Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

For the first time in March Madness history, all four of the top seeds found their way into the Final Four. North Carolina vs. Kansas and Memphis vs. UCLA have the makings of classic matchups. Let’s see if the results on the hardcourt are as promising as they are on paper.

Meanwhile, the SunBlog Madness bracket of our Hoops Hysteria contest has undergone a bit of a transformation. Your new leaders, tied at 102-points, are Gary Favre of Chelmsford and Dracut’s Brian D. Tom G. of Lowell is third, followed by Carlisle’s John Habbe and Lowell’s Mike Grillakis. Further complicating things is the fact Mrs. Favre and Habbe, along with Tom G. and yours truly (tied for 7th) are all Sun employees, and therefore ineligible for any of the prizes.

So if you’re anywhere near the top of the pack and have your Final Four alive, stay with us because you’re very much alive for the prizes. It also might be a good idea, if you haven’t already, to identify yourself in an email to me (tpanos@lowellsun.com) so we can contact you in case you win a prize.

If you’re wondering what everyone else’s brackets look like, Joan Petros of Tewksbury told me how to do it. Go to our SunBlog Madness group standings, click on the name of the person’s bracket you want to see, and then click on the “Hoops Hysteria Pick ‘Em All at Once 3/20-08-4/7/08” and you’ll be taken to a link that will show you their picks.