Korked Bats Pick ‘Em – Week 6

[PICKS: OHIO STATE, KANSAS STATE, WEST VIRGINIA, DUKE, HOT TUB TIME MACHINE ] “Of all the things I’ve accomplished this semester- becoming an editor at a magazine, surpassing 2,000 tweets, Ali Farokhmanesh beating Kansas- nothing makes me more proud of my efforts than getting myself out of the cellar Slack had me in when I took over for him in KB Pick ‘Em. That’s right, folks, I’ve tied Frank as he’s gone into full 2008 Mets mode and I’m only one game behind Frank. I’m coming for ya fellas. Time to dig deep.

As much as I’d love to put the Fighting Lucas O’Rears in the Final Four as the Midwest rep, I don’t think a more talented team are will fail to take Northern Iowa seriously again. Don’t get me wrong, I think that UNI is as talented as any four or five seed, but they don’t have the talent to beat Ohio State- assuming the Buckeyes play at a capable level. Think of Northern Iowa like you think about Chip: they’re moderately talented, and they try really hard, but more talented teams (me) will beat them.

The West is the only region that has maintained some semblance of normalcy: the one and two seeds have rolled through their first two opponents, and the five and six seeds have stayed alive by winning close games against similar opponents. Now that I’m turning the jets on, think of me as K-State/Syracuse, and Frank as Butler/Xavier. I like K-State to get past Syracuse in the Elite Eight, mainly because I think that K-State has the right blend of athleticism and outside shooting to beat Boeheim’s 2-3 zone. Figure in the fact that KSU’s Jacob Pullen has been the best player in the tournament thus far, and you can feel free to put the Wildcats in their first Final Four since 1964.

I originally picked Wisconsin to beat Kentucky in the Sweet 16, thinking their defensive discipline and slow pace could derail Kentucky’s high-flying, yet undisciplined, bunch of youngsters. Now, I’m willing to let Cornell be that team. I love that the Big Red lead the nation in 3-pt. shooting percentage. Here’s what I love most though: Cornell plays at the 279th fastest (if you want to call it that) pace in the nation, but they’re fourth in the nation in points per possession. What does that mean? In Layman’s terms, Wisconsin controls pace, but is incredibly efficient with their possessions. They will beat Kentucky.

Now, having said all that, I think that West Virginia comes out of this region. They’ll be more disciplined against Cornell than Kentucky is.

In the Midwest, nothing leads me to believe that anyone can beat Duke. I love St. Mary’s’ Omar Samhan, I adore Scott Drew and his Bears, and I have mad respect for Pudue- winning two games without Hummel hasn’t been easy for the Boilermakers. Sadly, none of those teams has what it takes to upend Duke, even though any of the three teams would make a magical Final Four story.

Hot Tub Time Machine is picking up tons of momentum all of a sudden. I’ll have to admit, I was skeptical the first 27 times I saw the trailer, but I really started to come around about the 42nd time I watched it. It’s getting great reviews so far, it’s been masterfully advertised, and it seems to have enough mainstream comedy to draw in the masses. It gets my vote.”