After Syracuse's soul crushing ouster from the NCAA tournament Elite Eight, I'll admit that it's hard to remain interested in anything bracket related. As much as I love the game, I'm not so much a college basketball fan as I am a Syracuse fan. Once the Orange are no longer playing, I feel no need to watch or even pay attention. I'm busy preparing myself for the sports purgatory that is summer when all that's on is baseball, golf and NASCAR.
The Busted Mug, though, has still yet to be awarded and it would be unfair to the men who've worked so hard to get to this point if they were denied the chance at Busted Mug glory simply because I'm pissy that Syracuse lost a tough game. After all, Mookie Jones has already advanced to the Fugly Four, so there's a chance for a Syracuse title yet. And UNLV's Carlos Lopez, a fan favorite, overcame the odds and beat out Tyler Zeller comfortably after some close early voting. If Syracuse and Cinderellas don't keep the BMC interesting, I don't know what can.
Name: Frank Kaminski (1)
Team: F, Wisconsin Badgers
Path to Glory: We saw a bit of Kaminski during Syracuse's one point victory over the Badgers in the NCAA Sweet 16. The big freshman's play is almost as ugly as his mug, but I suppose that's why he plays for Bo Ryan. Kaminski took out Ryan Kelly who, like the rest of his Duke team, didn't have what it took to escape the first round.
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Name: Khem Birch (2)
Team: C, University of Nevada Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels by way of Pittsburgh Panthers.
Path to Glory: Birch and his misshapen dome took down Western Michigan's big Matt Stainbrook in the first round. It's ironic that the match up featured two contestants that weren't in the NCAA tourney at all. But that's the beauty of the BMC. You're either born ugly or you're not, so anyone has a shot at the title. In fact, it's the only beauty in the BMC.