I Thought...

...that the West Virginia v. Wake Forest second round game was one of the best I would see in my lifetime. I thought that Salim Stoudamire' s buzzer beating jumper to beat Oklahoma State would be the clutch shot of the tournament. I thought that Villanova's Allen Ray lost the Sweet Sixteen game against North Carolina, not the other way around. I thought I'd pull a Sean Salisbury and pick against the vastly superior favorites and I thought I'd be right.

I was wrong. (My Final Four: Duke, Illinois, Wake Forest, Florida)

A few weeks ago I suggested that Illinois would roll over and die after losing to Ohio State. Even more recently I prophesized that UNC would be upset in the tournament because they would forget to show up in an early round game (e.g. the ACC tournament). And after all that thinking and all that justifying here we are, exactly where we ought to be, poised for the two best teams in the country to meet in the NCAA final...if they take care of business. And here I sit, in the Sean Salisbury "Hypocrite Hall of Fame" with my mangled bracket and only the question, "What were you thinking?" to keep me company.

Back to the top. This past weekend has to be considered one of the great displays of amateur athletics to take place in our lifetime. While I thought that the WV v. Wake game would be the best of the year it was always possible for a great buzzer beater to top it but, no way in a million years did I think that it would be eclipsed by 3 of the greatest regional finals ever.

Just take the comebacks, Louisville from 20, Illinois from 15 in the last 4 minutes.

Or take Sparks' rim tickling double clutch (yes he was fouled as well) 3 at the buzzer to force overtime. (THE buzzer beater of the tournament, especially after his bricked free throw and airball just seconds earlier.)

How about West Virgina's 18 3's?

How about half the Michigan State bench coming over to shake hands with Chuck Hayes when he fouled out with time still on the clock in their matchup with Kentucky?

Or consider the defensive efforts put out by Michigan State and Illinois, holding Kentucky and Arizon without a shot when they needed it most.

How about Roy Williams making it to the Final Four in just his second season at Chapel Hill?

This truly was one of the most loaded tournament weekends we will ever see, and all of it is just leading up to the Final Four!

That being said, after the most physcially and emotionally exhausting games of their lives these kids have to go back out and do it all over again next weekend on an even bigger stage. That's right, after leaving it all and more on the court in the regionals the four winners earned nothing but the right to play another day. That's what makes this tournament so awesome, and what truly makes it an accurate and fair way to decide a champion (ah hem...BCS!) These teams have to bring it for 6 full games, not 3 games and 36 minutes Arizona, but 6 full games, and if you slip even a little bit you'll be joining the Blue Devils, the Huskies (both), the Wildcats, and all the other highly talented teams that didn't have the stuff for three weekends in March.

I won't even venture a guess at the outcome of next weekend's games, or try to predict a winner, but I will say this. I like North Carolina, if for no other reason than for the fact that they had the "easiest" Elite Eight game. They certainly did not blow out Wisconsin, but they were not forced to expend all they had and more just to scrape by like the other three winners. They also have Sean May, who is essentially unstopable inside and would be a man among boys against Augustine and the rest of the Illinois front line. But, how can I pick against a team that is 35-1 and that showed such fight against a stacked Arizona squad?

I don't know who's coming out of next weekend with the hardware, but I hope that it's half as exciting as what we just saw.