Seems like there are about as many opinions as to the eventual winner of the NCAA basketball tournament as predictions regarding the recovery of the stock market.  I checked earlier this week with former Gopher coach Jim Dutcher and he projected a different winner than the experts on CBS and ESPN who have five different choices.

Dutcher, who has been an outstanding commentator on Gopher telecasts for years and follows college basketball closely, picks Georgetown, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest, to emerge as the national champion next month when the tournament ends.  CBS studio analysts Seth Davis and Clark Kellogg favor UCLA, No. 1 in the West.  ESPN studio analysts Jay Bilas and Hubert Davis predict a Kansas national title (No. 1 Midwest).  Their colleagues all have different picks: Dick Vitale chooses North Carolina (No. 1 East); Digger Phelps likes Memphis (No. 1 South); and Bob Knight makes Pittsburgh, a No. 4 seed in the South, his choice.

The diverse views are a reminder of the competitive balance in college basketball, making the exercise of forecasting a national champion part skill and part luck.  “If I had to pick one team from what I’ve seen, I pick Georgetown,” Dutcher said.

He likes the Hoya’s 7-2 preseason all-American center Roy Hibbert and the team’s outstanding guard play.  He respects coach John Thompson III and knows that Georgetown’s deep run in last year’s tournament will likely help this bunch that has a 27-5 record and plays its opening game tomorrow (Thursday).

The 64 team field will be down to 16 by Sunday night and while there are several teams  getting at least a sniff, only the blindly loyal or delusional are picking a Big Ten team. Wisconsin was impressive, winning both the regular season and tournament titles.  The Badgers operate on brains more than most teams and Dutcher thinks a talented group that has them down by 10 points puts Wisconsin in trouble.  He believes the Badgers, a No. 3 seed in the Midwest, might at best make the final 16 teams.  “I can’t see them going beyond that,” he said.

Michigan State is the Big Ten team best built for a successful tourney run, Dutcher said.  The Spartans, who were pre-season conference favorites, have athletes, size and a “great point guard” in Drew Neitzel, according to Dutcher who coached the Gophers in two NCAA tournament games in 1982.

This will be a showcase tournament for individual talent with Neitzel and a full roster of other stars from coast to coast.  Two of the best are in the same game when USC and guard O.J. Mayo play tomorrow night (Thursday) against Kansas State and forward Michael Beasley in a Midwest bracket game.  Other show stoppers include UCLA guard Darren Collison and Bruin center Kevin Love (phenomenal outlet passer), Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody, Texas guard D.J. Augustin, Indiana guard Eric Gordon, Memphis guard Derrick Rose, and North Carolina center Tyler Hansbrough, a popular choice for player of the year.

Those players will impact the tournament and so, too, will the game’s never ending love affair with the three point shot.  “I don’t think it’s ever been so obvious, the value of three point shooters,”  Dutcher said.  “Teams go out and make 12, 14 (three point shots) and turn around a game.”

The Gophers made 6 of 19 three pointers in their upset win over Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament last Friday. The Hoosiers were 1-14 in the 59-58 loss.

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The Gophers and their fans had thoughts about making the tournament this winter, but an 8-10 regular season conference record and a soft non-conference schedule ranked among the worst in the country kept Minnesota off the final list of invitees.  “One thing they’ve got to do is, they’ve got to upgrade their schedule,” Dutcher said.

Better nonconference opponents could increase respect for the Gophers come tourney selection time and sharpen their play before the Big Ten season begins.  “You can fool yourself if you don’t get tested,” Dutcher said.

The Williams Arena patrons who have paid $30 per game for years to watch the low rent non-conference teams parade by each season would appreciate a schedule that included a few brand names like Marquette, Oregon, Arizona and, gasp, Kentucky. In a big league town, fans expect a product and Dutcher made an observation this season about Gopher basketball and coach Tubby Smith.

“The thing that amazed me was there was not a lot of buzz about Gopher basketball,” he said. “There was buzz about Tubby but not Gopher basketball.”

With fewer games on TV because of the Big Ten Network fiasco, people were less familiar with the team.  Years of losing and disappointment under former coach Dan Monson was another factor.  But with Smith here and a top 25 recruiting class coming, it’s time to fix the home nonconference schedule, too.

In the meantime, try to pick the team that will emerge as national champion on April 7 in San Antonio.

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Former Gustavus tennis star and Rochester native Eric Butorac, along with partner Andy Murray, an outstanding singles player, lost in the second round of doubles on Monday in the Pacific Life Open.  Andy is the brother of James Murray who has been Butorac’s doubles partner in the past.

Coach Don Lucia’s Gopher hockey team, opening play tomorrow night in the WCHA Final Five series with St. Cloud at Xcel Energy Center, had three overtime WCHA playoff games with Minnesota State Mankato last weekend that will long be remembered.  The teams combined to play 262 minutes and eight seconds over the three nights, the equivalent of nearly four and a half games. The Gophers and Mavericks played over 82 minutes of overtime and each put 42 shots on goal in the extra sessions. Total game time for the series was 10 hours, 13 minutes (average of three hours, 24 minutes per game).

The Wild, with only nine games remaining in the regular season to compete for positioning in the Stanley Cup playoffs, plays at San Jose tonight (Wednesday).  Minnesota is 0-2-1 against the Sharks this season and winless in the last six games.  Pavol Demitra leads the Wild in career scoring against San Jose with 26 points in 34 career games.

The Timberwolves, 16-50, play Memphis at home tonight, facing a Grizzlies team that has lost 19 of its last 21 games.  Memphis, also 16-50, never recovered from trading star center Pau Gasol to the Lakers earlier this winter.  The Grizzlies are 3-17 since the trade.

A Wolves spokesman said via e-mail that point guard Sebastian Telfair is making progress with his sprained right ankle but won’t return to game action this week.

The Vikings began off-season conditioning at Winter Park on Monday.  About half of  NFL teams also started conditioning earlier this week, according to Sporting News.

Newly signed Viking free agent wide receiver Bernard Berrian does bring expectations for catching long passes and big plays, but he’s also capable of making difficult catches.  Playing for Chicago last season he had 11 catches between 20 and 40 yards and two receptions beyond 40.  He caught 71 passes, for 951 yards and five touchdowns.  He tied with two other players for the 26^th highest reception total in the league.

The Metrodome will be used for 127 college baseball games in March, including 19 Gopher games, according to Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.  Lester said many of the games are part of double headers and baseball teams are using the facility from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. The dome is also used for college baseball scrimmages during the month.

St. Thomas and Gustavus lead the MIAC spring sports coaches’ polls.  St. Thomas is the pick to win the conference in baseball and softball.  Gustavus is the choice in men’s and women’s tennis.

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