Garrett ‘guru’ Eagan
Sports Editor
The 2009 NCAA season is winding down looking toward conference championships and the NCAA tournament coming ahead. Apart from our own team coached by the CC Coach of the Year, I am thinking of my bracket, in the hopes of filling out a perfect one. Maybe I should wish for the lottery winner instead. Anyway, here are my four teams that I am putting my reputation as the Guru on (AT THIS MOMENT) to fly, and flop.
UConn – Last semester in our Ex-Editor v. Guru section, we picked an early season stud that we like this season. I picked UConn, and I still am sticking with them. Back in the top spot, you have to like their chances with Thabeet aka “The Chairman of the Boards” and outside shooting of A.J. Price. Depending on the match-up scheme we will see them in the Final Four. With Calhoun fired up thanks to locking up his 800th career win and demoralizing rookie journalists, UConn has the momentum necessary heading into the tournament (barring anything groundbreaking).
Wake Forest – Call me crazy, but wasn’t this team #1 at one point this season? Didn’t this team run through Duke and UNC within a month of each other? More recently, Wake has cooled off with losses to Miami, Georgia Tech, and NC State. But the hunger is still there. If they can get something going late in the season, they will be able to ride the wave into the tourney.
Clemson – What the hell is this team’s problem? They continue to get upset, and even with the great outside shooting of Terrence Oglesby and the inside presence of Trevor Booker. With losses to Virginia, Florida State, and VTech, how can you expect anything other than heartbreak from this team? People like Clemson to right the ship, I however do not.
UCLA – When you think of UCLA, you think of John Wooden, 84 straight wins with names like Bill Walton “The Redhead Deadhead” and company. However, after the departure of Kevin Love last season for the league, things don’t seem to be the same. They still have Collison and an all-around good team, but from what I have seen this season against Arizona State, you can’t expect a lot from this team. [ALERT: They way the tournament sections are set-up, UCLA does not have to travel far at all for a huge part of the tourney so keep that in mind.]