MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS--BRACKETOLOGY AND OTHER MEANDERINGS

BY STEVE DUNN

This blog is a bit of a potpourri of reflections rather than a single theme.  Nothing earth-shattering but hopefully some fun.

First, bracketology. That word earns a red underline in my spell-checker but it is clearly part of the language of our culture.  Tuesday the Final 68 begin their mad march in March to the NCAA Basketball title. From office pools to Sunday School classes to web sites to secret notebooks, predictions are being registered for the Final Four and the Ultimate Champ.  So here goes mine.  MIDWEST REGION- The Louisville Cardinals who have been clearly the No. 1 seed as the season ended and the champs of the Big East who put the most teams in the tournament, should prevail in the East.Sentimental choice, St. Louis.  SOUTH REGION:  I see No. 2 seed the Georgetown Hoyas triumphing even though they must knock off many prognisticators favorites, the Kansas Jayhawks.  Call it a gut feeling.  My sentimental choice would have been Butler.  EAST REGION: The Indiana Hoosiers. 'Nuff said except that they are my sentimental choice, as well.  WEST REGION: Ohio State Despite losing their focus at point in January, Fort Wayne IN's Deshaun Thomas is a scoring machine, and Aaron Craft could pick the pocket of the Pope.  AND they came within a breadth of winning the Big Ten regular season after beating the Hoosiers in the toughest league in basketball. AND they were clearly the class of the Big 10 Tournament.  My sentimental choice, too.

FINAL FOUR? Ohio State over Louisville.  It's Thad's time.  Indiana over Georgetown. If Tom Crean can control himself and Oladipo stays out of foul trouble.  Ultimately, THE BUCKEYES.

Things you may relate on a Monday.  For some people Monday is a return to the Madness--and not just in March.  Do you relate to any of these?