Thursday Tourney Primer

Obviously the tourney staggers the start time of games so you can see the end of every game, but it is likely that you will spend the majority of each viewing window watching one game.  Here are the games you should be watching today:

Noon Window: Notre Dame vs Northeastern

 

Other Games: Iowa State vs UAB (12:40 TruTV)

Both of these games should be snoozers but will let us see whether the ACC and B12 tourney champs can stay on a roll. I think Notheastern is slightly better than UAB, and I think Notre Dame could be the victim of a slow start and/or bad shooting, which would make this game interesting.

 

 

2:00 Window: Texas vs Butler 

 

Other Games:

Baylor vs Georgia State (1:40 TBS)

Arizona vs Texas Southern (2:10 TNT)

SMU vs UCLA (3:10 truTV)

This should be the closest game of the group. Texas is actually favored over Butler, which reflects the consensus over-rating of the Big East and the scariness of a healthy Texas.  If Texas starts to pull away from Butler (which I think is likely), then flip over to truTV to see the most hated team in the field, UCLA, try to prove themselves.

 

 

4:00 Window: VCU vs Ohio State

 

Other Games: Xavier vs Ole Miss (4:10 TBS)

Both these games should be tight.  I think Ohio State/VCU will be more entertaining.  Ohio State is once again a favored lower-seed, and this may be justified given Weber's injury for VCU.  This should be a back and forth, high-speed game, and will be a great opportunity for freshman phenom D'Angelo Russell to prove himself against the vaunted Havoc D.

 

 

7:00 Window: Utah vs SF Austin

 

Other Games:

Villanova vs Lafayette (6:50 TBS)

Cincinnati vs Purdue (7:10 CBS)

North Carolina vs Harvard (7:20 TNT)

A few interesting games here, but I'm inclined to go with Utah vs SF Austin. A lot of people expect SF Austin to make some noise, but frankly, I just don't see it.  I think Utah is a really solid basketball team that will control the pace, control the game, and win by double digits. But I've been known to be wrong before (tune in to UNC vs Harvard if you want to see the the least and most academically strenuous programs in the tournament).

 

 

9:30 Window: NC State vs LSU

 

Other Games:

Kentucky vs Hampton (9:40 CBS)

Arkansas vs Wofford (9:50 TNT)

Georgetown vs E Washington (9:57 truTV)

This may have been the toughest time slot to pick a game.  I think that either LSU or State could give Villanova legitimate trouble in the second round if they are clicking.  LSU has a great front court, and NC State is a great team when everything is en fuego (ask Duke). The general public seems convinced Georgetown is ripe for another upset, and do any of us think Arkansas is actually a good team?  Regardless, there should be at least two quality games on during this time slot.