Every Single Damn Thing You Need To Know For Today's First Round NCAA Tournament Games
I know I called yesterday the best day of the year and rightfully so. It's the day full of anticipation and what we waited for, today deserves the shine too. 16 more games, another 12+ hours of sitting around with pals and watching basketball. I'd argue today is better this year because 1) Bill Raftery is on the call and 2) my nerves have me shitting my brains out already. Could have been the gluttonous behavior yesterday, but in reality it's knowing my team plays today. There are no nerves like the nerves you get the day your team plays in the NCAA Tournament. Let's get into it.
Bracket
It gets weird when you see teams advancing. Hope is gone, brackets look different, Saturday looks loaded but that's for a different blog.
5 Best Games Today
1. Xavier vs Illinois
2. Liberty vs Oregon
3. New Mexico vs Marquette
4. Colorado State vs Memphis
5. Baylor vs Mississippi State
Five Most Electric Players
This isn't about the best. Every March there are guys you just want to watch no matter what. They are the names you bring up with a pal 15 years down the road and can picture everything about them. They could go for 40, might launch shots, they could pull a Kemba, whatever it might be. These are the guys you should enjoy watching play basketball today, not the best players.
1. Nique Clifford (Colorado State)
2. PJ Haggerty (Memphis)
3. Donovan Dent (New Mexico)
4. Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State)
5. Ryan Conwell (Xavier)
Five Storylines/Games Previews
1. MWC in the first round as a double digit seed - The MWC is in this weird spot. They are decent as a conference basically every year. They are a multi-bid league. But then you get hit with this stat
Yesterday Utah State got its shit kicked in by UCLA and now today you have Colorado State as a favorite and New Mexico as a small dog. Both teams are good. People love this New Mexico team and Colorado State is one of the hottest teams in the country right now. So someone has to save this conference. San Diego State saved it when they made the title game, but we're at the point now where the MWC just comes in and gets its ass kicked every year.
2. North Carolina and ACC history - A lot was made about the ACC being down this year, because it's true. It's jarring to see the ACC suck but then you see Clemson put up 13 points in a half and then Louisville get run out of a building in its own state. But this stat is out there and it's even more eye opening
UNC is all of a sudden a favorite because of the shit kicking against SDSU. You have Duke shockingly as a favorite 1 seed. Can't believe that. But you understand the point here. The whole season it felt like Duke and then the rest of the ACC. They aren't in the same league, they were just forced to play bad teams similar to the Gonzaga/old WCC days. Now people will judge an entire conference in March so if both teams here can get to the second weekend people will be thinking they saved it.
3. SEC saving the narrative - It was never a secret that the SEC wouldn't live up to expectations in March. Impossible when you have 14 teams in, you're going to lose. So far you had Texas blowing a lead to Xavier in the First Four, Mizzou getting run by Drake and Georgia forgetting basketball was a sport. Similar to what I said about the ACC, it's about how people view a conference in March. It's pretty dumb to do a whole conference narrative because it's all based on matchups and individual games, but this is how we operate as a society. 7 SEC teams are in action today, there will be losses, it's just a matter of how they lose and who loses.
4. Any upsets - Speaking of losses. Yesterday was a bit of a dud. I know we have McNeese, Creighton, Arkansas and Drake as technical upsets but no one was really surprised there. Michigan/UCSD was the only game that had a chance for a great ending. We need something to feel alive these two days. I will say I won't overreact too much because a day like yesterday set us up for an AWESOME Saturday. I'll make the trade if Saturday lives up to the hype.
5. Exorcise the demons - Fuck it, it's my blog, it's my time to talk. Kentucky has to win today. I know they are injured. I know people are picking Troy. I can't do another loss. I'm a broken man when it comes to March and my team. I have PTSD after losing to St. Peter's and Oakland. Just find a way to win. I don't care if it's by 1 or 100, just win. This is why my nerves are at an all-time high. We had the dud yesterday does that mean we're getting mayhem today? I don't love that.
Picks
6-1 so far in the NCAA Tournament, +6.19 units
Baylor +105
Ole Miss +110
Grand Canyon +10.5
Arizona -14.5
Xavier/Illinois over 160.5
Oregon -6.5
