Tonight's games have a lot to live up to if they want to compete with last night's slate. As a die-hard X fan, I must admit that oddly, for the first time this decade, I am not feeling hurtful pangs at the Muskies tourney exit. That game, quite simply, was a magical as anything I can remember as a Xavier fan. And the Muskies have been in some pretty great ones in the past five years (sadly, many of them on the short end of a Greg Oden uncalled flagrant foul...now THAT one I haven't let go of yet.)
OK, on to the picks:
Ohio State -4.5 v. Tennessee: The Vols have played well so far in the tourney, and play an aggressive, tempo-pushing style that could goad the already-thin Buckeyes into some disastrous foul trouble problems. That said, the Vols have been playing a little over their skis for the past few months and are a clear quality level below Ohio State. Oh, and the Buckeyes have Evan Turner and you don't.
This tournament is setting up nicely for a John Wall/Evan Turner National Championship that would be simply fantastic. Gimme the Bucks laying the 5.
Michigan State -1 v. Northern Iowa: All week long I have been hearing these experts saying that Northern Iowa is actually a better team than Sparty and that this isn't even an "upset" when the Panthers win. Um. No they aren't. Seriously, I LOVED that game against Kansas and Ali's Knockout punch. But Michigan State is superiorly athletic and much quicker. They are the favorite, even without Kalin Lucas. With Lucas? Gimme Sparty and Izzo's March Magic with ease, without him? I still like Izz with the saavy in a nailbiter.
St. Mary's v Baylor -5: St. Mary's has played as well an anyone this side of Kentucky in the NCAA Tourney so far, and Omar Samhan is on the list with Jordan Crawford as most dazzling individual performer to this point. That said, Baylor os a terrible matchup for St. Mary's. Baylor has the best backcourt left in the tournament (other than maybe Kentucky) and boast a team full of long, quick athletes, highlighted by one of the best interior defenders in the country, Ekpe Udoh. Factor in that tonight is a virtual HOME GAME for the Bears, and it starts to look like the night's second tightest point spread should have been even wider. Gime Baylor laying the five.
Duke -8.5 v Purdue: Purdue has fought valiantly to make the Sweet 16. That run ends tonight at the hands of the most overlooked team in the country, ironically, the Duke Blue Devils. Use the google search bar on the top of the site and look for my column on LAST years HOME GAME Purdue had against Duke. That was at HOME with a healthy Robbie Hummel against a Duke team that still thought Greg Paulus was a better PG option than John Scheyer. Purdue is tough enough to hang around but has no shot of beating Duke tonight. I never put guarantees on games. I guarantee Duke wins tonight. No doubt. I'll even lay the eight.
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The Maniac is 32-20-1 for the entire NCAA Tournament
For more brilliant predictions, opinions and senseless drivel,
visit: MarchManiacs.com
For more brilliant predictions, opinions and senseless drivel,
visit: MarchManiacs.com
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