Numbers don't lie

In less, of course, they're poll numbers for the results of presidential elections. We know how THAT worked out about a year and half ago. A "sure winner" in EVERY poll -- got trashed.

Here's one that jumped out at yours truly. Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams, both seniors on Geno Auriemma's UConn lady hoop express, have compiled a 147-2 record to date over their college careers.

But that only SECOND best in school history? Wow. Talk about high standards.

The Michigan Wolverines have, somewhat improbably, reached the Final Four. Few would have foreseen that happening. But ya never know. A team comes together, gets on a roll, and most anything's possible.

Thing is, they had a relatively easy path along the way once the tournament started. Games against a #14 seed Montana, a #6 seed Houston, a #7 seed Texas A&M, and a #9 seed Florida State wasn't exactly wading through the proverbial murderer's row.

And now they'll face a #11 seed in Loyal/Chicago in the Semi-Finals. Hey, nobody's saying it's easy, but if you can get all the way to the Finals and the highest seeded team you faced in the first five games was only a #6 seed, things have pretty well broken your way.

True, most think UM will easily dispatch L/C. But not so fast.

The Ramblers, and their beloved "godmother" Sister Jean aren't exactly pushovers. They've waded through a #6 Miami, Fl, #3 Tennessee, #7 Nevada, and a #9 Kansas St. to get there as well. A tougher road than what UM faced.

Typically, times like these are when the Maize and Blue faithful get cocky. They assume it's "in the bag". But not always so. Their mighty football team got embarrassed, at home, once upon a time by little Appalachian St. And they just knew the hoops game against North Carolina Charlotte was a gimme. Until some dude named Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell ate their lunch on the hardwood and sent them reeling to another devastating loss. So ya never know about those "little guys".

Yet it could probably be fairly said that the Michigan/Loyola match-up is considered the "undercard" at this year's Final Four.

On the other side, blue bloods and heavyweights Kansas and Villanova will be slugging it out on the same day. Whoever emerges from that battle victorious will no doubt be heavy favorites to go on and win the title a couple days later.

But this has been a very strange tournament so far. Upsets galore. Some say Michigan is as good as anybody still left, but I would disagree with that. Hey, UM was a #3 seed going in, and Kansas and Villanova were #1's.

Even if the Wolverines get past the Ramblers, no given, only then will they run into a team seeded higher than #6 for the first time. And for the first time throughout the tourney, they'd be heavy underdogs.

Sure, lots of things can happen, and sometimes do. The rag-tag 1980 USA olympic hockey team somehow managed to defeat the mighty Soviet Red Army squad in one of the greatest, or not so great, depending on who one was rooting for, upsets of all time. Chances are, they couldn't have done that again in ten tries. But they won the one that counted. So it's theoretically possible.

So is Loyola/Chicago winning it all in this year's NCAA hoops tourney.

And if THAT were to happen, it would give a whole new meaning to March Madness indeed.

Go Ramblers and love ya, Sister Jean.