Our surprise bracketeer! Maria Horner
South Region Bracket
I’ve been asked to step in at the last minute and offer my expert analysis of the South Region Bracket. The intended analyst, Phillip “P-We” West, claimed some feeble “I have too much to do at school right now” excuse. No matter…my insights will prove to be far more valuable. After all, I have beaten Wendel Roth-Strong two years in a row in our youth group bracket pool.
The gentlemen who provided their thoughts and opinions on the other three brackets logged a crazy number of hours on the internet and ESPN, gathering data for their predictions. I scoff at their methods. Who cares which team has the strongest bench? Does it really matter how many three point shots your point guard can hit in a game? And I cannot agree with all the talk about some conferences being stronger then others!
Instead, I share with you MY picks for this bracket. No sporting websites were consulted. No player stats were compared. No coaching techniques or conference schedules were taken into consideration. I have my own approach to March Madness, and I am confident that my picks will emerge victorious. I only addressed the first-round; after that, you’re on your own. It’s important to think for yourself!!
North Carolina (1) vs. Radford (16)
I love a good upset as much as the next girl. ..plus we had a long-time camper, CILT and CIT whose last name was Radford. Normally I would choose the Highlanders to shock the Tar Heels…but even I can’t stretch that far. North Carolina wins this one.
LSU (8) vs. Butler (9)
This one’s easy. The Butler Bulldogs will win and here’s why – Butler is in Indianapolis, and we have huge contingent of staff from that area (even though they all go to IU and Purdue). In addition, Butler was founded by Ovid Butler in 1855. Butler is a liberal-arts university that emphasizes, among other things, an appreciation of beauty and a commitment to community service and global awareness. Love that!
Illinois (5) vs. Western Kentucky (12)
This is the toughest pick in the bracket. A long-time staff member, Brian Dowgiallo graduated from Illinois and bleeds orange and blue (really – I saw it once after a particularly gnarly hike to Howlands Peak). He has this nasty old hat with an “I” on the front and “1983” on the back. I once asked him about the significance of the 1983, thinking it was the year Illinois had won some kind of sporting championship or something. He said he liked the hat because 1983 was the year he was born. 1983 was the year I graduated from high school…ugh. On the other side, Holly Kern, our Food Service Manager, went to Western Kentucky. Holly was born before 1983, so I like her much better. In addition, she is in charge of all the food in camp. Sorry, Brian, the stomach wins. The WKU Hilltoppers upset the Illini.
Gonzaga (4) vs. Akron (13)
I ALWAYS pick Gonzaga, regardless of how they’re ranked or who they’re playing. I think if you go to a school with that crazy of a name, you deserve to win. Add to the fact that it’s a Jesuit university and I’m a big fan of the Jesuits. Gonzaga was started in 1881 by Father Joseph Cataldo, who bought 320 acres of land and water in Spokane for $936 silver dollars. How can you go wrong?
Arizona State (6) vs. Temple (11)
This is another of my upset picks, and here’s why. Both Jenna Yost, a long-time camper and staff member and Mara Lague, our Administrative Director, went to the University of Arizona. This makes it unwise for me to pick ASU to win anything. Temple has many things in its favor. Their mascot is the owl…and we all know how wise and crafty owls are. Plus, Temple is in Philadelphia, which is where the aforementioned Phillip West’s family hails from. Temple wins.
Syracuse (3) vs. Stephen F. Austin (14)
This is another easy one. Even though Syracuse has a ridiculous mascot (really, an orange? what’s up with that?), I have to honor the legacy of the Rose family. Both Ron and Kathy spent many summers, springs and falls at Howlands Landing, working in the summer camp and CELP programs. They are from Syracuse, and Ron bleeds that orange easily as much as Brian bleeds Illini orange and blue. Sorry, Stephen F. Austin. I’m sure you’re all a nice bunch of boys, but Syracuse wins this one.
Clemson (7) vs. Michigan (10)
When former staff members have strong ties to certain universities, it’s hard to pick against them. Sam Cover, who was our summer camp director for a very long time, grew up in Clemson. Her parents both worked there. She takes her college basketball very seriously. She also bleeds orange (there’s a pattern here) so I have to go with Clemson. Now, if it were a hockey game, I would definitely go with Michigan. Their helmets are really cool.
Oklahoma (2) vs. Morgan St. (15)
I really like Morgan State. They were founded in 1867 as the Centenary Biblical Institute by the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. I am a big fan of Methodists and Episcopalians. Their original mission was to train young men for ministry; they later broadened their mission to educate both men and women as teachers. I’m a huge fan of teachers. They were renamed Morgan College in honor of the Reverend Lyttleton Morgan, the first chairman of its Board of Trustees, who donated land to the college. I love a generous donor. The Oklahoma mascot is the Sooner. That’s even crazier then an Orange. I did a little research and it seems that Oklahoma University is the only school with a Sooner mascot (imagine that). The name is a part of Oklahoma history. On April 22, 1889, people were given the opportunity to claim land in Oklahoma; sort of a land grab, first-come, first-served. One of the few rules was that all participants had to start at the same time. The ones who went too soon were called “Sooners.” These Sooners were usually deputy marshals, land surveyors, railroad employees and others who were able to legally enter the territory early to mark out choice pieces of land for themselves or others. Sounds like favoritism to me; Morgan State wins. Besides, Morgan Pepper is coming back to camp this summer!
The gentlemen who provided their thoughts and opinions on the other three brackets logged a crazy number of hours on the internet and ESPN, gathering data for their predictions. I scoff at their methods. Who cares which team has the strongest bench? Does it really matter how many three point shots your point guard can hit in a game? And I cannot agree with all the talk about some conferences being stronger then others!
Instead, I share with you MY picks for this bracket. No sporting websites were consulted. No player stats were compared. No coaching techniques or conference schedules were taken into consideration. I have my own approach to March Madness, and I am confident that my picks will emerge victorious. I only addressed the first-round; after that, you’re on your own. It’s important to think for yourself!!
North Carolina (1) vs. Radford (16)
I love a good upset as much as the next girl. ..plus we had a long-time camper, CILT and CIT whose last name was Radford. Normally I would choose the Highlanders to shock the Tar Heels…but even I can’t stretch that far. North Carolina wins this one.
LSU (8) vs. Butler (9)
This one’s easy. The Butler Bulldogs will win and here’s why – Butler is in Indianapolis, and we have huge contingent of staff from that area (even though they all go to IU and Purdue). In addition, Butler was founded by Ovid Butler in 1855. Butler is a liberal-arts university that emphasizes, among other things, an appreciation of beauty and a commitment to community service and global awareness. Love that!
Illinois (5) vs. Western Kentucky (12)
This is the toughest pick in the bracket. A long-time staff member, Brian Dowgiallo graduated from Illinois and bleeds orange and blue (really – I saw it once after a particularly gnarly hike to Howlands Peak). He has this nasty old hat with an “I” on the front and “1983” on the back. I once asked him about the significance of the 1983, thinking it was the year Illinois had won some kind of sporting championship or something. He said he liked the hat because 1983 was the year he was born. 1983 was the year I graduated from high school…ugh. On the other side, Holly Kern, our Food Service Manager, went to Western Kentucky. Holly was born before 1983, so I like her much better. In addition, she is in charge of all the food in camp. Sorry, Brian, the stomach wins. The WKU Hilltoppers upset the Illini.
Gonzaga (4) vs. Akron (13)
I ALWAYS pick Gonzaga, regardless of how they’re ranked or who they’re playing. I think if you go to a school with that crazy of a name, you deserve to win. Add to the fact that it’s a Jesuit university and I’m a big fan of the Jesuits. Gonzaga was started in 1881 by Father Joseph Cataldo, who bought 320 acres of land and water in Spokane for $936 silver dollars. How can you go wrong?
Arizona State (6) vs. Temple (11)
This is another of my upset picks, and here’s why. Both Jenna Yost, a long-time camper and staff member and Mara Lague, our Administrative Director, went to the University of Arizona. This makes it unwise for me to pick ASU to win anything. Temple has many things in its favor. Their mascot is the owl…and we all know how wise and crafty owls are. Plus, Temple is in Philadelphia, which is where the aforementioned Phillip West’s family hails from. Temple wins.
Syracuse (3) vs. Stephen F. Austin (14)
This is another easy one. Even though Syracuse has a ridiculous mascot (really, an orange? what’s up with that?), I have to honor the legacy of the Rose family. Both Ron and Kathy spent many summers, springs and falls at Howlands Landing, working in the summer camp and CELP programs. They are from Syracuse, and Ron bleeds that orange easily as much as Brian bleeds Illini orange and blue. Sorry, Stephen F. Austin. I’m sure you’re all a nice bunch of boys, but Syracuse wins this one.
Clemson (7) vs. Michigan (10)
When former staff members have strong ties to certain universities, it’s hard to pick against them. Sam Cover, who was our summer camp director for a very long time, grew up in Clemson. Her parents both worked there. She takes her college basketball very seriously. She also bleeds orange (there’s a pattern here) so I have to go with Clemson. Now, if it were a hockey game, I would definitely go with Michigan. Their helmets are really cool.
Oklahoma (2) vs. Morgan St. (15)
I really like Morgan State. They were founded in 1867 as the Centenary Biblical Institute by the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. I am a big fan of Methodists and Episcopalians. Their original mission was to train young men for ministry; they later broadened their mission to educate both men and women as teachers. I’m a huge fan of teachers. They were renamed Morgan College in honor of the Reverend Lyttleton Morgan, the first chairman of its Board of Trustees, who donated land to the college. I love a generous donor. The Oklahoma mascot is the Sooner. That’s even crazier then an Orange. I did a little research and it seems that Oklahoma University is the only school with a Sooner mascot (imagine that). The name is a part of Oklahoma history. On April 22, 1889, people were given the opportunity to claim land in Oklahoma; sort of a land grab, first-come, first-served. One of the few rules was that all participants had to start at the same time. The ones who went too soon were called “Sooners.” These Sooners were usually deputy marshals, land surveyors, railroad employees and others who were able to legally enter the territory early to mark out choice pieces of land for themselves or others. Sounds like favoritism to me; Morgan State wins. Besides, Morgan Pepper is coming back to camp this summer!
posted by Tom Horner at
1:57 PM
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