March madness

Yes, it's that time of year again, when everyone becomes a college basketball expert.
Right.
Everyone probably has his/her own guide for picking the games in the NCAA tournament.
I don't have a guide for picking games, but I do have a guide for picking teams to pull for in the chase for the crown. It's not formulaic, as such, but it's mine.
So, with no further ado, here are the teams I will be rooting for in the opening weekend:
ATLANTA REGIONAL
North Carolina-Wilmington: A hyphenated school always draws some sentimental support.
Penn: A Philly area team with a great coach.
OAKLAND REGIONAL
Bucknell: A small school. I know the coach -- and he's damned good.
Gonzaga: Yeah, I know they've been ranked all year, but it's still a small school playing with the big boys.
Syracuse: Gotta root for the coal-cracker McNamara, from Scranton, Pa.
WASHINGTON REGIONAL
Air Force: They play a weird style that can drive big-name teams nuts.
George Mason: The home of more high-quality conservative thought than any other campus on the East Coast. Too bad they have to play another team I root for...
Michigan State: The anti-Michigan. Say no more.
MINNEAPOLIS REGIONAL
Villanova: Yeah, they're the top seed and a Big East team, usually two very big strikes. But they're a Philly school, they play four guards and their coach is a class act.
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So who's gonna win?
Aah, probably Connecticut or Duke.
Canadians alert: Connecticut has a star from Canada (Denham Brown from Toronto).
I still can't root for UConn, though.