By Staff
If you are like me and enjoy rooting for a local team in the post season, then all we are left with are the Michigan State Spartans.
Gone are the likes of Notre Dame and Western Michigan in the NIT.
Gone is Notre Dame from the NCAA womens' tournament.
That leaves only the Green and White of MSU to cheer for.
The Spartans face a tough task in the regional semifinal later this week as they have to deal with No. 1 seed Duke.
As most of you know I am a Michigan fan, which means that Michigan State is not at the top of my favorite team list.
However, I will surely be backing the Spartans against Duke in the regional semifinal.
We Michigan fans may not like the Spartans most of the time, but given a choice between cheering for the Blue Devils and cheering for the Spartans - give us the Spartans.
Besides, if I wanted to cheer for an ACC team it would be North Carolina.
I have liked the Tar Heels since long before Michael Jeffery Jordan played.
There was just something about "Carolina Blue" when I was growing up that caught my eye. I liked the way Dean Smith coached his team.
That fondness for the Tar Heels was cemented when they played in the NCAA tournament at Notre Dame in the 1980s after Jordan had left for Chicago.
The NCAA tournament has lived up to all expectations.
There have been major upsets, last-second shots and enough thrills to boost the ratings to near record highs.
There is nothing like the NCAA tournament. Nothing can compare to the raw emotion that is put on display throughout the country.
Before the tournament began I asked coaches, athletic directors and others to make their Final Four predictions and to give me a winner of the tournament.
I selected North Carolina, Illinois and Duke, all No. 1 seeds and then I picked a sleeper in Texas Tech.
As most of you remember, I am no fan of Bob Knight, however, I do recognize coaching talent and I felt that the "General" had been silent too long.
Knight and Texas Tech have made me look good so far.
All of my picks are still alive. Of course Texas Tech has the toughest road to St. Louis, but I think they can get it done.
In the end, however, I picked North Carolina to win it all.
Not just because I liked their uniforms growing up, but mainly because I like Roy Williams, the Tar Heels' coach.
Williams is a class act who needs to shed the montra of being a good coach who never won the big game.