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Top Games
#9 Pittsburgh Panthers (25-9, 11-7 ACC) vs #8 Colorado Buffaloes (23-11, 10-8 Pac-12)
Game Time – 12:40 PM
Preview - Pittsburgh is a powerful team that has the big guys and strength to dominate smaller teams. Their frontcourt of Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna are a force inside. Colorado had an unfortunate blow when they lost their best player 6’6’’ guard Spencer Dinwiddie mid-season. Both are good teams, but in my bracket I picked Pitt to win this game.
#10 Saint Joseph’s Hawks (24-9, 11-5 Atlantic 10) vs #7 Connecticut Huskies (26-8, 12-6 AAC)
Game Time – 5:55 PM
Preview - St. Joe’s beat VCU in their Atlantic 10 tournament championship. They are a solid team and guard Langston Galloway bombs the ball from all over the court. He is averaging 17.5 points and loves to shoot from beyond the arc, hitting 104-237 downtown shots this year at a rate of 43.9%. Connecticut has the American Athletic Conference player of the year in senior guard Shabazz Napier. They have played excellent to end the season except against Louisville. I have UConn picked to win this game.
#10 Arizona State Sun Devils (21-11, 10-8 Pac-12) vs #7 Texas Longhorns (23-10, 11-7 Big 12)
Game Time – 8:40 PM
Preview - ASU ended the year on a sour note as they lost their last 3 games. They have a tremendous backcourt with star guard Jahii Carson and Jermaine Marshall. Both players average 15+ points per game. Texas also had trouble ending the season with 3 scattered wins in their last 8 games. UT doesn’t have the backcourt to play with ASU, but maybe their frontcourt of Jonathan Holmes and Cameron Ridley can use their size inside. I think this game will be a battle. In the end I think the backcourt of ASU will get a win for the Sun Devils.
Upset Alert
#12 Harvard Crimson (26-4, 13-1 Ivy) vs #5 Cincinnati Bearcats (27-6, 15-3 AAC)
Game Time – 1:10 PM
Preview - Harvard was a #14 seed last year and took down #3 New Mexico in the tournament. They are a complete team with 5 players averaging double figures led by Wesley Saunders (14 ppg). Harvard also won the Ivy conference going 13-1. Cincinnati has star Sean Kilpatrick who averages 20.7 points per game. They were great through most of the season and in the Top 10 before being knocked off a few times. Remember, UConn only beat Harvard 61-56 this year in January and Cincinnati just lost to UConn in their last game. I think Harvard can hang with Cincy, so I picked the Crimson in my bracket for the miracle upset.