The brackets are coming! The brackets are coming!
The most exciting event of the sports calendar involving no actual action is here, and nothing can ruin it. But it can get better. See below:
Virginia (+1) over Duke: Because defense wins championships. The Cavaliers lost the season’s lone meeting, 69-65 at Durham, N.C., with Jabari Parker shooting 3-of-11 from the field and the Blue Devils being held to 10 points below their season average. Nothing will change, besides Virginia improving its 38.2 percent shooting from the field.
Florida (-5) over Kentucky: Because four senior starters are better than a team full of fabulous freshmen. The Gators have beaten the Wildcats by an average of 14.5 points in two meetings and haven’t lost since Dec. 2. An undefeated record in the SEC is more than enough motivation for a team that already has locked up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan State (-2) over Michigan: Because the Spartans finally are playing as well as we all expected at the beginning of the season. The Wolverines’ suspect defense will give Michigan State the Big Ten title, reloading Lansing’s Final Four bandwagon.
2014 record: 12-4-1
2011-13 record: 72-47-2