Last chance pool picks: A guide to the NCAA Final Four

About two months ago, I started reading Sports Illustrated every week. Not just skimming, reading. Absorbing. Studying. I stopped short of outlining, but I didn't miss one article, cover to cover. I also began watching ESPN regularly, Pardon the Interruption. Unscripted with Chris Connelly. Hours of Super Bowl preview shows. All of it.

Unfortunately, it didn't last.

Now it's time to make my prediction for the outcome of the men's Final Four playoffs, and none of my knowledge of the sports world as it was two months ago — the winter Olympics, Jason Kidd's turnaround and how great Arizona and Jason Gardner were going to be — is the least bit helpful.

But don't despair. I can do this.

When I was a senior in high school, there was a betting pool for the NCAA tournament. One of the kids distributed brackets to everybody he could find and then charged us all $5. He promised cash prizes for the top three scores. I filled it out during yearbook class.

That was Duke's year. The year the team did Nike commercials. The year they were supposed to be unbeatable. I picked UConn to win the tournament.

Every week or so the organizer would calculate the standings and let us know where we stood. I don't ever remember being on top. I actually don't ever remember watching a game.

That year UConn played Duke in the finals. It was March 29th. They won, 77-74. When I came into school the next Monday, I was oblivious. When I saw $50 on my desk, arranged so that the bills spelled out Duke, I was confused.

That, however, is not the point. The point is that even though I may know slightly more now then I did then, I'm still sticking with my ESP.

The big question, of course, is whose going to end their season on a win — Maryland, Indiana, Kansas or Oklahoma. My thoughts on each:

Maryland: My initial gut reaction is actually to go with the Terps. They did, afterall, beat UConn, a team that's come through for me before, on Sunday. And for some reason the Terps just feel right.

Indiana: I'm big on loyalty, Ever since all three Ohio teams (Ohio State, Kent State and Cincinnati) got knocked out of the tournament, my Midwest loyalties have been adrift. Indiana, as the next door neighbor to Ohio, picks up some points for mere proximity. However, they were the ones to actually knock Kent State out of the picture. That counts as a negative.

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Kansas: Now I have to like Kansas a little bit just because it is the only team left that I've actually seen play live. Plus, the Jayhawks are the highest-scoring team in the nation. That adds excitement.

Oklahoma: When I looked up information about Oklahoma, I found out that the team hadn't made the Final Four since 1993. Maybe it would be nice if they could win it all. Other then that, I don't care much about the Sooners.

I ruminated for awhile on the options, and after some serious soul searching, this is what I finally settled on.

Kansas over Maryland, 95-78. Originally I picked Maryland, but then had a change of heart. The Jayhawks' drubbing of Oregon on Sunday outweighed my initial gut feeling in favor of the Terps. However, I'm calling that whoever wins this game, wins the whole thing.

Indiana over Oklahoma, 86-75. I'm going Indiana. It's the Midwest thing plus the win over Duke. The Sooners may not have made the Final Four in nine years, but really, who cares?

Now for the big showdown: Kansas vs. Indiana. I'm a bit stumped. Kansas looked good when I saw them play Princeton. But are they really that good?

Yes.

I'm going to pick Kansas for two reasons. First, Indiana appears to be losing steam. While the Hoosiers did oust Duke, the Kent State game may be telling. Indiana started out with a strong lead, then struggled to hold on as Kent slowly chipped away at the margin. I just don't see a Cinderella ending to the season. Second, Kansas looks good. The team never fell behind Oregon Sunday. In addition, the Jayhawks are led by juniors. There will be no uncontrolled, this-is-my-last-game-in-the-Kansas-uniform frenzy.

So that's it. I'm calling Kansas.