How the West is Won

Don't Upset the Fruit Basket

By Ryan Frisco

When I was in high school, we used to play a game called 'Don't Upset the Fruit Basket.' This game involved a circle of chairs and a person in the middle who is 'it.'  The person in the middle would say something like 'Get up if you're wearing jeans,' or 'Get up if you own a car' or 'Get up if you've ever

Photo Cred www.usatoday.com

peed on a fire.'  If the statement applied to you, you had to get up and find another seat.  The person left out was the new 'it' person.  Right now, the fruit basket that is the Western bracket in the March Madness tournament is definitely UPSET!!!

After three rounds of elimination basketball, the college basketball has been turned upside down.  A #15 seed has made it to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time ever.  We've got a play in team still alive.  In the West alone, over half of the games (7 of 12) have ended in the lower seed winning. What is happening?!

Let's take a look at what's going on in the West round four:

#9 Wichita State Shockers vs. #13 Lasalle Explorers

These two teams.  In rounds 2 and 3, both the Shockers and Explorers pulled out awesome upsets in a game they were supposed to lose.  The Shockers SHOCKED (I know, totally overdone) the Pitt Panthers in round 2, and took down the #1 seed in the West, Gonzaga Bulldogs, in round 3.  No one thought much of this team coming in, and I'm honestly not sure what to think at the moment, but one thing's for sure; they came to play this March.

Photo Cred www.blacksportsonline.com

Lasalle was a play-in team.  'Nuff said.  Play-in teams aren't supposed to make it past round 2.  Play-in teams surely aren't supposed to be anywhere near the Sweet Sixteen.  But here we are, and it's time to start taking the Explorers seriously.  What was the name of that game winning shot in round 3 again, Tyrone Garland?  THE SOUTHWEST PHILLY FLOATER BABY!!!!  GO PHILLY!

I'm not biased.  I have no legit preview for this game because I don't think anyone has any idea what will happen.  Neither of these teams 'belong' here, but at the same time they both belong more than any other except for Florida Gulf Coast #DunkCity.  In a year of no standout teams and tons of upsets, here's to a great game between two teams that deserve all of it.

Prediction: The Shockers run out of electric as Lasalle takes the Southwest Philly Floater viral in a trip to the Elite Eight - Lasalle 67 Whichita State 60

#6 Arizona Wildcats vs. #2 (The) Ohio State Buckeyes

Now that is more like it.  A #6 playing a #2.  These are the teams I'm used to seeing in the Sweet Sixteen.  Thank you Arizona and Ohio State for not being the teams that killed my bracket this year.

The Wildcats comfortably beat Belmont, than handled the Ivy Leaguers of Harvard who were hot off their huge upset of New Mexico State.  That game, by the way, was when I stopped looking at my bracket.  Arizona went into that game unfazed by the hype behind the Crimson.  Arizona is playing some great, solid, consistent basketball at the moment.  I picked them to win it all last year; guess I may have been a year too early.

Photo Cred www.zimbio.com

Ohio State has had an easy go in rounds 2 and 3.  They blew out Iona by 25 points. Their game against Iowa State was a bit closer than it should have been, but they're sitting in the Sweet Sixteen right now.  I've got them going to the Final Four against Louisville, but I'm starting to get nervous with that prediction right now.  Why, you ask?

Ohio State is great right now.  They've been great all season, hence a #2 ranking.  But, what you've done all season doesn't matter too much in the tournament.  Georgetown found that out the hard way.  So did New Mexico and Wisconsin, among a slew of others.  Arizona is on right now.  If I was Ohio State, I'd be scared to face an Arizona team that's won two games by a combined 40 points. 

Prediction: Arizona continues the upset parade in the West - Arizona 76 Ohio State 74