Welcome to one of my favorite times of the year! The NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: The Big Dance, March Madness, the month long trail separation (OK, I made that last one up). Aww the tourney, where my butt cheeks get permanently implanted on the couch, pizza boxes get piled as far as the eye can see, and my girlfriend threatens to leave me before every game starts! Fun times! For your viewing pleasure, here is a quick rundown of this weekends games and some half-assed analysis. Hey, its the first round, you don’t know anything about Texas Southern (fun team!), just take my word for it! So just sit back, crack a cool one, order a pie, and try not to get divorced on the first weekend of hoops – West Coast Ace
For my official picks, as well as our experts picks, check out The Official NYGinuts BiCoastal March Madness Bracket Challenge!
First Four
Thursday, March 18th (All Games Pacific Time)
#16 Texas Southern Vs #16 Mount St Mary (2:10 pm truTv) – Texas Southern is hot, having won fourteen of it’s last fifteen games, but look out for Mount St Mary’s Damien Chong Qui in this interesting battle of sixteen seeds.
#11 Drake Vs #11 Wichita St (3:27 pm TBS) – Wichita St slid into the tourney on star player Tyson Etienne’s sharp shooting (40% from deep!), but Drake, who won its first eighteen games before suffering key injuries, is getting healthy at the right time.
#16 Appalachian St Vs #16 Norfolk St (5:40 pm truTv) – Appalachian St had a miracle run through their conference tournament, but Norfolk St, led by Devante Carter, could be too much.
#11 UCLA Vs #11 Michigan St (6:57 pm TBS) – How two mighty programs have fallen. UCLA’s three point shooting and Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang should be enough for the Bruins to get past a, frankly, not very good Michigan St squad.
Round One
Friday, March 19th (All Games Pacific Time)
#10 Virginia Tech Vs #7 Florida (9:15 am CBS) – Virginia Tech’s Mike Young will have his team extremely well prepared for this matchup against a talented- but short handed- Gators team. Look for Florida’s Tre Mann to light it up.
#14 Colgate Vs #3 Arkansas (9:45 am truTv) – While Colgate is a great team (for the Patriot League), they are simply outclassed by Arkansas, who are led by future lottery pick Moses Moody (17 PPG, 38% from deep).
#16 Drexel Vs #1 Illinois (10:15 am TBS) – Sorry Drexel, but do I really need to preview this? You will get Fighting Illini analysis in the upcoming rounds, as Illinois will surely be there.
#11 Utah St Vs #6 Texas Tech (10:45 am TNT) – This has potential upset written all over it. Utah St is a really good defensive unit with Neemias Queta on the floor, and Texas Tech have been classic underachievers all season. Has all the ingredients for busting a few chalk brackets.
#15 Oral Roberts Vs #2 Ohio St (12:00 pm CBS) – Ohio St is too much for Oral Roberts. Only OSU fans will watch this game, that includes the family members of the Oral Roberts players. Shots fired!
#16 Hartford Vs #1 Baylor (12:30 truTv) See Above…. Hartford fans/ alums can send your hate mail to Charlie Bad Bets.
#9 Georgia Tech Vs #8 Loyola Chicago (1:00 pm TBS) – This is a must watch for all college hoops fans. Loyola is led by potential All-American Cameron Krutwig, who was on the squad that made the Final Four a few years back. Georgia Tech, on the other hand, is led by ACC Player of the Year Moses Wright. Whichever team wins this game has the potential of making serious noise in this tournament. Check my bracket to see who I’m picking (shameless plug alert), and make sure and get your popcorn ready for this one!
#12 Oregon St Vs #5 Tennessee (1:30 pm TNT) – BEWARE THE HOT BEAVER! Oregon St is so hot right now (winning 6 of 7), and it is mostly because of laser like shooting from downtown. Tennessee has been disappointing all season… I smell some upset.
#13 Liberty Vs #4 Oklahoma St (3:25pm TBS) – Cade Cunningham. Cade CUNNINGHAM. CADE CUNNINGHAM.
#9 Wisconsin Vs #8 North Carolina (4:10 pm CBS) – Two great programs having two very mediocre years. This game is the definition of a toss-up…. neither team makes it out of the next round unless they show something in this game. No analysis here, just pure hate for UNC, I’ll be rooting for the Badgers.
#15 Cleveland St Vs #2 Houston (4:15 truTv) – This is what I like to call the legal separation game. Unless you and your significant other are Cleveland St alums, do yourself a favor and take a break from the games. Give your wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, or even your dog a compliment, a hug, a kiss, a snort, anything. If you are watching this game, they will leave you. I’ll watch it for you… Houston will roll.
#13 North Texas Vs #4 Purdue (4:25 pm TNT) – While North Texas plays excellent team defense, the front court size of Purdue will be too much. Purdue can make a little noise in this tournament, but ultimately they can’t hang with the bigger programs. They should savor this win.
#10 Rutgers Vs #7 Clemson (6:20 pm TBS) – Rutgers has been trending the wrong direction in the second half of their season, and although Clemson lost in the first round of the ACC tournament, Aamir Simms should lead the Tigers to victory.
#11 Syracuse Vs. #6 San Diego St (6:40 pm CBS) – Led by a veteran group, San Diego St has been hot for two months. Syracuse has been dogged by off court distractions this season and I don’t think Buddy Boeheim will be enough… maybe his Dad will question my height after picking the Aztecs here.
#14 Morehead St Vs #3 West Virginia (6:50 truTv) – This game is brought to you by the good people at 1-800-Divorce…. I hope you are treating your wife to a nice dinner during this game… I’ll be ordering my second round of wings as West Virginia rolls.
#12 Winthrop Vs #5 Villanova (6:57 pm TNT) – Last game of the day and this is a sneaky good matchup. If Villanova still had a healthy Collin Gillespie, they could have been a potential Final Four team. Now shorthanded, they face the nearly perfect Winthrop Eagles who can get very hot from anywhere on the court. Do I have the balls to pick an upset here???? Check out my official bracket to see (second shameless plug alert!). Either way, this will be a fun game to end the day!
Saturday, March 20th (All Games Pacific Time)
#12 Georgetown Vs #5 Colorado (9:15 am CBS) – Georgetown may have been the talk of the conference tournaments, but Colorado has been the (surprise) talk of the season. Patrick Ewing’s squad is a great story, but their Cinderella run was the Big East Tournament, as we will leave the slipper wearing to other teams in the Big Dance. As for Colorado, they are not as battle tested as some of the other big teams, but they have been as hot as anyone since January. Could be a nice run for the Buffaloes.
#13 UNC Greensboro Vs #4 Florida St (9:45 am truTv) – Florida St is one of the most talented teams in the tournament. I see them making a nice run and making short work of the Spartans. However, one bright spot for UNC Greensboro is Isiah Miller, as he has next level talent.
#14 Eastern Washington Vs #3 Kansas (10:15 am TBS) – Kansas has rounded into classic form in the last nine games. They will win, BIGlY… Give your significant other some QT during this game as you’re not going to want to miss the next matchup.
#9 St Bonaventure Vs #8 LSU (10:45 am TNT) – What looks like a mismatch on paper is a actually going to be one of the games of the day. LSU, when on, can hang with anyone in the country. St Bonaventure has one of the best player combinations in the country in Kyle Lofton and Osun Osunniyi. Total toss-up, but a cant miss game.
TBD Vs #1 Michigan (12:00 pm CBS) – Michigan will get the winner of the First Four round from Thursday. It doesn’t matter who it is, Michigan will win. If Michigan makes a deep run, they could have more tournament wins than Jim Harbaugh had coaching the football team last fall, HEY-YO!
#12 UC Santa Barbara Vs #5 Creighton (12:30 pm truTv) – Marcus Zegarowski is the player to watch for Creighton. He should prove too much for the Gauchos, although I will be rooting for my father’s alma mater in UCSB. Creighton wins the game, Santa Barbara residents win at life.
#15 Iona Vs #2 Alabama (1:00 pm TBS) – DIVORCE ALERT! Bama wins by double digits, you don’t need to watch this blood bath.
TBD Vs #6 USC (1:30 pm TNT) – USC gets the winner from the First Four round between Wichita St/Drake (see preview above). Evan Mobley is the PAC-12 player of the year and leads a very underrated Trojan Team. SC rolls, they will “fight on” another day. I just threw up in my mouth a little. SC sucks, Go Irish… sorry, I blacked out for a second.
#15 Grand Canyon Vs #2 Iowa (3:25 pm TBS) – Another save your marriage special! Do not watch this game if you don’t have to! Unless you are the person who loves to watch car crashes, this game is not for you! Iowa will be charged with multiple homicides after this one is done. I would say send your hate mail to Charlie Bad Bets, but lets be real, Grand Canyon doesn’t have fans. The parents of Grand Canyon students tell their friends that their kids joined the circus… I kid, I kid…
#10 Maryland Vs #7 UConn (4:10 pm CBS) – Maryland plays in a tough conference and did just enough to make the tourney. UConn has a star in James Bouknight, but is a very different team when he is not on the floor. This will be a fun matchup of mediocrity. UConn does enough to make it to the next round.
#13 Ohio Vs #4 Virginia (4:15 pm truTv) – This is not the same Virginia team that won the National Championship two years ago. The program has suffered from multiple Covid-19 outbreaks this season and has played uneven. However, they are a deep and well coached group that will make it past an outclassed Ohio team.
#9 Missouri Vs #8 Oklahoma (4:25 pm TNT) – Missouri is a team that is trending the wrong way over the past few months, they don’t have the talent to overcome Oklahoma’s two headed monster in Austin Reaves and Brady Manek. Close matchup in seeds, mismatch on the court. Sooners move on.
TBD Vs #1 Gonzaga (6:20 TBS) Again, it doesn’t matter which sixteen seed Gonzaga gets. They will win, and win in blowout fashion. Wish I could offer more of a preview, but this one will be a yawner from the start.
TBD Vs #6 BYU (6:40 CBS) – BYU gets the winner of Michigan St/UCLA (See preview above). Depending on who BYU draws, this could be an interesting one. BYU has a solid team, but they lack depth. I could see a potential upset here. I have UCLA advancing again… This could be where my bracket begins to crumble!
#14 Abilene Christian Vs #3 Texas (6:50 truTv) Texas is deep AND balanced. I can see this team potentially making a nice run in this tournament. Having said that, do not sleep on Abilene! They love to press and will not back down to anyone. This game will be a lot of fun. Normally, I would say skip this one and try to save your relationship, but screw it! This matchup will have Longhorns fans uncomfortable for the duration.
#10 VCU Vs #7 Oregon (6:57 TNT) – Last game of the day and it will be a doozy. Oregon is finally healthy and is boasting a starting five who averaged double digits during the regular season. VCU has a legitimate stud in Nah’shon Hyland. This will be one of the games of the weekend, and I don’t think picking VCU should be a considered an upset. Great way to end the Saturday lineup.
Sunday, March 21st and Monday March 22nd
All games TBD, check your local listings
16 more games will be on the docket for Sunday and Monday, so remember to pace yourself accordingly. If I can survive the weekend, so can you! Check back for reactions from the first weekend of action and analysis on the upcoming rounds. Good luck with your brackets and don’t forget to check out The Official NYGinuts Bicoastal March Madness Bracket Challenge!
You must be logged in to post a comment Login