Who cares about your bracket?

I don't. I really don't. Heck, I barely care about my bracket, so polluted is this tournament by what can only be called Affirmative Action for the power conferences. Purdue, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Stanford—how in the world did these teams get in?

Are you fired up for Texas Tech vs. Boston College? Having seen Illinois play twice, I'm not sure they could advance to the second round of the women's tournament. Indiana? Georgia Tech? I'd trade every one of the dozen or so 22-10 also-rans for a look at Air Force.

Over the past four years the number of mid-major at-large bids has been cut in half. Arkansas had just four victories against the entire tournament field this year: Oral Roberts, Southern Illinois, and Vanderbilt (twice). Meanwhile, only four teams beat Winthrop: North Carolina, Texas A&M, Wisconsin (in overtime) and Maryland.

Even with too many step-sisters and not enough Cinderellas the NCAA men's basketball tournament is the greatest 18 days of the year. But I still don't care about your bracket. Nope. All I care about is your Final Four. That's because it's time for the Saint John's Hoops Al McGuire Memorial Final Four contest!

You know how it works: Send me the names of the four teams YOU pick to be in the Final Four this year, specifying which team you pick to win it all and which you pick as the runner-up. (Several people miss this crucial detail every year and are disqualified.)

After the champion's been crowned, I will score everyone's picks as follows: 1 point for each team you correctly place in the Final Four, 2 points for naming the runner-up, and 3 points for naming the champion. The winner will receive a basketball autographed by the 2006-2007 Drexel Dragons men's basketball team, which was utterly shafted by the NCAA selection committee. The winner's team will also be spotted 4 points in a game to 11 in our first post-tournament game at St. John's. (A non-player winner will receive a prize of approximately equal value, whatever THAT would be.) In the event of a tie, the winner will be chosen by a random draw. All recipients of this e-mail are eligible to enter.

But there's more! Specify a fifth team, seeded 9 or lower, as your darkhorse pick. If that team makes it into the Final Four, you will win $64 and a six-pack of Summit Pale Ale. Doggone it, if there's a better NCAA tournament contest, I've never heard of it!

All entries must be received in my inbox by tip-off of the first game on Thursday, March 15.

After you submit your entry, please let me know if you will or will not be playing hoops at St. John’s this weekend. We tip off at 8:00 a.m., as usual.