Predictions For Saturday's Elite Eight Games

I was a solid 3 of 4 with Friday's Sweet Sixteen picks...including the amazing Davidson pick. Now we're on to the Elite Eight. Let's bang these out so I can get to sleep.

UCLA over Xavier

Reasons:

• Ben Howland may lose sometime during this NCAA Tournament, but he's not going to be denied here.
• Both head coaches have very direct ties to Pitt. I'm going with the coach that helped transform Pitt basketball into the respected program that it is today.
• Kevin Love and that outstanding razor-thin line beard thingy of his.
• PAC 10 over A-10. Every single time. Unless it was something like Oregon State vs. La Salle...then nobody would care.
• Davidson rocked the college basketball universe and made it to the Elite Eight...why the hell couldn't this also be the year that four number 1 seeds reach the Final Four?
• Confidence in this pick: 7.8

What's that Mr. Robert Goulet? You like UCLA in this game too and want to spring past Matt G. in the race for more labels? Then go right ahead!

North Carolina over Louisville

• Have you seen North Carolina play a game in this NCAA Tournament? Seriously? Have you watched what they've done in systematically tearing teams apart? I don't care if Louisville has a "chance", I'd be a fool to go against UNC here.
• How awesome would a North Carolina vs. Davidson Final Four game be? Think about that for a few seconds...let that soak in. (Let it be known that I am NOT jinxing either team by saying this. I'm merely asking the reader to think about something theoretically)
• Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
• What a coaching match-up!!! Dean Smith going against Denny Crum in what will surely be a battle for the ages!!! What's that you say? Crum isn't coaching them anymore and this entire two-post bit about Denny Crum isn't funny? Fair enough.
• HAVE YOU SEEN HOW NORTH CAROLINA HAS PLAYED THROUGHOUT THIS NCAA TOURNAMENT?!?!?
• Confidence in this pick: 9.5

1020 & 8101

Predictions for Thursday's Sweet Sixteen Games

Being that I'm out of every pool that I entered, I've decided to make some predictions on Thursday's games:

West Virginia over Xavier

Reasons:

• WVU's Joe Alexander can go crazy at times and win a game by himself.
• I cannot doubt Bob Huggins anymore (unless he loses this game).
• I don't believe that Drew Lavender's ankle is completely healthy.
• The Big East MUST have at least two teams reach the Elite Eight.
• If Xavier wins, it would actually help a few of my brackets. Therefore, it's not going to happen.
• Confidence in this pick (out of 10): 7.5

North Carolina over Washington State

Reasons:

• North Carolina will score more than 41 points (Sorry again Notre Dame fans).
• Washington State has never won a big game in their history.
• Even if the game is somehow close, CBS will "fix" the outcome in UNC's favor because the CBS announcers have invested too much time in loving Tyler Hansbrough for their run to end with this game.
• I trust Roy Williams more than I trust.....um.....uhh.....thinking hard over here.....who is Washington State's head coach anyway???
• Things might get intense in Chaz and Liz's place if UNC goes out this early, and I'm praying against that happening.
• Confidence in this pick: 9.7

UCLA over Western Kentucky

Reasons:

• Western Kentucky is about to experience what experts call a "letdown".
• Kevin Love and his amazing outlet passes are not going to be denied.
• I think I've almost recovered from Ben Howland leaving Pitt, and am almost ready to trust him and give him credit as an amazing college basketball coach.
• As we've seen all along, the refs are going to make sure UCLA wins no matter what.
• Western Kentucky beat Drake (the pride of Des Moines Iowa), and now they are going to get what's coming to them.
• Confidence in this pick: 8.8

Louisville over Tennessee

Reasons:

• Denny Crum is still coaching Louisville, right? What's that...Rick Pitino is coaching them now? Didn't he used to coach Kentucky? And the Boston Celtics? Hmmm...interesting...I guess I like Rick Pitino as much as Denny Crum in a big game (unless it was with the Celtics)
• James Lofton may or may not have a serious injury and Tennessee has spent the last three days downplaying that "injury'. We all saw what happened with Tom Brady in the Super Bowl after the Patriots tried to hide his "injury". Not good.
• Big East over SEC. It's as simple as that.
• Unless Bruce Pearl has the guts to wear that bright orange sports coat, Tennessee won't have a chance.
• If Tennessee wins, it would actually help a few of my brackets. Therefore, it's not going to happen.
• Confidence in this pick: 7.9

You heard it here first.

1020 & 8101