Cbs Bracket

5 Potential Bracket Busters

... and Vanderbilt and a close loss (80-77) to VCU. They draw Richard Pitino’s Minnesota team in the first round and then would face the winner of the Butler/Winthrop match-up if they are able to advance. East Tennessee State- 13 seed East region. The Buccaneers are a team you likely haven’t seen play, which is understandable because they ply their trade in the relative anonymity of the Southern Conference. That said, the Bucs aren’t your typical mid-major squad. They’ve got some size to them that could pose a problem, in particular to their first round match-up with the Gators who lost their big man John Egbunu for the year just a few weeks ago. The Bucs boast a Top-50 defensive efficiency rating, despite playing at a higher tempo  (70 th DI). They’re led by the guard duo of TJ Cromer (19.1 PPG) and De Sonta Bradford (10.6 PPG 4.0 APG 4.5 RPG) with a pair of big men in forwards Tevin Glass and Indiana transfer Hanner Mosquera-Perea. If they get by Florida in round one, they would face the winner of Virginia and ...

The Best Team On Every Seed Line In The Bracket

... of double digits. But the Gaels are probably better than their seed indicates. Looking at the other 7 s (Dayton, South Carolina, Michigan), I think this is the best team. But it’s close. Michigan has a strong case. SMC is dangerous because it’s great on the offensive boards and also hits a lot of 3 s. Talk about reliability. Then when you factor in that Randy Bennett coaches a slow-tempo offense, your chances to beat this team diminish greatly. Every possession is valued. The best No. 6. SMU Mustangs (30-4). Another seed victim. The Mustangs should be on the 4 line. They’re better than the company they keep on the 6, including Cincinnati, which they beat twice this season. Tim Jankovich’s team is loaded with talent, ranks 11 th at Ken Pom and shoots 41 percent from 3-point range. Might want to consider the Ponies for a Sweet 16 appearance. They didn’t get a lot of pub this season, but this team is one of the 15 best in the tournament. The best No. 5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish ...

Most Likely Teams To Win The 2017 Ncaa Tournament

... Florida and Wisconsin) all of whom we see as stronger teams than Butler. And Gonzaga has a potential regional semifinal against West Virginia (our 5 th ranked overall team). Thus, despite the fact that we see Kentucky as a dangerous No. 2 seed, UNC has a much easier path to that regional final and ultimately the best chance at winning it all. Gonzaga is our second most likely team to win it all and second in our Power Rankings. They are the top seed in the West and No. 4 seed overall. Our algorithms give them a 39 percent chance of making the Final Four and nearly a 14 percent chance at the title. Gonzaga is led by junior transfer Nigel Williams-Goss (from Washington) and a balanced seven-to-eight man rotation. The Bulldogs flirted with a perfect season until a shocking late season upset at the hands of BYU, but given their relatively weak schedule in the WCC there is sure to be much debate over whether they can contend with ...

Ncaa Tournament Tip Times, Schedule, Tv Channels, Online For First Round

... Approx. 2:45, CBS: No. 2 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 15 Jacksonville State (Nantz/Raftery/Hill/Wolfson). Approx. 3:10, tru TV: No. 6 SMU Mustangs vs. No. 11 USC/Providence (Harlan/Miller/Bonner/Jacobson). Approx. 4:00, TNT: No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 16 Texas Southern (Anderson/Webber/Johnson). Approx. 4:30, TBS: No. 6 Creighton Bluejays vs. No. 11 Rhode Island (Dedes/Smith/Elmore/Gold-Onwude). Friday Evening Window. 6:50, TNT, No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 16 NCCU/UC Davis (Harlan/Miller/Bonner/Jacobson). 7:10, CBS: No. 7 Dayton Flyers vs. No. 10 Wichita State (Nantz/Raftery/Hill/Wolfson). 7:20, TBS: No. 2 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 15 Troy (Anderson/Webber/Johnson). 7:27, tru TV: No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. No. 11 Kansas State (Dedes/Smith/Elmore/Gold-Onwude). Approx. 9:20, TNT: No. 8 Miami vs. No. 9 Michigan State (Harlan/Miller/Bonner/Jacobson). Approx. 9:40, CBS: No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 15 ...

Breaking Down Gonzaga, No. 1 Seed In West

... Zags are a 1 seed, Williams-Goss might be the most underrated player in America. If he was putting up the number he is on any of the other teams who are 1 s, he’d be the frontrunner for National Player of the Year. Notable stat: 23.4. That’s Gonzaga’s average margin of victory this year. That’s nearly four points higher than the No. 2 team, Wichita State. Last year’s highest team in margin of victory was Stephen F. Austin — at 16.9. The last time a team had a better MOV: 1999-2000, when Duke’s difference was 24.7. Final thought: A lot of people reading this will outright dismiss Gonzaga’s Final Four chances. I’d advice against that. The sample size is deep, the non-conference competition was good, and Saint Mary’s is a top-25 team. Gonzaga’s proven. And even if you think the WCC is weak, here’s what you can’t deny: There have been worse leagues for 15 years, and nobody has dominated their conference in scoring margin like the Zags. Mark Few is getting close to Hall of Fame ...

2017 March Madness Bracket Predictions

... This year he has plenty of upsets again, like No. 6 SMU going all the way to the Elite Eight. ( Click here to enlarge the bracket ). I had Kansas Jayhawks in October. I had Kansas midway through the season. I have Kansas now. The TCU loss ( Josh Jackson didn’t play in the game) doesn’t scare me. The Jayhawks have the best backcourt in the country in Frank Mason (big-shot maker) and Devonte’ Graham. Jackson’s ready for the NBA right now. Bill Self will win a second national title, it’s just a matter of time. It doesn’t seem like this should be Kansas’ year. The team’s had off-the-court drama throughout. Injuries have shortened the bench. It’s only 10 th at Ken Pom. But I will not bail on the team I picked from the start, which rightfully has a 1 seed. As for my other picks, you’ll notice some ridiculousness. Just fade me as fast as you possibly would like. I’m hellbent on going for Wichita State Shockers into the second weekend because the Shockers were jobbed in their seeding and will play as angry as they ever have. Rhode Island Rams in the Elite Eight? Hey, why not have a little bit of fun? You seeing what I’m doing with ...

10 Things To Watch Friday As Bracket Ripe For Madness

... were favored in that one. The only other game with a double-digit seed winning was No. 11 Xavier over No. 6 Maryland, but that was probably the most popular double-digit seed pick of the tournament not including Wichita State over Dayton. The 11-over-6 is even more reliable than the 12-over-5. Xavier’s definitive win over Maryland means an 11 seed has beaten a 6 seed every year for 13 YEARS. The 11 s want to know why the 12 s get all the pub. The day’s biggest event was the wacky way Northwestern backed into its win over Vanderbilt. I still feel a little sick for Matthew Fisher-Davis, who committed a blunder that he’ll likely never forget. Shout out to Purdue getting its first tournament win since 2010. And speaking of 2010, that was the last time the WCC sent two teams to the second round. Now it will happen again, with Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s. So that leaves Friday open for some surprises. Pretty much has to. The tournament, like the universe, balances itself out. As we look to the next 16 games, here’s what you want to keep an eye on. Ten things to watch for on Friday. 1. It’s a day for the bluebloods. The six programs ...

Bracket-buster Middle Tennessee Takes Aim At Big Ten Again

... the paint for Minnesota. He’s the Big Ten defensive player of the year after setting a school record with 111 blocked shots. Creating mismatches on ball screens to try to create long close-outs for Lynch and Minnesota’s other big men will be important for Middle Tennessee, forward Reggie Upshaw said. SPRINGS’ STEP: Senior guard Akeem Springs plans to wear a suit when he watches the game from the bench. He’s out for the tournament after tearing his right Achilles last week during the Big Ten Tournament. It was a bittersweet end to his college career, especially after Springs played his first three seasons at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Springs averaged 9.5 points a game at Minnesota, taking on a leadership role from his first day of practice. “He’s been really, really mature about it. His family has been great about it. It’s no surprise the way he’s handled it,” Pitino said. BUTLER DEFENSE: Opponents have shot well from 3-point ...

2017 Ncaa Tournament Bracket Predictions

... get a shot at becoming the first team since 2007 Florida Gators to repeat as champion. The Wildcats can manage the first weekend - but beware of Virginia Tech Hokies and Buzz Williams - but I don’t think they make it out of New York. Jerry Palm. ( Click here to enlarge the bracket ). Duke started the season as the No. 1 team in the polls because they have the best talent and the best coach. However, there were a lot of road bumps along the way. Injuries to nearly every key player at one time or another - and even an injury to coach Mike Krzyzewski - stunted the development of this team. I always thought if they could come around and start playing as we were expecting, the Blue Devils could still win the national championship. What we have seen in March is that they have indeed come around. Duke looks like the team we expected to see way back in November. Better late than ...

Syracuse A 1-seed, Plus Rule Changes To Know

... Illini hosts No. 7 Valparaiso Crusaders. Region 4. No. 1 Iowa hosts No. 8 South Dakota. No. 4 TCU Horned Frogs hosts No. 5 Fresno State Bulldogs. No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide hosts No. 6 Richmond Spiders. No. 2 Clemson Tigers hosts No. 7 Oakland. Round 1, March 14-16 - higher seed hosts. Round 2, March 17-20 - higher seed hosts. Quarterfinals, March 21-22 - higher seed hosts. Semifinals, March 28 - Madison Square Garden, New York City. Final, March 30 - Madison Square Garden, New York City. Rule changes to note. A few experimental rule changes will be in place for the NIT, allowing the NCAA to collect more data as it considers the impact of its current game format with two 20-minute halves. These rules break down the accumulation of team fouls into 10-minute segments, providing a snapshot of what college basketball with four quarters might look like. The biggest change to take effect during the NIT is resetting team fouls to zero at the end of ...

Using The Last 10 Years To Predict Upsets

... were either a 2 or 3 seed lost in the first round. Picking the wrong one could be devastating to your bracket. These teams could either lose in the first round or get to the championship game. So, I’d choose the team you think least likely to kill you down the road. My pick:  No. 14 Iona beats No. 3 Oregon. Sports Line. Latest odds. Pick two 11 seeds. Next, everyone talks about the 12 seeds as the upsets to pick, and sure, you can at least pick one. But since 2007, No. 6 seeds are 20-20 against 11 seeds. So, you can comfortably pick two No.11 seeds. Another rule: You should make one of these a team that wins in the “First Four.” Since the group of games was added in 2011, one team in the play in games advanced to the Round of 32. My picks: Either No. 11 Wake Forest or No. 11 Kansas State over Cincinnati. No. 11 Xavier over No. 6 Maryland. Pick three of the eight 10 or 12 seeds. As for the aforementioned No. 12 seeds. They’re 16-24 in the round of 12 in the last ...

Expert Picks For Thursday's First-round Games

... John Egbuno suffered a season-ending injury. So they’re susceptible to the upset — and ETSU is good enough to upset them. Minnesota -1 vs. Middle Tennessee, 4 p.m, TNT. Winner: Minnesota. ATS pick: Minnesota. Seems like everybody is picking Middle Tennessee. That’s enough for me to pick Richard Pitino’s Golden Gophers. Vanderbilt -2 vs. Northwestern, 4:30 p.m, TBS. Winner: Northwestern. ATS pick: Northwestern. This is the first time a 15-loss team has been a favorite in the NCAA Tournament. I’ll gladly take Northwestern and the points. Maryland -2 vs. Xavier, 6:50 p.m, TNT. Winner: Maryland. ATS pick: Maryland. Xavier is 3-7 in its past 10 games and not the same without Edmond Sumner. Look for Melo Trimble to lead the Terrapins to another postseason win. Villanova -26.5 vs. Mount St. Mary’s, 7:10 p.m, CBS. Winner: ...