Bracket News: Friday Afternoon Session (Quick Friday Night Update)

Hey all, kinda had a goofy day and couldn't really do a full update for tonight. I will offer up a few picks for tonight, but otherwise I'll be back late morning with a full roundup for Saturday's action. Until then, enjoy the hoops tonight......but DO NOT FORGET to root on the Hockey Team!! Go Blue

Well, looks like we went 1-0-1 with the picks today. Oklahoma State got in done in the final minutes, but NDSU earned a push against KU. No harm, no foul there. Weird, though, the line was 10.5, but had moved down to 10 when I grabbed it. But, I noticed it closed at 9.5. Wow, I bet there were some anxious sportsbooks with that ending. I am always amazed at just how dead one the experts in the desert can be. Tourney record is now 6-2-1 and the overall March record is 50-37-3.

*** Ten down, two to go in my prop bet that no 16-15-14 seed will win a game. We've survived scares from Memphis, Villanova and Pitt and now we're two wins away. Louisville over Morehead and MSU over Robert Morris. If I lose, I wont mind. We'll either be seeing an historic upset, or I get to buy a round of Robert Morris t-shirts to wear around northern Michigan this summer. I wouldn't even give a darn about all the Big 10 bashing that would ensue.

***I need five wins to tie, six to win by prop on the Big 10 total number of wins. Three chances to add to the tally tonight with OSU, Wisco and MSU, all playing in the late night session. Come to think of it, a Bob Morris win might hurt me on two fronts. You know what? It would still be worth it if they sprung the upset.

*** USC -2 over Boston College. So far, I've been on the right side of most of these coin flips. I never have been a fan of this year's BC team. I just think they're average, living off a couple big wins and soft ACC schedule. Plus, I feel their coach Al Skinner is great at doing more with less, but he tradionally maxes out in the regular season. He has not had a ton of success in the NCAAa. USC, I like. I love Tim Floyd as a college coach. He has great numbers as an underdog. And, his team has more talent tonight than BC. They have a great defensive identity out on the floor and the team really took off as DeRozan, the freshmen, started to find his game. Floyd has always been a solid guy to back in March. Fight On!

*** Arizona +1 over Utah. Dont dis the Cats for being here. They skidded down the stretch, but it was during a road trip against the top end of the Pac 10. Arizona is a good team who took a while to find its stride with all the goffiness surrounding its coaching situation. It's a coin flip and I'll take the team with a pair of future pros on it. Arizona becomes the second #12 seed to advance.

*** OSU -2 over Siena. Siena is a trendy pick and we all remember them steamrolling Vandy in last year's opening round. It wont happen again. There is no way Thad Matta allows that team to play its run up and down the floor game. Using Lauderdale and Mullens, he is going to throw the kitchen sink at the Saints to keep this a half court game. In that setting, I love this defense to show Siena what the Big 10 is all about. I relly like how the Turner/Buford combo is shaping up as well. I rolled 3-0 with the Bucks last weekend, and I am staying on the bandwagon for at least one more night.

I really want to grab the points with Cleveland State. I might have to think about that over a workout. And, for the Big 10 (not to mention my prop) I really want Wisco to win tonight. But, if you've been reading all along, you know how much I like this Seminole team. Both late night starts, so I have time to address that conflict as well. If I pull the trigger on either, I will update the Diary.

Cheers!

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So, what did everyone do last night?

I kid because I know what we all were doing: watching this improbable Michigan season continue to live at least another day. Once again coach John Beilein proved his March mettle, coaching and coaxing this club all the way to the final horn. He made one last substitution in the closing seconds last night, taking out CJ Lee in favor of David Merrit. Did you notice who harassed the Clemson shooter into taking a game-tying attempt that had chance? Yep, David Merrit. It's good to have some sideline acumen. It might be the first time we've had that from the Maize and Blue bench since the Johnny Orr days. I'll let other was poetic on this club today as I will some more Michigan centric thoughts in a second round diary. Wow, just saying that made me tingle a bit.

We're moving to the tournament's second day and we are still on the hunt for the bigtime upset. Oh sure, WKU took down the Illini last night, but that's not a richter scale required fault on the bracket lines. After all, everybody seemed to be picking the Hilltopppers, the Illini were without their best player and WKU was in the Sweet 16 last season.

While we're desperately seeking Cinderella today, its worth noting that midmajor guru Jerry at the JCCW highlighted North Dakota State and Cleveland State as teams destined to make noise. Both go off the board today, so pay extra close attention to those clubs today.

Speaking of the NDSU Bison. They play Kansas today. And, I am scared to death this club might bust my prop bet where I wagered than no 16-15-14 seed would win a game. You know how they say political candidates just look presidential. Well, NDSU just looks the part of Cinderella: A bunch of seniors, ruthlessly efficient on offense, ability to take over the game from behind the arc, balanced scoring across the board and in their first year ever eligible for this tournament, coming from an obscure area of the country, the Bison come with a made for March Madness storyline. They just feel like the proper Cinderella candidate.

Oh, and Gus Johnson is courtside for this one. You can feel Cinderella in the building. or, maybe its the truckloads of NSDU fans who have flocked to next door Minnesota for this game. I really hope all the doors are locked back home in Bismark.

The last time Kansas was a 3-seed, they were upset in the first round by the Bucknell Bison. NDSU's nickname: The Bison. Crap, now I am more nervous. The Hawks being the defending champs offers no comfort. IU lost in the first round as a 3-seed when they were the defending champs in 1988 and, well, have you even seen Florida in the field recently. Besides, the Jawhawks overachieved all year in what was expected to be a transition year for them. Other than Sherron Collins, none of the Hawks have their own March Madness experience to lean on. Can their new players step up to the March Madness pressure?

There were no shockwaves from the tournament on opening day, just like last year. But, during the noon games last year on Friday, Davidson and Western Kentucky hit the floor and turned the brackets upside down. Will today bring those same moments? We'll find out as the Bison and Hawks tip off in minutes (KU -10.5, O/U 147.5). Here's a rundown on the other seven games today:

#6Marquette vs #11 Utah State. Line, MU -4.5, O/U 142.5

Ever since guard Dominic James went down people have been downgrading Marquette. The Golden Eagles validated those demotions by losing five of their last six games down the stretch. One can’t come down too hard on Marquette for the slide as three of those losses are to #1 seeds in this tournament and the other two were to #3 seeds. That’s not the easiest stretch to face as you try to re-evolve your team in the wake of losing your senior leader to injury. With Jerel McNeal and Wes Matthews, the Eagles still have plenty of scoring and high-end perimeter play to damage in this tournament.

However, a lot of people aren’t buying Marquette this weekend. Everyone seems to be picking the Aggies, including a round of computer simulations, which play out Marquette winning just 55-percent of the time. Those same simulations have the other three #6 seeds winning over 70 percent of the time, so that illustrates a bit why people have been circling USU as an upset.

This is kind of a bizarre matchup as far as power schools vs. mid-majors go in the NCAA Tournament. Typically it’s the size and brawn of the power school battling quick, guard heavy mid majors, but this game is the opposite. It’s the Aggies that bring a lot of size and scoring production in the frontcourt, while Marquette has a clear backcourt advantage.

Regardless of how they go about it, Utah State and Marquette are among the more efficient teams offensively in the country. The Eagles are 14th in the nation in scoring; the Aggies are the top-shooting team in the nation. The Aggies have done it in the WAC, while Marquette survived the Big East wars and still had a nice statistical resume. You have to wonder if that experience will give the Eagles an edge this afternoon. Even without James, this is far and away the toughest club Utah State has seen all season. It’s a primary reason Marquette fans are pushing the drug of optimism today.

#8Tennessee vs. #9 Oklahoma State. Line, Vols -2, O/U 157

Track meet, anyone? When the Vols and Pokes tip off today, a pair of top-20 scoring offenses will run the floor against defenses in the bottom 20-percent of all 343 NCAA teams. The result being the highest over/under total on the board today and a coin flip that’s almost to close for good ole KenPom to call. A preview of the game reveals a near statistical dead heat as well. I will be disappointed in this game does not outscore at least a couple of the BA games on the docket tonight.

The Vols have been a goofy outfit all season. They had to replace a lot of core guys this season and the results showed with an uneven record against one the hardest schedules anyone had to play. On one hand, they’re more than steeled for the challenges of the tournament. On the other hand, they continued to throw clunkers on the table as they plodded through a mediocre SEC. Bruce Pearl has proven to be a great tournament coach, so I don’t expect an egg out of the Vols today.

The Cowboys are a team in transition. New coach Travis Ford has installed an up tempo attack, which at the very least, makes the Cowboys a more pleasing team to watch, as opposed to the slow-paced, strangulating the game into a wrestling match style preferred by the Sutton mafia. Early on, this tempo backfired against the Pokes. They could score, but not defend. They lost conference games throughout January despite scoring 80, or even 90 points. But, they’ve tightened up that side of the game. During the 8-2 streak to close the season, the Cowboys allowed just 69 points per game, a significant improvement. No coincidence, but with that defensive effort, the Cowboys began to regularly outscore folks as well. If they can maintain that presence, they should outlast the Vols today.

#3 Syracuse vs $14 Stephen F. Austin. Line, Cuse - 11.5, O/U 131

No team in American has had as much talent sitting on the tournament sidelines the last two years than the Syracuse Orangemen. Congrats, Billy Donovan, your team now takes this mantle! The Orange returns to the NCAAa for the first time since 2006, where they were bounced as a 5-seed in the first round by Texas A/M. Back in the final, evidence abounds that this is a Sweet 16 team.

A lack of defensive intensity and overall inconsistency has doomed the program in the Big East wars in recent years. Those issues seemed resolved this year as the Orange navigated a difficult slate to earn the #3 seed in this bracket. Nobody shoots well against that 2-3 zone, at least not well enough to overcome the Orange’s powerful offense that ranks in the top-10 in scoring, shooting and offensive rebounding. This March has been a time of second impressions for this team and one of its beleaguered stars, Eric Devendorf.

Not many clubs out there can match the inside-outside combination the Orange bring to the table. I don’t expect them to lose today, although they might get more of a workout in than one would expect, going up against an SFA squad that’s been stingy all season long allowing points and three-pointers.

#3 Missouri vs #14 Cornell. Line, Mizz -12.5, O/U 146.5

Cornell is the only time still alive that lost a game to Indiana University this season. That fact alone ought to eliminate the Ivy League representative from further contention. Even if it does not, expect the full-court fury of the Missouri Tigers to take care of them this afternoon. The Tigers return to their first NCAA Tournament in six years. Despite the absence, they might look familiar. Coach Mike Anderson, who orchestrated UAB’s Sweet 16 run four years ago, has finally fully implemented mentor Nolan Richardson’s 90-feet-of-hell style of ball in Columbia. The dividends returned this year in the form of a Big 12 Tournament Title and #3 seed in this field. The Tigers are loved by tempo free geeks for their efficiency. Eye ball folks, like me, love them because, well, they’re a gas to watch. This club is a sleeper Elite Eight team in my bracket.

#6 Arizona State vs #11 Temple. Line, ASU -6, O/U 123.5

In one corner, ASU’s James Hardin. In the other corner, Temple’s Dionte Christmas. Whichever star guards wins the battle will likely lead his team to winning the war this afternoon.

The Owls enter the field looking to make amends from the dud they played in last year’s opening round loss to Michigan State. Temple was a trendy upset pick last year, but fell behind by double digits before the first media timeout. They were never in the game and their entire season was focused on returning to this exact point.

On paper, this match up seems to skew in the favor of the Sun Devils. They’re deeper and more talented. Christmas is goof for Temple, but Hardin is projected to be a top-5 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Both teams play great defense, but the Devils had to do so all season against some excellent Pac 10 offenses. Plus, ASU is one of the best shooting teams in the country.

I would be surprised to see Temple advance; I would not be surprised to see the Sun Devils still playing next weekend.

#6 West Virginia vs #11 Dayton. Line, WVA -9, O/U 126.5

Dayton plays nothing but close games, and they squeezed out enough of them to earn a bid into the field. They wont be intimidated by the Mountaineers today. But, with a spread close to double digits, this is alleged to be the biggest 6/11 mismatch in the bracket. The Flyers are coming off a Tournament drought as well with a lot of heartbreak along the way trying to get back over the hump. Speaking of returns, Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins returns to the tournament after a several year hiatus. And, per usual, he brings physical, front-court tilted, defensively geared squad. This game just smacks as a bad match up for the Flyers. They don’t shoot the ball well, so WVA’s zone defense ought to be effective. Statistically, WVA does everything well, while Dayton does nothing well. That sorta sounds like a game we all watched last night, right?

#1 Pittsburgh vs #16 East Tennessee State. Line, Pitt -19.5, O/U 148

I have really have nothing on this game. The Panthers D should break the Bucs in pieces. Considering nobody expects them to cut the nets down in Detroit, the Panthers sure do have a lot of pressure on them. Seven straight NCAA trips without getting past the regional semifinals will do that to a program. As for the Bucs, they used to be one of my favorite mid-major programs. Back in the early 1990s, they had a great little guard named Keith “Mr” Jennings. They lost in overtime as a #16 seed to Clemson, so maybe this year’s bunch can channel some of that history this afternoon and give us a competitive fight. One other historical footnote to those old ETSU teams: In 1992, they lost in the second round to a bunch of freshmen. From Michigan. Univeristy, of. Ann Arbor.

Predictions, sure to go awry

As stated above, were 5-2 in the tournament and still have a pair of prop bets in play. I need 7 total wins out of the Big 10 and got 2 of them yesterday. This prop really needed the Illini to win, so I am feeling dicey on this one. Later tonight, I could use a 3-0 sweep from the Big 10, or this one might end up a loser. The other prop was no to the 16-15-14 seeds winning. I am half way there, thanks to an electric second half last night by Villanova. Thanks to yesterday’s winnings, the overall March record is 49-37-3. Here’s what I am adding to the stew this afternoon.

*** North Dakota State +10 over KU. Primarily because I think the Hawks could go down, killing that prop bet. If it goes down in flames in this one, I want to collect something in the ruins. But, I do believe the Bison have a shot at this one straight up. They played so clutch and calm with their season on the line in the Summit Finals, that I dont doubt they'll fight the Hawks all the way through. Plus, I love efficient teams in this dance who are senior laden and can shoot the rock.

*** Oklahoma State +2 over Tennessee. Lot of offense in this one, but I like the Cowboys, despite their disadvantage on the inside to get it done. One thing I dont like about the Vols is their defense has a tendency to sag down low. The Cowboys are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country and will make them pay for that. Basically, this game is a coin flip. But, expect the Cowboys to be more prolific from behind the arc, giving them extra points, and the Vols to struggle per usual from the stripe, taking points away. That's huge in a tight game.