The following are the thoughts and opinions of the LF Sports Department on March Madness.

Frank: In the midst of March Madness, everyone has so far been able to keep their sanity as the majority of the teams expected to advance have done so. Well, I know mine have at least. The George Masons of the world are a distant memory, at least for this season, as people begin to truly focus on the top seeds of the tournament.

Most expect the defending champions and Midwest region No. 1 seed Florida Gators to be in the Final Four, mainly due to the fact that they have great team chemistry in their favor, which is never an easy recipe to whip up. I believe last year’s runner-up and West region No. 2 seed UCLA Bruins will make it into the Final Four to face Florida out of sheer will and experience.

On the other side of the Final Four bracket, I got the young, yet most talented team in the nation this year, the East region No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels. I also got another young and very talented team, the South region No. 1 seed Ohio State Buckeyes matching with UNC while pushing forward toward a hopeful championship game appearance.

With Florida having the same core of last year’s title winning team, I believe UCLA will be easily overmatched by a Gator team that is thought by most to be the favorite to win it all once again.

North Carolina and Ohio State both have had outstanding guard play throughout the tournament, but I believe the game will be won down low rather than up top. Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina has been exhibiting great post play all tournament long, and Greg Oden, possibly the NBA draft’s first overall pick this June, has been very consistent offensively. He’s shown star potential, especially on the defensive end, but with stars to match, North Carolina should win this with few problems.

Then there's the championship game, where I matched the Florida Gators vs. the North Carolina Tar Heels. UNC may hold the more talented team, but this will be an instance where talent is overcome by the combination of experience, team chemistry, and overall efficiency on the court. With this in mind, I got the elder Gators of Florida beating the young Tar Heels of North Carolina in a well-played game on both ends of the court by both teams.

Florida Gators, 2007 NCAA Division I Champions!

So Tessa, what do you think about that for March Madness?

Tessa: I am really pleased with this season’s competition. I think everyone really came out strong during this first round of competition. The field is quite diverse with an undefeated world champion and two Olympians all leading the way for their respective sports. Laila Ali, undefeated world champion boxer, came out strong with her professional partner Maksim Chmerkovsky and danced a rather elegant foxtrot, for a professional boxer. I can see her really going far in this competition. She has a real grace about her and really seems to have a knack for ballroom dancing. Clyde “The Glide” Drexler was shockingly able to hold up to that nickname he earned on the court on the dance floor as well. He has some kinks to work out but for the tallest contestant on the show and NBA Hall of Famer the man has some moves. I see potential in him. Just as there was with Jerry Rice and Emmit Smith he needs some time to blossom into this new role. Last, but certainly not least (in my book) is two-time Olympic gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno. He is who I am rooting for and I hope to see him continue on the show at least for a few more weeks.

Frank: What in the world are you talking about?

Tessa: “Dancing With the Stars.”

Frank: Weren’t we talking about March Madness?

Tessa: You asked who my picks were…I thought you meant for the show.

Frank: No…I was talking about the NCAA tournament

Tessa: Well, you should have been more specific.

Frank: Why would I be talking about that show? Besides, I thought I was being specific. Nevermind!

Tessa: I don’t know, but it is all I can think about these days. I guess “March Madness” can apply to many things, huh?

Frank: I guess you’re right, for once.