CBB: First & Second Round Preview
Championship Week was (as usual) one of the most exciting weeks of the sports year. Kansas continued their hot streak, capping off 14 wins in a row and winning the Big 12 title. Michigan State showed they are ready for March, as they ran through the Big Ten. North Carolina is finally clicking on all cylinders as they beat Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, and Virginia to win the ACC Tournament. Oregon demolished Utah in the Pac-12 title game to prove they are one of the premier teams. Lastly, Kentucky got revenge on Texas A&M in the SEC championship. The selection committee appointed Kansas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Oregon as the four No. 1 seeds. I will present my top-25, five teams that I believe could make a deep run in the tournament, my picks of the week, and my Final Four teams. Top-25 Rankings:
1. Kansas (30-4) 2. Michigan State (29-5) 3. North Carolina (28-6) 4. Oregon (28-6) 5. Kentucky (26-8)
6. Virginia (26-7)
7. Villanova (29-5) 8. Xavier (27-5)
9. Oklahoma (25-7)
10. Miami (FL) (25-7) 11. West Virginia (26-8)
12. Texas A&M (26-8)
13. Utah (26-8)
14. Duke (23-10) 15. California (23-10)
16. Iowa State (21-11)
17. Indiana (25-7)
18. Purdue (26-8)
19. Maryland (25-8) 20. Baylor (22-11)
21. Seton Hall (25-8)
22. Arizona (25-8) 23. Notre Dame (21-11) 24. Texas (20-12) 25. Wisconsin (20-12) Sleepers to Watch:
1. Maryland Terrapins.
2. Cincinnati Bearcats.
3. Providence Friars.
4. Connecticut Huskies.
5. Gonzaga Bulldogs. Games and Picks of the Week:
Kansas over Austin Peay: The Jayhawks are looking like the best team in the country and this will almost certainly be their 15th straight victory. Austin Peay made a miracle run in the Ohio Valley tournament but their run ends here, against No. 1 seed Kansas.
Iowa over Temple: The Hawkeyes have struggled lately, losing six of their last eight games. I think Iowa is more talented than Temple and that will result in a First Round win, which will give the Hawkeyes some confidence back.
Baylor over Yale: The Bears lost in the First Round last year to Georgia State, and they will make sure that does not happen this year. Yale is one of the best kept secrets in the nation but their year will end with a close loss to Baylor.
Texas over Northern Iowa: The Longhorns hit a little bit of skid towards the end of the season, losing to Kansas by over 30 and then Baylor in the Big 12 tournament. But Texas will rebound and advance to the Second Round, where they will meet their old rival Texas A&M.
Kentucky over Stony Brook: The Wildcats are looking like one of the best teams right now, running through the SEC tournament. Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray can carry this team to a Final Four but before that they will have to get by Jameel Warney which is a very tough task. Kentucky will pull away late.
Wisconsin over Pittsburgh: The Badgers are one of the most experienced teams in the nation, after their National Runner Up season last year. Nigel Hayes will be huge in this game, going against the Pittsburgh bigs. He will be able to score and that will lead to a Badgers win.
Purdue over Little Rock: The Boilermakers have the size and skill to make a deep tournament run and I full expect them to. Little Rock has one of the best records in the country and have proved that they are a good team but Purdue's size and strength will push them to the Second Round and possibly the Sweet Sixteen.
Gonzaga over Seton Hall: The Bulldogs struggled at the beginning of the season as they were adjusting to huge turnover. After losing two starters to graduation, Gonzaga lost another starter to injury. Once they started playing as a complete team, they showed how dangerous they will be come March Madness.
Miami (FL) over Buffalo: The Hurricanes and Bulls are very similar to one another. Dynamic guards who can get into the lane, and shooters around them with a big man holding down the fort in the paint. Both teams play a lot alike, Miami (FL) just does it better.
Iowa State over Iona: The Cyclones (like Baylor) were upset in the First Round last season. After a huge loss to UAB last year, the experienced Iowa State team will not go down as easily this year. Georges Niang and company will beat the upset minded Iona squad and advance to the Round of 32.
Record: 14-6.
Final Four Picks:
No. 1 Villanova.
No. 2 Oklahoma.
No. 1 North Carolina.
No. 2 Michigan State.
Photo Credit: San Diego Tribune.
