College Basketball Blog

Twenty six cities have had the pleasure of hosting the Final Four.  But what are the three best locations?  It might seem like a hard task to try to label the top 3.  But after a little research I think that you will see that it is relatively easy to come up with the best 3.

First let us take a look at the cities who have hosted the most amount of times.

Kansas City - 10
New York City - 7
Indianapolis - 6
Louisville - 6
New Orleans - 5

College basketball has officially started so lets look ahead the 2014 NCAA Tournament & Final Four schedule.

It may be a bit early but the heavy dose of college basketball this week has me already thinking of the tournament.  We practically got a preview of the Final Four on Tuesday when 4 of the top 5 teams in the country played on the same court on the same night in Chicago.  The United Center was hoppin' with 4-5 projected lottery picks being featured in an early season showcase.  Watching made me very excited for college basketball and the potential for madness this March and April.

The madness will officially begin the week of conference tournaments but it all comes down to who's in and who's out.  The nation will find out on March 16, 2014 when the selection show is complete.  After that, the real fun begins.

This current century is still relatively young but I think it is time to look back on the NCAA Tournament since the millennium changed over.  It was hard to narrow the list down to 10 so the Top 10 essentially becomes the most memorable for me.  A lot happens from year to year and sometimes it can be hard to remember a buzzer-beater or crazy comeback.  But then again, if it is hard to remember then perhaps it wasn't that great.

*I apologize in advance if I have done a disservice to an outstanding NCAA Tournament moment by leaving it off of this list.

The Tournament is my favorite postseason for any sport at any level.  It just does not get any better.  So many games.... So much on the line....  This is what sports fans live for.

Early season tournaments are all over and the non-conference schedules will be coming to end for college teams across the country.  The road to the Final Four truly begins in January when all schools enter conference play.  We have witnessed some great basketball in the early going but any good coach would tell you that nothing compares to games played in conference.  Your conference opponents are the teams that know you the best and vice versa.  Conference play is also a true measuring stick for those who have national championship aspirations.

The real season begins in January and the students will be returning from their break to their designated sections in arenas throughout college basketball.  For Duke its the "Cameron Crazies", for Michigan State its the "Izzone", and for the University of Illinois its the "Orange Crush".  The lifeline of college basketball is the crazy atmosphere created by student sections like the ones I just mentioned.  The cheers, the slams, and the creative signs give these student sections character in the chaos.  As a fan I love what each student sections brings to the arena and I can't wait for conference play to begin.

Last week we ushered in a new season for the pro's and tonight we open the 2012-13 collegiate campaign.  Fans have longed for a night with an identity, a night in which we can truly deem as the "season opener".  Well, tonight we get exactly that.  Last year Michigan State played against North Carolina in what is now known as the Carrier Classic.  Over 8,000 fans watched the Tar Heels beat the Spartans 67-55 on the USS Carl Vinson air craft carrier.

The event received overwhelming support and attention so they have brought it back for another year.  This time the event will be a double-header that features both the Men and Women squads from Ohio State.  The Buckeye Men will take their number 4 ranking onto the court to challenge Big East opponent Marquette.

Along with the Carrier Classic there will be dozens of games across the country and one in Germany.  Yeah that's right.  I said Germany.  The MSU Spartans (14) will once again open their season with a military theme.  The boys from East Lansing, MI will take on the recently upturned UConn Huskies.  Two marquis programs in a rare over-seas game.  In fact, it will be the first college basketball game ever held in Europe.  Guess Tom Izzo just loves to be the first team to play basketball on courts not inside of a gym.

Well every year I get sad when the Final Four arrives.  I know that sounds crazy but when the Final Four is decided it means that the madness is coming to a close.  And usually by this time my bracket has been torn up and tossed across the room about 4 times before taking its final resting place inside of a pizza box.

Sure there are still 3 games left to be played to decide the National Championship, but every year the 2 weekends leading up to the Final Four provide more meaningful action than any other 2 week span in sports.

Holy cow folks!  The First Four games last night provided the sports world with the best possible start to the NCAA tournament.  When they first added the play-in game, I found it somewhat meaningless and never cared to watch two teams battle for the right to lose in the NCAA tournament.  Even after the field was expanded to 68  teams in 2011 and thus a total of 4 play-in games.....  Still didn't care too much.  The talent level and potential for good games increased but I still assumed these were teams that were destined for a first round exit anyways.  Plus most brackets don't have you fill out the play-in games so interest level is naturally limited.

Fast forward to the conclusion of last year's tourney and one of those teams (VCU) made it to the Final Four.  And naturally my interest dramatically increased this year when thinking about the success of the Rams last year.  It could have just been a lucky run but when you win 5 games in the NCAA tournament it is clear that skill, preparation, and coaching played a much larger part than luck.  Although I think any coach will tell you that luck is warmly welcomed at any time.

Bracket buster match-ups are already happening throughout college hoops as teams across the country prepare to make their run to the NCAA tournament.  This is the "make or break" point in the season and everyone knows it.  At the moment there are only a few teams in college basketball who have safely cemented their ticket to the "Big Dance".  These teams will be your major conference leaders and basically any team ranked in a top 25 poll.  Being in the top 25 doesn't always guarantee a spot in the tournament but this year it appears that all of the top 25 teams are tourney worthy.

NCAA Tournament Predictions:  If the tournament were to start today.  Excluding conference tournaments of course.

The college bowl season has come to a close and in just a few weeks the Super Bowl will mark the end of the NFL season.  This is the part of the year when the sports world turns its attention to basketball.  The NBA usually hits full stride this time of year and college hoops are in the midst of the conference schedule.  It will be half a year before we crown an NBA champion but a new college national champion will be cutting down the nets in just a short few months.  As we move closer to March you can already start to see teams really go at it.  With great in-conference match-ups, the remainder of the season should be an absolute treat to watch.

Before each team heads to the Final Four, they must survive the Regional Finals. Be there in Phoenix, Boston, Atlanta, or St. Louis to see each team punch their ticket to the 2012 Final Four!

Low Deposits Available on 2012 NCAA Regional Packages

Regional Final Packages are available for the East, West, South & Midwest Regions. Book your package today with these great inclusions:

 - Hotel Accommodations near the venue
- Upper or Lower Level Seating to the Region of your choice
- All taxes

View our 2012 Regional Packages