Starting 10 : Tourney Edition

1. Andy Katz - ESPN.com - President Obama's Final Four Revealed
I knew I liked this Obama guy. Mr. President filled out a bracket with Mr. Katz that will be fully reveled today at NOON on SportsCenter. His final 4 picks were announced as PITT, Memphis, No. Carolina and....yes...the Louisville Cardinals. Like a true politician, he took the high road with 3 #1's and a #2. I'm interested to see if he picked the Cards to tale it all. However, he did play some pick-up ball with the Heels during his campaign, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him go UNC. A president that loves basketball - awesome.

2. Chris Littmann - Sporting News: First Cuts - EA Sports Sim Says Louisville Will Win Title
I don't know how much confidence this gives me, but anyone that has played this year's college hoops knows that the Cards are pretty much unstoppable with anyone other than PITT or Carolina. It's still feels surreal to be the favorite - even if it is in a video game.

3. Brandon Davis - BigEastSportsBlog.com - In Pitino I Trust
Davis gives reasons and shows evidence as to why Card fans should not be worried about the #1 overall seed tag. The most telling fact in this piece is that Pitino has been a #1 seed 4 times - 3 times he has made the Final 4 and the other time he made the Elite 8, losing to North Carolina in 1995.

4. Jeff Goodman - FoxSports.com - Don't Take Your Eyes Off These Freshman
Goodman profiles the freshman that could have an impact in the tournament. He also touches on the fact that this year's class has been a disappointment in comparison to last years. i think last year's class (Beasley, Mayo,Rose) could be one of the best ever, so to compare would be taking away from the possibilities of this class. Hey, maybe some guys will even stay all four years (**cough**Samardo**cough**). Goodman has the Cards losing to Wake Forest in his bracket.

5. Andy Staples - SportsIllustrated.CNN.com - Midwest Region Breakdown
Staples picks Louisville to come out of the region and agrees with the majority that the possibility of a Wake/UL Sweet 16 bout would be the best match-up in the bracket. All I know is I'm becoming the biggest Cleveland St. and North Dakota St. fan for about a week.

6. Mike DeCourcy - SportingNews.com - FSU's Douglas is Really Good...
It must run in the genes or something because Harry Douglas Sr. and his wife have produced two high-caliber athletes in FSU PG and Louisville football legend Harry Jr. I always heard stories about how good of a ball player Harry was in high school and after seeing his brother play, I believe it.

7. Richard Sandomir - New York Times - NCAA Can Opt out of Deal with CBS after 2010
Could this be the window of opportunity for ESPN to take over the tournament and both ruin it and make it better at the same time? On one side, all of the games will be shown in any area of the country without playing extra (hopefully) On the other hand, I think it compromises the integrity of the tourney when one network knows who people like to watch and have enough power to sway the committee.

8. The Big Lead - The Five Most Hated Players in the NCAA Tournament
Guess who tops the list? None other than that pasty, jailhouse tattoo wearing, unnecessary chest pounding, disrespectful, trash-talking, alleged woman abuser Eric Devendorf. That punk had my vote and #2 on the list is not close behind. Although I hate #2's game because he's so good, #1 takes being an ass on the court to a whole new level. This is funny too.

9. Jody Demling - Courier-Journal - UofL Signee Siva Wins State Title
I was able to congratulate Peyton via text message yesterday and he wanted me to relay the message that he is out west "bragging" about Louisville and will be rooting hard for his future school in the next couple of weeks. Siva is the type of player that simply helps his teams win games whatever the cost.

10. Jonathan Givony - DraftExpress.com NCAA Blog
Awesome relatively new blog that analyzes players and match-ups from both a college and pro-potential view-point. Givony reveals studs, duds, the best individual match-ups and more. Very cool site.