OK, fellow basketball nuts..

What do you think of the conference tournaments so far? Anything catch your eye? Anyone (besides Gonzaga) you want your favorite team to avoid?

Any announcers really annoy you?

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

Answers

I gotta admit that I was kind of psyched to see Syracuse fall to Nova last night. But I am afraid that this latest loss will cost the Cuse their last hope for a NCAA tourney bid.

My tourney Cinderella (if they make it) will be Texas...they have not been ranked all season but I have watched a number of their regular season games and they are dangerous. They have come very close to some major upsets against teams like Gonzaga, Oklahoma and Kansas.

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2002

Any announcers really annoy you?

Besides Vitale? As soon as that man starts talking, I can't hear anyone else, because my ears start bleeding.

I want the Tide to do something amazing and stay in it longer than one game. Sometimes they get nervous and, you know, cannot score any points. Especially Rod Grizzard - I don't know what's up with him, but one game he'll be the standout with 30 points, and the next he'll make one basket out of 45 attempts, have all the turnovers and get no rebounds.

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2002

Come tourney time I'm all about supporting my/friends teams and every underdog team there is.

So I want Maryland and Alabama to win, but Duke and Kansas to lose big. Plus, how great would it be to see little McNeese State from the Southland Conference get past the first round?

Go you tiny little conferences!

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2002

Mike is going to hate me for this, but um...I think Dan Dickau is SUPER cute.

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2002

Mike is going to hate me for this too...not only do I think that he is kind of cute but I love saying his name. Always wondered whether his middle name was "inhand".

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2002

I have no hatred for Dan Dickau. He's a damn good point guard, that's for sure.

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2002

I am all about Gonzaga, just as I have been for the past few years. Idaho schools are craptastic at just about everything, so if there is a team from close to home that goes, I am all about it.

I also want to know what kind of ridiculous paint theme that Boise State is going to be televising on TV this year.

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2002

What the hell happened to the Terps? I'm still in shock.

But Alabama did win today, despite the most horrendous second half of college basketball I have probably ever seen.

The best thing about a tournament where every nationally ranked team except the one you support is knocked out by the semi-finals? Buying scalped tickets for half their face value.

Hell, yeah.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2002

Maryland played on autopilot and N.C. State played great.

Good for them. It's been a long wait for the Wolfpack ... this should be their first NCAA trip since 1991.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2002

I'm blown away that the Bearcats are in the first seed. Excited, amazed, and keeping my fingers crossed.

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2002

Go Bucks! Big 10 Champs. I think it's interesting that the Big 10, Big 12 and Pac10 champions are all in the same division.

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2002

Wow, did the Zags get hosed.

The West is brutal. Cincy, Oklahoma, Arizona, Ohio State, Gonzaga, UCLA ... even Hawaii and Missouri are dangerous .

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2002

Y'all - Mississippi State! I don't know what to say - I'm thrilled. I have to admit, I've always had a little disdain for State - the cowbells, rinky-dink Starkville - but my dad went there, and two of my sisters are there, and my youngest sister will be there next year, and they did really well in the tournament. I mean, they weren't ranked, but they won the SEC championship! Kick ass, Bulldogs.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

T, why would you want to go and twist the knife that way?

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Aw, Al, you know that I don't have anything against the Tide! I'm just happy for State, is all. Remember, those kids don't get to go to school in a neat town like Tuscaloosa - have you been to Starkville lately? It's a sad, sorry place to live, so at least those kids have a good thing going with the basketball.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002