Student Blog: Ball Hawk's takes on March Madness

March Madness Fresh off of watching CBS's selection show, I am now officially in March Madness mode. By the way, did anyone notice Greg Anthony has switched from NBA coverage on ESPN to college basketball on CBS? What's up with that? The poor guy was good, so I wonder why they let him go... Anyway, this is the time of year where colleges can shine, and when players lift themselves to the "next level." I refuse to cement my picks in stone yet, but as of right now I think Pittsburgh could win the championship. Other early predictions include: - Washington giving Connecticut all they have in the Sweet 16, and possibly even winning. - Missouri will turn some heads and also make a run for champions of the West region- their run and gun style could really put some teams out of sync. - Dayton will beat West Virginia- they had an underrated schedule and a good RPI; West Virginia lives and dies by the 3-pointer which is not what a team needs heading into a tournament where nerves can affect how the game is played. - Louisville will not disappoint as the top seed overall- they will win their region but I don't expect the Cardinals to win it all - UCLA will upset Villanova AND Duke- this team is coming together at the perfect time. Duke is overrated (although any fan of a team in the ACC other than Duke will say that) and Villanova is overachieving as a three seed. - Sorry Texas fans but Minnesota will win against the Longhorns. - James Harden will carry Arizona State over Syracuse- he is the Stephen Curry of this year's tournament. Disclaimer: In my five years of March Madness bracket making, I have never finished better than third out of 12. The message I'm conveying here is that anyone looking to make a splash in their March Madness pool should by no means live and die by my predictions. Six Overtimes??? For all we know, Syracuse secured their three seed in the tournament by winning a ridiculous six-overtime game against UCONN. The team that simply had more heart won this game, there's no other way to describe it. The thing that amazed me most was the amount of time these guys had to play. Jonny Flynn contributed 67 minutes (your eyes do not deceive you) in a winning effort. That means out of the whole game, and an additional thirty minutes of overtimes, Syracuse's floor general sat out a total of three minutes. For anyone who has played even a full 32 minute high school basketball game, it is easy to understand and cringe at how hard it must have been to maintain the necessary energy for a Big East rivalry. Jay Cutler I thought football players were supposed to be the most tough-minded competitors in all of sports. Nothing should deter them from achieving a goal. So what kind of message is Jay Cutler sending right now? He's made one Pro Bowl, big deal. If you gave any quarterback Brandon Marshall they could have some great stats. A talented team in an awful division didn't make the playoffs, so when the new coach comes in and listens to trade offers for his quarterback, it's not the end of the world. Now Josh McDaniels has to play mediator and head coach in his first season on the job, all because one player cannot fathom the possibility that he could be traded. The truth is that there are only a handful of untouchable players in the NFL right now: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Larry Fitzgerald, and Adrian Peterson. Personally, I'd tell Cutler to suck it up or ship him to a team worse than the Broncos so that he can see just what he's missing.