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The first three rounds of the NCAA tournament are complete and thus the Elite Eight is upon us. Every year, the Elite 8 should be consisted of the top 8 teams in college basketball fighting for the National Championship. That is never the case.... until this year. There has yet to be a year in which all #1 and #2 Seeds advance to the Elite 8 but this year is damn close. In previous years, even teams outside the Top 25 Rankings have broke in and ruined all our brackets. For example, last year, #11 Seed George Mason squeezed into the "Elite 8" and even to the Final Four. Two years ago, we had a #4, #5, #6 and a #7 Seed make the "Elite 8". And a #7 and #8 Seed the year before that. The Elite 8 has been anything but in the past years but it's all changed in 2007.

There are eight teams left in the 2007 NCAA Tournament as Saturday morning approaches. As a matter of fact, this has been one of the best tournaments I can remember of any sport. As the Tournament approaches, people are always guessing at who the next underdog might be shaking things up as there always is. No Cinderella's hanging around the Elite 8 this year. In my opinion, there weren't any left after the 2nd round. Note: If you are one of those people that consider Butler and Southern Illinois a "Cinderella team" because they play in a smaller conference with extremely less exposure minus ESPN's Bracket Buster Saturday, you have a ways to go before understanding all the factors of college basketball. Well that, and the fact you are stupid. Butler was 7-2 vs. teams in the tournament with wins over: Old Dominion, Maryland, Purdue, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Indiana and Notre Dame and they also lost a tight one against Southern Illinois who had wins over: Virginia Tech (twice), Creighton, Butler and Holy Cross. They combined for a 12-6 record vs. teams in this year's tournament.

I enjoy as much as anybody else seeing a double digit seed work its way into the Sweet Sixteen or even Elite Eight but isn't it great to actually see the top 8 teams play each other Saturday and Sunday, no #1 vs. #7 or #2 vs. #8 Seed in the Elite Eight. Of the remaining eight teams, 7 are in the Top 10 Final Poll of the 2007 Season along with Oregon at #18 who spent some time in the Top Ten. Never in the history of the Field of 64 Teams has it come down to teams of this caliber. All four #1 Seeds, three #2 Seeds and a #3 Seed are remaining and never has the field been this open with eight teams remaining. This is what the NCAA Tournament should be about every once in a while. Yes, "Cinderella teams" are great but we never get to see the teams that were at the top all year long make it through the tournament. I can't believe it, but the Tournament Committee got it right. Good luck on your brackets, selections and enjoy this rare moment of watching the true Elite 8 of College Basketball.