#1 Kansas (30-4) vs. #16 Florida A&M or Niagara
This game is to be determined since Florida A&M and Niagara have to play on Tuesday night to even gain entry to the field of 64. Then they are a #16 seed against #1. This won't be even close. The Jayhawks are a hot team right now with players like Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers. Although I don't expect Kansas to make it really deep into the tournament this year but it should be a very easy game. The real upside for the Jayhawks is that they'll be able to get the sting of back to back first round exits out. Who knows what that may do to this team...but they still lack a clutch scoring threat so in a tight game they may fall later in the tournament.
#8 Kentucky (21-11) vs #9 Villanova (22-10)
I really like this matchup for Villanova..in fact I like Villanova this year in general. Last year, Nova had a good team and a decent season and that was without Curtis Sumpter. Well, he's back from his knee injury and is averaging 17 points a game. They also have Scottie Reynolds who will be one of the top players in the tournament I think. Add to this that Kentucky is under a lot of pressure to win and coach Tubby Smith may be on the hot seat, I don't think that the supporting cast of Kentucky has what it takes to get past a very fast Villanova team. I think if Kentucky gets down early...Villanova may put a pounding on them.
#5 Virginia Tech (21-11) vs. #12 Illinois (23-11)
This will be an interesting match up and could be a potential upset because these teams are closer than their seeds may suggest. Virginia Tech has had a rough season with so many close losses and untimely events that affected the team. They still managed to go 3-0 against top 25 teams including two wins against North Carolina (wow). Illinois also had an interesting season losing one of their starters to a DUI conviction with a couple of games remaining in the season. They were still able to win most of their games and are a strong defensive team. This should be a good game but I'm going to give the Hokies the edge as they've shown they can hang with some of the big boys.
#4 Southern Illinois (27-6) vs. #13 Holy Cross (25-8)
This will be a low scoring game I think with both teams being pretty aggressive defensively. If you've seen the Salukis play..they will beat you up on the court, they are intense and have little fear of sending people to the floor before sending them to the line. Holy Cross is a quality defensive team as well. The Patriot League has had some success in previous years but I don't think that they'll be able to handle Southern Illinois here. The score will likely be below 60 for both teams in this one but the Salukis should go through.
#6 Duke (22-10) vs. #11 Virginia Commonwealth (27-6)
Here is my riskiest pick in my opinion. I think the VCU Rams have what it takes to put on the Blue Devils this year. Duke is a tournament team, there is no doubt but they've had an atypical season and struggled many times. They dropped out of the top 25 rankings at one point and then played amazing basketball again. Who knows what game they'll bring? This is why I think VCU may pull it off. The Rams are a pretty good team and have an exciting young player in Eric Maynor (13.6 ppg) This will likely be a pretty high scoring game and that won't bother VCU at all. I seeing a game 90 something to 80 something but it will be close.
#7 Indiana (20-10) vs #10 Gonzaga (23-10)
Both teams have overcome some key losses at times this year. Indiana due to injury but Earl Calloway is back and will prove to be the difference. He is the straw that stirs the Hoosier drink. Gonzaga lost their big man to being an idiot and the resulting legal issues. They have found some support in their bench but I still think that down the stretch Indiana will win this one. The Hoosiers will need to have a strong defensive effort as Gonzaga likes to put up points but Indiana should make it to the next round at least and if they really get hot...they could make a bit of a run possibly.
#2 UCLA (26-5) vs #15 Weber State (20-11)
I can already feel a blowout coming on here. UCLA is one of the top teams in the country and the reason they were not a #1 seed is because they lost to Cal in the first round of the PAC-10 tournament. Who cares?..in fact it may be a good thing because now they play close to home for much of the tournament. The Bruins will be looking to send a message to everyone else that they should be feared and poor Weber St will be the example. I think the difference will be +30 pts. Weber St. might be a pretty good team in a couple of years but they are too "new" right now. Arron Afflalo and Co. are going to dominate from start to finish here and likely head deep into the tournament.
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