Enjoy these whilst they are sentient. I have a doctor’s appointment at 1pm, and given that I am coughing up a lung (at least gobs of yellow gunk), Tussionex is certainly close at hand.

Overview

To my surprise, the committee did NOT take it easy on their beloved Holes this year! Instead, they opted for the “interesting teevee” route, putting Providence and the Kentuckiana winner (yes, that is a word they use, as I found out on a college trip to Louisville – speaking of which, that is a vastly underrated little city to visit, highly Hippo recommended). Overall, I give this a “2” in the Hippo Strength of Region rankings. And U*NC’s pod is definitely the hardest one.

There’s a Lot of Opportunities…

West By God Virginia. #1 seed’s tough pod, but not the Region of death, must mean an opening for somebody, right? RIGHT! Les Cousins Dangereaux, led by the Black Kurt Rambis and the King of Track Suits couldn’t have asked for a better setup. Stephen F. Austin is good, but untested. Notre Dame is shallow as fuck, and won’t be able to withstand 40 minutes of cousinfuckin’ pressure. Xavier is…well, Xavier. Pitt and Wisconsin are a grab bag of assorted animal feces. This is basically a bye into the Regional Final. You can’t ask for anything more than that. And as the local newsman’s bracket notes this morning (caveat, he IS an NC State grad like myself, hee hee), WVU is Ol’ Roy’s nightmare matchup. Especially on short rest.

What Have I, What Have I, What Have I Done To Deserve This?

Indiana. Well, the answer is pretty clear at least – they lost to fucking shit-ass Meeechigan in the B1G quarters. Their reward is getting bumped all the way down to a 5, facing a super dangerous 12 (Chattanooga), a nightmare matchup from a personnel and coaching standpoint in Round 2 (Kentucky), then the best team in the field in the Sweet Sixteen (U*NC). Other than THAT, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

Prediction/Confidence Level

West Virginia (High)