The Double Bonus

Yeah, so about yesterday…While it was eminently enjoyable watching so many upsets and great finishes on the first day of the NCAA Tournament, it was hell on our bracket. I don’t know about you, but choosing only 7 of 16 winners yesterday means we can pretty much crumple up the paper and chuck it in the garbage. But Friday is a new day and there are 16 more games. So here’s a look at what to expect from this afternoon’s and evening’s action. And in this tournament choc full of mediocre teams my best piece of advice for you is when in doubt, take the underdog.

East Regional

No. 15 Morgan State vs. No. 2 West Virginia
Line: West Virginia -17.5, O/U 137
KenPom: West Virginia -17
Location: Buffalo
TV: CBS, 12:15 pm
Can you say blowout?

No. 12 Cornell vs. No. 5 Temple
Line: Temple -3.5, O/U 119
KenPom: Temple -5
Location: Jacksonville
TV: CBS, 12:30 pm
Expectations have risen for the Ivy League champs and the feeling around the Big Red is that it’s no longer cool just making the tournament. They should be winning a game or two – or three if you subscribe to the predictions of Jay Bilas – this season with a veteran team. But going up against that Temple defense will be huge challenge for the Big Red. The Owls allowed the third fewest points per game in the nation this season as teams shot a woeful 37.9 percent from the field. But will Temple have an answer for Jeff Foote underneath? The Cornell big man is a skilled passer and a focal point of the offense. How he plays will go a long way toward deciding Cornell’s fate.

No. 10 Missouri vs. No. 7 Clemson
Line: Clemson -1.5, O/U 139
KenPom: Clemson -1
Location: Buffalo
TV: CBS, 2:35 pm
Two teams that would love nothing more than to run up and down the court on every possession. Both of these Tigers teams thrive in transition and expect this to be a high scoring affair. That being said, Clemson is a different team away from home and doesn’t exactly have a great track record when it comes to the tournament – if you buy into that kind of thing. Missouri will pressure Clemson with its defense but the biggest question facing Mizzou is whether those shooting woes that plagued them at the end of the season are a thing of the past.

No. 13 Wofford vs. No. 4 Wisconsin
Line: Wisconsin -10, O/U 115.5
KenPom: Wisconsin -10
Location: Jacksonville
TV: CBS, 2:50 pm
Could Wisconsin possibly have any trouble with Wofford? You’d definitely lean toward no considering the Badgers are just so fundamentally sound. They hit their free throws, they can knock down threes, they play great defense and love to slow down the pace to a near screeching halt. If they control the tempo then there’s a very good chance they’ll come away with a win. Wofford, which features only one player averaging double digits per game in Noah Dahlman, will need to continue its hot play. The Terries enter this one on a 13-game winning streak.

West Regional

No. 11 Minnesota vs. No. 6 Xavier
Line: Pick ‘Em, O/U 142
KenPom: Xavier -1
Location: Milwaukee
TV: CBS, 12:25 pm
Tough game many agonized over in their bracket. Stylistically, both of these teams are very similar. Good defensive squads but you’d probably give the offensive edge to the Musketeers. Xavier finished 10th nationally in scoring offense and the Musketeers feature three players averaging double digits. That being said, the Gopher do have Tubby Smith barking out orders on the bench and he knows a thing or two about winning NCAA Tournament games as a head coach. The same can’t be said for Chris Mack who is in his first season leading the Xavier program. Big edge goes to the Gophers in terms of bench depth. Xavier’s not going to get a whole lot from its reserves.

No. 14 Oakland vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh
Line: Pittsburgh -10.5, O/U 134.5
KenPom: Pittsburgh -12
Location: Milwaukee
TV: 2:45 pm
While Pittsburgh is not your typical NCAA Tournament No. 3 seed, the Panthers shouldn’t have a problem with Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies are 1-21 all-time against ranked teams and were blown in their non-conference schedule matchups with Wisconsin, Kansas, Michigan State and Syracuse.

No. 9 Florida State vs. No. 8 Gonzaga
Line: Florida State -1.5, O/U 132
KenPom: Florida State -4
Location: Buffalo
TV: 7:10 pm
Not your typical Gonzaga team that we’re used to seeing in that this year’s version doesn’t have the potential to go on a big tournament run. But at the same time, they’re not going to disappoint with another early exit. It’ s just one of those in-between years for Mark Few and company. What the Bulldogs are is an offensive minded team that’s hitting almost 50 percent of its shots from the field. Funny how Florida State happens to lead the nation in defensive field-goal percentage. So we’ve got another matchup of two contrasting styles. Gonzaga wants to score while Florida State will D you up. Matt Bouldin is the name most people know for the Bulldogs and he can light it up. As for the Seminoles, keep an eye on the backcourt duo of Michael Snaer and Derwin Kitchen. If they don’t turn the ball over – which they have an annoying tendency to do – then they can easily get past Gonzaga.

No. 16 Vermont vs. No. 1 Syracuse
Line: Syracuse -16.5, O/U 143
KenPom: Syracuse -17
Location: Buffalo
TV: CBS, 9:30 pm
Catamounts have one NCAA Tournament win. And it came against Syracuse in 2005. Don’t expect them to pick up No. 2.

South Regional

No. 13 Siena vs. No. 4 Purdue
Line: Purdue -4, O/U 129.5
KenPom: Purdue -6
Location: Spokane
TV: CBS, 2:30 pm
Siena is not the same team that beat Ohio State in last year’s tournament. There’s no way last year’s team would have had to overcome a second half double-digit deficit, in its home arena, to win the conference’s tournament championship as this year’s version of Siena had to against Fairfield. And while Purdue is not the same team it was a month ago with Robbie Hummel now sidelined, it’s still a better squad than Siena. They’ve got enough talent with that four guard lineup to take care of the Saints as long as the Boilermakers rebound. The only thing holding back Purdue in this one will be the Hummel injury. And I write that seemingly stupid statement not referencing the effects of his loss has on the team from a physical standpoint, but rather the mental toll it’s taken on the Boilermakers. From reading some of the players’ and coach Matt Painter’s quotes, it sounds like Purdue hasn’t come close to getting over his loss.

No. 12 Utah State vs. No. 5 Texas A&M
Line: Texas A&M -3, O/U 125
KenPom: Utah State -1
Location: Spokane
TV: CBS, 4:45 pm
Aggies vs. Aggies in this one and all eyes will be on Donald Sloan to see whether Utah State can contain the A&M scorer. Sloan can score in a number of ways, including driving to the basket and getting to the foul line. And if Utah State starts racking up the fouls, this one could get ugly. Utah State is not exactly the deepest team in the tournament. It’s going to be imperative that they keep their big men on the floor while at the same time keeping Sloan from going off. A&M’s on a bit of a mission here. Two wins and they get to play in front of all their fans in the South Regional semifinals which Houston just happens to be hosting.

No. 16 Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. No. 1 Duke
Line: Duke -23.5, O/U 126
KenPom: Duke -26
Location: Jacksonville
TV: CBS, 7:25 pm
If we’re lucky, we won’t see a minute of this game because it’s going to be a slaughtering.

Midwest Regional

No. 10 Georgia Tech vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State
Line: Oklahoma State -1.5, O/U 136
KenPom: Georgia Tech -2
Location: Milwaukee
TV: CBS, 7:15 pm
Raw talent and athleticism can take you a long way, but it’s never a substitute for experience. And that, in a nutshell, is Georgia Tech. They’re young but capable of beating just about anyone when they’re playing up to their potential. So in an effort to hopefully play up to that potential, the Yellow Jackets have decided to ban cell phones during their NCAA Tournament run. Good idea or a gimmick? A win over Oklahoma State would validate the players decision to shun their favorite devices. And in order to do that, slowing down Big 12 Player of the Year in James Anderson will be a top priority. He’s the best guard on the floor. But Georgia Tech has the advantage in the front court.

No. 12 New Mexico State vs. No. 5 Michigan State
Line: Michigan State – 13.5, O/U 149
KenPom: Michigan State -12
Location: Spokane
TV: CBS, 7:20 pm
Mr. March, aka Tom Izzo, leads his Spartans back to the tournament and while another run to the Final Four is probably a little ambitious, I wouldn’t expect any 5/12 upset here. (Then again, what do I know, after yesterday’s abysmal selections.) Izzo is 31-11 in the tournament and the Spartans should have plenty of motivation after New Mexico State’s leading scorer – Jahmar Young – inadvertently slighted Kalin Lucas in an interview. Answering a question about Lucas with “Who? What’s his name?” may turn out to be the dumbest thing Young – who is averaging 20-plus points per game – ever said.

No. 15 Santa Barbara vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Line: Ohio State – 17, O/U 132
KenPom: Ohio State -17
Location: Milwaukee
TV: CBS, 9:35 pm
Another game that should be a laugher, unless the Buckeyes pull a Villanova and decide to only really play in the second half.

No. 13 Houston vs. No. 4 Maryland
Line: Maryland -9.5, O/U 157.5
KenPom: Maryland -14
Location: Spokane
TV: CBS, 9:40 pm
Scorers special in this one. Houston finds itself in the NCAA Tournament thanks to a surprising run to the C-USA conference tournament championship. And Aubrey Coleman was a big reason for that as the nation’s leading scorer gets ready to face another superb offensive player in Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez. The big edge goes to Vasquez and the Terps thanks to their superior shooting touch and defensive abilities. That Maryland zone defense could give Coleman and company some problems – unless they can knock down some outside shots over the zone.

No. 9 Cal vs. No. 8 Louisville
Line: Cal -1, O/U 148.5
KenPom: Cal -3
Location: Jacksonville
TV: CBS, 9:45 pm
Big news in this one is the suspension of Cal forward Omondi Amoke for the always vague “violation of team rules.” That will take away some of the Bears size and athleticism up front possibly making it easier for Samardo Samuels to operate underneath for Louisville. If the Cardinals want to advance, feeding Samuels the ball early and often – something they’ve failed to do in the past – would be a smart idea. This Louisville team has been perplexing to say the least this season. They’ve got the talent to make a deep run in the tournament and the immaturity to mail in a loss after just 10 bad minutes of basketball. If Louisville is shooting well from beyond the arc then there’s no way the Bears advance.