I’m buzzing. I’m absolutely singing through the campus halls as the most wonderful time of the year has arrived. This can only mean the grand finale of my topsy-turvy, misty-twisty, breezy-squeezy tournament predictions.

The problem is, I’m actually being serious this week (say what?). It’s time for me to break down the fields of 64 as the gentlemen and ladies re-rev their motors for the furious finish of the NCAA Tournament.

Ain’t No Party Like a Coast-to-Coast Party

Best First Round Game: Marquette vs. Tulsa

Ahh, the annual five-vs.-12 battle that will give people not only bracket fits but something to watch. I even have a name for it, the “Golden Touch” matchup.

Both teams can run-and-gun as the Eagles from Wisconsin average 78.0 points a game, while the Hurricanes, out of the state of Oklahoma, score 81.7 points a contest.

Watch out for the matchup of guard play with Tulsa’s Greg Harrington battling against Marquette’s Dwayne Wade. The Golden Eagles will advance by the slim margin of three.

Dark Horse: Southern Illinois

This is a team that hung with Illinois early in the season and has four wins over tournament-bound teams.

Watch for them to be this year’s Gonzaga, reaching the Elite Eight due to an upset-minded bottom half of the East Regional.

Best regional finals (if seeds play out): Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma (The battle of the one seeds – Oklahoma is only disguised as a two seed).

If you needed to know how stifling their defenses are, go back in time to this past weekend, where Cincinnati held Marquette (78.0 ppg) to 63 points and Oklahoma beat Kansas (95.8 ppg) by giving up only 55 points.

Oklahoma may have better all-around talent, but defense wins championships.

Final Four: Duke, Kansas, Maryland and Gonzaga

The first three teams are the three strongest in the field, hands down.

They have been the best three teams around for the entire season, and in this format, they have the best tools for an elongated run toward the finals.

Now, here’s the question, why Gonzaga? Two reasons: they’re good and they’ve got motivation, due to their sixth seeding in the West despite being No. 6 in the country.

Combine the two and that’s all the Zags need to make a tourney run.

National Championship: Kansas 89, Duke 85

Girls Wanna Be Number wa…ane (One)!

Best First Round Game: Old Dominion vs. Georgia

These are two teams that are still good, even though they’re having down years. Old Dominion swept through the Colonial Conference, not losing to any conference team this season. Even with that, the 25-5 Monarchs have stayed under the national radar for most of the season.

The Bulldogs have not had a normal year. However, a 10-loss team from the women’s Southeastern Conference is not one to mess around with. Example: 1997 National Champion Tennessee.

Dark Horse: Colorado State

The Lady Rams are in the same boat as Old Dominion. They have a 24-6 record overall, average 71.3 points per game, and are in the top 20 in the country, but still have stayed underground for most of the season.

Colorado State will get a good effort against Tulane, which will put them on enough of a roll to upset Stanford and in-state rival Colorado.

Best Regional Final (if seeds play out): Duke vs. Baylor

Alana Beard vs. Sheila Lambert is all the incentive to watch this matchup. Lambert leads the Lady Bears with a toughness that can not be matched by most male counterparts. She scores at will and has the speed of a track star.

Beard’s similarities to Lambert are astonishing as she led the Blue Devils to an undefeated conference season.

Final Four: Oklahoma, Connecticut, South Carolina and Iowa State

This is Iowa State’s best opportunity to make it all the way.

In the women’s game, the home court is a cherished ideal for the best teams, and the Cyclones are no exception.

South Carolina surprised everyone this year and should have tournament innocence to spring a real surprise.

The real battle will be between the Sooners and Huskies in the title game.

National Championship: Oklahoma 73, Connecticut 67.

There you have it. A serious prediction from a not-so serious writer.

It’s a wonder I can stay sane when around the corner spring break silliness abounds. I hope I’m not coming down with a case of Madness Fever.

Jonathan Lowe is a senior in meteorology from Kansas City, Mo.