Sweet 16 Breakdown: South Region

SOUTH REGION

GAME-BY-GAME BREAKDOWNS:

10 SAINT MARY'S  vs. 3 BAYLOR

 

 Saint Mary's center Omar Samhan has shown the entire country just how good he is through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Samhan is averaging 30.5 points on 24-for-32 shooting, and has been the most outstanding player of the region. If the Gaels can keep shooting the ball the way they have through the first two rounds, there's no reason they can't beat Baylor.

 

  

Saint Mary's advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time ever.

WINNER:  10 SAINT MARY'S

1 DUKE VS. 4 PURDUE

The Blue Devils have steamrolled through the first two rounds behind terrific shooting and solid offensive rebounding. This is where their only-for-Duke, fall-out-of the-sky dream draw comes in to play, as they face a Purdue team they already defeated before the Boilers lost F Robbie Hummel. 

Purdue's Chris Kramer has led the Boilermakers to a surprise Sweer 16 run.

WINNER: 1 DUKE

Obamacare is good for America

Imagine, congress actually getting something done. In my opinion, the Obamacare bill is good for Americans because there are some things free enterprise just shouldn’t control. Healthcare is chief among them.

 

If you are an American, you should have to contribute to the pot because healthcare is too serious an issue to leave to the free market and the insurance company fatcats, who skimp on coverage so they can finance their beach houses. America is about freedom, like Republicans preach, but it is also about equality. There are some things in life that everyone, no matter where they come from, no matter how much money they make, should have access to.

 

That’s what government is for. Think about how much it would cost for a gallon of milk or an ear of corn if the government didn’t subsidize farmers. No one in America should be denied food when they are hungry, and no one should be denied a doctor when they are sick.

 

That’s just the way I see it. 

"Stealing" A Harsh Word for File Sharers

If you are reading this right now, you are online. That means you are connected to a galaxy’s worth of information, all available to you at your fingertips.

All you have to do is think of a topic, and you are a Google search away from learning about it.

“It’s really amazing to see how far it’s come in just the past few years,” said Michelle Dayton, who teaches digital media classes at Thomaston High School in Connecticut.

“I remember when it would take a few hours to find good information about something on the internet. Today, it takes minutes,” Dayton said.

Still, this new era of information sharing can leave users caught in a moral conundrum.

If all this information is available at such ease and for free, why would anyone pay for it?

“It’s something where you ask yourself,  why would I waste a dollar to download this song on iTunes, when I can just get it for free?” said Alex Dunn, 20, of Thomaston, Conn. 

Dunn said his computer came with Limewire, which is an application which allows users to download music for free. 

Limewire was sued for copyright infringement by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2006, but judges ruled that there were legitimate, legal uses for the application. The ruling placed the onus on users to make sure that they didn’t download illegal content. 

“I don’t understand why they go after the individuals when clearly Limewire would be nothing if it wasn’t for [illegal downloading].”

Connor Pesce, 19,  of Thomaston, also said that he uses Limewire, and that he believes most of his friends do as well. 

“I think everyone I know uses it,” he said. “It’s just the easiest way [to get music].”

Thus, the conundrum we have today. When something is easy, free, and popular, people feel more comfortable doing it even though it may technically be illegal. 

For its part, Limewire does display a message warning users that the content they are downloading may be copyright, and thus, illegal. Still, with over 30 million users, the application isn’t exactly leading the fight against illegal downloading.

People are using Limewire to download music for free.

 

“I think that someone within the recording industry has got to figure out a solution for this,” said Michelle Dayton. 

“They’re not going to be able to stop downloading the way they are going about it now. When things change, you have to be able to adapt to survive,” she said. “Today more than ever.”

Greg Mortenson Enlightens at Quinnipiac

Talk about inspiring. Nationally-renowned humanitarian Greg Mortenson's visit to Quinnipiac University made me feel inadequate as a human being, while at the same time stirring up the feeling that I can make a difference in the world.

Mortenson told the story of how he had set out to climb K2 in Pakistan, the second-tallest mountain in the world, but ended up lost and dehydrated. Locals in Korphe, a tiny Pakistani village, helped him recover. He got to know them as friends, and noticed that children in the village had no formal school to go to.

He has since helped build 78 schools for over 33,000 Pakistani and Afghan children.

"When I saw those children sitting in the dirt, I made a promise to myself that I was going to help them [build a school]," Mortenson said.

Hearing Greg Mortenson speak at Quinnipiac, I am going to make a promise too. I promise that I am going to help leave this world a better place. I'm going to do something that will make a difference. No question about it. Thanks, Mr. Mortenson, for inspiring me to give more.

Greg Mortenson's visit to QU was

inspirational, to say the least. Photo

credit: http://www.brazosbookstore.com/event/mortenson-luncheon

NCAA Tournament: Midwest Region

BITE-SIZE BREAKDOWN:

MIDWEST REGION

The best player in the Midwest Region just might be Ohio State guard Evan Turner. Turner might even be the best player in the entire bracket. The junior guard is nearly averaging a double-double, with 20.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He also did this to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament:

Yeah, he's pretty good. And that's why he is the biggest threat to top-seeded Kansas in the Midwest bracket.

MIDWEST SLEEPER: 11 SAN DIEGO ST. What else do you want in a sleeper? The Aztecs have a good coach (Steve Fisher), excellent balance (four players average in double figures in scoring), and, if it comes down to it, a go-to guy in the clutch. Kawhi Leonard hit eight consecutive free throws with under two minutes to play to help the Aztecs clinch the Mountain West conference championship against UNLV.

MIDWEST CHAMPION: 1 KANSAS The Jayhawks have the nation's deepest (and perhaps most talented) team. Point guard Sherron Collins is one of the grittiest players in the country, and the unquestioned heart and soul of this group of Jayhawks. If any one player can will his team to a national championship, it just might be Collins, who returned for his senior season for the sole purpose of cutting down the nets for the second time in his illustrious Kansas career. If the 'Hawks do it, you can bet Collins' jersey will be hung from the rafters at Allen Fieldhouse, alongside KU greats for years.

Sherron Collins has the heart to lead the best team in the Heartland to the title.

NCAA Tournament: West Region

BITE SIZE BREAKDOWN:

WEST REGION

If there's one team that has a right to complain about their seeding in this year's NCAA Tournament, it's Syracuse. The Orange had a fantastic season, finishing 28-4 overall and winning the Big East regular season championship by two games. Still, they were chosen as the fourth No. 1 seed by the selection committee, largely because center Arinze Onuaku was banged up in Syracuse's quarterfinal loss to Georgetown in the Big East tournament. Onuaku is expected to miss the Cuse's first-round game against Vermont, but coach Jim Boeheim is hopeful that he could return in time for the Sweet 16, should Syracuse be there. Onuaku or not, the Orange have been one of the best teams in the country all season long. They deserved a higher spot in the pecking order than Duke, which tied for the league title in a mediocre ACC.

WEST REGION SLEEPER: 12 UTEP The Miners may be the most dangerous sleeper in the entire field. UTEP is led by ultra-athletic guard Randy Culpepper, who averaged 18.0 points a game. They can also boast big-time talent down low, with former Louisville standout Derrick Caracter. This team has the talent to reach the Elite Eight, although they'd likely have to go through Syracuse to get there.

Don't believe in the Miners? Watch UTEP's Randy Culpepper in action:

WEST REGION CHAMPION: 1 SYRACUSE. The Orange have too much talent to be tripped up by anyone else in the bracket. No. 2 seed Kansas State will pose a challenge if their talented backcourt of Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente can knock down shots, but Syracuse has too much length on the wings. The 'Cuse advance to the Final Four.

NCAA Tournament: East Region

BITE-SIZE BREAKDOWN

EAST REGION

Sure, Kentucky is young. They're inexperienced. So was Doogie Howser. And let's face it, that analogy was 100% valid. The Wildcats have what it takes to not only navigate the East Region, arguably the toughest in the entire bracket, but to capture the golden trophy at the end of the event. Freshman guards John Wall and Eric Bledsoe are two of the most talented in the nation, and forwards DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson add bulk inside. UK is as talented as any team in the country, and, much like Doogie, are capable of winning the hearts of a nation.

EAST REGION SLEEPER: 12 CORNELL The Big Red aren't sneaking up on anybody. The non-scholarship Ivy league school from Ithaca, N.Y. blew any chance they had at anonymity then when they waltzed into Allen Fieldhouse and nearly clipped No. 1 Kansas in January. Still, guard Ryan Wittman and center Jeff Foote are two of the best players in the East Region. It would be surprising if Cornell didn't make a lot of noise in Jacksonville on the first weekend.

EAST REGION CHAMPION: 2 WEST VIRGINIA Sorry, Doogie. Kentucky may be the most talented team in the country, but West Virginia is the toughest. Da'Sean Butler turned the Big East tournament into his own personal Gerry McNamara audition tape. Point guard Joe Mazzula played half the season with a shoulder so busted up that he couldn't even shoot free throws with his right hand. And Devin Ebanks may be the closest thing to an individual Tournament sleeper in the entire bracket. The Mountaineers will grit their way to Indianapolis.

West Virginia will find a way to reach the Final Four.