Upperclassman

There is no doubt that Kansas and North Carolina are extremely talented and dangerous teams  They both, however, possess a very dubious characteristic.  Their starting lineups consist predominantly of freshmen and sophomores.  We have seen earlier this year that Kansas, in particular, can be very susceptible to losing close games.  Kansas wins big, but they have lost close games in the last minutes due to inconsistent play of their young players.  That's why I believe teams with juniors and seniors in their starting lineups are at an advantage when tournament time rolls around.  Here are a few teams that start at least four upperclassman that I believe will be a force in the tournament.

Pittsburgh

Maryland

Wisconsin

Texas A&M

Indiana

Seeded Too Low

I expect to see these teams seeded at six or lower.  All these teams are worthy of penetrating pretty deep into the tournament.

Maryland - tough conference; four quality wins; top ten defense; strong schedule

Duke - no bad losses; many quality wins; strong defense

Kentucky - very good Adjusted Offensive and Defensive Efficiency; strong schedule

Arizona - toughest schedule in nation; upperclass leadership

Villanova

Texas

Too Highly Seeded

I believe the following teams will receive undeserving high seeds by the NCAA Selection Committee.  I would look for some of them to bow out in the first or second rounds.

Memphis - CUSA is weak; only quality win against Kentucky

Southern Illinois - high Pomeroy Adjusted Offense Efficiency; bad loss to Evansville

Butler - mediocre conference; two bad losses

Nevada - very weak strength-of-schedule; very high Adjusted Defense Efficiency

Air Force - weak strength-of-schedule; two bad losses

The Duke Factor

March Madness Selection Sunday is two weeks from today.  Over the course of the next 14 days, I hope to provide some thoughts on the field of 64 teams and some gotchas to look out for when filling in your brackets.  Today, I want to talk about...

With 7 losses and crying players on national TV, many folks have written off Duke as a contender in the tournament.  Unfortunately, as much as I would like that to be the case, Duke will do better than expected.  They play in the second toughest conference in Division I and have beaten some notable teams this year.  They also have not experienced any bad losses to inferior competition.  Duke has lost some games this year due to inexperience on the floor at critical times.  Of Duke's 12 man roster, 10 are Freshmen and Sophomores.  Yes, TEN !!!  The other two players are Juniors.  The young players have had the opportunity to mature throughout the season and have hit some bumps, but they are quickly learning what it takes to play big-time college basketball.  I'll be interested to see how they perform in the ACC tournament.  If they win the tournament, then I believe they have a shot at the Elite Eight.

Saver's Tax Credit

There are some great options available for low-income households to save even more money for retirement. The Saver's Tax Credit is a great opportunity for folks who bring home less than $51,000/year.  IRS Topic 610 - Retirement Savings Contributions Credit provides more details on the subject.

Three weeks until Selection Sunday...

Three weeks until Selection Sunday.  I'm tracking the conferences closely right now so I'll be as informed as possible when assembling my March Madness brackets.  Let's start with the obvious today - Big 12.  Below are the teams I believe deserve to be in and those that think have not earned their position yet.

In...

• Texas A&M ( 22-4, 10-2 )
  • RPI: 14
  • Good Wins: Kansas, Texas
  • Bad Losses: none ( maybe LSU by 12 )
• Kansas ( 23-4, 10-2 )
  • RPI: 16
  • Good Wins: Florida, USC, Boston College
  • Bad Losses: Oral Roberts, DePaul
• Texas ( 19-7, 9-3 )
  • RPI: 46
  • Good Wins: LSU, Arkansas
  • Bad Losses: none
• Kansas State ( 19-8, 8-4 )
  • RPI: 50
  • Good Wins: Texas, USC
  • Bad Losses: Cal
• Texas Tech ( 17-10, 6-6 )
  • RPI: 40
  • Good Wins: Texas A&M, Kansas, Arkansas
  • Bad Losses: none

Out...

• Oklahoma State
  • RPI: 36
  • Good Wins: Pittsburgh, Syracuse
  • Bad Losses: Kansas ( 30 pts ), Colorado ( 12 pts ), Missouri, Texas ( 30pts )
• Oklahoma
  • RPI: 83
  • Good Wins: Oklahoma State, Texas Tech
  • Bad Losses: Iowa State
• Nebraska
• Baylor
• Colorado
• Iowa State
• Missouri

Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma Basketball Game

Our family hit the road today to catch the Texas A&M vs Oklahoma basketball game in Norman.  Considering how loud the venue was, Morgan did exceptionally well.  She was pretty tuckered out and we just put her to bed for the night.  I was able to get a few pictures with the telephoto lens, but I wish I had taken more shots and maybe tried to get closer as well.  Fun was had by all though.

Doug's New Home In Vegas

Dayna's dad, Doug, sent us some shots of his new home in Vegas.  Doug designed the house himself and it has lots of unique features.  Dayna, Morgan and myself look forward to visiting soon to see the finished product.

Life Insurance

A few more thoughts on life insurance...

(1) Buy Term Life Insurance.  Term simply means you purchase for a period ( i.e. 10 yrs ).  This is very inexpensive.  Multiply your income by 9 to determine how much coverage you need.

(2) If you're 35 or older, do some comparison shopping on...

Term 4 Sale

Insure.com

(3) If you're under 35, consider an Annually Renewable Term ( ART ) policy.

TIAA-CREF Financial Services

Savings Bank Life Insurance ( SBLI )

Social Security Survivor Benefits

Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a worrier.  And now, with kids, my favorite past time of worrying has reached new levels.  One of my highest priorities right now is to ensure that Morgan, Dayna and the new baby are provided for upon my death.  Yeah, I know, it's a grizzly topic to discuss your own demise, but it's essential to consider loved ones left behind.

Of course, life insurance is one of the primary ways by which I'm able to take care of my family.  The proceeds from our life insurance will be the bulk of the funds provided for my family, but my investments along with Social Security Survivor benefits will also provide a nice chunk of change for Dayna and the kids.  Since Dayna is not working, she will be able to obtain a monthly check that will help her raise our kids without immediately worrying about going back to work ( yet, even working mothers are eligible, but the benefits are reduced ).  Additionally, children under 18 are also eligible for a monthly check.  Fortunately, I've been working now for 20+ years ( since I was 15 years old ) and I've accumulated enough SS credits to be eligible for SS benefits for my family.  Dayna has also accumulated enough credits such that upon her death Morgan and I could each collect about $1,000 each a month.

Social Security Survivor Benefits

Coins Included In IRAs

I learned today that the American Eagle gold coin's weight, content and purity are guaranteed by the United States Government.  As a result, the IRS actually allows long-term savers to include these coins in their Individual Retirement Accounts.

Bullion Direct

American Eagle Gold Bullion Coin

I had an opportunity to spend some time in Philadelphia last week on business.  I took the opportunity to visit the US Mint and found a 2006-W $50 American Eagle Gold Bullion Coin to commemorate Morgan's birth.  The photos below do not do the coin justice due to the bad lighting and a bit of fuzz on the plastic cover in which the coin is contained.  I am pretty excited though since this is my first real substantial investment in gold.

American Eagle Gold Proof Coin