Well that was fun, right? I’ll take a botched attempt at handicapping the bracket for excitement from noon to midnight over beers too. Who cares if all my upset specials failed to come through, or that one of my Final Four teams was eliminated from the field just two hours into the fun, it’s part of what makes this great, and I don’t feel different about myself.
Can today match the drama of yesterday? That remains to be seen, but the opportunity is certainly there, especially late at night when the first round comes to a close with a trio of “anything goes” match-ups.
The “St. Patrick’s Day Hangover” Session
- Best Game: #9 Villanova vs. #8 George Mason (2:10 EST; TNT) - Wanna know about a major guilty pleasure of mine? Watching implosions, and your Villanova Wildcats are just that, for a second consecutive season. There’s no reason they can’t down George Mason but, as losers of their last five, the odds are stacked against them. Corey Fisher scored 105 points in a summer league game last August; we’d love to see a bit of a spectacular scoring effort like that this afternoon.
- Lamest Game: #15 Akron vs. #2 Notre Dame (1:40; TBS) - Not the lamest game of the day, but the Zips are just happy to be here, finishing tied for fifth in the MAC this season. Given the Irish’s 1.15 PPP (points-per-possession) and their 40 percent three point shooting clip, this could be over early.
- Also be mindful of: #13 Oakland vs. #4 Texas (12:15; CBS) - I wasn’t sure if Morehead State could hang with Louisville because they relied too much on an interior player, and not a perimeter player, but they proved me wrong. Same rules apply here. Maybe the Grizzlies future pro, Keith Benson, will be too much inside for the Longhorns.
The “Hit the Gym” Session
- The best (and only) game you need to watch this late afternoon: #12 Memphis vs. #5 Arizona (2:45; CBS) - Claim a treadmill or something and get plugged in for this excellent 5/12 match-up, because there’s no need to channel surf for the next few hours. Unless you enjoy lopsided upsets (Duke-Hampton; Ohio State-UTSA), or low scoring snoozers (Texas A&M-Florida State) you can focus on Josh Pastner vs. his alma mater in what could be a nice up-and-down game.
The “The Weekend is Finally Here” Session
- Best Game: #11 Marquette vs. #6 Xavier (7:27; truTV) - Xavier and Michigan State are the only two schools to reach the Sweet 16 in each of the last three tournaments. The Musketeers have their work cut out for them here, though, as the Golden Eagles are a bit more physical and know how to get to the line. The best match-up? Anyone vs. Jimmy Butler. Marquette’s do-everything player can play just about every position. It will be interesting to see who checks him.
- Lamest Game: #16 Boston University vs. #1 Kansas (6:50; TBS) - Head to Faneuil Hall in Downtown Boston and ask 100 people at random which local school is in the field of 68. I’m willing to bet less than a third correctly name the Terriers. This will be over quick, and nobody will lose sleep over it.
- Also be mindful of: #15 Long Island vs. #2 North Carolina (7:15; CBS) - It won’t end in an upset, but the Blackbirds are the nation’s fourth highest scoring team at 82-points per game. Sure most of that came against lesser competition, but it will be fun to watch this likely 75+ possession game unfold.
The “Night Cap” Session
- Best Game: #11 VCU vs. # 6 Georgetown (9:50; TNT) - The Hoyas have always have the talent, but they’ve only one a single tournament game in the past two seasons, in which they were a No. 3 and No. 2 seed. They’ve underperformed, and CAA squads have a penchant for overachieving. Yesterday, Clemson was able to hang with West Virginia following their First Four game. I don’t think the Rams are going to be tired here, or not competitive.
- Lamest Game: #14 Indiana State vs. #3 Syracuse (9:57; truTV) - Only a 43 percent FG shooting team, the Sycamores will likely struggle against Syracuse’s zone. They also don’t have an impact player listed over 6'6". Rick Jackson loves this.
- Also be mindful of: #10 Georgia vs. #7 Washington (9:45; CBS) - A lot of athleticism will be on display here, but I expect the Huskies depth to wear the Bulldogs down. They’ll force tempo, probably employ some pressing and enjoy a deeper rotation en route to a date with North Carolina. Plus, Lorenzo Romar’s kids didn’t travel 2,800 miles to lose.
Nick Fasulo is the manager of Searching for Billy Edelin. Follow him on Twitter @billyedelin
