We are officially under way, but we've yet to be treated to any fireworks. Six of our seven early winners advance with double-digit victory margins, leaving us with only my prayer pick Cornell to get the early upset train rolling. (They're down 32-17, missing 23 of their first 28 shots, so don't hold your breath.)
I'm expecting more competitive games this evening, where USC-KSU, A&M-BYU, and WVU-AZ all look like potential battles. I'm actually looking for some Mason Magic tonight and won't be surprised if Notre Dame exits on day one for the second straight year.
I didn't get a chance to post it this morning, but AW's expecting a great one in Omaha tonight as well:
"The best game of the day and the best game of the first round is clearly Kansas State and USC. Not only are we treated to the best player in the country in Michael Beasley, but we get OJ Mayo playing against his former high school teammate and good friend, Bill Walker. Walker and Mayo won two high school state titles together and have known each other since age 3. The athleticism on the court is going to be off the charts, but I’m a strong USC lean because of the coaching match up. Frank Martin, who is in way over his head in the Big XII, vs. Tim Floyd, one of the best college coaches in the country. This one isn’t even close. Floyd finds a way to shut down Walker and everyone else but Beasley. The Trojans will march on."
| Match Up | Line / Over | PB | AW | Time/Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 USC vs #11 Kansas State | USC (-3) / 139 | USC 70 Kansas St 68 | USC 74 Kansas St 70 | KSU 80-67 (F) |
| #2 Duke vs #15 Belmont | Duke (-21) / 154 | Duke 92 Belmont 59 | Duke 92 Belmont 64 | DUKE 71-70 |
| #4 Washington St vs #13 Winthrop | Washington St (-9) / 111 | Washington St 64 Winthrop 54 | Washington St 58 Winthrop 45 | WSU 71-40 (F) |
| #8 Texas A&M vs #9 BYU | Texas A&M (-2) / 128 | Texas A&M 62 BYU 59 | Texas A&M 24 BYU 20 | A&M 67-62 (F) |
| #5 Notre Dame vs #12 George Mason | Notre Dame (-7.5) / 141 | George Mason 77 Notre Dame 74 | Notre Dame 70 George Mason 68 | ND 68-50 (F) |
| #3 Wisconsin vs #14 CS-Fullerton | Wisconsin (-11) / 136 | Wisconsin 70 CS-Fullerton 53 | Wisconsin 50 CS-Fullerton 45 | Wisc 71-56 (F) |
| #7 West Virginia vs #10 Arizona | West Virginia (-2) / 138 | West Virginia 80 Arizona 74 | West Virginia 74 Arizona 70 | WVU 75-65 (F) |
| #1 UCLA vs #16 Miss. Valley St. | UCLA (-29) / 127 | UCLA 84 Miss. Valley St. 50 | UCLA 71 Miss. Valley St. 38 | UCLA 70-29 (F) |