NCAA First Round Plays

It has been requested that I pick all of the first round games, so I’ll oblige. What I’ll do is select a handful of games that I really like and research those, then I’ll pick the rest and assign 1 Unit to those games. Some will be picks on the line, and some will be on the total.

We’ll go in chronological order, so all you degenerates out there can double up during the day.

Thursday’s Games

Florida vs. Brighman Young (-5) O/U 146.5 11:15 p.m. (All times CDT)
We start off with maybe our best value play of the first round. The Gators backed into the tournament, losing four of five games, and some, like me, didn’t really think they belonged, much less deserved a 10 seed.
The Cougars went 14-4 in an underrated Mountain West Conference, and feature one of the most potent offenses in the country. BYU averages 83 points per game, led by Jimmer Fredette, who will be highly motivated to make sure he finishes his college career with a victory.
Florida isn’t committed enough on the defensive end to stop BYU for the whole game, and their athleticism may get them some offensive rebounds, but look for the more disciplined, a tournament-experienced Cougars to roll in this one.
Take BYU for 4 Units and the over for 3 Units.

Old Dominion vs. Notre Dame (-2.5) 11:25 p.m.
The Domers are one of the hottest teams entering this tournament, and I think ODU is getting too much credit for winning a weak league this season. Yes they beat Georgetown earlier this year, but ND has figure out that slowing the ball down and playing defense is it’s ticket to Ws. Take ND for 1 Unit.

Robert Morris vs. Villanova 147.5 11:30 p.m.
The Wildcats love to shoot early in the shot clock, and Robert Morris won’t put up much of a fight to stop them. The Cats will get an early lead, then run it up. Take the over for 1 Unit.

Murray State vs. Vanderbilt 140.5 12:30 p.m.
Both of these teams averaged 77 points per game this season. The Racers have shot 46 percent in their last five games, while Vandy has shot 43 percent from 3-point range in its last five.
This will be a high-scoring game. Take the over for 1 Unit.

North Texas vs. Kansas St. (-16) 1:40 p.m.
The Wildcats don’t have a ton of tournament experience, and I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop on this team all year. They have a talented backcourt, but I think KSU might have some NCAA jitters now that the pressure in on them for the first time in a while. Take North Texas for 2 Units.

Sam Houston St. vs. Baylor (-10.5) 1:45 p.m.
What you need come tournament time is a talented backcourt, and an athletic big man that can erase defensive mistakes with his shot blocking. Baylor has both of those. Take the Bears for 1 Unit.

St. Mary’s vs. Richmond (-2) 1:50 p.m.
Both of these teams enter the tournament with a lot of confidence. The Gaels throttled Gonzaga in the WCC championship, and Richmond took a good Temple team to overtime in the A10 final.
The Spiders have been giant killers this season, but SMC has too many offensive options for Richmond to slow them down.
Take St. Mary’s for 3 Units.

UTEP vs. Butler (-2.5) 3:45 p.m.
If I could have Randy Culpepper’s kids, I would. That being said I could see this game going either way. Take UTEP for 1 Unit.

Northern Iowa vs. UNLV 114 6:10 p.m.
This is an intriguing matchup of an athletic Rebel team against the plodding Panthers.
Both teams will get up and guard you, and UNI limits their opponents’ run-outs in transition. This will be a rough game to watch, and played in the 50s. Take the under for 2 Units.

East Tennessee State vs. Kentucky (-19.5) 6:15 p.m.
Remember when Kentucky had problems putting away mediocre teams earlier in the year? Will the Buccaneers fit the bill, and the Wildcats might be looking past this one for a matchup against Texas. Take ETSU for 1 Unit.

Washington vs. Marquette (-1.5) 6:20 p.m.
I can’t pick against the alma mater. That being said, this matchup scares me. Take Marquette for 1 Unit.

Ohio vs. Georgetown (-13) 6:25 p.m.
The Bobcats were a No. 9 seed in their conference tournament. The Hoyas have enough experience to know not to look past this one. Take G’Town for 2 Units.

Lehigh vs. Kansas (-25) 8:30 p.m.
Bill Self isn’t shy about running up the score, and the Jayhawks are deep, so even the scrubs can score. Take KU for 1 Unit.

Wake Forest vs. Texas (-5) 8:35 p.m.
The Longhorns went into a freefall after reaching No. 1, while the Deacons went into a freefall when the calendar hit March.
This is a bad matchup for Wake as Texas is more athletic at every position. If Texas finally commits to defense, which they should now that this is their season, they’ll shut down the Wake Forest offense.
Damion James won’t let his career end with a first-round loss, and even though Rick Barnes couldn’t coach himself out of a paper bag, Texas’ athletes will get a lot of easy buckets off of dumb Wake turnovers.
Take Texas for a stone-cold, lead-pipe, Jimmer-third-game-bowling-under, 5-Unit lock.

Montana vs. New Mexico 135
The Lobos like to play a fast pace. That’s all I got. Take the over for 1 Unit.

San Diego State vs. Tennessee (-3.5)
The Vols have had to prove themselves all season, and Bruce Pearl has done a heck of a job with all that’s happened this season.
But Steve Fisher has also brought the Aztecs back from a mid-season slump to win a deep MWC Tournament.
If you don’t know the names Kawhi Leonard and D.J. Gay yet, you will after this game. SDSU’s desire and hustle will frustrate a Tennessee team that tends to be inconsistent, and struggles to score at times.
Take the Aztecs to win at +145 for 4 Units.

Friday’s Games

Morgan State vs. West Virginia 137 11:15 p.m.
The Mountaineers are a bad shooting team, but they play great defense. This one will be low scoring. Take the under for 1 Unit.

Minnesota vs. Xavier (PK) 11:25 p.m.
The Gophers made a great run in the Big Ten Tournament, which probably got them into the tournament. That doesn’t necessarily mean they belong there.
The Musketeers do though, and Minny has no one to match up with Jordan Crawford, who can be a black hole at times but I think realizes that he needs to share the ball for his team to advance.
Xavier will be just as physical as Minnesota, which will take away any mental edge Tubby might tell his team they have. The Muskies will come out hungry and get a tough win. Take Xavier for 3 Units.

Cornell vs. Temple 119 11:30 p.m.
The Owls are a brilliant defensive team, while Cornell loves to shoot the deep ball. Count on Temple slowing this game down. Take the under for 1 Unit.

Siena vs. Purdue (-4) 1:30 p.m.
The Saints have had some great tournament upsets in recent years, but their stud from those teams is gone.
Purdue’s stud is gone too, and they haven’t looked the same since Robbie Hummel’s injury.
That said, I’m not sure how this will affect the Boilers. Take Siena for 2 Units.

Missouri vs. Clemson 139 1:35 p.m.
Let’s see, both teams press, both are athletic and both like to score in transition. Sounds like an over for 2 Units.

Oakland vs. Pittsburgh 134.5 1:45 p.m.
The Panthers have little offense, and rely on their defense for wins. Take the under for 1 Units.

Wofford vs. Wisconsin 115.5 1:50 p.m.
I was up late listening to ESPN Radio on Sunday night, and they had the Wofford coach on. He said Wisconsin was the worst matchup for his team, because they play the same style, expect Wisconsin is bigger, deeper and more talented.
I first thought, that’s what she said, then thought this will be a low-scoring game. The coach then went on to say that the over/under will probably be 76. As you can see above, the over/under is not 76, and I’m trusting the Wofford coach that this will be an ugly game.
Take the under for Friday’s stone-cold, lead-pipe, Jimmer-third-game-bowling-under, 5-Unit lock.

Utah State vs. Texas A&M 125 3:45 p.m.
Both of these teams are committed defensively, and the Aggies love to go deep in the shot clock with their numerous offensive sets.
Their defense will disrupt the A&M offense, that is already limited without much guard scoring. Take the under for 3 Units.

Gonzaga vs. Florida State (-1.5) 6:10 p.m.
The Zags are better than the committee gave them credit, and their size will disrupt the Noles post men.
Mark Few always comes up with a good gameplan come tourney time. Take the Bulldogs for 3 Units.

Georgia Tech vs. Oklahoma State (-1.5) 6:15 p.m.
The Jackets turn the ball over too much, and that will hurt them against a good OSU team led by future lottery pick James Anderson. Take OSU for 2 Units.

New Mexico State vs. Michigan State 149 6:20 p.m.
Come tournament time Sparty plays great defense, and this will be no exception. Take the under for 1 Unit.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Duke (-23.5) 6:25 p.m.
The Devils are well rested and will come ready to play. Take Duke for 1 Unit.

Vermont vs. Syracuse 143 8:30 p.m.
The Orange will get theirs and Vermont will shoot over the zone to try and beat it. They’ll hit a few, so take the over for 1 Unit.

UC-Santa Barbara vs. Ohio State 132 8:35 p.m.
The Buckeyes were hotter than a pistol in their last game, and actually play a more up-tempo game than people give them credit for. Take the over for 1 Unit.

Houston vs. Maryland (-9.5) 8:40 p.m.
The Cougars will enter with a lot of confidence, having won their conference tournament to get in. They have the nation’s leading scorer and a good coach in Tom Penders. Take Houston for 2 Units.

Louisville vs. California (-1) 8:45 p.m.
It seems if the Cardinals are interested they can play with anyone. Well, they should be interested in this one, and their extended zone will limit Cal’s looks at 3-pointers.
If Samardo Samuels has a big game, the Cardinals can win. Take Louisville for 3 Units.

There you have it. All 32 first round games and 62 Units in play. Enjoy, and check back Saturday for more.