My NCAA Tournament Picks

I'm not sure why people are so interested in one another's Final Four picks; or even why sports fans are so attentive to experts' picks. So, though it is a vain exercise, I give you my Final Four picks:

Chicago Region
Illinois over Arizona

Albuquerque Region
Louisville over Wake Forest

Syracuse Region
Connecticut over North Carolina

Austin Region
Oklahoma over Syracuse

Final Four
Illinois over Louisville; Connecticut over Oklahoma

Final Game
Illinois over Connecticut

For the record, this is the first time I have picked the obvious favorite to go all the way. And I admit that, because I get so tired of Duke and North Carolina, I am always tempted to pick against them, and they rarely end up in my Final Fours. I also admit that, despite the hours I spend researching college basketball, my bracketology skills are lacking. But before you take me as someone with no credibility, I should say that I am the only person I know who correctly picked Syracuse to win it all two years ago.

Note: I removed the "DIY Tournament Selection" post, because I made that list of suggested 1-through-8 seeds prior to Sunday's games and did not take into account the outcomes of four major conference championship games.

Note: I'll try to post my picks for the women's tournament by tomorrow.

Note: I'm picking Oakland in tonight's play-in game. Team's with losing records usually have some success in Dayton.