The 2022 Final Four

After two weekends of terrific basketball, and let's be honest, some not so terrific basketball in the Regional Finals, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has produced a Final Four featuring four programs with the bluest of Blue Blood.  Even all of the school's colors are various shades of blue.

Anyway, here is why I am rooting for....

DUKE 

Let's face it, in Mike Krzyzewski, Duke has arguably the greatest coach in the history of the sport, and in case you missed it, he is retiring as soon as the tournament is over.  While Coach K has tended to get pious and preachy in his latter years, I have no gripe with him, and having he and his Blue Devils win it all in his final season at the helm would be a great story, except for anywhere in North Carolina outside of Durham.  And for Duke and Krzyzewski haters.  So, go Duke!

NORTH CAROLINA

My niece Bonny Moellenbrock and her husband Michael Lowry are UNC grads, and their daughter is currently an undergrad at Chapel Hill.  North Carolina has great tradition and cool uniforms.  So, go North Carolina.

VILLANOVA

Villanova is a Catholic school and part of Philadelphia's Big Five.  My brother Bill went to a Catholic Philly Big Five school, albeit not Villanova.  My niece Carole Sproule is a Villanova graduate, as is my friend Mike Montrose, and Jay Wright is a great coach and a cool guy who wears great suits.  So, go Villanova.

KANSAS

Kansas is coached by a coach whose shady and unethical practices should have gotten him fired a couple of years ago.  Also, if Kansas wins the whole thing, I owe my pals Dave Jones and Fred Shugars ten bucks each.  So, in spite of my regard for KU alum David Cicotello, I say Anybody But Kansas.  

They also are probably the best team among the four remaining, so I may be unhappy, and twenty dollars poorer come Monday night.

Less heralded but no less entertaining will be the Women's Final Four also being staged this weekend.  I hope you saw Connecticut's double overtime win over NC State on Monday to get to the Final Four.  It was probably the best game, men or women, played over the weekend.

I will go with South Carolina over Louisville and UConn over Stanford in the semis with UConn, led by the incomparable Paige Bueckers, winning yet another championship for Coach Geno come Sunday night.

Enjoy the games, everyone.