There’s really only one important piece of news in the Sweet Sixteen—  Vanderbilt is still in it.  Let’s face it, Vandy is never going to bring home a football championship, so basketball is their only shot at a major national title. 

March 22 is the next round, which will see the following:

Kansas vs. Southern Illinois—  I guess I’ll go with Illinois on this one.  When in doubt, I usually choose an Illinois team.

Pittsburgh vs. UCLA—  I have no real opinion on this one—  Pittsburgh?  Just because.

Ohio State vs. Tennessee—  You can’t cheer for Vanderbilt and Tennessee, so I have to favor Ohio State in this game.

Texas A&M vs. Memphis—  Clearly, as a Texan, I have to root for A&M, even if I normally favor the Longhorns.  (As you can see, my picks are in no way based on who is expected to win.  It’s all about who I like, which quite often in the NCAA Tournament gets me just about as far as people who like to think they can predict who will win.)

Then on the 23rd:

Florida vs. Butler—  Florida is, of course, favored to win, but I’d like to see Butler pull off a win.  Florida showed they could be vulnerable to a loss when they played against Purdue, so it’s not as though it’s an impossibility.  My husband went to FSU, so it’s forbidden to hope the Gators win.  I guess that leaves me cheering for Butler.

Oregon vs. UNLV—  I don’t have any strong feelings on this one.  My son likes Oregon, so we’ll go with them.

North Carolina vs. USC—  This comes down to who I want to see face Vanderbilt, when they annihalate Georgetown (okay, I’ll settle for a win).  Well, North Carolina was predicted far and wide to win the East, so I’d probably prefer that they lose.  But USC is playing better than some expected…  Hmm.  It’s a difficult decision.  USC did beat the Longhorns, which makes it hard for me to want them to win.  So, I guess I’ll be going with North Carolina for this one. 

Vanderbilt vs. Georgetown—  Do I really have to tell you who I want to win this one?