UConn vs. Michigan St. Breakdown

Who: UConn vs. Michigan St.
Where: Detroit, MI
When: Saturday, 6:07 EST
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Clark "Baking Soda" Kellogg
Fact: Tom Izzo and Michigan St. have reached five final fours in 11 seasons.
Fact: Jim Calhoun will not give a dime back!
No Thabeet, No Problem: Whenever Hasheem Thabeet gets in foul trouble, Stanley Robinson has stepped in nicely. Robinson is as much of a shot-blocking threat as Thabeet and he can be a better offensive threat.
Key Matchup: Travis Walton of MSU and A.J. Price of UConn will have to battle all night long. Walton shut down Louisville's Terrence Williams who was stronger and taller than Walton. Once again he will face off against a player who is also big and strong in Price. Walton will have to knock Price off of his game.
My Pick: I actually like Michigan St. in this game. They just wear out opponents. They faced a stronger and more talented Louisville team, who beat their previous opponent by 36, and they shut them down. It is what Sparty does. The other team will quit before Michigan St. Walton can shut down Price. Also Goran Suton is not your typical big-man. He will draw both Thabeet and Robinson away from the basket that will create scoring opportunities for Walton and Kalin Lucas.

Villanova vs. North Carolina Breakdown

Who: Villanova vs. North Carolina
Where: Detroit, MI
When: Saturday, 8:47 EST
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Clark "Baking Soda" Kellogg
Key Matchup: Nova's Scottie Reynolds and UNC's Ty Lawson will be battling all game long. Lawson hasn't let his toe injury affect him the last couple of games. Reynolds will have to stop Lawson at the offensive end. Turnovers will be key. In 100 minutes, Lawson only has 2 turnovers. Reynolds has to lock down Lawson for Nova to get the win.
Nova needs Cunningham: Donte Cunningham is Villanova's biggest threat in the inside. He also has to watch his fouls. If he gets into foul trouble early, Nova could be in trouble.
My pick: I like North Carolina in this game. They are too deep and they have more of a presence on the inside. Bobby Frasor and Ed Davis are huge off of the bench for UNC. Davis gives them an inside presence that will be hard for Nova to match. Frasor has also been huge for UNC with his defensive presence. Wayne Ellington will also be in a mis-match with Dwayne Anderson. North Carolina will just be too much for Villanova.

Breakdown of Today's Sweet 16 Games

Last night was an eventful one. Villanova made the whole country proud by giving Duke an ass-kicking. UConn ran away from Purdue. Levance Fields looks like he should be playing at the local YMCA, but he was clutch last night for Pitt. And Missouri's "40 minutes of hell" ran Memphis out of the gym. Today's games should also be as great.

Louisville vs. Arizona
Where/Time: Indianapolis, IN/7PM EST
Announcers: GUJO and Elmore
Cinderella?: I still refuse to call Arizona an Cinderella team. Yes, they are a 12 seed, but they play in a big-time conference in the Pac-10. They underachieved all season long, and they were given a favorable seed in the Midwest.
The Zone is Key: Louisville has to run their zone presser defense perfectly. They rotate four guards in-and-out of the game to keep their players fresh. They will have to keep the presser on Arizona to get the win.
My pick: If Louisville can keep the presser on Arizona guard Nic Wise all game long, they will beat Arizona. The Wildcats offense revolves around Wise and his ability to make plays. If the Cardinals stop Wise they will win.

Oklahoma vs. Syracuse
Where/Time: Memphis, TN/ 7:30PM EST
Announcers: Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg
Can the 2-3 zone stop Griffin?: Syracuse and Jim Boeheim have perfected the 2-3 zone. And it will be key to stop Oklahoma's Blake Griffin. They will have to double-team Griffin and force the other Oklahoma players to make plays.
Warren could be the key: Oklahoma's Willie Warren has to have a major role for the Sooners tonight. He is their best outside threat with the way he can penetrate to the hoop and his outside shot. He will have to keep the presser off of Griffin.
My pick: I like Syracuse in this game. Oklahoma doesn't have a real threat at point. While Syracuse has one of the best point guards in Johnnie Flynn. Syracuse's offense revolves around him and he is the best right now at penetrating to the hoop and kicking the ball out to their great shooters in Andy Ruatins and Eric Devendorf.

Kansas vs. Michigan St.
Where/Time: Indianapolis, IN/9:30PM EST
Announcers: GUJO and Elmore
Sutton vs. Aldrich: We have a classic match up between big men in this game. Kansas' Cole Aldrich versus Michigan St.'s Goran Sutton. Whoever wins the match up between these two, their team will win.
Collins is key: Sherron Collins has to play under control for Kansas. There are times when he plays out of control and Kansas will lose. Their offense revolves around him playing in control and distributing the ball.
My pick: I like Michigan St. in this game. They have more depth that can slow down both Collins and Aldrich. Kalin Lucas and Travis Walton are big time players that will be too much for the Jayhawks to guard.

Gonzaga vs. North Carolina
Where/Time: Memphis, TN/ 10PM EST
Announcers: Nantz and Kellogg
Lawson's big toe?: The health of Ty Lawson is still a huge concern for North Carolina. He was huge for them against LSU, but they will need a healthy Lawson to beat Gonzaga. He will have to defend Jeremy Pargo, who likes to drive down the lane for the basket.
Heytvelt vs. UNC: Whoever is guarding Josh Heytvelt will have a huge challenge. Heytvelt is athletic and strong in the middle for Gonzaga.
My pick: This was the hardest game to choose. Gonzaga has great scorers and UNC has depth. I have to go with UNC because they can bring Ed Davis, Tyler Zeller, and Larry Drew off the bench. UNC's depth will be a huge factor in this game.

All these games have the potential to be great. I expect all these games, except the Arizona, Louisville game, to be close.

It should be a fun night, and once again we will be live blogging the games.

Breaking Down the Today's Match Ups in the Sweet 16

This year's Sweet 16 match ups are some of the most intriguing match ups in a long time. So let's breakdown today's games.

Duke vs. Villanova
Where/Time: Boston/9:30 EST
Announcers: Lundquist, Raftery
Match up to watch: Reggie Redding will have the tough task of defending Duke's best player Gerald Henderson.
Battle of Big Men: Donte Cunningham and Kyle "Sweating Man" Singler will have to battle each other for every rebound. Villanova is at their best when Cunningham gets a double-double.
No foul trouble: Cunningham is also Villanova's most skilled big man. There isn't much depth behind him, so it is key for him to stay out of foul trouble.
Battle of the Guards: Dwayne Anderson and Scottie Reynolds versus Duke's Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith. Nova has the advantage in the backcourt but they can't let Scheyer or Smith get hot at the 3-point line.
My pick: If Villanova plays to their potential, then they are pretty much un-stoppable. Just ask UCLA? But they can not get into a 3-point shooting contest with Duke. Duke will beat them in that catorgory. I still like Villanova in this game.

Memphis vs. Missouri
Where/Time: Glendale, AZ/9:30 EST
Announcers: Enberg/Bilas
The bench is key: When Memphis struggled against CS Northridge, they unleashed Roburt Sallie off the bench. He hit multiple 3-point shots. He will be the key for the Tigers. If Missouri plays a pack-in-zone, his shot could be the answer.
40 Minutes of Hell: Mike Anderson is a protege of Nolan Richardson. Richardson was the coach who made 40 minutes of Hell popular. His teams would play full-court presser, try for the steal, and then run away from you. Missouri plays the same type of game. If they can do this the entire game, they can win.
My pick: I like Memphis in this game. If Missouri doesn't keep up with their own high-tempo game, they will lose. They built a nice lead against Marquette, but had to sink 2-free throws at the end of the game to win. Memphis though is just too tough of a team to let Missouri run away from them.

Pittsburgh vs. Xavier
Where/Time: Boston/7:30 EST
Announcers: Lundquist/Raftery
Have to be aggressive: B.J. Raymond is Xavier's best scoring threat. He has to stay aggressive all game long.
You have to be Young: Even when Oklahoma St. was shooting lights out, Pittsburgh was still able to beat them. That's because Sam Young was shooting lights out himself behind the 3-point line. If he keeps this up, Xavier won't have a chance.
The Battle of the bigs: The key match up will between Xavier's C.J. Anderson and Pitt's DeJuan Blair. Both guys are studs in the frontcourt. Xavier will need Anderson to clean up the glass. Pitt will need Blair to keep up with Anderson for Pitt to have a chance.
My pick: I like Pittsburgh in this game. They have been the most tested #1 seed in the whole tournament. This will help them tonight against Xavier. I expect Young to have a big game tonight for Pitt.

UConn vs. Purdue
Where/Time: Glendale, AZ/7:00 EST
Announcers: Enberg/Bilas
Will UConn be distracted: With the recent report coming out against UConn, the big question is, will they be distracted? No they won't. UConn players will not be distracted tonight. They are too tough mentally for that.
The Battle of the Bigs: Hasheem Thabett and Robbie Hummel will battle tonight. Thabett is is a shot-blocking machine. But he has to stay out of foul trouble. Hummel has to attack Thabett for Purdue to have a chance.
My pick: I like UConn in this game. The Huskies have been through a lot this season and Purdue is just another challenge. This will be a low-scoring game, but it should be a close game.

Updated: Yes, after I just posted this article I realized I did the games backwards. It happens, move on.

Update: If this post is filled with too many puns, I was channeling my inner Tim Brando why writing it.

Oh, I can't forget about this video for tonight:

South First Round Bracket Breakdown

This is a breakdown of the first round of the NCAA tournament. We conclude our look at the bracket's with a breakdown of the South bracket. To see the other breakdown's click here, here, and here.

The south bracket is the hardest to breakdown for the tournament. There could be several teams from this bracket to make the final four. North Carolina is an obvious favorite. Syracuse made the in superb run in the Big East tournament and at the same time became America's darling of the tournament. Oklahoma was dominate whenever Blake Griffin was healthy. Also is this the year Gonzaga makes it to the final four? But for now we take a look at the first round match ups.

1)North Carolina vs. 16)Radford- The health of Ty Lawson is all the concerns UNC has right now. Without him they will be lucky to get out of the 2Nd round. I think they should rest him for this game and have him ready for their 2Nd round match up.

9)Butler vs. 8)LSU- This two teams had an interesting year. Both teams won the regular season conference championships. But failed to win their conference tournament championships. This is also one of the harder games to pick. LSU is loaded with veteran players, while Butler starts three true freshman. I like Butler in this game because they finished their year stronger than LSU. Also they have great guards in Shelvin Mack and Ronald Nored. Also they have great big men in Gordan Haywood and Matt Howard. They also have more depth coming off of their bench.

5)Illinois vs. 12)W. Kentucky- This is my 5-12 upset. Western Kentucky beat Louisville earlier in the season. Also they have solid depth in the backcourt and frontcourt. They also have a strong point guard in Orlando Mendez-Valdez. I always say, go with the team with the strong point guard. They will win a game before a strong big man.

4)Gonzaga vs. 13)Akron- Yes the Akron coach was LeBron James' high school coach, but that won't be enough. Gonzaga, after getting blown out by Memphis, is poised to make a final four run this year. Gonzaga is one of the strongest defensive teams in the nation, and they have the capabilities to push the ball upcourt. They flat out blew out teams at the end of the year, and I don't think Akron will be much of an foe.

6)Arizona St. vs. 11)Temple- Arizona St. had a strong year all-around. Also they have one of the best one-two punches in James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph. They also have a strong point guard in Derek Glasser. The match up between Harden and Temple's Dionte Christmas should be one the best to watch. I still like ASU in this game. They are too strong all-around for the Temple team.

3)Syracuse vs. 14)Stephen F. Austin- Jim Boeheim is also a Dr. Jackll and Mr. Hyde type of coach in the tournament. There are years when his team will go straight to the final four or loose in the 1st. round like they did a couple of years ago to Vermont. But Johnny Flynn established himself as one of the best point guards in the nation at the Big East tournament. Also Paul Harris can dominate on the boards. They will have to get good shooting nights though from Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf to make a solid run in the tournament. They will though have no problem with Stephen F. Austin.

7)Clemson vs. 10)Michigan- The Wolverines barely snuck into the tournament this year. They had huge early season wins against UCLA and Duke but struggled down the stretch. I like Clemson in this game if they would finally Trevor Booker control the game. This game is a toss up but I have to go with Clemson because they played in a tougher conference.

2)Oklahoma vs. 15)Morgan St.- Todd Bozeman and Morgan St. are like the redeem team. Bozeman was virtually blackballed from college basketball by the NCAA about 15 years ago. Bozeman was paying players which got him fired from his job at Cal. Jason Whitlock doesn't like Oklahoma because of their coach Jeff Capel. But they will be fine against Morgan St. Blake Griffin will go off and Willie Warren will also have a huge night. I like Oklahoma to at least reach the sweet sixteen.

This bracket is wide open. I can see at least 6 teams that have a chance at coming out of this bracket. Don't be surprised if a team that you didn't expect, comes out of this bracket and makes it to the final four.

Announcement: JFein and myself will be live-blogging the entire first weekend of the NCAA tournament on this site. I hope you can make time to join us. The first game tips-off on Thursday at 12p.m eastern 9a.m. western.

East First Round Bracket Breakdown

This is a breakdown of first round of the NCAA brackets. Today we look at the East region. Here's yesterday's breakdown of the west bracket.

The east bracket has four very strong teams. I picked all four top seeds to make it to the sweet sixteen. Who is coming out of the bracket though is hard to figure out. But for now, we will just look at the first round.

1) Pittsburgh vs. 16) E. Tennessee St.- Pittsburgh shouldn't have a problem with this match up. Pitt is one of the best defensive teams in the nation and this should help them go far in the field.

8) Oklahoma St. vs. 9) Tennessee- I like the Cowboys in this game. Guards James Anderson and Bobby Eaton will carry OK St. to the win. That is if they can stay out of foul trouble?

5)Florida St. vs. 12)Wisconsin- The Badgers were red hot at the end of the year when they inserted center Jon Leuer into the lineup. I like the Badgers in this game because Florida St. can go long stretches without a field goal. They rush shots and they go cool from the field. Plus like other Big Ten teams, Wisconsin is a great defensive team.

4)Xavier vs. 13) Portland St.- If Portland St. presses Xavier, then the Musketeers will be in trouble because of their weakness at point guard. But Xavier is a strong rebounding team an area where Portland St. is weak. I like Xavier in this game.

6)UCLA vs. 11)VCU- VCU upset Duke a couple of years ago. I don't think this will happen this year. The Bruins are a strong defensive team and guard Darren Collison is one of the best in the country.

3)Villanova vs. 14)American- Nova has the perfect 1-2-punch with Donte Cunningham inside and Scottie Reynolds on the outside. I expect Villanova to make a run to the final four.

7)Texas vs. 10)Minnesota- The Gophers barely made it in the tournament. While Texas got hot at the end of the year. Also Texas has a strong point guard in A.J. Abrams. And I would always go with a team with a great point guard.

2)Duke vs. 15)Binghamton- I like Duke to reach the sweet sixteen. With Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith on the outside and Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson on the inside gives the Blue Devils one of the strongest starting lineups in the country.

I don't expect many upsets in this bracket. The top four seeds are all strong in their own right. I expect all four teams to reach the sweet sixteen.

Later tonight, I will break down the first round of the South bracket.

West First Round Bracket Breakdown

This is a breakdown of the first round of the NCAA brackets. Today we continue the breakdown with the West Bracket. Yesterday, was the breakdown of the Midwest bracket.

The west bracket looks like it will be the easiest for the top two seeds. Memphis and UConn should dominate through this bracket and match up against each other in the elite eight. But there is a possibility of upsets in this round.

1) UConn vs. 2) Chattanooga- Hashem Thabett and UConn should have no problem with the Mocs. I expect Thabett to have a big game.

8)BYU vs.

9)Texas A&M- This game was the toughest matchup to look at. Texas A&M blew a 21-point lead to Texas Tech in the Big 12 tournament. BYU is looking for their first tournament win since 1993. In the end though I have to go with Texas A&M. They played a tougher schedule in the Big 12. Chinemelu Elonu can dominate for A&M and he could be a huge mis-match for BYU.

5)Purdue vs. 1

2)N. Iowa- This has the makings of an upset. You have a tough Missouri Valley Conference opponent versus a team hampered by injuries. But Robbie Hummels back injury forced the young Boilermaker team to grow up in a hurry. E'Twaun Moore was huge in the Big Ten tournament, and Hummel is almost all the way back from his back injury. I have to go with Purdue in this game.

4)Washington vs. 13)Mississippi St.- Washington has it all. Quickness, size, experience, youth, and a deep bench. Also they will be well rested before this game. Mississippi St. on the other hand, is tired after making a run to the SEC championship. The match up between Mississippi St. center Jarvis Varnado and Washington's Jon Brockman should be the best player match up in the first round. I expect Washington's deep bench to take over in this game to come out with the win.

6)Marquette vs.11)Utah St.- Marquette never recovered when Dominic James went down with an injury. Jerel McNeal has to have a big game for Marquette. Utah St. is one of the best offensive teams in the nation. They can score from all ranges and they have five players who can shoot from the 3-point range. I like Utah St. in this game to pull the upset.

3)Missouri vs. 14)Cornell- Missouri's full-court press will be too much for Cornell. '40 minutes of hell' will carry Missouri all the way to the sweet sixteen.

7)California vs. 10)Maryland- Cal coach Mike Montgomery teams are like Dr. Jackell and Mr. Hyde when it comes to the tournament. His Stanford teams would either reach the elite eight or the final four. Or they would get bounced in the 1St. round. I do though like Cal in this game against Maryland. Jerome Randle is one of the best point guards in the nation. And Patrick Christopher can be deadly from the 3-point line. Also Cal is the best 3-point shooting team in the nation.

2)Memphis vs. 15) Cal St. Northridge- Northridge is known more for the 1994 earthquake that rattle Southern California and not basketball. I don't like their chances at all against Memphis.

This bracket has the potential for numerous 1st round upsets. While I do like the top seeds to advance, and think there could be at least two upsets in the first round of the west bracket.

Tomorrow will be the breakdown of the East first round bracket.

Midwest First Round Bracket Breakdown

This is a breakdown of the first round of the NCAA brackets. We start today with the Midwest bracket.

We will not cry anymore over the exclusion of St. Mary's in the NCAA tournament. They didn't beat Gonzaga for the WCC championship, so it's time to move on.

The Midwest bracket could be the toughest bracket in the tournament. Louisville is the number one overall team in the tournament. Kansas is the defending champion. You can never turn your back on Tom Izzo and Michigan St. If Wake Forest can stay consistent, then they are dangerous. USC has gotten hot at the right time. So who is coming out of the first round of the Midwest bracket? Let's break it down.

1St Round

1) Louisville vs. Alabama St./Morehead St.- This game is a joke. Louisville should have no problem with either team.

8) Ohio St. vs. 9) Siena- I like Siena to win this game. Guard Kenny Hasbrouck is a great leader and Ryan Rossiter averages 7 rebounds a game. Ohio St. made an inspired run to the Big Ten championship game, but they are too inconsistent. They will need a big game from William Buford to win.

5)Utah vs 12) Arizona- I like Utah in this game. Arizona struggles on the road, and they have to travel to Miami for this game. Utah is also a real gritty team. They won a lot of close games. Luke Nevill is a stud for Utah, but they will need more production from their other key players. But that should be a fun match up between Nevill and Arizona's Jordan Hill.

4) Wake Forest vs. 13) Cleveland St.- Cleveland St. made an inspired run to beat Butler and win the Horizon league. But I still like Wake Forest in this game. If they can play consistent and find a way to keep Jeff Teague open they won't have a problem with Cleveland St.

6)West Virginia vs. 11)Dayton- You should never like a team that relies to much on three-point shooting. When West Virginia is hitting three's, then they are tough to beat, but if they are not hitting them then they are in trouble. I do like West Virginia in this game because Dayton has been hit by the injury bug.

3) Kansas vs. 14) North Dakota St.- This game can be dangerous for Kansas. They have lost before in the early rounds of the NCAA tournament. If Sherron Collins lets the his offensive game come to him, then they will be hard to beat. If Collins gets out of control, then they could get upset.

7)Boston College vs. 10)USC- USC is red hot coming into the tournament. They made a great run to the Pac-10 championship and are red hot right now. If Tyrese Rice struggles for BC then you have to go with USC. I like USC because they play great defense and they can dominate on the boards.

2)Michigan St. vs. 15) Robert Morris- Kalin Lucas should have a big game against the upstart Robert Morris team.

This should be an interesting first round. There could a lot of upsets in this region.

Tomorrow, the West first round bracket breakdown.