March 20, 2008

San Jose, CA (UWIRE) -- Stanford will win it all. Hold your projectiles, refrain from laughter, and hear me out. My methods are simple - pick a team and work backwards.

Forget logic and statistics. I chose my favorite collegiate team with even a remote chance, placed them in the winner's circle, and worked my way backwards to determine how many upsets will be needed for them to win it all.

The total came to four: a projected Sweet 16 win over the Texas, an Elite Eight victory over the Memphis, a Final Four triumph over UCLA, and a championship win over Georgetown.

In short, I'm a homer.

The Pac-10 should have run red and white this year. Every time UCLA wins a game, some higher deity slaughters the adorable and fuzzy critter of your choice.

Shame on those who are choosing the Bruins to win it all.

Still, Stanford has a lot going for them and can potentially surprise some of the top teams as it makes its way though the south bracket.

Stanford plays a slow down, half-court style game. Twins Brook and Robin Lopez, two seven-foot forces in the middle, give the Cardinal an inside offensive game and strong defense up the middle.

As a team, Stanford averages 10 more points than its opponents.

Stanford also has multiple formidable players aside from the Lopez twins. Three players who each started more than 20 games shot more than 35 percent from behind the 3-point line.

Guard Mitch Johnson averaged about five assists per game, and guard Anthony Goods had a decent year, averaging 10.4 points per game.

The Cardinal finished second in a conference that was arguably the best in college basketball. Even though UCLA has defeated Stanford three times this year, it's hard to be convinced that the Bruins could do it again should these teams meet in the Final Four.

Stanford, as a No.3 seed, will face Cornell in the first game, and the winner of a match up between Kentucky and Marquette, two teams with too many problems to be taken seriously.

In the other brackets, it's tough to pick against some of the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the tournament. North Carolina's only potential competition in its bracket is Tennessee, a team the Tar Heels won't meet until the Elite Eight.

Kansas and Georgetown will both face stiff competition, since the Midwest bracket includes Clemson, who gave North Carolina trouble multiple times, Kansas State and its star Michael Beasley, USC and O.J. Mayo and a Wisconsin team that won the Big 10 conference.

The methodology may be misguided, but anything is possible in the NCAA Tournament.

(C) 2008 Spartan Daily via UWIRE