Thursday, March 19, 2009
Thursday - NCAA Tournament (and NIT) Primer
Follow TLBR during the NCAA (and NIT) Tournaments on T(LBR)witter.
Today is the greatest day.
So without delay, here are TLBR’s official picks. Disclaimer: these picks are for fun only and not for gambling purposes. Because if you’re gambling and using my picks, you’re an idiot.
#1 North Carolina vs. # 16 Radford – Ty Lawson’s not playing, so that might make it a close game for 3 minutes more than it would have. Carolina.
#8 LSU vs. #9 Butler – I went with Butler, although LSU is a solid defensive team and head coach Trent Johnson’s been there. Close one, as an 8/9 game should be. Butler.
#5 Illinois vs. #12 Western Kentucky – Hilltoppers’ coach Kenny McDonald is from North Providence, R.I. WKU had a magical 1st round game last year and will have another one this year. WKU.
#4 Gonzaga vs. #13 Akron – The Zags have been out of the tournament after day one the previous two seasons. The Zips lost by 29 to the current employer. I go Zags.
#7 Clemson vs. #10 Michigan – Normally, I would never, ever, ever bet against John Beilein and his poetry motion offense. But Clemson might just have a little more in the tank. I go Clemson.
#2 Oklahoma vs. #15 Morgan State – I would have liked this matchup if it were Missouri, then I could make the joke that it would be the “Show-Me State” vs. the “Show-Cause Coach.” Oklahoma wins.
#6 UCLA vs. #11 VCU – Man, did I go back and forth on this one. Three letters or four? Maynor or Collison? Grant or Howland? Four letters. UCLA.
#3 Villanova vs. #14 American – TLBR is a big fan of both programs, both coaches, and hopes for a great game. Picking Villanova to win, but quietly rooting for Jeff Jones and the Eagles.
#7 Texas vs. #10 Minnesota – Texas has solid outside shooting in AJ Abrams but has been consistently inconsistent. I look for Tubby and the Gophers in the mild upset.
#2 Duke vs. #15 (Bada) Binghamton – I’ve heard an awful lot about the Bing in the last few days, of course none of it about this game. Duke by a lot.
#1 UConn vs. #16 Chattanooga – No 16 seed has ever beaten a 1 seed in the men’s tourney. That trend continues. UConn.
#8 BYU vs. #9 Texas A&M – Admittedly, I have not seen BYU and Lee Cummard play one single minute this season. So my pick of A&M is pure speculation.
#5 Purdue vs. #12 Northern Iowa – The 12-5 upset is in play here, although I think that Robbie Hummel and the Big 10 champion Boilermakers will prevail in the end. This will be the game CBS cuts over to for a nationwide audience.
#4 Washington vs. #13 Mississippi State – Two BCS conferences meet in a 4/13 game. Not a typical situation. Look for the non-Zeke Isaiah Thomas and Lo-Ro’s Huskies to win out.
#7 California vs. #10 Maryland – Earlier in the year, Gary Williams was on a 212 degree boiling hot seat. Now he’s in the dance. Live by the guard, die by the guard, and Greivis Vazquez is a game-changer. The Terps in a mild upset.
#2 Memphis vs. #15 Cal St.-Northridge – Coach Cal’s Tigers haven’t gotten much respect all season. Methinks this is game one of a six-game stretch which will bring them to Dee-troit.
That's all for my day one picks. Be sure to check back to TLBR for updates, or to the TLBR Twitter page for snarky 160-character one-liners. Perhaps even some poetry, courtesy of Sarah McLachlan.
Either way, it's all a beautiful thing. Enjoy the hoopage.
Today is the greatest day.
So without delay, here are TLBR’s official picks. Disclaimer: these picks are for fun only and not for gambling purposes. Because if you’re gambling and using my picks, you’re an idiot.
#1 North Carolina vs. # 16 Radford – Ty Lawson’s not playing, so that might make it a close game for 3 minutes more than it would have. Carolina.
#8 LSU vs. #9 Butler – I went with Butler, although LSU is a solid defensive team and head coach Trent Johnson’s been there. Close one, as an 8/9 game should be. Butler.
#5 Illinois vs. #12 Western Kentucky – Hilltoppers’ coach Kenny McDonald is from North Providence, R.I. WKU had a magical 1st round game last year and will have another one this year. WKU.
#4 Gonzaga vs. #13 Akron – The Zags have been out of the tournament after day one the previous two seasons. The Zips lost by 29 to the current employer. I go Zags.
#7 Clemson vs. #10 Michigan – Normally, I would never, ever, ever bet against John Beilein and his poetry motion offense. But Clemson might just have a little more in the tank. I go Clemson.
#2 Oklahoma vs. #15 Morgan State – I would have liked this matchup if it were Missouri, then I could make the joke that it would be the “Show-Me State” vs. the “Show-Cause Coach.” Oklahoma wins.
#6 UCLA vs. #11 VCU – Man, did I go back and forth on this one. Three letters or four? Maynor or Collison? Grant or Howland? Four letters. UCLA.
#3 Villanova vs. #14 American – TLBR is a big fan of both programs, both coaches, and hopes for a great game. Picking Villanova to win, but quietly rooting for Jeff Jones and the Eagles.
#7 Texas vs. #10 Minnesota – Texas has solid outside shooting in AJ Abrams but has been consistently inconsistent. I look for Tubby and the Gophers in the mild upset.
#2 Duke vs. #15 (Bada) Binghamton – I’ve heard an awful lot about the Bing in the last few days, of course none of it about this game. Duke by a lot.
#1 UConn vs. #16 Chattanooga – No 16 seed has ever beaten a 1 seed in the men’s tourney. That trend continues. UConn.
#8 BYU vs. #9 Texas A&M – Admittedly, I have not seen BYU and Lee Cummard play one single minute this season. So my pick of A&M is pure speculation.
#5 Purdue vs. #12 Northern Iowa – The 12-5 upset is in play here, although I think that Robbie Hummel and the Big 10 champion Boilermakers will prevail in the end. This will be the game CBS cuts over to for a nationwide audience.
#4 Washington vs. #13 Mississippi State – Two BCS conferences meet in a 4/13 game. Not a typical situation. Look for the non-Zeke Isaiah Thomas and Lo-Ro’s Huskies to win out.
#7 California vs. #10 Maryland – Earlier in the year, Gary Williams was on a 212 degree boiling hot seat. Now he’s in the dance. Live by the guard, die by the guard, and Greivis Vazquez is a game-changer. The Terps in a mild upset.
#2 Memphis vs. #15 Cal St.-Northridge – Coach Cal’s Tigers haven’t gotten much respect all season. Methinks this is game one of a six-game stretch which will bring them to Dee-troit.
That's all for my day one picks. Be sure to check back to TLBR for updates, or to the TLBR Twitter page for snarky 160-character one-liners. Perhaps even some poetry, courtesy of Sarah McLachlan.
Either way, it's all a beautiful thing. Enjoy the hoopage.
