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Over the next five days, Herald sports columnist Eric Fisher will reveal his 25 greatest matches at WrestleMania. Today, he unveils 16 through 20:

20. Edge vs. Mick Foley (XXII, Chicago)
Edge helps Foley attain his “WrestleMania moment” with this fantastic hardcore match.
19. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (VIII, Indianapolis)
The build-up to this match, with Flair implying he had a prior relationship with Savage’s girlfriend, Miss Elizabeth, was pure gold. Manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Executive assistant Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig added immensely to the story-telling, and Flair and Savage delivered in the ring.
18. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (XVII, Houston)
Another match that sometimes gets overlooked because of the other great matches on the same card. This is another wrestling clinic.
17. Edge vs. Undertaker (XXIV, Orlando)
Another great match between two of the best. Undertaker improves his unblemished WrestleMania record to 16-0.
16. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan (XVIII, Toronto)
The emotion in this match is absolutely incredible. The crowd makes this match, but Hogan and Rock deserve tons of credit for adjusting to the crowd’s reaction and turning this into a memorable match.

Over the next five days, Herald sports columnist Eric Fisher will reveal his 25 greatest matches at WrestleMania. Today, he unveils 21 through 25

25. Chris Jericho vs. Christian (XX, N.Y.)
An undercard match that mixes terrific technical wrestling with wonderful story-telling.
24. Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels (Mike Tyson is referee) (XIV, Boston)
The build-up for this match, with tension between Austin and Tyson (and Vince McMahon), was fantastic. Michaels, who has been accused of using injuries as excuses to avoid losing titles in the ring, deserves credit for fighting through back problems that would sideline him for the next four years to put on this tremendous match.
23. Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart (VIII, Indianapolis)
A wonderful match between friends, with Piper (now a good guy) fighting his bad-guy demons as well as fighting Hart.
22. Hulk Hogan/Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper/Paul Orndorff (I, N.Y.)
The match that launched the WrestleMania rocket ship. Without the success of this match, WrestleMania may have been a one-year venture.
21. Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior (VII, Los Angeles)
A terrific “retirement” match with an emotional post-match surprise.

CRASH KILLS WOMAN
Herald report — A woman died in an accident in Swatara Township on March 25, state police at Jonestown said.
A vehicle driven by Cassandra Kernan, 72, of Cockeysville, Md., struck a guardrail, traveled down an embankment, struck several trees, rolled over several times, and came to rest on its roof in a ditch, state police said.
Kernan suffered severe injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lebanon County Coroner’s Office.
State police said Kernan was wearing a seatbelt.
I-81 was closed between Exit 100 and Exit 90 for about 2½ hours. Lickdale Fire Co., Jonestown/Perseverance Fire Co., Ft. Indiantown Gap Fire Department, First Aid Safety Patrol, and Life Lion assisted.

TROOPERS: MAN LED POLICE ON CHASE
Herald report — A man allegedly tried to elude police in his vehicle after a traffic stop on Route 443 in Pine Grove Township on March 19, state police at Schuylkill Haven said.
The suspect, Craig Romberger, 43, of Pine Grove, allegedly was driving a vehicle with an expired inspection sticker on Route 443, state police said. When troopers attempted to stop Romberger’s vehicle, Romberger kept going, allegedly traveling at more than 70 mph and failing to use his turn signals, state police said.
Romberger was apprehended after he turned into the Econo Lodge and left his vehicle, state police said.
Romberger was arrested for fleeing or attempting to elude, and having suspended operating privileges, an expired registration and inspection sticker, an altered inspection sticker to indicate a different expiration date, and no insurance. He was arraigned and placed in Schuylkill County prison, with bail set at 10 percent of $5,000.

POLICE: 3 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED
Troopers arrested three illegal immigrants and referred them to the federal government after a traffic stop in Tilden Township on March 15, state police at Hamburg said.
Troopers stopped a vehicle driven by Jesus Enriquez, 31, of Texas, for towing two vehicles on I-78, state police said. State police said only one vehicle can be towed.
During the traffic stop, troopers found Alonzo Velasquez Olivera, 38, Manuel Algna-Hernandez, 30, and Jose Rodriguez-Ramirez, 43, all of Mexico, seated in one of the towed vehicle, state police said.
Troopers took the vehicles and the occupants to the state police barracks and determined Velasquez Olivera, Algna-Hernandez, and Rodriguez-Ramirez allegedly were in the country illegally, and that Algna-Hernandez and Rodriguez-Ramirez previously had been deported, state police said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Philadelphia was contacted, and immigration detainers were obtained for the three men.
The three suspects were taken into custody and turned over to the Berks County Sheriff’s Department to be turned over to ICE.
State police said two of the vehicles also were connected by an unauthorized towing device.

BLAZE DAMAGES 15 BUILDINGS
A fire burned 15 buildings in Hamburg, destroying some of the buildings and damaging others, according to reports.
The blaze consumed several residential garages and damaged the Windsor Press, and the estimated damage was about $750,000, state police at Reading said.
Nobody was injured.
Nikki Ferlazzo, of Wernersville, was in the building of the Windsor Press providing training when the fire began.
She was able to exit the building before the fire spread to it, but she soon saw the fire burning out of control.
“The owner told us that the building behind us caught on fire and was filled with propane tanks,” Ferlazzo said. “We got out as soon as possible. Once we walked across the street, we could see the flames and black smoke billowing fiercely.
“The smoke was so thick that I could see it hovering over the highway as I was driving across Route 61.”
After leaving the building, Ferlazzo saw ambulances and fire trucks heading toward Hamburg.
“I am grateful I got out safe,” Ferlazzo said.
Officials said they haven’t determined the cause of the blaze, and the investigation is continuing.
Anybody with information is asked to contact the state police at (610) 378-4011.

POLICE: WOMAN THROWS BEVERAGE AT MANAGER
Herald report — A woman allegedly threw a beverage at the manager of a McDonald’s in Pine Grove Township on March 24, state police at Schuylkill Haven said.
The suspect, Mary Gruber, 47, of Lebanon, allegedly attempted to refill a beverage container that she purchased at the drive-through inside the McDonald’s on Suedberg Road, state police said.
The restaurant told Gruber that she could not refill the beverage container because she had purchased it at the drive-through, but Gruber allegedly refilled the beverage container anyway, state police said. The manager attempted to explain the beverage policy to Gruber, state police said. Gruber allegedly responded by throwing the beverage contained at the manager, and the beverage spilled onto the manager’s uniform and the floor, state police said.

POLICE: SHOOTING SUSPECT SNARED
The Lebanon man who is accused of shooting two people in the city on March 22 has been collared.
Maurice Pearson, 22, was captured in Easton early March 27, police said.
City police said Easton police Dept, the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service played a part in nabbing Pearson.
Pearson, allegedly shot Russell Lawrence, 37, of Lebanon, in his chest and a 17-year-old boy, of Lebanon, in the leg, police said.
The shooting happened when multiple people participated in a fight in the area of Ninth and Church streets, police said.
When police arrived, they said they discovered evidence of a fight and that Lawrence had been shot. The 17-year-old boy was located later at a local hospital, police said.
Police said they have confirmed that neither of the victims was Pearson’s intended target. Police said they have interviewed a person who is believed to have been the intended target of the gunfire, but his name will not be released at this time.
For the alleged shooting, Pearson was charged with criminal attempt to commit homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering, and a firearms violation, police said.

By ERIC FISHER
Andy Reid finally got around to talking about Brian Dawkins on Wednesday.
Remember Dawkins? He’s the perennial all-pro safety who was the heart and soul of the Eagles. He signed a free-agent contract with the Denver Broncos at the end of February.
Remember Reid? He’s the guy who coached Dawkins for the past decade. Other than a statement released through the Eagles, Reid hadn’t discussed Dawkins’ departure with the media until Wednesday at the NFL owners’ meeting.
(Well, Reid discussed Dawkins last week with Dave Spadaro of the Eagles’ Web site, but that doesn’t count as meeting with the media. More on that interview in a few moments.)
One reason for the need for Reid to speak about Dawkins’ departure is that a week before free agency began, Reid said he thought Dawkins would be re-signed that week. One week later, the leader of his team was gone.
Reid explained his silence by saying, “A week (after Dawkins signed with Denver), Joe (Banner) talked about it. I just let it go there. That was enough.”
Wait a second. The team president talks about the negotiations with Dawkins, one of the best players in Eagles history, and the head coach thinks “That was enough?”
You’ve got to hope Reid doesn’t really believe what he’s saying.
Otherwise we’re forced to believe that Reid really believes that Banner’s interview on WIP – an ill-fated interview that did nothing to soften the public relations hit the Eagles took when Dawkins left – was the only public comment this situation merited for nearly a month.
MEDIA BIAS: Nearly a week before Reid spoke to the media at the NFL meetings, the Eagles’ Web site got a “scoop” when intrepid “reporter” Dave Spadaro interviewed Reid.
Reid couldn’t find time to answer questions about Dawkins from legitimate reporters for nearly a month, but he found time to sit down for an interview with an Eagles employee who runs the team’s Web site.
This isn’t intended to be a shot at Spadaro. He does a terrific job with the Web site. But he’s not a reporter.
Because he’s employed by the Eagles, he has an inherent conflict of interest.
The Brian Dawkins issue was a hot topic. The head coach owed it to the media and fans to promptly answer questions from people not employed by the Eagles.
SOFTBALL SEASON: In the spirit of the Reid-Spadaro interview, I’ve heard that Charlie Manuel is going to be interviewed by Chris Wheeler.
What’s next? Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren being interviewed by Flyers broadcaster Steve Coates?
President Obama being interviewed by MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews?
All right, let not get carried away. Spadaro was much tougher on Reid than Olbermann or Matthews would be with Obama.
ON THE REBOUND: The 76ers have been red-hot, winning seven of nine games, since a certain columnist (ahem) classified the team as mediocre. Glad I could help.
The Sixers’ situation reminds me of a sports columnist who declared that the Eagles season was over in November. The Eagles recovered and eventually reached the NFC championship game. An appearance by the Sixers in the NBA Eastern Conference finals would be incredible.
ALL WINS AREN’T CREATED EQUAL: The Flyers registered a pair of huge victories earlier this week. They beat Pittsburgh, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon, then defeated the New Jersey Devils on Monday night, 4-2.
The victories over division rivals who have been difficult obstacles to overcome should provide the Flyers with a psychological boost.
The play of goalie Martin Biron the past few weeks has certainly helped the Flyers’ psyche as well. Biron has rounded into the form he displayed during last year’s playoffs. That’s a great sign for Flyers fans.
PUT UP YOUR DUKES: Unless you’re reading the e-version of the Myerstown Herald, the Villanova-Duke NCAA men’s tournament game will be over by the time you read this column.
I’m picking Villanova in this marquee matchup of the Sweet 16. If you’re reading this Friday, you know whether I was right or wrong.
SPRING FORWARD: Is it really almost time for baseball season? It seems like just last week when millions were pouring onto the streets of Philadelphia to celebrate the Phillies’ World Series title.
Will the Phillies repeat as champions? I’m not sure, but this is a great opportunity for a shameless plug for next week’s special section on the Phillies. Read all about the Phillies in next week’s Myerstown Herald.
NAKED AMBITION: Speaking of the Phillies, shortstop Jimmy Rollins and girlfriend Johari Smith posed for photos last month for Playboy magazine.
Before you get too upset – or excited – the couple wore swimsuits and clothes and were never completely naked.
That still may not excuse Rollins’ actions in the eyes of some of his fans. By the way, the photos are expected to appear in an upcoming issue. (When is the issue coming out? Hey, when Playboy pays me as well as the Herald, I’ll give it a shameless plug as well.)

Taylor Swift was the top selling artist in 2008.
Her second album, “Fearless” had a stranglehold on the top spot on the Billboard charts for 10 weeks.
Now, the stunning 19-year-old Wyomissing native has made Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 people who are changing America.”
Swift, who ranks 100th, is the only country artist to make the list.
“At 19, the biggest star in country and teen pop has managed to keep her head on straight — no drinking, no smoking, no limousine peekaboo — without seeming like a prude,” the magazine said. “Swift has given country music a new audience: teen girls who identify with her wholesome persona as much as her music.”
Recently, Swift has been hounded by questions about her sex life. In an interview in this week’s Allure magazine, Swift said: “It’s fine to talk about love publicly.
“But I think when you talk about virginity and sex publicly, people just automatically picture you naked. And as much as I can prevent people picturing me naked, I’m going to.”
President Obama topped Rolling Stone’s list, followed by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Apple bigwig Steve Jobs and U2 lead singer Bono.
Swift also is a finalist for Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.
“The teenage twanger is beloved on both the country and pop charts, selling more than 4 million records in 2008 — the most of any artist,” the newsmagazine said. “And while she writes from the perspective of a heartsick teen, her songs are undeniably direct.”
However, the magazine said Swift’s “name similarity to Taylor Hicks is a little annoying.”
At age 11, Swift regularly sang Karaoke at the Pat Garrett Roadhouse, and her music first aired on 1510-AM WWSM in Lebanon.

The Sprint Cup Series is beginning to look like the Busch Series. The Busch brothers, Kyle and Kurt, have won the past three races.
Kyle started the streak by winning the Shelby 427 in his hometown of Las Vegas. Then Kurt triumphed at the Kobalt Tools 500 outside Atlanta, and Kyle completed the hat trick with his victory at Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol.
The Busch brothers’ victories haven’t been flukes. In all three races, one of the brothers has dominated the race.
The only time Kyle lost the lead on the track Sunday was when he was passed by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, who finished second. He also lost the lead on pit road, which he responded to with a frustrated scolding of his crew over the radio.
The scolding was not out of character for Kyle, who certainly isn’t a warm and fuzzy personality. His criticism of his crew and mocking of Dale Earnhardt Jr. when Junior got the lucky dog on Sunday are two examples of why Kyle is still seen by many as a petulant brat.
Regardless of his personality, Kyle is a terrific driver. By the way, Kurt isn’t too bad, either.
Kurt is in second place in the overall standings, 76 points behind the consistently strong Jeff Gordon, who finished in the top five again this week. Kyle is in fourth place, 85 points behind Gordon.
Can the Busch brothers continue to keep the championship trophies all in the family or will someone else step up and end their winning streak. We’ll find out Sunday in Martinsville.

The Myerstown Herald, the fastest-growing newspaper in the Lebanon Valley, has unveiled its weekday ePaper.
Every Monday through Thursday, ePaper subscribers will receive a Myerstown Herald Daily Briefing. The morning briefing is a synopsis of the top stories in the greater Myerstown region in the last 24 hours.
Epaper subscribers will still receive the electronic version of the Myerstown Herald on Thursday nights.
This service is exclusively for ePaper subscribers and fans of the Myerstown Herald on Facebook.
To get a subscription, please e-mail a request to epaper@myerstownherald.com.

CRASH KILLS PASSENGER
Herald report — The passenger who was trapped beneath a vehicle after an accident in Tilden Township died on March 19, township police said.
A vehicle driven by Kyle Rehrig, 18, of Mohrsville, drove up an embankment and turned onto its roof on Hex Highway near Walnut Road on March 12, police said.
Rehrig and two passengers, Taylor Seitzinger, 18, and Nicole Wessner, 17, were ejected from the vehicle, police said.
Seitzinger was trapped underneath the vehicle, and emergency personnel, assisted by six citizens, lifted the vehicle off her, police said. Two of the citizens were William Readinger Sr., 48, and his son Zachary, 17, both of Hamburg.
Seitzinger was flown by helicopter to Reading Hospital, and was pronounced dead seven days later.
Rehrig was taken by ambulance to Reading Hospital in critical condition. Wessner was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph’s Medical Center, treated, and released.
Kody Boltz, 18, who was a passenger, was taken by ambulance in stable condition to Reading Hospital. Police said none of the occupants were wearing seatbelts.
Hamburg police, Hamburg Fire Co., Shartlesville Fire Co., Hamburg Ambulance, Schuylkill County Ambulance, and an accident reconstructionist from the Berks County Detectives Forensic Services Unit assisted.

POLICE: MAN PUNCHED WOMAN IN FACE
Herald report — A man allegedly punched a woman in the face several times at a bar in Pine Grove Township on Feb. 27, state police at Schuylkill Haven said.
The suspect, Matthew Seitz, 21, of Tremont, was thrown out of Paradise Pub for fighting, and the bar’s owner told Seitz in the parking lot that Seitz was banned from the bar for good, state police said.
April Harley, 28, of Summit Station, walked across the parking lot to check on the bar’s owner, and Seitz allegedly punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground, state police said. Seitz allegedly got on top of Harley and punched her several more times in the face, state police said.
A man allegedly pulled Seitz off Harley, state police said.

MALE IMPERSONATED OFFICER
Herald report — A male allegedly impersonated an Annville police officer in a phone call to Harrisburg on March 16, Annville police said.
The suspect told a victim that he was an Annville police officer, that he obtained the phone number from a bench on the campus of Lebanon Valley College, and that he wanted to know whether the victim was involved in drug activity, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Annville police at 717-867-2711.

POLICE: MAN SHOVES BURGER KING EMPLOYEE
Herald report — A man allegedly shoved an employee at Burger King in South Lebanon Township on March 16 in a dispute over an employee discount, township police said.
The suspect, Michael Fry, 31, of Myerstown, allegedly confronted staff and demanded that they return $4.34 because he believed his wife did not receive her employee discount, police said.
When Fry was told to leave, he allegedly used obscene language and shoved Veronica Cotto, 38, who works at Burger King, police said.
Fry left the scene before officers arrived, police said.
Fry was charged with harassment and disorderly conduct.

POLICE: MAN BROUGHT CHILD TO DRUG DEAL
Herald report — A man allegedly twice sold cocaine to an undercover trooper, including once when his 15-month-old child was with him, in West Reading on March 9 and in Wyomissing on March 13, state police at Reading said.
On March 9, the suspect, Thomas Haddock, 35, of West Lawn, allegedly sold 3.5 grams of cocaine to an undercover trooper, state police said.
On March 13, Haddock allegedly met with the same trooper and sold him 7 grams of cocaine, state police said. The trooper took Haddock into custody. Haddock had brought his 15-month-old child with him, and the child was turned over to family, state police said.

I’m tired of my boring old nail color. What is new for spring?
HAIR DOC: Go bold baby! Who says that fluorescent colors aren’t just for the 80s? Try a crazy color like orange, blue or green. Experiment, it’s only polish. Experiment, that’s what they make polish remover for! Also buy the tiny bottles if you hate them then you won’t feel so bad not using them.

My nails always seem to break off every time they get long. What can I do about this?
HAIR DOC: There are a lot of nail hardeners on the market. The ones that are most popular are Nailtek, OPI Green with Envy and Sally Hansen Hard as Nails. They are to be applied once a day, and you can keep going over the same polish every day. After a week, remove the old and start anew. You will see a huge difference in your nails in about a month!

My hairstylist does a great job with my hair. I can’t match it when I do it myself. I’m afraid to wash my hair. What should I do?
HAIR DOC: We hear this all the time. I am a big believer of products. The salon products are really important. I know they are pricier than the drug store brands, but they are “true” with ingredients, meaning more product and less water and alcohol.
Also you’re probably not going to believe this, but a great hairdryer really works wonders. Just as with any item, sometimes the more expensive ones really do make the difference — i.e. flat irons, dryers, shampoos and styling products.
Please ask your stylist if there is something that you are missing when doing your own routine. At your next appointment, ask questions. Trust us, we are glad to help.

I think I may be allergic to hairspray. My neck always itches when somebody sprays my hair. How can I avoid this?
HAIR DOC: It could be the alcohol in the hairspray. If you need to wear hair spray, put a towel around your neck and face to protect them from the mist.

Do you find Tyra Banks annoying?
HAIR DOC: Yes, yes and yes.

I thought about having makeup tattooed to my face. Is this a good idea?
HAIR DOC: Depends. I hear good and bad things about this. I would say its all up to you. I would definitely look for a great tattoo artist or plastic surgeon who is trained in this procedure.

Kara, my BFF (best friend forever) has the hots for Simon (Cowell) on “American Idol.” Do you think he’s cute?
HAIR DOC: No, not really. The tight black shirt would get old. Does he not have any other shirts?

Kara, I’m depressed. My wife still has the hots for Rick Springfield. What should I do? Who did you have the hots for when you were a teenager?
HAIR DOC: And do you wish you still had Jessie’s girl? I had the hots for the New Kids on The Block — especially Jordan Knight. Yes, I was a dork. I had the pins and posters, and gasp, shall I say T-shirts.

What do you think about online dating?
HAIR DOC: Don’t know. I’m not single. Sorry on that one not much of a help. But a lot of my clients talk about it, and they seem happy with it.

I have oily skin, and I don’t like using makeup because it always causes me to break out. What brand to you recommend?
HAIR DOC: The mineral makeups are fantastic. They are natural and really absorb your own oils with out “masking” them.
The bare minerals are great, and we carry a fantastic line called Youngblood. It is fantastic. You don’t feel like you have makeup on, and it looks amazing. Not fake at all. Also try the little oil blotting sheets. They are cheap, fit perfectly in a purse or pocket and will help you with the oil. Most importantly, make sure you are using a moisturizer for your skin type.

I brought my husband to the department store the other day. He was a pain. He kept on shooting down my choices for new outfits. Do you let your husband go clothes shopping with you?
HAIR DOC: No. What happens is I shop, I like, I buy, try on later at home and if it’s not liked, too bad! I liked it and that’s why I bought it. If you don’t like it, oh well. We do love positive comments. So guys if your gal looks good, tell her! The negative comments help no one.

The prom is coming up. Where did you find your dress? What cheap places do you think are worth checking out?
HAIR DOC: Friends, who says borrowing is a faux pas? It’s cheap enough, and no one will remember the dress that your friend wore a year ago. Maybe get it altered-shorter or add something new. I’m not kidding. Second-hand stores or going out of business stores are the best bang for your buck.

I saw your picture on the front page of the Myerstown Herald recently. You seem to like big earrings. What are your favorite earrings?
HAIR DOC: Hee, hee, hee.. How could you miss that mug shot. Yes, I do love big earrings. My favorite earrings are my Silpada Jewelry.

Kara Conners, the Hair Doc, is the owner of Hey Gorgeous Hair Studio,
located on 39 West Main Avenue in Myerstown. E-mail the Hair Doc at: heygorgeoushair@yahoo.com.

By ERIC FISHER
By now you’ve probably hired a team of mathematicians to figure out the probabilities of winning your NCAA tournament pool … or you’ve already tossed your pool in the trash.
Unfortunately, you could have saved yourself a lot of headaches if you had reached out to me in advance.
Picking this year’s NCAA tournament is the easiest it has been in years. The clear pick is Connecticut. It’s not even close. UConn has been dominant all year. They haven’t lost all season. Nobody is playing on the same level as …
Oh, wait a minute. You want my picks for the NCAA men’s tournament. Well, that’s a different story.
It’s too late to use my picks to help you win your pool. But that might be a good thing. The truth is that I haven’t won an NCAA pool involving more than 10 participants in 20 years.
If you truly want help filling out your pool in future years, there’s a woman in Kentucky who has an uncanny knack for picking winners by matching uniform colors with the color of strands of yarn her cat pulls out from under the sofa. I suggest you find her before next March’s madness.
Meanwhile, it may be too late for filling out your pool, but it’s not too late for a tournament guide.
The truth is that the men’s tournament is wide open. The number of teams that earned and lost the No. 1 ranking this season is indicative of the balance in men’s basketball. There are 8-10 teams with legitimate shots at winning the tournament.
The following are some tips for following the tournament:
The excitement of the first four days is generated by upsets. Where are the best places to look for upsets?
Don’t look for a No. 16 or 15 seed to knock off a No. 1 or 2 seed. A 16th seed has never beaten a No. 1. There have been instances where a No. 15 has upset a No. 2, but I don’t see it happening this year.
So what’s the biggest upset you have in your pool?
I think a No. 14 team will upset a No. 3 this year. In fact, I picked two No. 14’s to fill the role of Cinderella. I picked the senior-dominated Bison of North Dakota State to upset defending champion Kansas, which is very inexperienced after losing five players to the NBA draft.
I also selected No. 14 Stephen F. Austin to stun No. 3 Syracuse. No, I didn’t pick the Lumberjacks because Stone Cold Steve Austin is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in a few weeks. All right, I admit Austin’s induction influenced my selection a little bit, as did the cool nickname. But the biggest factor was that the senior-laden Lumberjacks could take advantage of a younger Syracuse team that may be emotionally exhausted after its remarkable run through the Big East tournament. My selection was cemented by Lumberjacks forward Josh Alexander, who has the same name as one of my high school basketball teammates.
Doesn’t a No. 12 seed always beat a No. 5?
It doesn’t always happen, but it happens frequently enough to be a trend. The most likely upset involving these seeds is the Western Kentucky (12) vs. Illinois (5) matchup.
Could you stick your neck out any further?
Sure. I also have No. 13 Mississippi State winning – twice. In the first round, I’m also taking No. 11 VCU over No. 6 UCLA and No. 11 Temple – go ahead, call me a homer – over No. 6 Arizona State.
Isn’t Gonzaga always a good upset pick?
The Zags may be a good pick, but they’re not an upset pick. Gonzaga, in the tournament for the 11th straight year, is a No. 4 seed. With three seniors, a junior and a 6-foot-11 sophomore in their starting lineup, the Zags are for real. Those players remember being upset by Davidson, last year’s Cinderella, in last year’s first round. They won’t let it happen again. So Gonzaga isn’t Cinderella – at least not until they face top-seeded North Carolina in the Sweet 16. And don’t be shocked if the Zags find out the glass slipper still fits as they upset the Tar Heels.
Is the Big East overrated?
No. Despite my prediction of Syracuse being upset, the Big East is a beast. Don’t be surprised if two – or even three – Big East teams reach the Final Four.
So which teams will make it to the Final Four?
My picks are Louisville, Memphis, Pittsburgh and Gonzaga. Louisville is my pick to win it all.
Aren’t you risking ridicule by making your picks before the tournament but not having them published until after the first day of the tournament?
Absolutely. To paraphrase Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, I get to experience the thrill of writing a column and the agony of reading it the next day.