10 Florida vs. 7 BYU: The Cougars have sustained excellence throughout the season, both at home and on the road, whereas the Gators have been very inconsistent. They’ve been more down than up over the past month, and BYU’s offensive efficiency will continue that trend. BYU by 11.
11 Old Dominion vs. 6 Notre Dame: The Monarchs are good, but not good enough to mess up Notre Dame’s roll. The Fighting Irish won 6 straight (4 coming against tournament teams) before losing a heartbreaker to West Virginia in the Big East semifinals. ND by 8.
15 Robert Morris vs. 2 Villanova: Though the Wildcats have struggled of late, the Colonials should not offer much resistance. The question is this: Can ‘Nova use this game to rediscover its mojo? It will be necessary just to get out of this weekend. Villanova by 17.
13 Murray State vs. 4 Vanderbilt: Vandy has flown under the radar the entire season, putting together a fine body of work without much recognition. Maybe I’m also not giving them their due, but the Racers are just too hot. They’ve been blowing teams out all year, and while this one won’t be a cakewalk, I see Murray State’s continuity on both ends of the floor prevailing. Murray State by 4.
15 North Texas vs. 2 Kansas State: The Wildcats have a lot of players, especially in the frontcourt, unfamiliar with tournament action. Fortunately, they’ll be able to shake off their jitters without a serious challenge. Kansas State by 23.
14 Sam Houston State vs. 3 Baylor: Spoiler alert: I’ve got the Bears going to the Final Four. (That’s not exactly shocking news, but I want credit for jumping on their bandwagon a while ago.) Meanwhile, I’ve got the Bearkats going meekly. Baylor by 18.
10 Saint Mary’s vs. 7 Richmond: This should be a fantastic game, and both teams could actually make runs in the tournament. I think the Spiders are just a little tougher, especially at the guard position, after the way they finished in the Atlantic 10. Richmond by 5.
12 UTEP vs. 5 Butler: A lot of people think the Miners are very dangerous, and I don’t disagree. But I respect what Butler’s done too much to have them losing to a team that isn’t significantly more talented. Butler by 3.
9 Northern Iowa vs. 8 UNLV: It’s the same song that most sports journalists are singing: The Panthers just lock you up on D. This will definitely be a close one, but a couple key defensive stops should go Northern Iowa’s way. UNI by 4.
16 ETSU vs. Kentucky: If Kentucky doesn’t play sloppy, this could be a blowout from the beginning. But the young, confident Cats just might let ETSU stick around. Kentucky by 16.
11 Washington vs. 6 Marquette: This is a matchup of two very different teams. The Huskies are explosive but mercurial. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, are always solid and under control. Consistency wins here. Marquette by 6.
14 Ohio vs. 3 Georgetown: The Hoyas have been really good recently, and Ohio has no answer for Greg Monroe in the middle. Fortunately for G’Town, this game shouldn’t come down to whether Chris Wright is hitting shots or not. Georgetown by 13.
16 Lehigh vs. 1 Kansas: I suspect there won’t be much drama with the tournament’s overall #1 seed. Kansas by 27.
9 Wake Forest vs. 8 Texas: Both teams are talented but playing terribly. There is no cohesion on either squad. The Longhorns are a little more talented though. Texas by 5.
11 San Diego State vs. 6 Tennessee: Another popular upset pick due to SDSU’s run in the Mountain West tournament and Tennessee’s inconsistency. However, after this season of turmoil, the Volunteers aren’t gonna go down in the first round. They just play so hard for Coach Bruce Pearl. Tennessee by 7.
14 Montana vs. 3 New Mexico: Let’s see how New Mexico responds to the hype. I believe they’ll do ok despite a scrappy Grizzlies team. Expect Darington Hobson to go off. New Mexico by 9.
