March Madness: Round of 64 (Day 2)

Day One of March Madness is in the books. I went 14-2 for the opener and even called the one true upset of the day -- Western Kentucky over Illinois. (Go Hilltoppers! I can't get enough of their baby-devouring blob of a mascot.) Then again, so did everyone else. Not that impressive overall, considering the favorites held serve for the most part. The misses? I had California over Maryland, but the undeserving Terps ousted Mike Montgomery's squad. Didn't really see that one coming. Have to wonder what the Pac-10 has in store for tomorrow. Day One was not impressive with Cal getting sent home and UCLA squeaking past VCU. Washington did look good against Mississippi State. The one that hurt, though, was Clemson's loss to Michigan. I didn't even have Michigan in my Field of 65, and they beat a team that I thought would be playing in the Elite Eight. Ouch. For the record, this is the second year in a row Oliver Purnell's Tigers have burned me. I had them in the Elite Eight last year as well, only to see 12 seed Villanova send Clemson packing in the first round. Oh well, on to Day Two.

14 Stephen F. Austin vs. 3 Syracuse [12:15 ET]
The Pick: Syracuse
-Syracuse played a lot of basketball in the Big East tourney, but Jim Boeheim's squad has good depth – especially in the frontcourt. Stephen F. Austin is simply outmanned.

9 Tennessee vs. 8 Oklahoma State [12:25 ET]
The Pick: Tennessee
-This one should be fun to watch. Oklahoma State typically has five players 6-6 or shorter on the floor, and Tennessee's players all play like their 6-6 or shorter. These teams are going to run, and I love the James Anderson-Tyler Smith matchup. Expect the Vols' depth to be the difference.

11 Utah State vs. 6 Marquette [12:30 ET]
The Pick: Marquette
-I really like Utah State – just not against Marquette. Even without Dominic James, the Golden Eagles have enough to get into the Round of 32.

14 North Dakota State vs. 3 Kansas [12:30 ET]
The Pick: Kansas
-I like the Jayhawks in a close one. Sure, Ben Woodside tore up the Summit League, but expect Sherron Collins to take NDSU's star to the woodshed.

11 Temple vs. 6 Arizona State [2:45 ET]
The Pick: Temple
-James Harden is incredible, but his supporting cast has disappeared as of late. Dionte Christmas' supporting cast, on the other hand, looks like it's rounding into form.

16 ETSU vs. 1 Pittsburgh [2:55 ET]
The Pick: Pittsburgh
-ETSU is a talented 16 seed, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them hang around for a bit. Ultimately, however, Pitt's bruising style will overwhelm the Atlantic Sun champs.

14 Cornell vs. 3 Missouri [3:00 ET]
The Pick: Missouri
-Cornell should have received a 16 seed, but they still received a nightmare matchup against Mizzou's 40 minutes of hell defense. This one could be fun to watch in terms of pure comedic value.

11 Dayton vs. 6 West Virginia [3:00 ET]
The Pick: West Virginia
-I like Dayton's talent, but I question the Flyers' collective basketball IQ. Expect Bob Huggins to have his Mountaineers prepared to take advantage of Dayton's mental lapses.

16 Morehead State vs. 1 Louisville [7:10 ET]
The Pick: Louisville
-The Cards will prevail, but this isn't the ideal matchup for the number one overall number one seed. You never want to play an in-state rival in the tourney, even if you beat them by 38 earlier in the season.

12 Arizona vs. 5 Utah [7:10 ET]
The Pick: Utah
-Jordan Hill is virtually unguardable on the college level, but Utah has the antecdote in Big Luke Nevill (7-2 265). An upset is possible but not likely.

10 USC vs. 7 Boston College [7:20 ET]
The Pick: USC
-Al Skinner has done a remarkable job getting a mediocre team into the tourney out of a deep ACC. Unfortunately for Boston College fans, however, USC is on a roll, and, unless they self-destruct, should prevail. However, if Rakim Sanders gets off, the Eagles will move on to the second round.

13 Portland State vs. 4 Xavier [7:25 ET]
The Pick: Xavier
-I've got XU in this one, but Portland State has a good chance of pulling off the upset here. The Musketeers have been extremely inconsistent down the stretch. Still, I don't think Portland State has an answer for Derrick Brown.

9 Siena vs. 8 Ohio State [9:40 ET]
The Pick: Siena
-Siena knocked off Duke last year, and the Buckeyes' are in the Saints' crosshairs heading into Friday's matchup. Ohio State has more individual talent, but Siena is greater than the sum of its parts.

13 Cleveland State vs. 4 Wake Forest [9:40 ET]
The Pick: Wake Forest
-Cleveland State could be an upset pick in another matchup. Alas, they drew the Demon Deacons and their roster of NBA prospects. James Johnson, Wake's 6-9 sophomore power forward, has some Chris Webber in his game. Watching him handle the rock is a thing of beauty.

15 Robert Morris vs. 2 Michigan State [9:50 ET]
The Pick: Michigan State
-Robert Morris could give the Spartans trouble. Still, I like Izzo's squad to pull away in the second half of a game that will have State fans on edge.

12 Wisconsin vs. 5 Florida State [9:55 ET]
The Pick: Florida State
-This was the closest call of the first round for me. Wisconsin's methodical half-court set is a nightmare in terms of tourney preparation for non-Big Ten teams. Still, the Seminoles are too long and too athletic for the plodding Badgers. Even if Wisconsin stops up the Florida State attack, expect Toney Douglas to create his own scoring opportunities. Bo Ryan may need to insert a box-in-one for this one.