March Insanity is for everyone. It’s for each the scholars and alumni, the faculty basketball purists who eat nearly each recreation from November to March, and naturally, for many who simply pop in for the annual bracket fill-out at their respective locations of labor.
Irrespective of which description fits you finest, the sector of 68 is so much to deal with for almost anybody. Resolution — child steps! Taking it one spherical at a time is the best way to go. And on the first cease, we check out a few of the finest first-round matchups and why try to be excited to look at.
All odds by way of Tipico Sportsbook.
West Area – (8) Boise State vs. (9) Memphis
(Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports activities)
Memphis
Memphis’ mostly-early season struggles are effectively documented. Penny Hardaway had some seen frustrations, the hyped freshmen Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren actually had a tough go at it, and the Tigers as an entire struggled for a lot of the season. However issues look completely different in Memphis about now. Duren has discovered his approach, Bates hasn’t performed because the finish of January and Penny Hardaway’s crew had gained 10 of 11 video games earlier than falling to Houston within the championship recreation of the AAC Match.
Boise State
In the meantime, Boise State is the Mountain West Convention champion of each the common season and the convention tourney. For sure, it is a stunning improvement for a crew that was projected to complete in fourth place. The Broncos have gotten it accomplished all season lengthy due to their seniors Abu Kigab, Marcus Shaver Jr. and Emanuel Akot, whereas freshman wing Tyson Degenhart appears to be like like he could also be an NBA participant someday.
What to look at for
The Broncos most likely haven’t performed any crew as gifted as Memphis. And whereas the Tigers are definitely battled examined, they haven’t had nice success in these video games. Boise permits the thirteenth fewest factors per recreation on the season (60.8) and Memphis averages 75.4 ppg. A high-scoring recreation vs. a low one could also be indicative of which crew comes out on prime.
Sport Strains
Unfold: Memphis -2.5 (-110), Boise State +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Memphis -145, Boise State +120
Factors Totals: Over 132.5 (-115), Below 132.5 (-107)
South Area – (6) Colorado State vs. (11) Michigan
(Kirthmon F. Dozier-USA TODAY NETWORK)
Michigan
It’s been a wierd 12 months for Michigan, to say the least. After opening the season because the No. 6 crew, the Wolverines completed unranked and concluded the Huge Ten regular-season seventh within the standings — limping to the end line. So what’s the cope with Michigan? Juwan Howard is again on the sidelines they usually do have Hunter Dickinson, probably the greatest bigs within the nation, and each Eli Brooks and Caleb Houstan have been fairly good. However they’ll must put all of it collectively in the event that they need to make a run.
Colorado State
The Rams’ season is already a profitable one whatever the consequence right here. Nevertheless, this crew ought to really feel optimistic about its possibilities of transferring on. This season, CSU went 25-5 and didn’t lose a single recreation to any crew outdoors of the Mountain West, together with in opposition to NCAA Match groups Creighton and Saint Mary’s.
What to look at for
For as battle-tested because the Rams are, they haven’t confronted a giant all 12 months lengthy as dominant as Dickinson. However Michigan’s season-long manufacturing from Dickinson hasn’t essentially resulted in wins. But, CSU’s David Roddy might have equally as huge of an influence on this recreation for the Rams. It ought to be a enjoyable head-to-head matchup between these two gamers.
Sport Strains
Unfold: Michigan -2.5 (-107), Colorado State +2.5 (-115)
Moneyline: Michigan -145, Colorado State +120
Factors Totals: Over 139.5 (-110), Below 139.5 (-110)
South Area – (7) Ohio State vs. (10) Loyola Chicago
(Adam Cairns-USA TODAY NETWORK)
Ohio State
The Buckeyes are good, once more. The Buckeyes are dancin’, once more. Such is par for the course in terms of Ohio State males’s basketball groups. However we’re dismissing that, for the sake of this text. The Buckeyes, no matter expertise and regular-season success, haven’t completed a lot within the NCAA Match lately. Actually, OSU misplaced within the First Spherical final season and hasn’t gained multiple recreation within the tourney since 2013. However that ought to change this season behind the brilliance of massive man EJ Liddell who averaged 19.6 factors and seven.9 rebounds.
Loyola Chicago
The Ramblers gained the MVC Match for the third time in 5 years and punched their ticket to the Huge Dance. Though, that auto-bid was desperately wanted this time round. Loyola hardly had any vital wins through the non-conference portion of its schedule and ended convention play with the identical file because the third and fourth-placed groups. However, the Ramblers are again within the tourney, this time led by Drew Valentine (first-year head coach) and Lucas Williamson.
What to look at for
Historical past says that Ohio State might come up brief, whereas Loyola makes one other Cinderella run. It’ll be fascinating to see how, particularly, the primary 10 minutes of this recreation performs out what tone it might set for the rest of the sport.
Sport Strains
Unfold: Loyola Chicago +1.5 (-125), Ohio State -1.5 (+100)
Moneyline: Loyola Chicago -108, Ohio State -112
Factors Totals: Over 135.5 (-107), Below 135.5 (-115)
Midwest Area – (8) San Diego State vs. (9) Creighton
(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports activities)
Creighton
The Bluejays aren’t presupposed to be right here. They misplaced each starter from final 12 months’s Candy 16 crew and thrusted three true freshmen into the rotation. However they are right here! In maybe his finest teaching job since taking the job in Omaha, Greg McDermott helped orchestrate a 22-11 season and a fourth-place end within the Huge East. However Creighton might be with out its start line guard Ryan Nembhard, the convention’s freshman of the 12 months, who underwent season-ending surgical procedure on his wrist a number of weeks again. We’ll see how deep the Jays can dig for this recreation.
San Diego State
These aren’t your Kawhi Leonard Aztecs and even your Jamaal Franklin Aztecs. This can be a completely different form of SDSU crew with out NBA expertise. But, it’s a well-recognized crew within the sense that they’re all about their enterprise on the defensive finish. The Aztecs win some nasty, low-scoring, grind-it-out video games that might make the Nineteen Nineties proud. However that’s how they prefer it. The Aztecs led the nation in opponents’ factors per recreation (57.7) and have been fourth in opponents’ discipline objective share (38.2). Don’t anticipate something apart from one other gritty defensive method from San Diego State.
What to look at for
This has the potential to be an especially low-scoring recreation. Creighton’s offense has actual potential to wrestle when it isn’t making threes (see its 54-48 loss to Villanova) whereas SDSU doesn’t get a lot manufacturing from anybody outdoors of Matt Bradley. It seems like the primary crew to 65 factors wins this recreation and strikes onto the second spherical.
Sport Strains
Unfold: Creighton +2.5 (-108), San Diego State -2.5 (-112)
Moneyline: Creighton +122, San Diego State -150
Factors Totals: Over 119.5 (-115), Below 119.5 (-107)
Midwest Area – (6) LSU vs. (11) Iowa State
(Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports activities)
LSU
The Tigers are a superb crew. They completed fifth within the loaded SEC and have been a tricky out on most nights. However they largely beat up on the groups that fell beneath them within the standings and have been common, at finest, in opposition to the convention’s contenders. On prime of that, their head coach Will Wade was only recently fired. The firing and mediocre play through the season makes LSU a official query mark forward of the tourney.
Iowa State
It’s definitely been a story of two seasons for the Cyclones. The primary half was nice, going 12-0 via the non-conference. However Iowa State went simply 8-12 the remainder of the best way and 7-11 in Huge 12 play, ending the season seventh within the standings. The query going ahead is which Cyclone crew goes to point out up? The one which averaged north of 73.0 factors per recreation over the primary 12? Or the crew that scratched and clawed its technique to 62.5 over the ultimate 18 video games,
What to look at for
The Cyclones have been the Huge 12’s worst scoring crew (66.5 ppg) and the Tigers solely gave up 63.5 over their 33 video games performed. However we all know Iowa State is greater than able to scoring factors. I’ll have my eye on Izaiah Brockington on this matchup, the fourth-leading scorer within the convention (17.2 ppg).
Sport Strains
Unfold: Iowa State +3.5 (-103), LSU -3.5 (-117)
Moneyline: Iowa State +155, LSU -190
Factors Totals: Over 127.5 (-108), Below 127.5 (-112)
Midwest Area – (5) Iowa vs. (12) Richmond
(Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports activities)
Iowa
Who’s hotter than the Iowa Hawkeyes as of late? The Hawkeyes gained eight of its ultimate 10 regular-season video games earlier than heading into the Huge Ten Match and reeling off four-straight wins to seize the convention tourney championship. Think about their latest degree of play after which think about that the Hawkeyes have Keegan Murray, one among faculty basketball’s finest scorers this season (23.6 ppg). There’s so much to love about Iowa’s possibilities transferring ahead.
Richmond
There’s additionally so much to love about Richmond. Possibly you haven’t heard of them, so right here’s a fast rundown:
Skilled— six seniors averaging double-digit minutes.
Balanced — three gamers averaging greater than 13.0 factors per recreation.
A10 champs — knocked off Davison to punch their ticket to the dance.
There’s a little bit of a Cinderella vibe to them given the crew’s make-up, however they’ll should be clicking to make this factor work.
What to look at for
Look ahead to Keegan Murray being the perfect participant on the ground. That appears inevitable at this level, given his stats all through the season. But in addition look ahead to Tyler Burton and Jacob Gilyard probably enjoying because the second and third finest gamers on the courtroom. This Richmond-Iowa matchup might be a superb one ought to the aforementioned gamers reside as much as the hype.
Sport Strains
Unfold: Richmond +10.5 (-112), Iowa -10.5 (-108)
Moneyline: Richmond +440, Iowa -650
Factors Totals: Over 150.5 (-110), Below 150.5 (-110)
East Area – (6) Texas vs. (11) Virginia Tech
(Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports activities)
Texas
What can we make of Texas? The Longhorns are a gifted crew, created largely by way of the switch portal, that checks a ton of bins on paper. The fact is that this crew simply hasn’t been nice. However I’d hate to trash them, they’re a wonderfully “strong” crew. They went 10-8 within the Huge 12 and located themselves fourth within the standings because the common season ended. Chris Beard and his gifted squad can nonetheless make good on their preseason Last 4 projections by tapping right into a degree of play that they often flashed, however by no means sustained, throughout this season.
Virginia Tech
Do you want enjoyable? Effectively then, you will need to just like the Hokies. Go watch the ACC Match championship recreation between Va Tech and Duke and also you’ll see the model of basketball that the Hokies play. And have a look at the best way they turned issues up a notch through the second half of ACC play, successful 9 of their ultimate 11 video games. It’s simple to seek out all the nice with the convention tourney winners, and Tech isn’t any completely different.
What to look at for
I’m going to be monitoring the three-point line. VT places them up and converts at a excessive fee (finest in ACC). Texas, alternatively? Not a lot. It seems like this recreation may very well be determined by how large of a margin there is perhaps within the three-point division. At the very least, that’s what I believe. Time will inform.
Sport Strains
Unfold: Virginia Tech +1.5 (-115), Texas -1.5 (-107)
Moneyline: Virginia Tech +102, Texas -125
Factors Totals: Over 123.5 (-115), Below 123.5 (-107)
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