Bold, Fold and Gold--- Bracket Edition...

I've gone on record saying March is my favorite month... and this is the best week of March. We go from Sunday morning and all of the bubbles and seeding possibilities to Sunday night's announcement... followed by a scramble and then four days of non-stop hoopage. Forty eight games will be played over approximately 100 hours... and what a magnificent journey.

Time now for the Bold (who will outperform their seed and shock the world), Fold (who will underperform and burn a multitude of brackets with them) and Gold (who's Indianapolis-bound).

East--
Bold-- Wisconsin has quietly carved out a top 20 ranking completely under the radar while Big Ten bullies Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue grabbed the headlines. Still, the Badgers boast three guards who can do damage and Bo Ryan's ballclub might just be the team that can close the deal against always living dangerously Kentucky.
Fold-- West Virginia played very well down the stretch and won a thrilling Big East Tournament; but they can't shoot at all... coach Bob Huggins' teams notoriously underperform in the big dance... and how many times can a squad court disaster while remaining unscathed?
Gold-- Kentucky gives me little to like. The arrogance of old hoops money (all those National Titles, Ashley Judd) plus new hoops money (John Calipari, Ashley Judd) makes one yearn for Duke--almost. Still, they've got the most talent and a guard in John Wall who can take the team on his back and turn the bracket on its head. I hope they lose to Wisconsin, but think they'll head to Indy.

South--
Bold-- Notre Dame is hitting it's stride at the right time- and has been in the tournament mindset for a while having played its way off the bubble. Besides, they boast Luke Harangody, a well-documented doppleganger for the guy who took Brenda Walsh to her senior prom. I believe the character Tony Miller went on to play football for Iowa-- which is where Cindy Mancini's boyfriend Bobby (Can't Buy Me Love) went...
Fold-- Villanova slumped down the stretch (4-6), has little size (Antonio Pena?!?)... and has to pay for stealing a final four spot last March from conference rival Pitt. Payback may come in the form of a Richmond team with size to spare.
Gold-- Duke seems destined for a return to the Final Four; the bracket is set up for the Blue Devils as they've drawn the opening round winner plus a four seed in a Robbie Hummel-less Purdue.

Midwest--
Bold-- Georgia Tech has talent, that is no debate. But getting the Yellowjacket talent pointed in the same direction has been a challenge... they've got just the team that can stay 40 minutes with a more talented Georgetown team.
Fold-- Tennessee when playing well has looked very good (wins over #1's Kansas and Kentucky during the regular season), but when the Volunteers haven't played well things have gotten ugly (74-45 loss in the SEC SF). They meet giant-killer San Diego State in the first round.
Gold-- Ohio State should have gotten the fourth number one seed--behind the nation's best player (Andre Turner) the Buckeyes should gather momentum in nearby Milwaukee over the first weekend. Can they contend with Kansas? O-H-I-O.

West--
Bold-- BYU is led by Jimmer Fredette... who on name value alone should be able to shoot the Cougars into the second weekend.
Fold-- Syracuse enters the tournament having dropped two straight. The Orange also will likely be minus center Arinze Onuaku for the first weekend against 2005 nemesis Vermont and potentially a very dangerous Florida State.
Gold-- Pitt has been an NCAA bridesmaid for the better part of the last decade... falling a few steps shy of the Final Four with stronger teams. This year's guard-heavy bunch takes Jermaine Dixon's lead...Pitt is it.