How It Looks from the La-Z-Boy
NCAA Tournament Edition, Slightly Revised
MEN'S BRACKET
Chicago Region
Sweet 16: Illinois over Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Oklahoma State over Arizona.
Elite 8: Oklahoma State over Illinois.
The Skinny: Illinois practically has a home court in Chicago, and the Big Ten's two best team's (unlike the SEC) are still around. But I like Oklahoma State's more experienced guard play and ability to control the game's tempo.
Syracuse Region
Sweet 16: North Carolina over Villanova; North Carolina State over Wisconsin.
Elite 8: North Carolina over North Carolina State.
The Skinny: The only teams with more talent than UNC are in the NBA. But Roy Williams' sublime squad sometimes plays a tortoise-and-hare game, almost as if they get bored. The fellas from State are weak inside, but they know Carolina well. And they're more than capable of pulling off the Tournament's biggest upset.
Albuquerque Region
Sweet 16: Louisville over Washington; Texas Tech over West Virginia.
Elite 8: Louisville over Texas Tech.
The Skinny: Nobody believed Louisville was really a No. 4 seed—they're too good—and no one sure as hell believes it now. See Ricky's team run, all the way to St. Louis.
Austin Region
Sweet 16: Duke over Michigan State; Kentucky over Utah.
Elite 8: Duke over Kentucky.
The Skinny: Déja vu all over again? Sure looks that way. Duke lacks depth, but it hasn't stopped them from winning all but five games all year. Kentucky lacks reliable outside shooting, and it will cost them.
Final Four: Oklahoma State over Louisville; Duke over North Carolina.
Championship: Duke over Oklahoma State.
WOMEN'S BRACKET
Chattanooga Region
Second Round (as of press time): LSU over Oklahoma; DePaul over Liberty; Duke over Boston College.
Sweet 16: LSU over DePaul; Duke over Georgia.
Elite 8: LSU over Duke.
Tempe Region
Second Round (as of press time): North Carolina over Ole Miss
Sweet 16: North Carolina over Arizona State; Baylor over Minnesota.
Elite 8: Baylor over North Carolina.
Kansas City Region
Second Round (as of press time): UConn over Florida State.
Sweet 16: Vanderbilt over Michigan State; UConn over Stanford.
Elite 8: UConn over Vanderbilt.
Philadelphia Region
Second Round (as of press time): Tennessee over Purdue; Rutgers over Temple; Ohio State over Maryland.
Sweet 16: Tennessee over Texas Tech; Ohio St. over Rutgers.
Elite 8: Ohio St. over Tennessee.
Final Four: LSU over Baylor; Ohio State over UConn.
Championship: LSU over Ohio State.
