First Round Recaps from Friday, March 16

Virginia 84 Albany 57 - J. R. Reynolds popped for 28 points as the Cavaliers routed Albany's Great Danes. Virginia was on the mark from beyond the arc, hitting 9-17 3-pointers. They also controlled the paint, outrebounding Albany, 41-25.

UNLV 67 Georgia Tech 63 - The Runnin' Rebels hit 21 of 27 free throws, played solid defense down the stretch and outlasted the Yellow Jackets. Michael Umeh and Wendell White each scored 19 for the victors.

Memphis 73 North Texas 58 - North Texas kept the game close for most of the first half, but Memphis pulled away in the 2nd half and didn't allow the Mean Green any closer than 10, rolling to their 23rd straight win. The Tigers weren't especially sharp, shooting only 41% and just 4-16 on 3s. Chris Douglas-Roberts led the way with 16 points.

Winthrop 74 Notre Dame 64 - Winthrop grabbed a 4-point lead at halftime and stretched it to 20 in the opening 7 minutes of the second half. Undeterred, the Irish battled back, cutting the lead to 4 at 56-52. The Irish three times cut the lead to one point only to see the Eagles return the score. Luke Harangody hit a bank shot to give the Irish a brief one-point lead with under 3 minutes to play, but Winthrop responded with key shots and free throws down the stretch. Seniors Craig Bradshaw scored 24 and Torrell Martin added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Eagles.

Tennessee 121 Long Beach St. 86 - Chris Lofton scored 25 points and 10 different Volunteer players scored as Tennessee tied a first round scoring record. JaJuan Smith added 24 points; Ramar Smith had 22. The Vols clicked on 14 of 27 3-pointers.

Wisconsin 76 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 63 - The Badgers couldn't hit a shot as the underdog Islanders sprinted to a 10-0 lead, expanding it to 25-7 with less than four minutes left in the half. But the Badgers went on a 12-2 run to close out the half at 27-19. In the second half and Wisconsin continued to close the gap. When Kammron Taylor hit a pair of 3s near the midway point of the half, the game was tied at 47. From there, Wisconsin slowly inched clear for the decisive win. The Badgers, who were 0-8 in the first half from beyond the arc, hit 7 of 12 in the 2nd. Taylor scored all of his game high 24 points in the 2nd half as he and Alando Tucker combined for 38 second-half points. Tucker finished with 23.

Nevada 77 Creighton 71 - As expected these two played toe-to-toe for the entire 40 minutes and went into overtime. Nevada's star, Nick Fazekas, fouled out with 3:03 left in overtime, but his teammates came through with key baskets, outscoring the Bluejays 18-12 in the extra session. Marcellus Kemp was sensational for the Wolf Pack, scoring 27 points with 12 rebounds. Fazekas also registered a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Oregon 58 Miami (OH) 56 - It wasn't supposed to be this close, but Miami's Michael Bramos hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin. Oregon started slowly, down 9-0 in the early going, but built an 11-point bulge on the strength of Aaron Brooks' 18 points. The RedHawks of Miami slowed the pace and worked out good shots, but could not overwhelm the plucky Ducks.

Virginia Tech 54 Illinois 52 - Illinois led most of the game, but the Hokies pressured the ball, got turnovers and baskets late and stole one from the Illini. The 19 Illinois turnovers were key, as the Illini outshot and outrebounded Virginia Tech.

Kansas 107 Niagara 67 - Mario Chalmers led 13 different Kansas scorers with 19 points as the Jayhawks made quick work of the Purple Eagles. Kansas shot 54%, including 13-22 from beyond the arc.

Purdue 72 Arizona 63 - Purdue's defense forced 17 Arizona turnovers, Carl Landry scored a game-high 21 points and the Boilermakers sent Lute Olson and the Wildcats home early.

Texas 79 New Mexico St. 67 - The Longhorns pulled away late in the game to advance to a second round matchup with USC. Kevin Durant had 27 points and 8 rebounds, hitting 15 of 16 from the free throw line.

Southern Illinois 61 Holy Cross 51 - The Crusaders of Holy Cross slowed the game down but hit only 1 of 11 3-point attempts in a game which produced 38 turnovers. Led by Randal Falker's 12 points, and Tony Boyle's career-high 14, the Salukis edged clear late in the first half and never relinquished their lead.

Kentucky 67 Villanova 58 - Randolph Morris' inside presence was a huge factor in Kentucky's win. Morris registered 19 points and 11 rebounds as Kentucky held Villanova at bay.

Florida 112 Jackson State 69 - This just looked like fun for the defending national champs. Led by Corey Brewer's 21 points, Florida put 6 different players into double figures and both Joakim Noah and Al Horford had double-doubles. Noah scored 17 with 12 rebounds while Horford had 15 points and 16 boards. The Gators shot 59% overall.

USC 77 Arkansas 60 - The Razorbacks were a questionable addition to the NCAA field and the Trojans showed that the selection committee could have done better. USC was never tested as Nick Young scored 20 points to lead the first round win. Arkansas shot only 37% and were outrebounded, 39-26.

NCAA Opening Round Picks for Friday, March 16

ALL TIMES EASTERN

Friday, March 16

12:15 pm Virginia (-13) Albany - Virginia's been an up-and-down team, but ended up tied with North Carolina at 11-5 for 1st place in the ACC. The unbalanced schedule in the conference may have helped the Cavaliers a bit, but they closed out the season only 4-4, losing their last two games to Wake Forest and NC State, two non-tournament teams. Albany won the America East tournament, have won 5 straight and 13 of their last 15, and have tournament experience. Could be a shocker and the points are enticing.

12:25 pm Georgia Tech (-1.5) UNLV - The Runnin' Rebels are a good choice for the upset, especially since they are the lower seed (7 vs. 10). The Yellow Jackets are the weakest team from the ACC, while UNLV won the Mountain West tournament and are on a 7-game roll. Both teams play an aggressive up-tempo style. UNLV should outgun the Georgians.

12:30 pm Memphis (-18) North Texas - The Mean Green of North Texas have an imposing task ahead of them. Memphis has a 22-game win streak on the line - the longest in the nation - and aren't about to stop here. At least a 20-point win for the Tigers is in the cards.

2:35 pm Notre Dame (-4) Winthrop - While there's plenty of buzz about the basketball program at Winthrop, the Fighting Irish (24-7, 11-5) have quietly put together a sensational season, finishing 4th in the expanded Big East. Undefeated at home, the Irish won only four road games, but seemed to find themselves late in the season when they won six straight before losing to Georgetown, 89-83 in the Big East tournament. The Irish average 81 points per outing and should shoot themselves past the Big South champion Eagles.

2:45 pm Tennessee (-7) Long Beach St. - Chris Lofton and Wayne Chism have been the keys for the Volunteers all season. Tennessee may be better than their record indicates, having played a solid non-conference schedule in addition to their SEC slate. Long Beach should not pose a problem.

Wisconsin (-13) Texas A&M-Corpus Christi - Alando Tucker and the Badgers should slice these guys up. The Islanders were clearly the best team in the Southland conference, but that's not saying much. Penetrating the Wisconsin defense should prove to be too much of a challenge to overcome. The Badgers should roll to a big win.

3:00 pm Nevada (-1.5) Creighton - Nevada is the higher seed, at #7, but #10 Creighton will not be impressed. The feisty Bluejays suffered a bunch of close losses through the Missouri Valley conference schedule, but won the tourney, so they can handle big game pressure. Nevada will look primarily to Nick Fazekas inside to control the tempo. Two very talented teams make this a close call. Nevada is likely to survive a possible overtime game.

5:05 pm Oregon (-9) Miami (OH) - The Ducks are on an insane roll and there's no way Miami gets in their way. Oregon could win by as many as 30.

7:10 pm Virginia Tech (-2.5) Illinois - Illinois is probably going to get treated badly by yet another ACC entrant. The Big 10 was not very competitive this season and Illinois squeaked into the tournament only by virtue of the selection committee's questionable judgment.

7:15 pm Kansas (-19) Niagara - Niagara fought their way in, winning the play-in game on Tuesday, but they're one and done against #1 seed Kansas. The Jayhawks will probably have the spread covered by halftime.

7:20 pm Arizona (-2) Purdue - Possibly the worst 8-9 matchup ever. Neither team even belongs in this tournament. Arizona ostensibly has more talent, but the Big 10 has a way of winning games they shouldn't. Arizona turns the ball over with passion and should go home losers.

7:25 pm Texas (-9) New Mexico St. - Kevin Durant may outscore the Aggies all by himself. An opening-round romp for the Longhorns.

9:40 pm Southern Illinois (-7) Holy Cross - The Salukis were one of the nation's hottest teams down the stretch, winning 13 straight before falling in the MVC tourney to Creighton. Holy Cross tied Bucknell for the Patriot League regular season title, and beat them in the tourney for the automatic bid. The Crusaders are a solid team, but losses to Duke, Syracuse, Providence, Niagara and George Mason really tell the story. They are a notch below Southern Illinois in talent and the Salukis will escort them to the tournament exit.

9:40 pm Villanova (-1) at Kentucky - Probably the toughest matchup of the day, pits Wildcats vs. Wildcats, but the ones from Kentucky deserve a slight edge only because of Randolph Morris and their interior defense. As the line suggests, this one could go either way, but Kentucky may be a little better handling the pressure of a close game.

9:50 pm Florida (-28) Jackson State - The Gators won 8 games by 28 or more points this season, plus a bunch more by 20 or more, so they're certainly capable of taking out the #16 seed here. Look for Al Horford to have another double-double and Joakim Noah to spend most of the second half on the bench cheering on Florida's subs. Easy one for the Gators.

9:55 pm USC (-1.5) Arkansas - The Razorbacks get up and down the floor very well, and their experience in the SEC tourney - in which they reached the finals - may have given them enough of a confidence boost to spring the upset. It certainly would not be a surprise. USC needs to play their usually good brand of defense, force a slower, half-court game and be patient. If they do that, they'll win easily and they are the pick.

NCAA Tournament First Round Picks for Thursday, March 15

ALL TIMES EASTERN

Thursday, March 15

12:20 pm Maryland (-7) Davidson - Maryland got a lot of good press as they won 7 straight before losing to Miami in the ACC tourney, but Davidson will give them a game for sure. The 29-4 Wildcats have won 25 of their last 26 and are riding a 13-game win streak. Stephen Curry, son of NBA star Dell Curry, is 2nd in the nation in scoring for freshmen behind Texas' Kevin Durant. An upset looms. Take the points though the Terps should survive.

12:25 pm Boston College (-3) Texas Tech - Tough call between two sub-par units, but Bobby Knight's Red Raiders know how to prepare for an opponent and will handle the tournament pressure better than BC, which has lost 5 of their last 7 and hasn't beaten a ranked team on the road this season. Tech takes it.

12:40 pm Louisville (-5.5) Stanford - Stanford starts a pair of 7-footers, twin brothers Brook and Robin Lopez, but Louisville has handled their share of height in the Big East and should cruise here. This is Cardinal (Stanford) vs. Cardinals (Louisville). Plurality means more, as in points.

2:40 pm Washington State (-6.5) Oral Roberts - The Cougars will need to stop Oral Roberts' Caleb Green, who has been the Mid-Continent player of the year three years running. He's averaging 20.8 points and 9.3 rebounds this season. Washington State would like to keep this game in the 60s, but the Golden Eagles have other ideas, averaging 72 points per game. If they find ways to score, it could lead to a big upset for Sean Sutton's gang. Oral Roberts is the pick.

2:50 pm Butler (-1) Old Dominion - No mid-majors have gotten more mention as bracket busters than these two. Unfortunately, one of them will be gone after just one game. Old D's Drew Williamson may be the key to the game if he can handle pressure at the point guard spot and get his guys good looks. Minor upset here, as Butler hasn't been playing well late (4-4 down the stretch).

2:55 pm Georgetown (-16.5) Belmont - No contest unless the Hoyas come in complacent and that's unlikely. Belmont won't be able to handle Georgetown's overall size advantage. A rout is in store.

3:10 pm Texas A&M (-13.5) Pennsylvania - Penn won't be close after the first 12 minutes, especially if Acie Law gets off early. Mark down a win for the Aggies.

5:10 pm Vanderbilt (-3.5) George Washington - GW finished third in the Atlantic-10 but won the conference tourney, while Vandy was 2nd in the SEC East behind Florida. The Commodores have some big wins on their resume including six wins against Top 25 teams. Derrick Byars, Shan Foster and Dan Cage average a combined 43 points per game. Expect that number to be closer to 60 here as Vandy romps.

7:10 pm Ohio St (-21.5) Central Connecticut St - There may not be a bigger mismatch in this tourney. The Buckeyes could win by as many as 35.

7:10 pm Duke (-6.5) Virginia Commonwealth - Duke should be playing in the NIT. They've lost 3 straight and 7 of their last 11. 27-6 VCU won the Colonial Athletic Assn. conference title and tournament, beat last year's Cinderella, George Mason, three times during the season and have won five straight. An early exit for the Blue Devils is a near certainty.

7:20 pm Michigan St (-1.5) Marquette - Marquette will be missing one of their starters, Jerel McNeal, out with a sprained thumb, but expect subs to fill in, especially David Cubillan, who can bomb from beyond the arc. Michigan State will try to keep the score low, but it may not matter as the Golden Eagles have won their fair share of low-scoring games. Michigan State's only win against a Top 25 opponent was at home win over then-#1 Wisconsin, 64-55. One and done for the Spartans as Marquette wins this handily.

7:25 pm UCLA (-19.5) Weber State - Another 2-15 matchup which may not be much of a game, though the Bruins haven't looked quite themselves the past few weeks. Don't expect an upset, but the surprising Wildcats will score enough to keep it under the line.

9:40 pm Xavier (-1.5) at Brigham Young - While the 8-9 matchups are usually tough to call, this one should go Xavier's way. The Musketeers are 5-1 against tournament teams with wins over VCU, Villanova, Miami (OH), Illinois and George Washington. That experience provides an edge.

9:40 pm Pittsburgh (-10) Wright St. - Look no further for buzzer beaters. Pitt has struggled down the stretch, and against Horizon League regular-season and tournament titlist Wright State, they'll have to be on top of their game. The Panthers went 5-4 down the stretch, ended up 2nd in the Big East standings and lost in the finals of the Big East tourney to Georgetown, 65-42. The Raiders of Wright State chased down Butler - ranked as high as #10 at one point - and then beat them in the tourney championship game. The Raiders are ready for anything and have already shown an ability to rise to the occasion. Even if they don't win here, the game should be much closer than the line suggests.

9:50 pm North Carolina (-26) Eastern Kentucky - This will be as close to a home game for the Tar Heels as the game will be played in Winston-Salem, just 80 miles from the North Carolina campus. Eastern Kentucky will try to keep the score low, but that's easier said than done against Carolina, which comes at their opponents in waves. Expect coach Williams to use his bench extensively, which could play into the Colonels hands. Take the points and pray for Eastern Kentucky to display some shooting skills late in the game.

Indiana (-1) Gonzaga - How the oddsmakers figure Indiana to be the slight favorite is anybody's guess, but Gonzaga isn't about to depart after just one game. The Bulldogs have played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country and that should help them overcome a stingy Hoosier defense. Gonzaga shows wins over North Carolina, Texas and Stanford, while Indiana's only claim to quality is a home win over Wisconsin and a number of Big 10 conquests. This one goes to the Zags.

This just in: One of our sponsors, Jeff, from Big Daddy Tickets weighs in with his Final Four of Ohio St., Florida. North Carolina and Kansas, with Ohio St. winning the championship game.

Tomorrow: Loads of recaps and picks for Friday's First Round games.