year (snicker, snicker)   

For the ones that did make it, it's time for me to try to pick in a wild year on the collegiate men's basketball side who will be the champion.   Last year I picked the eventual NCAA men's champion in Kentucky, but even the Geico caveman could see that coming.   

Here's my March Madness Men's B-Ball picks if you want to see how well I did (or didn't do) in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011

So let's get busy with this year's edition of Moni's NCAA men's brackets.

First Four Games
St Mary's, North Carolina A&T, Boise State, James Madison 

Midwest Regional

Second Round
Louisville, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Saint Louis, Memphis, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Duke

Third Round
Louisville, Saint Louis, Michigan State, Duke

Elite Eight
Louisville, Duke

Midwest Regional Champion
Louisville

South Regional

Second Round
Kansas, North Carolina, VCU, Michigan, UCLA, Florida, San Diego State, Georgetown 

Third Round
North Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Georgetown

Elite Eight
North Carolina, Georgetown

South Regional Champion
North Carolina


East Regional

Second Round
Indiana, NC State, UNLV, Syracuse, Butler, Marquette, Illinois, Miami 

Third Round
Indiana, Syracuse, Marquette, Miami

Elite Eight
Indiana, Miami

East Regional Champion
Indiana

West Regional

Second Round
Gonzaga, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Arizona, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Ohio State

Third Round
Gonzaga, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Notre Dame

Elite Eight
Gonzaga, Notre Dame

West Regional Champion
Notre Dame

Final Four Teams
Louisville, North Carolina, Indiana, Notre Dame

Championship Game
Louisville, Indiana

2013 NCAA Champ
Louisville

Moni's 2011 NCAA Men's and Women's B-Ball Brackets Coming Soon

The college basketball conference championship weekend is over for both men's and women's programs, and March Madness is about to break out here in the States with a vengeance.

In Houston it will be especially intense because we're hosting the NCAA Men's Final Four at Reliant Stadium and the UH Lady Coogs are assured of making the Women's NCAA tournament for the first time since the Chandi Jones led squad in 2004. 

And yes peeps, the rodeo will not only be gone but the stadium will be defunkified long before you peeps who plunked down major bucks for Final Four tickets get here.

The Men's brackets and seeds have been set, and I'm contemplating who is going to do what in the various regions before I post what four teams will make it to H-town and cutting down the nets in April.  

Like 'errbody' else in this country I love filling out NCAA basketball tournament brackets, but I take it two steps further.   I not only have done one for the women's NCAA tournament since 2008 because I sincerely believe that women's sports need the love more than 'the menz' do, I've been posting mine online since 2007 so that y'all can pick it apart.

The Women's NCAA Final Four will be held in Indianapolis this year and as usual broadcast on ESPN.  I'm loving the fact that this season I saw far more regular season women's games on television than in past years and I've had a chance to see many  teams beyond the traditional powerhouses like Stanford, UConn, and Tennessee.

The Streak may be over, but UConn is still the defending women's NCAA b-ball champion and working on a threepeat until somebody beats them.    As soon as the Selection Monday show happens, I can begin to compile my women's bracket post before the first games tip off this weekend.

Here are my past Men's NCAA brackets for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010

Here are my women's NCAA tournament brackets for 2008, 2009, and 2010. I've actually done a better job picking the women's NCAA brackets and champion than I have the men.  


So how will I do on both the Men's and women's sides in 2011?    Stay tuned to these TransGriot pages to find out.
.

2008 March Madness Post Mortem

Congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks and the Tennessee Lady Vols, your NCAA hoops champs for 2008.

As you'll notice, on my men's bracket I not only picked the championship game, but picked Kansas to win.

If Memphis had hit their free throws down the stretch it would have been an incorrect pick and their fans would still be partying on Beale Street. But I'd watched them earn their bricklayer's union cards all through the season and I felt that one day their lack of shooting prowess at the line would cost them.

They laid enough bricks down the stretch to let Kansas back in the game. Once Chalmers hit the three to tie it that will never be forgotten by Jayhawk Nation, it was over. You don't give Kansas (or at least this particular Kansas team) five extra minutes to beat you.


For the women's bracket I picked three of the Final Four teams, but had UConn winning it all. But I didn't foresee Candice Wiggins dropping 40 points in two tournament games, making a serious run at Sheryl Swoopes 15 year old record for total points in a tournament (177), and powering Stanford to the championship game.

As for the Candice vs. Candace II battle, I had a feeling that this game wasn't going to be as close as the December 22 one in which Stanford upset the Lady Vols in Cali.

My intuition proved correct as Tennessee beat down the Cardinal 64-48 to become the first school to win back to back NCAA women's titles since Uconn threepeated in 2002-2003-2004

Well, this college season's entered into the history books. Only seven more months until the 2008-09 season tips off.