Instead of using this space to announce my picks for who will win any given game in the NCAA, I’m going to suggest a few choice games from each round that look to be very interesting. For the round of 64, they are
- All of the 8/9 games (Colo. St/Missouri, Pitt/Wichita St., UNC/Villanova, NC State/Temple): #9 seeds have a winning record in 8/9 games, not to mention these are all intriguing matchups. How good can Colorado State Really be? Will Wichita State continue their fantastic run? What is the ceiling on this UNC team. How on earth did Temple get a 9 seed? We’ll soon find out.
- #5 Oklahoma State/#12 Oregon: I’m a bit of a homer, but Oklahoma State looks thin from what little I’ve seen, while Oregon is deep and has Dominic Artis at (hopefully) full strength. Upset? I think so.
- #6 Memphis/#11 Saint Mary’s: Matthew Dellavedova was hot in the play-in game, and if he can stay that way, then the Gaels are dangerous,
- #7 Creighton/#10 Cincinnati: The Jays are good, no doubt about it. But so is Cincy; I wouldn’t sleep on them. I don’t know if the Bearcats will get the upset, but they should keep it close.
- #5 UNLV/#12 California: UNLV is another good team, but Cal has made some waves in the PAC and Allen Crabbe is uper-talented. Could get interesting.
- #1 Kansas/#16 Western Kentucky: Self’s boys have run hot-and-cold before; if they come cold, this could be the best chance at a 16-over-1. Someone in my office who knows nothing of college hoops picked this one and was mocked for it, so it might be time for some karmic retribution.
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