News-Record.com

What's more fun this time of year than playing the Bracketology game -- to borrow a term from ESPN, meaning I probably owe somebody a lot of money now for using it. At least it's fun if your college of choice is in the NCAA tournament picture, which probably excludes Maryland, UNC's opponent here at the Dean Dome today.

It's certainly a nerve-racking game if you're a beat writer covering, say, the Tar Heels. One day, Jerry Palm has the Heels going to San Diego as a 6 seed at collegerpi.com. Then, after a big win at N.C. State, he has the Heels in Jacksonville as a 3 seed, in the Oakland regional. And now it's State that's going to San Diego, having clearly played its way out of a trip to Greensboro for the first round. Jay Lunardi of ESPN has the Heels and Wolfpack both in Jacksonville. We've already asked State beat writer Jim Young to bring the poker chips, just in case.

More likely, though, this game that only Craig Littlepage's NCAA tournament selection committee plays for real will bounce schools all over the place for two more weeks. Except Duke. We're pretty sure they'll be in Greensboro as a No.1 seed.

I figured Tennessee for a 2 or 3 seed at the coliseum because, after Duke, it was the next closest school deserving of a top-4 seed. Now I can't be so confident after the Vols' home loss to Arkansas yesterday. My fear, as I do like to travel during tournament time: an all expenses-paid trip to ... Greensboro.

Truly, the Heels have played their way into solid position with a nice stretch run. I could see them suffering a post-State letdown today. But I can't see them losing at home to the slumping Terps.