Click here for Jon Teitel’s latest interview with Colorado PG Dominique Collier
Also click here for John Stalica’s recap and preview of last night’s other postseason games – including Grand Canyon’s game tonight!
Here it is folks – the NCAA Tournament finally begins in earnest today. We have all the game times and networks listed below; you can also click here to view live streams of all the games throughout the day. I haven’t seen this year’s Boss Button yet, but I’m sure that it will be able to fool simpletons like Chad and John into thinking that their employees are actually working today instead of watching these thrilling matchups.
Not too many great games were offered in Dayton, but we did get one decent appetizer between Tulsa and Michigan. Despite facing a pro-Buckeye crowd in Dayton last night, Zak Irvin hit a go-ahead 3 pointer that finally pushed Michigan ahead for good and ensures that they will play Notre Dame in the first round in Brooklyn on Friday.
#13 UNC WILMINGTON VS #4 DUKE (12:15 PM, CBS). UNC Wilmington is below the sightline of most of the nation, but they are a very good team who won multiple games that, while not against tournament teams, were still tough to win. At the same time, Duke has not always been the strongest team away from home. They had one big road win at UNC, but outside of that they really haven’t won many games away from Cameron against teams that are as good as I think this UNCW team is.
#9 BUTLER VS #8 TEXAS TECH (12:40 PM, TruTV). Both teams had good seasons, and both should be even better in the years to come. It’s an evenly matched game between two very battle tested teams that I think could go either way.
#9 CONNECTICUT VS #8 COLORADO (1:30 PM, TNT). I really like how UConn was playing at the end of the year. They’ve had some big ups and downs, but at the end they appeared to be pretty solid. Colorado is strong as well, but struggled away from home. Granted the games they played away form home were typically against very good teams.
#13 IONA VS #4 IOWA STATE (2:00 PM, TBS). Iona loves to push the pace and they can be very frustrating and build big leads in a hurry with their transition game. Iowa State better be prepared for that and not overlook them.
#12 YALE VS #5 BAYLOR (app. 2:45 PM, CBS). I like both these teams and a Yale upset wouldn’t shock me, but Baylor looked good throughout most of conference play in an absolutely brutal conference. I know they ended the season losing three of four, but all of three losses were close games to top ten teams.
#16 HAMPTON VS #1 VIRGINIA (app. 3:10 PM, TruTV). I guess this is as intriguing as a 1 v 16 game can get, but it still appears to be a huge mismatch. Virginia is a legit contender to win it all and they should roll in this game.
#16 AUSTIN PEAY VS #1 KANSAS (app. 4:00 PM, TNT). Austin Peay had an exciting run through their conference tournament, whereas Kansas pretty much stomped all over their conference. The Govs weren’t even close to being the best team in their league for most of the season, which is why they’re on the #16 line. Kansas should roll.
#12 LITTLE ROCK VS #5 PURDUE (app. 4:30 PM, TBS). I really like this Little Rock team. They’re below the sightline, but they’re really good. They’re not as good as Purdue, but they’re certainly good enough to beat Purdue if the Boilers overlook them and/or don’t take them seriously. Now, having said that, I thought Purdue played really well all throughout the Big Ten Tournament. Prior to that I had questions about them not as a tournament team, but as a team that could do well in the tournament. I now think that htey can.
#14 BUFFALO VS #3 MIAMI FL (6:50 PM, TNT). Miami has had a really good year, but they’ve been known to take a nap every now and then. Buffalo is good enough to beat Miami if Miami is asleep, but other than that the Canes should get this one.
#12 CHATTANOOGA VS #5 INDIANA (7:10 PM, CBS). Indiana went out early in their conference tournament and most would take that as an indicator that they’re not going to do well in the NCAAs, but prior to that they had been playing really well. I’ve liked this Chattanooga team all year, and I still think they’re good enough to pull the upset, but I’m not going to go so far as to predict it. The Mocs are a deep team that likes to run, and IU has been known to struggle defensively, though, so it’s not an impossibility.
#16 FLORIDA GULF COAST VS #1 NORTH CAROLINA (7:20 PM, TBS). UNC had their struggles away from home during the year, but considering that they just won the ACC Tournament, I no longer think of them as a team that’s vulnerable away from home. FGCU won their First Four game in a blowout. Today, they will likely be on the receiving end of a blowout.
#14 FRESNO STATE VS #3 UTAH (7:27 PM, TruTV). I really like this Fresno State team and I think they have a lot of momentum coming into this and that their program is on the right track. I just don’t think they have quite enough to knock off what I believe is a very good Utah team. I wouldn’t call an upset an impossibility, but it isn’t likely.
#11 WICHITA STATE VS #6 ARIZONA (app. 9:20 PM, TNT). I think both teams are capable of playing better than what their paper indicates. This is a Wichita team that was in the Sweet Sixteen just a year ago and has most of that team back, so they are very experienced. If they were to knock off Arizona most would call it an upset, but in reality both teams are very evenly matched.
#13 STONY BROOK VS #4 KENTUCKY (app. 9:40 PM, CBS). Stony Brook is finally in the NCAA Tournament. They’re a good team that I think is capable of pulling the upset in a game like this if the match up was right. Unfortunately for them, I don’t think this match up is right. Kentucky has struggled on the road against some really bad teams throughout the season, but they just won the SEC Tournament and beat some good teams along the way. Stony Brook may put up more of a fight than many are expecting, but I don’t think they go full throttle and pull the upset.
#9 PROVIDENCE VS #8 USC (app. 9:50 PM, TBS). USC has mostly been a home court hero, but they’ve had a very good season overall. Providence has been up and down all year, but their big wins have shown that their ceiling is extremely high. Like most 8v9 games, this one is a bit of a wild card.
#11 GONZAGA VS #6 SETON HALL (app. 9:57 PM, TruTV). I don’t understand how a team can beat two top ten teams away from home in the final week of the season, yet still end up on the #6 line. But, that’s what happened to Seton Hall. I think Gonzaga isn’t good enough to be in without the automatic bid, and I don’t see them stepping up on a team that’s looking like a protected seed right now.