Jimmy Brannon Blog

March Madness is here! A look at the top seeds…. Make your predictions here!

With March Madness upon us it is time to look at the top NCAA seeds and also a few of the bubble teams that may still have a chance to make the big dance. The top seeds are relatively easy this year but the plot thickens as you consider the some of the other top challengers. Here is an early peek at top seeds as seen from here.

One seeds: Syracuse Kansas Kentucky Duke

Syracuse should be the overall number one seed. They are well coached, have only two losses in what is still the toughest overall conference. Neither Kansas nor Syracuse has demonstrated a glaring weakness…. Kentucky’s erratic shooting may or may not become a death knell for the Cat’s in the tournament, but it is a concern. Duke is probably a step back but again a team that is well coached and has perhaps as good guards as anybody.

Two seeds: Villanova Ohio State West Virginia Michigan State

The places where I’ve varied from popular power rankings are with Purdue which I have dropped to a three seed due to the loss of their best player. They are not the same team without Hummel. I have Villanova higher than most folks do because of the Big East conference they play in. The other place I disagree with commentators is with Kansas State. Most have them a 2 seed and at one time a possible one seed. The Big 12 is a good conference but I don’t think it is a strong as commentators suggest and at the bottom of the conference is weaker than not only the Big East and the SEC but perhaps other conference such as the Big Ten. Michigan State is another well coached team that I wouldn’t be surprised hanging around in the final 8. I think Kansas State will go out much sooner.

Other teams that may make noise in the tournament: Gonzaga. Another well coached team that seems to have a lot of weapons. Louisville. Once a bubble team that I wouldn’t be surprised to see in the sweet sixteen. The Cardinals need another good signature win to get a better seed.

Here’s the challenge to blog readers. Pick a team outside the top ten or so or preferably that is unranked that you think will go deep in the tournament!

　

A solution to the Kentucky casino slots/racetracks issue-

The debate over slots at racetracks in Kentucky has to be one of the most pathetic examples of politics over substance that has occurred in Kentucky in recent times.

You’ve had Republicans led by Senate leader David Williams opposing the proposed slots bill and appearing to be obstructionist in his efforts.

Then you have Democrats led by Governor Beshear not to be outdone resorting to all sorts of political tricks to either get Republicans out of the General Assembly by appointment to other positions or otherwise.

Many of the Democratic mouthpieces, blogs and the like have so politicized and in some cases demagogued the issue that they have done harm to the horse industry in the process. It is clear they are more interested in scoring political points than doing anything constructive.

The state could use the revenue from casino gambling. It is unclear, however, how you justify casinos at the tracks and refuse to allow such an investment, lets say at a riverboat in Paducah. It also concerns me that some advocates have suggested that the horse industry’s fate is so tenuous that its very life depends on something such as slots. That may or may not be true but if it was true I wouldn’t admit it.

A better and more profitable idea might be to allow slots at selected Kentucky State Parks which would have the added boost to the state park system and tourism. Perhaps a newly configured set of “horse” slot games would provide a unique feature to the slots that only Kentucky could boast. As a part of a well marketed campaign the state could offer discounts on lodging and the like to make the slots more attractive. And yes an appropriate program for funding purses at the tracks could be a part of the program.

How about this as a compromise so that the egos on both sides aren’t hurt.

A year of disappointments for UK Football?

Imagine it. UK Football and disappointment used in the same phrase. This past year’s UK football team was full of disappointments. Sure there was the win over Louisville. But a barely winning record at 7-6! But for the injury of starting quarterback, Mike Hartline, UK should not have lost to South Carolina where they lost on the road by two points. They should have beaten Tennessee too, which should have given the Cats a 9-4 record. Sure they went to their fourth straight bowl game but should have been in a much better bowl game rather than being forced to travel to Nashville for the Music City Bowl. Imagine UK football with a winning record and a bowl game but yet a disappointment.

The truth is that just a few years ago picking up a few wins and maybe going to an occasional bowl game, win or lose, was considered an accomplishment (miracle).

Due to Coach Rich Brooks that is no longer the case. The fact is Brooks has succeeded in turning a program into a respectable one and doing it with class. The only real disappointment here is that Coach Brooks has retired. But hope his that Coach Joker Phillips will carry on the “Rich Tradition” begun by Coach Brooks and continue the Cats’ climb in the SEC.

What in the world is with ESPN analyst Bob Knight? Does Coach Cal need a lawyer?

Let me say at the outset that I am, of course, a UK Alumni and big University of Kentucky athletics fan, in addition to being a big fan of Coach Calipari. I also, just like Coach Cal, have always had a lot of respect for Coach Bob Knight.

It is in view of those facts that I am a little bewildered by ESPN analyst Knight’s statements about Coach Cal this week.

For one thing as an ESPN analyst should he not want to make sure his opinions are based on facts. The situations with Coach Calipari have been well known and to my knowledge the Coach was cleared by the NCAA in both of those cases.

If analyst Knight has information that we don’t know about, perhaps he should share that with us, so we can all come to an informed position.

If analyst Knight lacks that information, it would appear that his expressed opinion which may be damaging to Coach Calipari lacks a basis in fact. Who knows maybe analyst Knight may wind up owing the Coach a steak dinner. Perhaps the Coach needs a lawyer to investigate that matter.

My other concern lies in the fact that analyst Knight in his opinion on integrity mentioned apparently only Coach Calipari. Surely, there must be other coaches around the country that analyst Knight must have an opinion in regards to. As a matter of fairness as an analyst (and as a matter of journalistic integrity-something I know a little about) shouldn’t analyst Knight feel compelled to mention those folks as well. After all it was his discussion of integrity that got us into this position to start with.

Perhaps analyst Knight should clarify what he meant to say, or if not perhaps ESPN should make a clarification as to what is proper role with the company is.