If we can stop Tim Duncan...

Basketball:

So Scipio did a great job on introducing us to our ACC counterpart and robbing me of an easy morning column. A great read though, it sounds like they are in Texas' wheelhouse since it isn't at Wake. You can see the whole bracket here.

Obviously Kentucky is the 2nd opponent and I don't think there's any way Texas beats them. Mason or Bradley would need to stay on Wall the entire game because he would chew up anyone else like Popeye eating spinach and I don't know if either of them can stay in front of him either. I'm sure Dr. Trips will show up and announce the time of death soon. It might be better to take 2009-10 Hook'em to the south lawn and let him pasture for while before putting him down quietly and peacefully.

As for the rest of the bracket, I like Duke's squad a lot but they draw a potential Louisville matchup 2nd round and that's a group our resident expert has explicitly listed as a problematic foe. If that doesn't get them Baylor is another unpleasant matchup they could face deeper in the field.

Kansas, who I claimed had the best player in the Big 12, got the no. 1 seed overall and Michigan State and Evan Turner which are two tough tournament beasts to kill. Izzo's Spartans are generally a team I would never want to see my team face in the bracket.

The Wildcats, after they finish feeding on Bevo's sickly corpse, could be faced with Marquette, Wisconsin or West Virginia. That's a bitter drink laced with guard play and strong team execution to be washing down Bevo with.

That leaves Syracuse, who I think should be one of the safer bets for the Final Four of the 1 seeds if Onuaku is healthy. Overall I think Kansas is the best team for their match of excellent team play on offense and defense combined with their NBA-level of athleticism, if they can out-tough the Spartans.

Football:

Magnus had a mock draft in which he places the Predator in New England. I think that's a good fit for Kindle as Belichek would undoubtedly put him in position to be successful (not covering tight ends on seam routes) and would be glad to have someone who can pressure the quarterback. Kindle, in turn, would certainly love the protection the Patriots 2-gap line offers although he would probably have to learn to think before flying to the ball save for blitzes.

Trent Williams has been climbing the draft boards after his strong combine and impressive measurables. I was actually unpleasantly surprised to find him a competent player in the RRS. I remember him being beat once, by Eddie Jones and maybe a Sooner can chime in but it didn't look like that was a common occurence last season.

Speaking of Eddie Jones, now seems like a good time to mention a guy that I think will be a primary playmaker for Texas next season. His line from last year: 23 tackles, 7 tfl, 5 sacks, 14 hurries, 1 forced fumble and a pick six, is pretty impressive for a situational player. With Sacho likely making the move to tackle and Okafor the Buck that leaves EJ on the strongside picking on right tackles and guards and on the field full-time.

I checked up on Sacho's cumulative stats as well and just in case anyone had overlooked his performance: 63 tackles, 14 tfl, 10 sacks, 15 hurries, 4 fumble recoveries and 2 fumbles forced. Let's hope he takes to tackle as quickly as he was taking tackles last season because EJ, Sacho, Oak and Randall are easily the best 4 linemen at this point.

If you were thinking of the Ducks as a possible National Champion or even Pac-10 Champion you might not bother to check their odds as they've lost their starting offensive backfield. I'm not sure what else they have waiting in the wings but that's a grievous blow to a program that has been entering the nation's elite. Chip Kelly is a fantastic offensive mind so perhaps he can make something of whatever other quarterbacks they have on roster like when he turned Dennis Dixon into a god of war a few years back.

James is actually only going to miss the opener, barring any future criminal activity. I wonder if Mr. Seastrunk will get the call sooner or later to take part in the festivities, on or off the field take your pick.