After going 24-8 for the first round, I opened up the second round at 7-1. (I had Washington over Purdue, but the Boilermakers took care of business in a close one.) Not too shabby, but, again, it's not like I predicted any huge upsets. Overall, I'm 31-9 heading into Day Two of the second round. Oh, and Coach K is headed back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 2005-06 season much to the chagrin of college basketball fans everywhere.
6 Arizona State vs. 3 Syracuse [12:10 ET]
The Pick: Syracuse
-I like Jim Boeheim's team to prevail here, but who guards James Harden? I don't think Eric Devendorf is up to the task. Jonny Flynn is too short. And I'm not sure Paul Harris is cerebral enough to guard Harden (and his repertoire of pump fakes and jab steps) without getting into foul trouble. The Sun Devils could win, but Harden would need to be spectacular.
12 Wisconsin vs. 4 Xavier [2:20 ET]
The Pick: Wisconsin
-Look for the Badgers' patience on the offensive end to frustrate Sean Miller's Musketeers. Plus, Bo Ryan has a number of capable defenders to throw at Derrick Brown.
11 Dayton vs. 3 Kansas [2:30 ET]
The Pick: Kansas
-Dayton is more than athletic enough to play with the Jayhawks, but Cole Aldrich should have his way with the undersized Flyers. Still, if Dayton can keep Aldrich from racking up the trash baskets, an upset is a real possibility here. Bill Self's squad hasn't been playing great basketball as of late.
13 Cleveland State vs. 12 Arizona [2:40 ET]
The Pick: Arizona
-Arizona's three-man show of Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, and Nic Wise was sensational against Utah in the first round. Hill went for 17 points and 13 boards. Budinger finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and four steals. And Wise dropped 29 on the Runnin' Utes. Cleveland State could certainly pull off the (minor) upset here, but I just don't think they have an answer for Hill. That being said, don't be surprised if the Cats fail to advantage of this obvious mismatch and choose to jack up ill-advised threes instead. In that case, mark the Vikings down for the Sweet 16.
8 Oklahoma State vs. 1 Pittsburgh [2:50 ET]
The Pick: Pittsburgh
-The Cowboys are going to have to get out to a lead early if they want to have a chance in this one. Travis Ford's squad is short in the post and thin on the bench. Not a good combination for a team hoping to knock off the physically imposing and deep Pitt Panthers.
6 Marquette vs. 3 Missouri [4:50 ET]
The Pick: Missouri
-Marquette has no answer for Mizzou's post tandem of DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons. I'm looking forward to seeing J.T. Tiller and Jerel McNeal square off. Two of the nation's premiere perimeter defenders going at it.
10 USC vs. 2 Michigan State [5:00 ET]
The Pick: Michigan State
-Upset potential here, but I like the Spartans to out-rebound and out-defend the inconsistent Trojans. The Kalin Lucas-Daniel Hackett point guard matchup is a contrast in styles but should be interesting.
9 Siena vs. 1 Louisville [5:20 ET]
The Pick: Louisville
-Siena has nice guards, but Louisville's relentless defensive pressure is going to wear them down. Plus, I'm not sure the Saints have an answer for Earl Clark (that is, of course, if E5 is interested in scoring in the post on Sunday).
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ReplyDeleteWhat kind of a factor will the recently rehabbed Dominic James have on this game? I like Marquette if he's healthy, but I chose Mizzou on the assumption he was done for the season. I'd like to thank Buzz Williams for that he channeled his fantasy-hater mojo a la Mike Shanahan.
ReplyDeleteIf Arizona advances past the Sweet Sixteen will the season be looked at as a great disappointment or a huge success? They showed they had enough talent against Utah to have a much better regular season showing. However, they have now made it to the Sweet Sixteen dismantling a team that shares the same last name, and another mid-major wearing Green. Not really "impressive" wins considering their opponents, only impressive considering Arizona's regular season record, which may have just been a lack of effort.
I'm 12-4 on my Sweet Sixteen picks. I missed VCU, Wake Forest, and Fla St. big time. They were al knocked out in the first round. I had Arizona St. over Syracuse. Luckily, I had all of them losing in the Sweet 16, so I have a chance to be perfect in my Elite Eight.
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