Big Hoppa’s Bracket: Year 8

Mar 19, 2024
It’s the best time of the year, March Madness. If you know me AT ALL you know that as much as I love sports year-round, this is truly my favorite time of the year. Last year, in my 7th year of k...

2023 SOCON Basketball Tournament Predictions

Mar 3, 2023
The SOCON tournament has the potential to be an intriguing one from the mid-majors. I see two teams that can win this tournament. Here, I’ll break it all down and feed the people a winner. The B...

2022 FINAL FOUR PREVIEW: North Carolina vs. Duke

Apr 1, 2022
Two blue blood programs from the ACC clash for the chance to play in the NCAA National Championship. The Duke Blue Devils take on the North Carolina Tar Heels tomorrow night at 8:49 in a rematch of C...

2022 FINAL FOUR PREVIEW: Villanova vs. Kansas

Apr 1, 2022
While Duke-UNC is stealing all the headlines (rightfully so), this battle of blue bloods is quite the appetizer. I would argue this may be the best Final Four of all time in terms of name brand recogn...

2022 Big Ten Conference Tournament Preview

Mar 8, 2022
The Big Ten is one of the deepest leagues in America, but there are legitimate questions about how they stack up to competition outside of the conference. A number of teams have legitimate chances at ...

2022 Big 12 Conference Tournament Preview

Mar 8, 2022
The Big 12 is arguably the deepest league in college basketball this year. KU and Baylor shared the regular season title, but there are plenty of others capable of making a run this week in Kansas Cit...

Men of March: National Championship Preview

Apr 5, 2021
We got the game that we all wanted. The entire world has craved a possible Gonzaga and Baylor National Championship game since the non-conference matchup was cancelled on December 5th. Hell, the coach...

Re-Ranking The Sweet 16 Teams

Mar 26, 2021
As we head into the weekend, 16 teams remain in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Those 16 include some usual suspects, and some… unexpected faces. The average seed for this year’...

2021 NCAA Tournament: South Region Preview

Mar 18, 2021
The South Region in the 2021 NCAA Tournament has no shortage of story lines. t sees Scott Drew trying to take Baylor to the Final Four for the first time in 70 years. Also we get to watch Chris Beard&...

2021 NCAA Tournament: West Region Preview

Mar 18, 2021
The wait is finally over. After cancellation last year, March Madness finally returns on Thursday. The 2021 tournament should be one of the craziest we’ve ever seen, and it’s impossible to...

2021 NCAA Tournament: Over and Under Seeded Teams

Mar 17, 2021
To College Basketball fans, the month of March represents the best time of the year. High level regular season games, conference tournaments culminating in the release of the field of 68. With that be...

2021 Big 12 Tournament Preview

Mar 8, 2021
Arguably the most competitive league in college hoops will begin tournament play this Wednesday. The Big 12 is stacked this season, with multiple teams capable of making deep runs in March. The confer...

2021 Big East Conference Tournament Preview

Mar 8, 2021
One of college basketball’s most competitive leagues begins tournament play this week. The Big East always brings us big moments and NCAA favorites. There’s certainly a top-tier this seaso...

2020 Pac 12 Tournament Preview

Mar 9, 2020
The 2020 Pac 12 Tournament should provide plenty of entertainment. A banner year for West Coast basketball has seen seven teams fighting for NCAA Tournament berths this week. There has been resurrecti...

2020 Southern Conference Tournament Preview

Mar 7, 2020
The SoCon has been one of the most intriguing conferences in terms of Small Mid-Majors receiving at large bids for the tournament. Last year there was the debate on UNC Greensboro and Furman. This yea...

2020 American East Tournament Preview

Mar 7, 2020
2020 American East Tournament Bracket Favorite to Win: Vermont (-500) Thinking anyone but Vermont will win the 2020 American East Tournament may be a bit of a fool’s errand. The 66th ranked team...

2020 Summit League Tournament Preview

Mar 7, 2020
2020 Summit League Tournament Bracket Favorite to Win: South Dakota State (+150) Despite being the number two seed in the tournament, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits are favored to win the 2020 Sum...

2020 Sun Belt Tournament Preview

Mar 6, 2020
2020 Sun Belt Tournament Bracket Favorite to win: Texas State The favorite to win the 2020 Sun Belt Tournament goes to Texas State who, after starting 8-8 (1-4), ended the season strong and won 12 of ...

2020 Ohio Valley Tournament Preview

Mar 3, 2020
For the last several years, the OVC has annually been the first automatic bid given out during championship week. That changes this year, but the excitement happening in Evansville will surely be at a...

Michigan is FOR REAL

Dec 1, 2019
On Black Friday the Michigan Wolverines won EASY against a top-10 Gonzaga team to win the Battle for Atlantis. The previous day, they won soundly against third-ranked North Carolina. The polls have no...

Is DePaul on the Path to March Madness?

Nov 29, 2019
I would say many people didn’t know this, but DePaul (yes, the DePaul team that hasn’t been to the Big Dance since 2004) is 8-0. This is the first time since 1986-87 they have started 8-0 ...

Bad News: Your Team Is On Upset Alert

Mar 20, 2019
Before you call me an idiot, remember I said your team is on “upset alert” not “your team will be upset”. If you want to call me an idiot for that, then that’s your choic...

UMBC Wins on the Court and on Twitter

Mar 16, 2018
The University of Maryland Baltimore County, better known as UMBC, made history Friday night, becoming the first 16-seed to win an NCAA Tournament game, defeating Virginia 74-54. While the Retrievers ...

The NCAA Hates Dogs, Among Other Things

Mar 15, 2018
I never thought I could meet someone who hates dogs, but then I heard the news that the NCAA has banned the Butler Bulldog mascot, Butler Blue III, from the Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit. How...

My Argument against Xavier and Villanova

Mar 12, 2018
Listen, I like college basketball about the same as the next guy on this website. It’s exciting and March Madness is probably the most exciting time of all. However, when the brackets were relea...

My Six Upsets For Round One

Mar 12, 2018
Providence (10) Over Texas A&M (7) Friday, March 16th 12:15 pm EST Line: Texas A&M (-4.5) I’m not sure what other people think, but I do consider a 10-seed over a 7-seed an upset. This i...

It’s Canyon Time! Lopes Ready for Tournament Debut

Mar 8, 2018
After a long four year probationary period, the Lopes finally have a chance to compete in the WAC Conference tournament in Las Vegas. The Lopes finally get their spotlight under the Vegas lights, and ...

Rutgers Reconfirms I Am The Smartest Person I Know

Mar 2, 2018
November 10, 2017: I inform the world that Rutgers will be a dominant force in basketball this season. People thought it was an outlandish joke simply to support my Knights. If you read the article th...

The Team That No One Is Talking About: Saint Mary’s

Mar 2, 2018
As I have stated on the Student Union Podcast several times, the Saint Mary’s Gaels are the best team that no one knows about. The people in sports media are making that possible by giving them ...

Today I got Flustered and Now I Hate Bison

Feb 27, 2018
Let’s Set The Stage 2018 has not quite been the year of Clemson Carl. I kicked off the year by losing all of my money on Clemson in the CFP semis… then Georgia in the finals… then New Englan...

The Underdogs of College Basketball: Texas Tech

Feb 27, 2018
The Texas Tech Men’s Basketball team kicked off the season starting 6-0. After their first loss first to Seton Hall, the Red Raiders shocked the nation to then go 14-1, the best starting record ...

The Jerome 2018 – Staff Picks

Feb 26, 2018
*Jim Nantz voice* Hello friends. Conference Tournament season is upon us. If you’re like me, you’ve pounding beers since 6 a.m. trying to psych yourself up for the Kennesaw State vs. Jacks...

The Buzzer-Beater, Third Edition: Who Do You Trust?

Feb 19, 2018
Welcome to the third edition of The Buzzer-Beater, my weekly Monday column about college basketball and what’s going on around the country. This week’s column comes to you from beautiful Hattiesb...

Teams Win Tournaments, Not Conferences

Mar 25, 2017
There is a lot of talk every year about what the best conference in the country is. Realistically, that concept doesn’t amount to shit. There is so much unnecessary pride that goes into what con...

So, what about Sean Miller’s coaching in March?

Mar 25, 2017
We live in a world of instant gratification. There is a demand for results, now. Kevin Durant to the Warriors is an obvious NBA example. In college, it is mostly shown through the coaching carousel. I...

UNC Sweet Sixteen Preview

Mar 24, 2017
  After barely getting by the Razorbacks of Arkansas in the Round of 32, the Tar Heels head to Memphis for the Sweet Sixteen, just two games away from another Final Four berth. First though, they...

Breaking Down the Sweet Sixteen

Mar 21, 2017
After a rather lackluster Round of 64, the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament did not disappoint. Among the best storylines, the defending national champion Villanova Wildcats were bested by an expe...

The officiating in this tournament has been deplorable

Mar 20, 2017
The Monday following opening weekend is always a very productive mental day. The way the tournament is scheduled, there is a lot of time to reflect on the nearly 96 straight hours of basketball. My fi...

Turner Sports Sideline Reporter Power Rankings

Mar 19, 2017
Sideline reporting does not have the same level of importance as the main broadcasters. No one will ever turn off a basketball game because they were annoyed with the lady saying what Gregg Marshall ...

The Bracket Bunker: Tales from opening weekend

Mar 18, 2017
To some, pondering a two day span that would include 24 hours of basketball, 2 cases of Miller Lite, enough Twisted Tea to make you diabetic, and under 12 total hours of sleep is a scary proposition. ...

Which coaches should you trust with your bracket?

Mar 15, 2017
There are thousands of different metrics you could use when filling out your bracket. Speaking from experience, no matter how much basketball you watch you will always lose your pool to someone who pi...

Year of the 16 Seed?

Mar 15, 2017
A 16 seed has NEVER beat a 1. That is not a typo, and it is also not surprising. But should it be? There have been a handful of two seeds to get canned in the first round, including a championship fav...

Tennessee: Upset Capital of the World?

Mar 15, 2017
While the pride and joy of the state Volunteers are not in the field of 68, there are three other teams representing the Volunteer State proudly in the Big Dance. None of these three teams are the hig...

Keeping competition in college sports

Mar 14, 2017
During bowl season, there was controversy over some very high-profile college athletes not playing in their bowl games. Two of the biggest names were Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette. Two cam...

Year of the Repeat?

Mar 14, 2017
Not since Billy Donovan and the Florida Gators ten years ago has anyone repeated as NCAA champion. I think that could change this year with Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats. Now it won’t be eas...

No Love: Gonzaga

Mar 14, 2017
  I feel like I’ve seen this story hundreds of times before. Gonzaga destroys opponents for five months. Gonzaga makes tournament as high seed. Gonzaga suffers an early exit. It is a movement as ol...

March Madness Preview: ACC

Mar 14, 2017
After seeing the fifth seeded Duke Blue Devils take home the ACC Tournament crown last weekend, this conference looks as stacked as ever. While they may not be able to replicate the success the confer...

Tournament Upset Special: Princeton

Mar 13, 2017
Last year the selection committee tried to pit the Notre Dame Fighting Irish against the West Virginia Mountaineers as the 3-6 second round matchup in the West Region. As we all (sadly) remember, WVU ...

Big Ten Weekly Pull Up – March 6th – March 12th

Mar 13, 2017
What’s up guys, how did everyone enjoy that awesome Championship Weekend that we were gifted with?!? I certainly had a ball, and so did the Big Ten! Let’s jump right into the facts and sta...

Immediate Reaction: Midwest Region

Mar 13, 2017
Although this is not a typical Monday, it’s the start of MARCH MADNESS!! So with different writers breaking down each region, lets head to the Midwest. Midwest Bracket bracket-ncaa First Look Th...

March Madness Instant Reaction: West Region Announced

Mar 12, 2017
The final region to be announced today (sadly) did not include my favorite team, Syracuse. Still, it is an intriguing region to look at. One of my title contenders (Arizona) is in the region as well. ...

Knee-jerk reactions to Selection Sunday: East Region

Mar 12, 2017
The East region is home to the overall number 1 seed, the Villanova Wildcats. This was the only absolute lock going into the tournament. No one really believed there was anyone else that deserved the ...

Instant Reaction: South Region

Mar 12, 2017
This South Region of the NCAA Tournament bracket looks like it could be fun. All of the teams at the top are great at putting points on the board. There are also some amazing players in this region, a...

Teams to watch out for come March

Mar 6, 2017
Every year there are a few teams from non-major conferences that get a lot of buzz around this time of year. Some, like last year’s Arkansas Little-Rock team, are able to get it done in their confer...

Instant Reaction: Kansas Rallies Against West Virginia

Feb 13, 2017
What a roller coaster of emotions in Lawrence, Kansas tonight. What seemed like sure defeat suddenly turned to euphoria for Jayhawk fans as Kansas stormed back, ending regulation on a 21-7 run, and th...

ACC Weekly Roundup: February 6th

Feb 6, 2017
  The Top 5 North Carolina 21-4 (9-2) For the fourth week in a row, I have Carolina in the top spot. This past week involved an odd situation as UNC had to leave campus and take on Notre Dame in ...

ACC Weekly Roundup (January 16th)

Jan 16, 2017
The Top 5 North Carolina: 16-3 (4-1) Despite a random stinker against Georgia Tech, I believe UNC is the team to beat in the ACC right now (until Duke gets going at least). The Heels were able to pull...