Boyd Bergquist’s Countdown To March Madness: T-Minus 5

EDITOR’S NOTE: Boyd Bergquist was the sports director at KETS-TV in East Tree Stump, Nebraska for almost 40 years.  Known across the “Husker State” as the voice of the Boy’s High School Basketball Tournament, Bergquist was a four-time winner of the Marv J. Butz “Golden Cob” Award For Excellence In Nebraska Broadcast Journalism. That background, along with his quick if not cliché-riddled wit and love of single-malt scotch makes Bergquist a perfect fit to be our “Question and Answer” guy,

Hey sports fans…your favorite 70s TV sports anchor here. You know, March Madness is closer than you might think. That’s why we here at Dubsism decided we would get out in front of the “Johnny Come Latelys” who slop out bracket advice two days before the tournament starts. It seems silly to say this, but there’s a lot you can learn about college basketball during the season!

There’s five Sundays until the “big one” on which the NCAA Tournament field will be announced. After that comes the four days of filling out brackets until the tournament goes “full bore” on Thursday, March 17^th. That’s why will we countdown each of those Sundays like a NASA launch, and on each of those Sundays, we’ll be offering bits of advice so you don’t end up as that person who has four B1G Ten teams in their Final Four.

We’re just trying to help you people…

Tips for T-Minus 5 Sundays…

A “Way Too Early Sleeper” Candidate: Alabama – This team can shoot the lights out. Not only did they just beat a Top-5 Baylor squad, they knocked off a tough LSU team even when the Crimson Tide didn’t shoot well.

Pick Duke At Your Own Risk: The Blue Devils will be massively overrated for two undeniable reasons. First, Duke is the only team in the ACC worth a crap. They will roll into the tournament with an inflated record because they don’t have to play anybody. Second, since this is Mike Krzyzewski’s “farewell” tour, you can expect the media’s ass-kissing to be in top gear.

Speaking of Over-Rated: Can we dispense with the non-sense the Big 12 is the best conference in college basketball? Sure, the league may have more than it’s fair share of better-than-average squads, but the “cream” of this conference in Baylor and Kansas both got whooped last night…WHOOPED!

You can cover for Baylor all you want…yeah, they had to go on the road…yeah Alabama shot 60 percent from the field…everybody gives their all against the defending champs…blah. blah, blah. That game wasn’t nearly as close as the ten-point difference at the end would have you think. When it mattered, Baylor couldn’t make the kick for the finish line. That’s not what championship teams do.

As for the Jayhawks, that was more that just a beat-down. J-Dub hates the word “exposed,” but I can’t think of better term to describe what happened in Lawrence last night. Kansas gave up 50 points in the first half to Kentucky. Not only is that the first time they’ve done that in 15 years, they did it in Allen Fieldhouse. Under Bill Self, Kansas has only lost 15 home games in 17 seasons. In that an anomaly? Take them deep at your own risk.

Iron Basketball Bowl: Tuesday night’s match between Auburn and Alabama is going to tell us a lot…stay tuned…

More next Sunday…

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Got a question for our 70’s TY Sports Anchor? Got your own take? Nothing is “off-limits,” and no take is “too hot.” The only questions or comments Boyd Bergquist can’t handle are the one you don’t send him!

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