Boyd Bergquist’s Countdown To March Madness: T-Minus 4

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 four 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…

• Click here for the Tips from Week T-Minus 5

Tips for T-Minus 4 Sundays…

Another “Way Too Early Sleeper” Candidate: Wisconsin: Sure, this ream is leading the B1G Ten regular season standings, and it’s not out of the question that they enter the “big dance” as a #1 seed…depending how things break for the Badgers down the stretch and in the B1G Ten tournament. but no matter where they end up come bracket time, this team isn’t going to be anybody’s “sexy” pick.

But any team which can contend this far into the regular season for the conference title can’t be ignored. Yeah, I know they lost at Illinois on Wednesday, but there’s no shame in losing on the road in the B1G Ten, and show me a team who could beat the Illini in Champaign when Kofi Cockburn scores 37 points.

No matter, Wisconsin will be around come March, but they won’t be a favorite because of the “Curse of the B1G Ten” (more on that next week).

Iron Basketball Bowl: Last week, I said the game between Auburn and Alabama this past Tuesday would tell us a lot.

Well, here’s what it told me. Everything I said about Alabama is true. They can beat anybody when they can hit their shots fro,m beyond “the arc.” Tuesday they did just that in the second half when they got within two points of Auburn.

But then the Tigers pulled into the left lane and left the Tide in their dust on their way to hanging a hundred on them. In other words, Alabama is really good, but Auburn is the best team in the country.

Not to mention, ‘Bama has beaten Gonzaga, Houston, Baylor, and Tennessee…and they aren’t even ranked…

As Long As We’re Talking About The SEC: Forget the “One and Done” rap the Wildcats have bought under John Calipari. Kentucky went into the transfer portal this past off-season and assembled a team that team is flat-out dangerous. No matter what happens between now and the tournament, the dragon that roasted, swallowed, and pooped out Kansas lives in the heart of the Wildcats.

That dragon will breathe fire anytime freshman TyTy Washington lives up to his full potential as a point guard who can dictate floor spacing, control the pace of the game and shoot 45%-ish from the field and Kellan Grady continues to be as accurate as naval artillery from long-distance. If that dragon-fire can burn as hot as it can about a month from now, Kentucky can go all the way.

But The Best Conference Is:

Despite everything I’ve just said…despite the fact two of the top three teams in the most recent “25 Plus 1″ rankings are SEC teams, it’s entirely possible the B1G Ten could get nine teams in the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin, Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue. Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan, Rutgers, and Iowa all have a shot at the “Big Dance”…where the “Curse of the B1G Ten” will strike against at least five of them…again, more on that next week.

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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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