The record now is 29-11 (7-1 on Saturday) on my picks for the NCAA Tournament. Let’s go through the round two games for Sunday…
Hat’s Second Round Sunday Picks:
#3 Syracuse vs. #6 Arizona State – 12:10 PM: What intrigues me about this matchup is that both teams like to play zone with Arizona State utilizing a 1-2-2 zone press and Syracuse in their 2-3 matchup zone. Each team has a start guard, too. For Syracuse it’s Jonny Flynn, the Big East Tournament MVP who averaged 17.5 points and 6.7 assists per game. For Arizona State, it’s James Harden, the Pac-10 Player of the Year who averaged 20.4 points and 4.2 assists per game, but was rather quiet with only nine points in their opening round victory over Temple. Look for Harden to play at a much higher level in a game that goes down to the wire, maybe even into a session of overtime. Pick – Arizona St. by 4 (OT)
#4 Xavier vs. #12 Wisconsin – 2:20 PM: Wisconsin was very fortunate to overcome a 31-19 half-time deficit against Florida State and knock off the Seminoles in overtime on Friday night. The Badgers have a much more difficult task beating a multi-faceted Xavier team that shot over 50% from the field in their opening round win and out-rebounded Portland State 30-20. Sean Miller’s team should be just fine against Wisconsin’s flex/ball swing offense. Pick – Xavier by 11
#3 Kansas vs. #11 Dayton – 2:30 PM: One of the more surprising results in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament was Dayton basically never trailing and beating a West Virginia team that usually does well this time of the year. Chris Wright propelled the Flyers past the Mountaineers with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Kansas’ inside-outside tandem of Cole Aldrich (23 points and 11 rebounds vs. North Dakota St.) and Sherron Collins (32 points and 8 assists in round one) will be hard to top though. After all, the Jayhawks are still the defending Champs until beaten. Pick – Kansas by 16
#12 Arizona vs. #13 Cleveland State – 2:40 PM: A double-digit seed is guaranteed a spot in the Sweet 16 as #12 Arizona takes on #13 Cleveland State in a game where on paper, the Wildcats should have a distinct advantage with a couple of future pros – Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill – as well as point guard who can create for himself and his teammates in Nic Wise. Wise burned Utah for 29 points in round one. But off the heels of their Horizon League Final upset of Butler, Cleveland State demolished a very big, athletic Wake Forest team 84-69. If Arizona is able to make Cleveland State turn the ball over though, then they have the upper hand. Pick – Arizona by 5
#1 Pittsburgh vs. #8 Oklahoma State – 2:50 PM: Expect a rugged, physical dogfight when Pittsburgh goes toe-to-toe with Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon. Pittsburgh played very sloppy against East Tennessee State and I’d anticipate a much sharper performance versus a Cowboys team that has a guy in James Anderson who’s capable of going for 25-30 points. It’s doubtful OSU can contain both DeJuan Blair and Sam Young of Pitt and that – along with the Panthers’ superior inside game and defense – will likely be the difference. Pick – Pittsburgh by 3
#3 Missouri vs. #6 Marquette – 4:50 PM: In a stunning development, Marquette guard Dominic James, who was supposed to be out for the rest of the year with a broken bone in his left foot, is going to try to give it a go in their second round meeting with Missouri. Anything positive James can give them to go with Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal, who’ll have to shoot better than the 6-for-26 they were against Utah State, will be a bonus. Missouri’s ball-pressure and swarming defense could set the tone at the start of this one, and as long as the Tigers make foul shots in crunch time, they’ll be in okay shape. Pick – Missouri by 7
#2 Michigan State vs. #10 USC – 5:00 PM: Many are leaning with USC for the upset pick and it’s a strong possibility if Taj Gibson plays like he did in round one when he shot a perfect 10-for-10 from the field. Not only does Tim Floyd’s team have Gibson, but Daniel Hackett, Dwight Lewis and DeMar DeRozan are significant contributors as well. Michigan State always crashes the boards well under Tom Izzo. Goran Suton grabbed 17 boards in round one alone and the Spartans were +18 in that category. Look for Raymar Morgan to score points in bunches and take on most of the offensive workload. Pick – Michigan St. by 6
#1 Louisville vs. #9 Siena – 5:20 PM: Few teams in America are playing at the level Louisville is, and while Siena’s comeback was riveting on Friday night, the Saints have their hands full with the Cardinals. Kenny Hasbrouck definitely has to have a greater impact on this game than he did against the Ohio State Buckeyes, but in the end, the versatility of Louisville – with forwards that play inside-outside in Terrence Williams and Earl Clark – present trouble for Siena. Pick – Louisville by 18
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