Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- bring on the brackets!

As the dust settles from Selection Sunday and everyone's looking at Morehead State's press handling as well as Butler's 3-point shooting... more than a few local angles as the Madness ensues--

First Four issues-- I'm not a fan with shipping teams off to a non-destination Tuesday/Wednesday and then sending them elsewhere (Chicago, Washington, Tampa , Cleveland)... if you're going to have these games why not just move them immediately to the city where they're bound? You'll save on travel-- plus give the kids the feel of not being in a play-in game. And as you know, it's all about the kids. I'm also amused with the language regarding the First Four and what used to the be first/second rounds... now referring to Thursday and Friday's games as "second round" seems a little odd. My perfect solution? Have the first four be automatic qualifiers meeting on Sunday-- a quadrupleheader that would give the schools involved a chance to regroup before facing a #1 seed. Call that the "First Four"-- but then go back to "first round Thursday".

Georgetown gets a #6 seed in the Southwest region... with a first round matchup in Chicago against the winner of Wednesday's VCU-USC matchup (no truth to the rumor both made the "first four" because as schools known by initials- they'd be easier to fit on a bracket line). With Chris Wright back in the lineup--in theory the Hoyas will return to the team that started Big East play 10-5 and not the one that lost four straight.

Big East Bonanza-- okay, I get it, the league is good-- but 11 bids? Marquette was awfully mediocre at times. And I'm not excited with the bracketing of the teams-- we could have Syracuse-Marquette and Cincinnati-UConn in the second round. I was hoping for first weekend intraconference separation.

Alma Mater Update-- I jumped in on tickets as the front man for first and second round games hoping the Orange would be placed at Verizon... unfortunately I get three other Big East teams and an extra ticket -- I even tried to unload it on a friend I call "UCONN JAMES" because he allegedly is the most unrealistically foolish Husky fan ever... and he's enjoying Kegs and Eggs instead on St. Patrick's Day. So much for buying pants. Syracuse gets a #3 seed in the East and faces Indiana State at Cleveland... with a potential second round matchup against Xavier or Marquette.

George Mason makes its way to Cleveland as well for a first round game against sinking stone Villanova (5 straight losses)...and would then likely play #1 overall seed Ohio State for a shot at the sweet sixteen. Not an ideal draw-- but the Patriots have slayed giants before in the NCAA Tournament. Just not in their home state.

Snubbed! Who would have thought after Virginia Tech upset #1 Duke sixteen days ago the Hokies would be a top seed in the NIT again. While coach Seth Greenburg tried to assert that somebody must have an agenda against the Hokies-- and if the agenda included getting swept by Virginia, getting blown out at home by Boston College the final week of the regular season and a non-conference slate that saw an improvement in schedule but with no victories to show for it-- I'm in.

Maryland not only misses out on the NCAA but the NIT as well-- the first time since 1993 the Terps are headed nowhere. The season turned on two pivots-- consecutive losses at Boston College and Virginia Tech put them on the outside looking in... while back to back double digit defeats to Miami and Virginia helped seal their at-large fate. What happens now? Hopefully Jordan Williams comes back for his junior season... the huge freshman class makes the leap over the summer and coach Gary Williams brings in fresh talent this fall. Since expansion of the ACC... the Terps have gone 4-7 with just one semifinal appearance (Virginia Tech has three). In the previous seven seasons, Maryland went 9-6 with six semifinal showings... two trips to the finals and the 2004 title. The seeds of Selection Sunday are sown by those who show up Saturday in the ACC Tournament.