The “First Four” play-in games are now finished at the University of Dayton, but this tournament hasn’t even started to go near the level that it can get to at its ceiling. 16 games fill one of my favorite days in sports tomorrow, as the 64-team tournament field. Will you be in a great mood or will you be tearing up your bracket tomorrow night? To follow me for every single NCAA tournament game update, go to twitter and click on @JohnFanta13 when you find me. I’ll be keeping track of the Big Dance.
PREDICTIONS and Notes for Thursday
In my Final 4, I have #1-Seed Louisville (Midwest), #2-Seed Ohio State (West), #1-Seed Kansas (South), and #1-Seed Indiana (East).
Three sleeper teams with the right things happening at their time are on my list too: (#7-Seed in the Midwest), Creighton. I like Wichita State down low in a possible match-up with Gonzaga. Finally, look at the East Region to the 11-Seed, Bucknell, who finished at 28-5 on the season. Butler is 26-7, and they have the the same scrappiness, but they are the hunted instead of the hunter this time around.
Thursday Predictions – NCAA Tournament
#14-Seed Valparaiso vs. #3-Seed Michigan St. – MSU
#11-Seed Bucknell vs. #6-Seed Butler- Upset pick from me is Bucknell.
#9-Seed Wichita St. vs. #8-Seed Pittsburgh- I’ve got the Shockers of Wichita St. fighting off the Panthers.
#13-Seed New Mexico State vs. #4-Seed St. Louis- The Atlantic-10 regular season champions and tournament
#11-Seed Saint Mary’s vs. #6-Seed Memphis- The Gaels won their “First Four” game on Wednesday, and I see them building off that momentum. SM wins.
#14-Seed Davidson vs. #3-Seed Marquette- Golden Eagles certainly cannot sleep on the Wildcats, who have been lethal in the tournament before. I take Marquette.
#16-Seed Southern vs. #1-Seed Gonzaga- I like the Bulldogs to cruise. Zags win.
#12-Seed Oregon vs. #5-Oklahoma State- The Pac-12 tournament champions, the Oregon Ducks, look to build off their momentum against one of the quickest teams in the country, the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. I like the Ducks, though, who are riding energy.
#16-Seed North Carolina vs. #1-Seed Louisville- Cards fly easily in this one.
#13-Seed South Dakota State vs. #4-Seed Michigan- This is one of the big sleeper picks. Michigan is led by Trey Burke, while the Jackrabbits have a prolific scorer in Nate Wolters. I like SD State.
#12-Seed California vs. #5-Seed UNLV- UNLV is tough defensively and runs the floor very efficiently. Cal has more vulnerabilities, and that’s why I like UNLV.
#9-Seed Missouri vs. #8-Seed Colorado St.- Contrasting styles face off tonight, and I like the quicker one in this game. Mizzou wins.
#12-Seed Akron vs. #5-Seed VCU- Without Alex Abreu, Akron will be lacking their same defensive pressure that they bring. VCU is one of the best defensive teams in the country. I like the Rams.
#14-Seed Harvard vs. #3-Seed New Mexico- Harvard plays at a slower pace, while New Mexico is tough physically. Lobos have played a tougher road, and that’s why I take them.
#13-Seed Montana vs. #4-Seed Syracuse- Jim Boeheim surely got his guys in shape after their Big East Tournament Championship collapse. I like the Orange.
March Madness Arrives in Full Force! Enjoy the Dance, and check your TV Guide as the tournament is on CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV.
Time to hit the dance floor.
Use the hashtag #Madness when you tweet @JohnFanta13.
