Begging your indulgence as I try to explain my current predicament before getting to a few thoughts on a busy college basketball weekend. I was on my way to the library to write a few semi-coherent words on this blustery morning, when I was stricken with some of the rotten luck associated with Friday the 13th.

As you read further, you may be able to discern that my current mood is not exactly filled with joy. Before I even hit the highway, I had some issues with my new smart phone, which as I always say is much more intelligent than me. Hopefully, I can figure that out later today.

The much more pressing issue occurred while I was proceeding to pass a slow-moving truck when suddenly my rather old car began shaking and was accompanied with a flashing engine light on the dashboard. That made a quick trip to the mechanic a necessity, and while I wait to hear what the damage is this time to fix yet another issue, it may finally be time to bid the old Impala farewell.

I have already sunk way more money than I ever intended to keep the thing, partially because I have been trying to avoid car payments every month. So, as I await the verdict on what needs to be done to keep the beast running a while longer, I was rescued by my fiancée, so that I could use her car to get to the library.

Could it be that the Friday the 13th hex finally caught up with me? Beats me, but it sure appears that way at the moment. Since I have undoubtedly bored you long enough with my personal problems, let’s take a gander at what some of the college hoops savants are proclaiming about this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Will Selection Sunday hold surprises?

Beginning at 6 p.m. tomorrow on CBS, we will finally find out who’s in and who’s out, and exactly where the 68 teams will be heading to begin this year’s version of March Madness. There has certainly been no shortage of speculation from those who are in the know, and others who merely think they are. Joe Lunardi is the most well-known and reputedly the most accurate bracketologist when it comes to predicting the field, but there are others – Jerry Palm and Mike DeCourcy among others – who have their opinions on where teams will be seeded, and what teams will be crying the loudest when they’re left on the outside looking in.

The latest word from Lunardi as this is being typed is that the Miami RedHawks will indeed be in the field, much to the chagrin of many fans who feel their weak schedule should relegate the Oxford, Ohio school to the NIT. This may not be a popular opinion, but I feel they deserve a bid as well. When a team goes 31-0 in the regular season, they should be in, despite playing in a so-called lesser conference.

I completely understand the gnashing of teeth about their NET number and putrid Strength of Schedule ranking, but would you rather see a mid-major that went undefeated before slipping up and losing to UMass in the MAC tourney, or a team like Auburn that has 16 losses? You can disagree, but I’ll take the former.

As the conference tournaments play out this weekend, perhaps both teams will get a bid, and all of these arguments will prove to be moot. It would even be more fun if somehow the selection committee found a way to pair them up in the First Four in Dayton next Tuesday or Wednesday.

The fact remains there will likely be other bid stealers that will win conference tourneys, which may send both Miami and Auburn to the sidelines. We’ll just have to wait and see how it all plays out, but if it came down to just those two, give me the RedHawks. For those that say Miami is not one of the best 68 teams in the country, your argument on that is pure nonsense.

One thing the NCAA Tournament has prided itself on is awarding teams with automatic bids in leagues that frankly have no business even being mentioned among the best in the country. One could argue that practice has run its course, while others contend that is part of the charm of March Madness.

My point is that teams that win those leagues, and are usually seeded anywhere from 13th to 16th, are nowhere near as good as Miami. Maybe the time has come for the NCAA to eliminate some of those automatic bids, and in the process, spare us a few blowouts in the opening round.

Yes, there is the very occasional upset – I do remember 16-seed Maryland-Baltimore County defeating top-seeded Virginia – but that was a nearly one on a million result. The great majority of 1-16 and 2-15 matchups are over by halftime.

With all that said, look for a slew of intriguing matchups when the field is announced, and the top seeds to go to Arizona, Michigan, Duke and Florida, and for at least two of those teams to reach the Final Four. As always, there will also be more than a few teams claiming they were snubbed; this guy is just hoping Miami is not among that group.

My thoughts on a few teams of interest in this area, and keep in mind these are just that, guesses:

Miami gets in as a 10-seed, Kentucky is seeded 7th, Louisville receives a 6-seed, Ohio State gets a 9-seed, while both Indiana and Cincinnati get to watch the tournament on television like the rest of us.

********************

“Indeed, none but the Deity can tell what is good luck and what is bad before the returns are all in.” – Mark Twain