2008 NCAA Tournament Spectacular - Day 2

Jeremy's Status Message presents the NCAA Tournament Spectacular! Full NCAA Tournament Coverage! Take an inside look into this expert's thought process in picking today's games!

Apparently Washington State did not appreciate my Trading Places joke yesterday.

Explanation: Washington State came out in halftime of a tied game versus Winthrop and outscored them 42-11 in the second half. So much for my 13-4 upset.

Instead of dwelling on how I did yesterday, which I think may be more annoying than people telling you about their fantasy football teams, I'll just give my Day 2 picks, listed in order of start time.

No. 15 American vs. No. 2 Tennessee:
As I have always said, it's un-American to root for Tennessee. Then again, as Bruce Pearl reminded me the other day, he and Pat Summitt have combined for SEVEN national championships. You can't pick against a tradition of success like that.

No. 10 Davidson vs. No. 7 Gonzaga:
I'm a sucker for Davidson. Last year, I was awed by Stephen Curry's tournament performance. Throw in the fact that his father is Dell Curry, one of Virginia Tech's greatest all-time basketball players, and I'm as excited about an underdog as I've been since the Earl Boykins days at Eastern Michigan. Go... (researching)... Wildcats!

No. 10 Saint Mary's vs. No. 7 Miami:
As a Virginia Tech Hokie, I cannot in good conscience root for the University of Miami. So, I'm taking Saint Mary's in the upset. Go... (researching)... Fighting Magi!*

No. 12 Western Kentucky vs. No. 5 Drake:
So, in college, we played a volleyball tournament in Kentucky. I had never been to Kentucky before, so I was a little nervous about what it would be like there. When we stopped for gas, the attendant at the gas station was named Cletis. My first interaction with someone in Kentucky, and his name was Cletis! Drake's, on the other hand, makes delicious snack products like Yodels and their emblem is a duck in a chef's hat. It's not that I took issue with Cletis. I just like Yodels more.

No. 10 South Alabama vs. No. 7 Butler:
Isn't "South Alabama" a little redundant? That's like naming a school "Liberal Vermont," "Sunny Florida," or "Ohio State Recruiting Scandal." Plus, I'm pretty sure Butler has scored an upset or two recently in the tournament. I have to go with them. And if they win, I get to say "Butler did it!"

No. 15 UMBC vs. No. 2 Georgetown:
I find it amusing that two schools that are just a few miles apart have to travel to North Carolina to play each other. I also find it amusing that UMBC is in the tournament and the University of Maryland is not. Regardless, Georgetown will move on to get crushed by my new hero Stephen Curry and the Davidson team he carries on his back.

No. 15 Austin Peay vs. No. 2 Texas:
First of all, I can't pronounce "Peay." Second of all, any school with "Austin" in the name should be in Texas, not Tennessee. Third of all, the Texas is going to squash this team like the Wonderlic squashed Vince Young. I can say stuff like that because my college never faced such an embarassment over a superstar quar... Let's just move on.

No. 13 San Diego vs. No. 4 Connecticut:
Given UConn's terrible performance the last few times I saw them in the tournament, I'd be nervous to pick them again. Since I have never seen San Diego in the tournament, though, I'll go with the stronger program. Just for the record, I'd much rather live in San Diego than in Connecticut.

No. 16 Mount St. Mary's vs. No. 1 North Carolina:
Sure, the Mount is a 16 seed. Sure, they're playing UNC in what is essentially a home game for the overall number one seed. The facts are the facts: Mount St. Mary's comes into this game with a better 2008 NCAA Tournament record than UNC.

No. 11 Saint Joseph's vs. No. 6 Oklahoma:
Oh, this is embarassing. I just looked up Saint Joseph's University to figure out where they were only to discover that the campus is less than 20 miles from my house. See, that is exactly why I'm picking Oklahoma.

No. 13 Siena vs. No. 4 Vanderbilt:
My wife went to Vanderbilt. Yes, I married a 'Dore. I know "Hokie" doesn't make much sense, but at least it doesn't require additional punctuation. Now that I think about it, last year, I picked against Vanderbilt and they won anyway. Of course, last year I won my basketball pool, too. Go Siena!

No. 9 Oregon vs. No. 8 Mississippi State:
Ah, the bitter rivalry between Oregon and Mississippi State continues. Yep, the Ducks and the Bulldogs - rivals in nature and on the basketball court. Once again, I'm going with the Ducks. What can I say? I love Yodels.

No. 9 Arkansas vs. No. 8 Indiana:
The moment I first saw this matchup, I said "there's no way I'm picking Indiana, because their coach left in the middle of the season." So, I'm picking Indiana. I think the SEC is THAT bad.

No. 14 Boise State vs. No. 3 Louisville:
If they were playing on the blue turf, I would pick Boise State without thinking twice. Since there is no turf at all, I'm going to go with the basketball school instead. Oh, and I'll lay even odds that Brian Brohm is hurt during the game.

No. 12 Villanova vs. No. 5 Clemson:
Any team that can wear purple and orange and still get to the ACC Tournament finals has my vote. This reminds me of Bob Knight's leprechaun story - funniest thing I've never heard.

No. 16 Texas-Arlington vs. No. 1 Memphis:
I'm walking in Texas-Arlington. Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale. Walking in Texas-Arlington. But do I really feel the way I feel? Nope. I'll stick with Memphis.

*This is a joke. I have no idea what the Saint Mary's mascot is.