The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) discussion thread...

[Debonya31]

Can the Gators make it a repeat? Better yet - can they have the Number 1 football and basketball team? Has that ever happened before?

[jdrock24]

Looking at the brackets, I think they have the easiest road to the Final Four. I'm not sure if there has ever been a college that has won both the football championship (If you count the BCS as the "championship". Don't get me started.) and the basketball tournament in the same year.

[gorbi]

Kansas Jayhawks

[TheNewNo.2]

I'm looking at Florida like I looked at UConn last year: they're such a huge favorite in everybody's eyes that I think they get tripped up somewhere along the line. Rarely does the team everybody picks win. I also think all the t.v. analysts have fallen so head-over-heels in love with Florida over the last few days that they've forgotten some of their losses to pretty average teams this year, like LSU and Vanderbilt.

The funny thing is, Florida could run up against Maryland in the Sweet 16, and until Maryland ended up in Florida's bracket, they were a trendy pick to the championship. All those analysts who are basically saying there's no need to play the games, just give Florida the title now were saying Maryland was the team that could come out of nowhere and win it all because they're so hot right now.

In the end, I think Florida's got as good a shot as anybody at winning it all, but I wouldn't make them the prohibitive favorite. They may have to go through really good team in Maryland and Wisconsin, and then UCLA or Kansas in the Final Four (with all due respect to Gorbi, I'm guessing UCLA since Kansas chokes every year now that Bill Self is their coach), and then could have to deal with North Carolina, Georgetown, or Ohio State in the National Title, and any one of those teams can easily take down the Gators. And as a Buckeye fan, I can tell you OSU is WAY better than they were when Florida blew them out last December. Greg Oden has really developed into a dominant player over the last few weeks, and OSU's playing their best ball right now.

And now, after I've said all of that, Florida will probably blow right through the tournament, killing everybody and cut down the nets. :D

[jasoncollins]

As long as it ain't Duke.

[DiscoStu]

All the "experts" are picking them for the final 4...it'll be good if they're all wrong.

[Reggie452]

If you follow college hoops, which team do you think will win the tournament this year?

I used to live in Kentucky, so I gotta go with my Wildcats. They just keep on winning, and will probably be ranked #1 next week.

[rabdelma]

Texas looks tought to beat

Can't wait till march madness!

[crackback]

It looks pretty up in the air, but like the Chargers in the NFL, Calapari coached team will find some way to lose in the tournament, so even though Kentucky looks really good now-- I'll wait.

[westphilly72]

I like Villanova, hoping they can do the magic like in 85

[hellbent]

for the trouble the team has gone thru off court, the vols are playin pretty darn good.

[crackback]

There has been more talk as of late about the expansion of the Tournament. Anywhere from adding 8 to 31 more teams. I can't believe this is even being discussed. The old saying goes - "If it isn't broke, don't fix it". Once again there seems to be two determining factors. From the NCAA they see more $$ signs in expanding. From the coaches aspect the only reason I can see for one to be in favor of it is that you aren't up to the challenge of the regular season grind and want the easy way to the tournament. Are there some teams every year left out that are deserving, more times than not but expanding won't fix that, there will always be teams that look to be deserving that are left out.