WVU and Carolina

My two favorite teams in the entire college basketball universe: West Virginia and North Carolina. No other team can come close...UNC, the kings of college basketball and defending national champion. WVU, a constant underdog...not necessarily big time but able to cause some damage from time to time. UNC = championship contender. WVU = Sweet 16 contender. Well, that's normally the way it is...but not this year.

WVU was returning a batch of seniors that had led the team to an improbable Elite Eight run the previous year. WVU was a Final Four lock for many in the preseason...a championship caliber team. UNC was losing their top 7 scorers after winning the national championship...Roy Williams was playing a bunch of freshmen and, with luck, they would be above .500 at the end of the season. Well, now fortunes have reversed a bit...UNC is playing like a championship team, WVU is struggling a bit.

Now, I'm not saying the WVU can't make a run deep into the tourney. And, I'm not saying UNC couldn't lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament. But it clearly appears these teams are heading in opposite directions with UNC winning 10 of their last 11, including a win over #1 Duke at Cameron Indoor, while WVU has lost 5 of their last 8, including losses to Cincinnatti and St. Johns. I'm not sure where these teams will end up, but the fact is that a Sweet 16 appearance by UNC is a huge victory for that young team while anything but an Elite Eight appearance by WVU will be considered a major disappointment. Hopefully both will do even better than that...

Also, congratulations to the WVU women who have become the first ever #12 seed to advance to the semifinals in the Big East tournament. I believe that improved their record to 14-15. That might have been enough to get them an invitation to the NIT...it's been a long year for the girl's basketball squad.

If you haven't been paying attention to the NFL collective bargaining agreement negotiations, you will be if there isn't an agreement tonight. If the cap isn't raised, there's going to be a lot of releases made tonight. The NFL may never be the same...good thing the Steelers got that Super Bowl victory this year.

Just some other points real quick:

• I think the Big East has earned 9 bids to the NCAA. Villanova, UConn, WVU, Pitt, Georgetown, Marquette, St. Johns, Cincinatti and Syracuse. But Syracuse needs to win at least one, maybe two games in the Big East tournament to secure their bid.
• Kentucky, even with their win over TN, hasn't earned a bid but they'll get one.
• I hope Duke and Gonzaga play in the Sweet 16. I'm not sure I will like either team but I really hate Duke.
• The Big Ten isn't that good...I don't care what anyone says.
• The laptops in my office are done...I have prepared over 25 laptops already this year for use...and that doesn't include the ones I retired.
• James Bond should not ever appear nude in a movie...seriously.

And, that's all for today...