Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Quigley Cat Picks the Sweet 16

Even though TM spends more quantity time with Quigley, I'd like to think that he and I spend more *quality* time together. For example, they could discuss every day what to have for lunch. (TM might have a sandwich or a cup or soup or a salad. For Quigley, it's always the same: cat food.)

Whereas, last night he and I discussed the NCAA basketball tournament games coming up this weekend. You wouldn't think he's all that aware of March Madness, seeing as how he sleeps all day and has never graduated from a single university*. But he's sharper than you know: even though he probably didn't see a single game from the first and second rounds**, he has made his picks for the Sweet 16. I tried to tell him about things like seeds and star players, but he didn't listen--he already had his answers based on his feline reasoning. And he shared them with me.

Look deep into my eyes. Hear my wisdom.


EAST REGIONAL

1) North Carolina


vs.

4) Washington State


MPF Analysis: Carolina, with Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson, have been on a roll, destroying its first two opponents. Washington State shut down Notre Dame's high powered offense, holding the Irish to only 41 points. UNC averaged 110.5 points in its two games; Wash State averaged 66 points.

Quigley: Washington State is Cougars. Don't know what a Tar Heel is. I pick cats: Washington State.


3) Louisville


vs.

2) Tennessee

MPF Analysis: An exciting matchup between two talented, athletic teams. Tennessee felt cheated out of a No. 1 seed but has struggled in its two games. Louisville came on strong late in the season to tie for the Big East Championship. They cruised past Oklahoma in the second round.

Quigley: Louisville is Cardinals, a bird. Birds are my enemy. Don't know what a Volunteer is, but it's not a bird: Tennessee.


MIDWEST REGIONAL

1) Kansas


vs.

12) Villanova

MPF Analysis: Villanova knocked off 5-seed Clemson and then topped upstart Siena to advance to the Sweet 16, led by star guard Scottie Reynolds. Kansas has cruised to 24- and 19-point victories in its quest to get back to the Final Four.

Quigley: Kansas is Jayhawks. That's a bird. Villanova is Wildcats. I can be a wild cat myself: Villanova.


3) Wisconsin
vs.

10) Davidson


MPF Analysis: The individual story of the tournament is Davidson's Stephen Curry, a sharpshooter who has exploded in the second half of wins over Gonzaga (30 of his 40 points) and Georgetown (25 of his 30 points). Wisconsin's plodding pace and stifling defense will try to contain him, the way they stopped Kansas State's star, Michael Beasley.

Quigley: I don't know what a Badger is. It looks like a scary, upright rodent. I don't like that look on his face. I pick Wildcats: Davidson.

Bonus picture of Bucky the Badger: "a scary, upright rodent," sayeth the Oracle kitty.



SOUTH REGIONAL

1) Memphis

vs.

5) Michigan State

MPF Analysis: Memphis had some trouble putting away Mississippi State but otherwise has looked the part of a top seed. Michigan State is the other Big Ten team still alive, using a strong performance from senior Drew Neitzel to oust Pittsburgh and advance to the Sweet 16.

Quigley: Memphis is kitties. Meow. What is a Spartan? He looks mean, he carries a sword, and his head is enormous. Memphis.


3) Stanford

vs.

2) Texas

MPF Analysis: Brook Lopez made a leaner with 1.3 seconds left in overtime as Stanford edged Marquette. The 7-footer and his twin brother Robin are a tough draw to defend. Texas also struggled in its second round game, allowing Miami to mount a comeback before finally putting them away. A.J. Abrams and D.J. Augustin are probably the most exciting backcourt in the country.

Quigley: Stanford is a tree. I like to climb trees, or I would if I went outside. Texas is a longhorn...a big, scary cow. I say "moooo" to that: Stanford.


WEST REGIONAL

1) UCLA


vs.

12) Western Kentucky


MPF Analysis: After a dominating first round win, UCLA (pronounced "Uck-lah") had a harder time with Texas A&M. Everybody loves Love, as in freshman stud Kevin Love, relative of a Beach Boy. Western Kentucky had their "March Madness Moment" with a buzzer-beater in OT to defeat the 5-seed alma mater, then dispatched fellow upstart 13-seed San Diego.

Quigley: UCLA is a Bruin, a big bear. Western Kentucky is a Hilltopper. What is a Hilltopper? What do you do with a Hilltopper, just sit on top of it? I'm not even allowed outside to get to the hill. UCLA.

3) Xavier


vs.

7) West Virginia
MPF Analysis: Xavier, of the Atlantic 10, has looked deep and balanced in their games, with senior leadership that could take them far in the tourney. West Virginia scored a major upset by beating 2-seed Duke, with Jon Alexander playing the role of Kevin Pittsnoggle this year.

Quigley: Xavier is a Musketeer. He has a wispy moustache and a sword. What's with the sword again? Why is that necessary? West Virginia is a Mountaineer. I don't like these picks. I'll take the guy who looks like a bear over the guy who looks all snively: West Virginia.


OK, those are his picks! Watch the games to see how Quigley did, and if you want, I'll ask him to pick the Final Four next weekend.



* Not even obedience school.
** I don't know this for a fact. His catsitter may have flipped on the TV for him to scout the teams while we were out of town.

3 comments:

TinaMarie said...

Quigley picked his head up off of the Bears blanket long enought to say "go cats". He appreciates everyone's support for his picks.

TM (speaking for Quigley).

mpf004 said...

For the record, I agree with Quigley only on UCLA and Tenn. I've got UNC, Kansas, Wisky and Texas. (I originally had Pitt and Duke, but as it stands today I'd take Memphis and Xavier.)

We'll see if I'm smarter than the cat.

Unknown said...

The crazy thing about this picture of Quigley is that at a certain angle of the laptop, the eyes are dark and not in view. When the screen is moved, the eyes come into view. That was kind of freaky. ;)