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College Basketball
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The "Sweet 16" is upon us (Part 2)!
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"Triple-Double" (
Units)
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Vanderbilt +7.5
I've thought about this game alot and i just have a funny feeling that this Vandy team will come to play. I won't go out on a limb and say they win but i do think they have a shot. These teams met in Vandy's 1st game, Georgetown's 2nd, earlier this season. The Hoyas won @ Vandy 86-70. In that game, G-Town was favored by -2.5 and the total was 128. Georgetown dominated in the 2nd half building off a 4 point halftime lead and the game flew over the total. They also met last season very early too @ Georgetown. In that game, G-Town was favored by -3 and the total was 127. Vandy won that game on the road 68-61 covering the spread easily and just barely going over the total.
I really believe this game ends more like the game last season did. Once again Vegas has the total set at 131. That's very similiar to the previous 2 meetings and i think it is with good reason. Vandy beat a Hoyas team led by guards Bowman & Cook last season. Those 2 guards are gone and other than that these teams look very similiar to that meeting. In the game Vandy won last year, Shan Foster had 20 points and was a big part of the victory. This year in the 1st meeting he had 2 points on a horrible shooting day. Both these teams play very solid defense and i think the experienced Guard play of Vandy will come to play in this one. Hibbert and Green are much improved over last years meeting but i know Byars, Foster, Cage and Gordon are too. The Hoyas have been a great Ats team this year but Vandy isn't too shabby of late either going (6-1) Ats vs. last 7 Non Conference opponents and (8-2) Ats last 10 as a Dog. I expect a defensive battle like last year and i think the Vegas odds are hinting to that as well. In a game like that, i think Vandy's ball handling and shooting will keep them in it 'til the end! Georgetown 67 Vanderbilt 64
USC +8.5
Yes, North Carolina is my team. I bleed blue, love them to death and have visited Chapel Hill and the Dean Dome twice. I will be cheering them on from start to finish, i have them winning it all in my bracket, and i'll be depressed for a week if they lose this game. Now, with that said, on to capping the game.
UNC is a young, deep and very talented team. USC is not nearly as deep but they too are very talented. UNC has been good out of conference but so has USC going (14-3) Ats Last 17 vs. Non Conference opponents and (10-2) Ats last 12 as a Dog. I think the only thing that could bite USC here is foul trouble. They do not have the depth or talent on the bench to compete with UNC. If that doesn't happen, LOOK OUT! This Trojan team is really playing hard right now. USC is not a great rebounding team and vs UNC who is, it looks like a major mismatch. I don't see it that way. The Trojans faced that same rebounding mismatch against a Top rebounding team in Texas last week and they out rebounded them 45-38. Taj Gibson has just been eating them up (14 against Texas) and playing some great ball on the inside. Pruitt, Young and Stewart are very steady guards that will be able to control the ball and tempo in the game. Young, Pruitt and Gibson have been a trio on a mission in this tourney. USC has some good size in their guards and they will try to play a physical game with UNC. The Tar Heels love to run but if you stay close to them and show that you are in the game until the end, they also tend to get tight and start misfiring (look at their losses). I think USC has the perfect guards to slow Lawson down and we all know UNC goes as far as Lawson brings them here. He is the straw that stirs the drink on offense and if they put the clamps on him, expect a great battle inside between Hans-brough and Gibson. USC is somewhat familiar with the Tar Heels too. They played last year and the Trojans won by 15. Now of course UNC has some added pieces (Freshman), but so does USC in Taj Gibson who didn't play in that game! North Carolina 78 USC 76
UNLV +3
These teams mirror each other in several categories. They play very similiar styles and i think it will be tightly contested throughout. Both of these teams were hot coming in off conference titles. Oregon has beatem Miami Ohio and Winthrop. I know Winthrop is solid but all in all, a pretty nice draw for Oregon. UNLV has stepped up even bigger in beating G.T. and No. 2 Wisconsin. UNLV has the speed and guard play to hang with the Ducks. If you speed it up, or slow it down, the Rebs can adjust. This should be a great matchup of guards in Kruger & Brooks. UNLV actually has the better RPI (10) than Oregon (21) and a better SOS (32) to Oregon's (72). Most probably wouldn't think that. UNLV is also (10-2) Last 12 as a Dog.
Alot of people are not too sure what this UNLV team is all about but they have been a Solid team all year. They also are not intimidated by going on the road and away from Vegas. People kept saying they won their conference tourney simply because it was on their homecourt. I'm sure it helped but this team has won games @ Hawaii, @ Nevada, @ Texas Tech, @ Houston and on Neutral courts against G.T. & Wisconsin. None of the above mentioned places are easy wins. In what i think could be a game with true "March Madness" flare in the end, i give coach Kruger and the Rebels the edge! UNLV 74 Oregon 71
Florida -10 (-120)
I could just say look at the Kansas/So Illinois write up for this one. Very similiar in every aspect. UF has a huge rebounding advantage in this game to go along with a ton of experience. I think Florida's wake up call came last week vs Purdue. I did have Purdue + the points in that one and (IMO) it set up nicely for this game. Look for Florida to come out with an attitude and put the pressure on early and often.
A big factor in this game is all the talk of Graves and his 3 point shooting. Butler will not be able to drive the paint against Horford & Noah leaving them to depend on Graves and Crone to hit from the outside. Considering rebounding and 2nd chance points will be at a premium, they better hit those shots. The problem is Green and Brewer are two of the best in the Nation at guarding the perimeter. Florida is 2nd in the nation in 3 Pt FG% against. That spells big trouble for Butler. Gators Roll! Florida 81 Butler 63
GOOD LUCK
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The "Sweet 16" is upon us (Part 2)!
..................................................
"Triple-Double" (
Units)..................................................
Vanderbilt +7.5
I've thought about this game alot and i just have a funny feeling that this Vandy team will come to play. I won't go out on a limb and say they win but i do think they have a shot. These teams met in Vandy's 1st game, Georgetown's 2nd, earlier this season. The Hoyas won @ Vandy 86-70. In that game, G-Town was favored by -2.5 and the total was 128. Georgetown dominated in the 2nd half building off a 4 point halftime lead and the game flew over the total. They also met last season very early too @ Georgetown. In that game, G-Town was favored by -3 and the total was 127. Vandy won that game on the road 68-61 covering the spread easily and just barely going over the total.
I really believe this game ends more like the game last season did. Once again Vegas has the total set at 131. That's very similiar to the previous 2 meetings and i think it is with good reason. Vandy beat a Hoyas team led by guards Bowman & Cook last season. Those 2 guards are gone and other than that these teams look very similiar to that meeting. In the game Vandy won last year, Shan Foster had 20 points and was a big part of the victory. This year in the 1st meeting he had 2 points on a horrible shooting day. Both these teams play very solid defense and i think the experienced Guard play of Vandy will come to play in this one. Hibbert and Green are much improved over last years meeting but i know Byars, Foster, Cage and Gordon are too. The Hoyas have been a great Ats team this year but Vandy isn't too shabby of late either going (6-1) Ats vs. last 7 Non Conference opponents and (8-2) Ats last 10 as a Dog. I expect a defensive battle like last year and i think the Vegas odds are hinting to that as well. In a game like that, i think Vandy's ball handling and shooting will keep them in it 'til the end! Georgetown 67 Vanderbilt 64
USC +8.5
Yes, North Carolina is my team. I bleed blue, love them to death and have visited Chapel Hill and the Dean Dome twice. I will be cheering them on from start to finish, i have them winning it all in my bracket, and i'll be depressed for a week if they lose this game. Now, with that said, on to capping the game.
UNC is a young, deep and very talented team. USC is not nearly as deep but they too are very talented. UNC has been good out of conference but so has USC going (14-3) Ats Last 17 vs. Non Conference opponents and (10-2) Ats last 12 as a Dog. I think the only thing that could bite USC here is foul trouble. They do not have the depth or talent on the bench to compete with UNC. If that doesn't happen, LOOK OUT! This Trojan team is really playing hard right now. USC is not a great rebounding team and vs UNC who is, it looks like a major mismatch. I don't see it that way. The Trojans faced that same rebounding mismatch against a Top rebounding team in Texas last week and they out rebounded them 45-38. Taj Gibson has just been eating them up (14 against Texas) and playing some great ball on the inside. Pruitt, Young and Stewart are very steady guards that will be able to control the ball and tempo in the game. Young, Pruitt and Gibson have been a trio on a mission in this tourney. USC has some good size in their guards and they will try to play a physical game with UNC. The Tar Heels love to run but if you stay close to them and show that you are in the game until the end, they also tend to get tight and start misfiring (look at their losses). I think USC has the perfect guards to slow Lawson down and we all know UNC goes as far as Lawson brings them here. He is the straw that stirs the drink on offense and if they put the clamps on him, expect a great battle inside between Hans-brough and Gibson. USC is somewhat familiar with the Tar Heels too. They played last year and the Trojans won by 15. Now of course UNC has some added pieces (Freshman), but so does USC in Taj Gibson who didn't play in that game! North Carolina 78 USC 76
UNLV +3
These teams mirror each other in several categories. They play very similiar styles and i think it will be tightly contested throughout. Both of these teams were hot coming in off conference titles. Oregon has beatem Miami Ohio and Winthrop. I know Winthrop is solid but all in all, a pretty nice draw for Oregon. UNLV has stepped up even bigger in beating G.T. and No. 2 Wisconsin. UNLV has the speed and guard play to hang with the Ducks. If you speed it up, or slow it down, the Rebs can adjust. This should be a great matchup of guards in Kruger & Brooks. UNLV actually has the better RPI (10) than Oregon (21) and a better SOS (32) to Oregon's (72). Most probably wouldn't think that. UNLV is also (10-2) Last 12 as a Dog.
Alot of people are not too sure what this UNLV team is all about but they have been a Solid team all year. They also are not intimidated by going on the road and away from Vegas. People kept saying they won their conference tourney simply because it was on their homecourt. I'm sure it helped but this team has won games @ Hawaii, @ Nevada, @ Texas Tech, @ Houston and on Neutral courts against G.T. & Wisconsin. None of the above mentioned places are easy wins. In what i think could be a game with true "March Madness" flare in the end, i give coach Kruger and the Rebels the edge! UNLV 74 Oregon 71
Florida -10 (-120)
I could just say look at the Kansas/So Illinois write up for this one. Very similiar in every aspect. UF has a huge rebounding advantage in this game to go along with a ton of experience. I think Florida's wake up call came last week vs Purdue. I did have Purdue + the points in that one and (IMO) it set up nicely for this game. Look for Florida to come out with an attitude and put the pressure on early and often.
A big factor in this game is all the talk of Graves and his 3 point shooting. Butler will not be able to drive the paint against Horford & Noah leaving them to depend on Graves and Crone to hit from the outside. Considering rebounding and 2nd chance points will be at a premium, they better hit those shots. The problem is Green and Brewer are two of the best in the Nation at guarding the perimeter. Florida is 2nd in the nation in 3 Pt FG% against. That spells big trouble for Butler. Gators Roll! Florida 81 Butler 63
GOOD LUCK
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