March Madness!

Too soon for "Two Coreys" jokes.

by E. James Beale

According to a report released by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., a Chicago-based outplacement firm, the 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament will cost employers an estimated $1.8 billion in lost work time. That means that, thanks to office pools and a slew of daytime games, you will spend the next three weeks talking March Madness. For those of us who have been faithfully DVRing the WAC championship tournament — finally someone has to pay attention as we exalt the virtues of Just-in'love Smith from Sienna and mock the defensive efficiency of New Mexico State — this is great news. For those who filled out a bracket only because, well, "everyone else was doing it," this might not be. That's where we come in.

While the true sports fan can fend for himself, the other 90 percent needs something to talk about. We're here to provide talking points on the two teams you're going to have to deal with most.

Villanova Wildcats

Talking Points: If you're chatting up a casual fan about 'Nova, you're almost certainly going to be focused on one of two men: Head Coach Jay Wright or senior guard Scottie Reynolds.

Reynolds first: For years, Scottie was the quintessential "Bombs Over Baghdad" player, someone whose proclivity toward the big shot sometimes killed the enemy and sometimes killed his own side. This year, though, Reynolds has emerged as one of the most efficient scorers in the NCAA. If the Wildcats make it to the Sweet 16, chances are Scottie will pass Kerry Kittles as 'Nova's all-time leading scorer. Still, despite the big-moment balls, Reynolds is at best only the second most important Wildcat. That is because Jay Wright — the gentleman in the dapper suit — has become the heart and soul of 'Nova Nation.

If you're not talking about players, you'll be talking about momentum, and not in a good way. Fresh off a Final Four appearance last April, 'Nova started the year 20-1 and rose as high as No. 2 in the nation. Since then, they have struggled, losing five of their last seven. You, though, are not worried. The recent losses have all been in the rough-and-tumble Big East, and both of their last two losses could have gone the other way at the buzzer. The tournament committee agrees, and 'Nova's No. 2 seed should allow them an easy enough schedule to get in sync through the first weekend.

Also: Villanova is incredibly deep, with an 11-player rotation.

Furthermore: While Villanova does roster two Coreys — juniors Fisher and Stokes — it is still too soon to make "Two Coreys" jokes.

Temple Owls

Talking Points: The Owls finished their season with 29 wins, 10 straight victories and a conference championship, all of which you're going to hear about every time a TU fan talks about their No. 5 seed ("We got SCREWED!"). They're right. The Owls had a hell of a year.Unfortunately, history suggests they won't make it far in March.

Temple plays great D, but doesn't shoot well from the perimeter and will struggle if they fall behind. Still, the biggest storyline in Temple's first-round game will actually be off the court. Fran Dunphy, Temple's coach by way of Penn (as a head coach) and LaSalle (as a player) is squaring off against one of his former assistants, Cornell head man Steve Donahue. Donahue, who has dominated the Ivy League ever since Dunphy left it, is close friends with his mentor.

"It's a no-win situation for me," Dunphy told reporters.

Also: During the regular season, Cornell cracked the Coaches Top-25 poll for the first time since the 1950-51 season.

Furthermore: John Chaney, the former TU coach, once publicly threatened to "kick the ass of" then-UMass Coach John Calipari. Why is this relevant? Today Coach Cal leads a Kentucky team that experts predict may have a shot at the chip. If Temple advances past the Sweet 16, they could see Chaney's old friend again.

E. James Beale is never one for inappropriate humor. E-mail him at e.james.beale@citypaper.net.