Blue Skies! North Carolina Earns Redemption, 6th National Championship

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, April 3, 2017

North Carolina 71 Gonzaga 66

It wasn't pretty, but after 40 minutes of helter-skelter basketball, 44 fouls, 52 free throws, and 76 missed shots from the field, the North Carolina Tar Heels did what they came to do: redeem themselves for last year's last-second loss in the championship game to Villanova.

For some time during what had to be one of the more intense physical and defensive struggles of Final Four fare ever, there was doubt that North Carolina would win their sixth national championship. Gonzaga was tough, determined, and equally aware of the task at hand. In the end the game was decided by the play of a couple of upperclassmen - senior forward Isaiah Hicks and junior guard Joel Berry II - turning adversity into opportunity late in the second half that led the Tar Heels to basketball's promised land with a 71-65 triumph and a National Championship trophy.

In the first half, while North Carolina was shooting at a sub-30% rate, Gonzaga forged as much as a seven-point lead, which turned out to be the largest of the contest. When the teams broke for halftime, the Bulldogs led, 35-32, an advantage that was quickly erased as the Tar Heels went on an 8-0 tear to open the second half. In addition to two Justin Jackson free throws, Berry made a steal on the opening inbound play, tossed in a breakout layup, fed Kennedy Meeks for another score and hit a short jumper with just 2:20 gone in the period.

As had been the case throughout the tournament for the Tar Heels, they could not keep their advantage for long. Over the next minute and nine seconds, the Bulldogs regained the lead, 41-40 on a Zach Collins jumper and subsequent free throw and a three-pointer from Jordan Mathews.

From there until the final two minutes of the game, neither team could consider themselves safe, as the lead changed hands and the scored tied multiple times.

With 1:55 remaining, Gonzaga's Nigel Williams-Goss put the Zags up 65-63, but Jackson tied the game and put the Tar Hells ahead 66-65 with a layup plus one on a foul. Following a Gonzaga timeout, Hicks came up big, hitting a short runner in the lane for a 68-65 edge with 27 seconds left. On Gonzaga's ensuing possession, Kennedy Meeks blocked a shot from Williams Goss and Berry recovered the ball, feeding a streaking Justin Jackson for an emphatic slam dunk which sealed the deal. Berry, who had 21 points and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, capped off his 22-point night with a final free throw.

Berry made four three-pointers, had three rebounds, a steal, and six assists.

The victory pushed the North Carolina basketball program into even more elite status. It's six national championships are the third most by any school, behind UCLA's 11 and 8 by Kentucky. The Tar Heels broke a tie with Duke and Indiana, both claiming five national titles.

Carolina head coach Roy Williams upped his status as well, winning his third national championship, all with the Tar Heels. Adding to his wins in 2005 and 2009, Williams joins Jim Calhoun (Connecticut) and Bobby Knight (Indiana). Ahead of them are Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Kansas' Adolph Rupp with four. UCLA's legendary "Wizard of Westwood," John Wooden, led the Bruins to 10 national titles over a 12-year span.

Thus, the 2016-17 men's college basketball season comes to an abrupt close. College Basketball Daily will return again this fall to bring readers more coverage of the great sport and of course, the player of the day throughout the 2017-18 season.

Until then, keep your laces loose and practice your free throws,

Fearless Rick,
Publisher

NCAA Tournament Conference Scoreboard
FINAL: Through Monday (4/3) Games

Conference (# of teams)	Record	Winners (# of Wins)
ACC (9)	11-8	Notre Dame (1), Florida St. (1), Virginia (1), Louisville (1), Duke (1), North Carolina (6)
Big East (7)	6-7	Villanova (1), Butler (2), Xavier (3)
Big Ten (7)	8-7	Purdue (2), Wisconsin (2), Northwestern (1), Michigan (2), Michigan State (1)
Big 12 (6)	9-6	Kansas State (1), West Virginia (2), Iowa St. (1), Kansas (3), Baylor (2)
SEC (5)	11-5*	Florida (3), Arkansas (1), Kentucky (3), South Carolina (4)
PAC 12 (4)	10-4	USC (2), Arizona (2), Oregon (4), UCLA (2)
Atlantic 10 (3)	1-3	Rhode Island (1)
American (2)	1-2	Cincinnati (1)
West Coast (2)	6-2	Gonzaga (5), St. Mary's (1)
All Others (23)	(4-23)	Mt. St. Mary's (1), UC Davis (1), Middle Tennessee (1), Wichita State (1)

*One SEC loss and one SEC win occurred in the East Regional Final, South Carolina 77, Florida 70

NCAA Tournament Final Preview: Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. North Carolina Tar Heels

Bulldogs vs. Tar Heels For All The Marbles, 9:20 pm ET, CBS

Is this not how it should be? Number one seed from the West, Gonzaga, meets #1 from the South (should have been East), North Carolina. First-timer vs. thoroughbred, a team that's never been to a Final Four, much less a championship game, will be facing a team that's been to 20 Final Fours and has won the national championship five times (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009). Roy Williams, head coach of North Carolina, is seeking his third national championship, which would tie him with Jim Calhoun and Bobby Knight (John Wooden won 10, Mike Krzyzewski and Adolph Rupp each won four). Mark Few, who, for 18 years, has labored diligently as the head coach of the Gonzaga Bulldogs - and built an impressive, successful program - has never won a national title.

So, who's got the goods? Spoiler alert: College Basketball Daily isn't making a pick. Since we have no dog in this fight (and we almost never do), there's no point in jading this column into being something it's not. Let's throw out some numbers and observations and enjoy what should be an exceptional exclamation point to another college basketball season.

For those of you with a gambling problem, who just have to make a wager, good luck. North Carolina is a one-point favorite, meaning, as expected, it's just about impossible to predict a winner. The over/under number comes in at a robust 155, seeking a game that ends up something like 80-75, which should be about enough scoring for anybody.

A quick recap of the path to the championship is in order, but one condition sums up why this match-up may be entirely too close to call: the total margin of victory for the five tournament games is North Carolina, 57; Gonzaga, 57. That's right. Both teams have won five games by the same total number of points.

On Saturday, the Tar Heels managed to slip past an aggressive and determined Oregon squad by missing four straight free throws at the end of the game, securing a 77-76 win.

Surely, that was not the Tar Heels' desired strategy, but, as it worked out, the object lesson is that North Carolina led the nation in rebounding during the regular season and, apparently, no team does it better, or, at more opportune times.

For Gonzaga, Saturday afternoon in Phoenix was no vacation. Facing the South Carolina Gamecocks, the #7 seed from the East region, the Bulldogs built a second half, 14-point lead, only to see it evaporate in the span of four minutes, putting the Gamecocks up by two with just over seven minutes to play. Seconds later, Zach Collins notched a three-pointer, Gonzaga began building their lead again and never game it up, eventually coming away with the 77-73 victory.

A few key takeaways from the semi-final games:

• Both Gonzaga and North Carolina faced teams with solid, if not special defenses, however...
• North Carolina was outshot by Oregon, 36.8% to 37.9%
• Gonzaga shot 48.3% to South Carolina's 37.9%
• Oregon tied North Carolina with 43 rebounds
• Gonzaga had 41 rebounds; South Carolina, 36
• Gonzaga hit 9 of 19 three-pointers; North Carolina made 8 of 21 vs. the Ducks
• North Carolina's bench scored just 9 points; Gonzaga's scored 22
• Of course, the Tar Heels won by one point; Gonzaga won by four

With those figures in perspective, and, in case you didn't see the games (how could you miss them?), North Carolina didn't pass the eye test. They looked, especially in the first ten minutes of the first half, disorganized, unconnected, and uninspired. They appeared to be playing without any emotion. However, they looked the same way at the end of the game - emotionless - so maybe that's just their look.

But, if you saw both games, the Zags looked much the sharper. Additionally, a couple of key players stood out. For the Tar Heels, Joel Berry II appeared nearly hobbled throughout. There's been much said about his sore ankles, and they showed up in the game against Oregon. Still, Berry played 35 minutes, In that time, he scored 11 points on 2-for-14 shooting. If Berry is actually hurting (and there's nothing to say that he isn't), Theo Pinson, and especially, Nate Britt, are going to get many more minutes.

The other player that one couldn't help but notice was struggling was North Carolina forward Isaiah Hicks, who appeared to be completely lost on offense and ineffective on defense. Hicks played 20 minutes, scoring 2 points on 1-for-12 shooting and had a mere three rebounds.

Maybe Hicks just had a bad game, and maybe Berry will feel better before tonight's tip-off. In any case, coach Williams will make an accurate assessment of both situations and make the needed adjustments. So too, Mark Few, a zealot for detail and preparedness.

For Gonzaga, point guard Josh Perkins played 22 minutes and had two points, but, he only hoisted up two shots, both threes and both misses. He had just one assist and fouled out. He was a non-factor, even though he's not generally a key to the Bulldog scoring.

On the other hand, seven-foot freshman Zach Collins had 14 points and 13 rebounds in 23 minutes, really stepping up his game.

North Carolina's Kennedy Meeks scored 25 points and had 13 rebounds. Without him, the Tar Heels would have lost, and lost badly. It's not going to be as easy for Meeks - not that it was against the Ducks - against Gonzaga, in addition to Collins, 7'1" Przemek Karnowski weighs in at 300 pounds. Meeks, however, won't be alone, and he may have the edge. He's no doubt quicker than Karnowski, and, he's stronger than the lanky Collins.

The two players upon whose shoulders victory or defeat will probably land are Gonzaga's Nigel Williams-Goss and Carolina's Justin Jackson. Both led their teams in scoring during the regular season and each is the "go-to" guy in pressure situations. They both played well in the semis and are expected to be at their best in the final.

In the end, there really isn't much separating their last two teams standing, which should make for a thrilling conclusion to the college hoops season.

Enjoy.

Zach Collins Leads Gonzaga Past Gamecocks; Kennedy Meeks, North Carolina Hold Off Oregon

College Hoops Players of the Day for Saturday, April 1, 2017

Gonzaga 77 South Carolina 73

In the first national semi-final on Saturday, the Gonzaga Bulldogs did just enough to defeat a pesky #7 seed from the East Region, South Carolina, 77-73.

Essential to the success of the Bulldogs was the play of freshman forward, Zach Collins, who had possibly the best game of his brief college career, scoring 14 points with 13 rebounds and six blocked shots.

The lanky seven-footer came off the bench for 23 minutes of floor time and made every one of them valuable to the team effort, taking advantage of the smaller Gamecock forwards and defending the paint with his size and agility.

After a back-and-forth first half, Gonzaga finally seized a nine-point lead heading into the break and eventually led by 14 points, though a furious South Carolina spurt brought the Gamecocks all the way back and briefly into the lead at 67-65 with just over seven minutes left to play, but Collins' crucial three-pointer put the Bulldogs back on top and they would not trail the remainder of the game. In the final minutes, the Bulldog defense was too much for South Carolina, holding the Gamecocks to just two points in the final 2:30. When Killian Tillie notched a pair of free throws with 2.2 seconds left, putting the Bulldogs up by four, the celebration began.

Gonzaga's first ever trip to the Final Four will now also include a first ever championship game when they meet the North Carolina Tar Heels Monday night at 9:20 pm ET for the national championship. The top seed from the West, Gonzaga haeds into the game with the best record in the country, 37-1.

North Carolina 77 Oregon 76


North Carolina narrowly escaped an upset at the hands of the Oregon Ducks with one of the strangest final seconds of any game, tournament or otherwise, missing four free throws in the final 5.8 seconds while managing to hold onto a one-point lead, eventually advancing to the National Championship game with a 77-76 victory.

With the score at 77-76, Kennedy Meeks, who led all scorers by tying a career-high 25, stepped to the foul line with 5.8 seconds left, for two shots. Missing them both, an alert and aggressive Theo Pinson knifed in for the rebound, getting it outside to Joel Barry II, who was immediately fouled. Berry, normally a clam, 79% free throw shooter, also mangled both of his freebies, but Meeks grabeed the rebound from between two Oregon players and pitched it outside to Pinson, who took two dribbles before throwing the ball high into the air as time expired.

While the Tar Heels led most of the game, the Ducks would simply not go away, and had a legitimate chance at the win, but the Tar Heels, who led the nation in rebounding, did what they did best at the end, denying the Ducks a final scoring opportunity.

Throughout the game it was Meeks who kept North Carolina motoring toward the victory, finishing with 25 points on an incredible 11-for-13 shooting performance, with 14 rebounds, eight of them on the offensive end.

The Tar Heels meet Gonzaga in the National Championship Monday night. The game will be televised live on CBS with the tip at 9:20 pm ET.

Check College Basketball Daily on Monday morning for a preview of the National Championship match-up.

NCAA Tournament Conference Scoreboard
Through Saturday (4/1) Games

Conference (# of teams)	Record	Winners (# of Wins)
ACC (9)	10-8	Notre Dame (1), Florida St. (1), Virginia (1), Louisville (1), Duke (1), North Carolina (5)
Big East (7)	6-7	Villanova (1), Butler (2), Xavier (3)
Big Ten (7)	8-7	Purdue (2), Wisconsin (2), Northwestern (1), Michigan (2), Michigan State (1)
Big 12 (6)	9-6	Kansas State (1), West Virginia (2), Iowa St. (1), Kansas (3), Baylor (2)
SEC (5)	11-5*	Florida (3), Arkansas (1), Kentucky (3), South Carolina (4)
PAC 12 (4)	10-4	USC (2), Arizona (2), Oregon (4), UCLA (2)
Atlantic 10 (3)	1-3	Rhode Island (1)
American (2)	1-2	Cincinnati (1)
West Coast (2)	6-1	Gonzaga (5), St. Mary's (1)
All Others (23)	(4-23)	Mt. St. Mary's (1), UC Davis (1), Middle Tennessee (1), Wichita State (1)

*One SEC loss and one SEC win occurred in the East Regional Final, South Carolina 77, Florida 70

Final Four: East vs. West Regions, South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs

East meets West, Saturday, April 1, 6:09 pm ET, CBS

Gonzaga enters the national semi-final against South Carolina as a considerable favorite of 6 1/2 points, a somewhat surprising number since the Gamecocks are playing at such a high level, having already dusted tournament low seeds such as Duke (#2), Baylor (#3), and Florida (#4) by solid margins.

In terms of margin of victory, the two teams appear to be on a collision course with the Zags' average margin during the tournament being 13.25 and South Carolina's at 13.5.

Gonzaga, having defeated - in order - a 16 (South Dakota State), an 8 (Northwestern), a 4 (West Virginia), and an 11 (Xavier) by scores of 20, 6, 3 and 24, respectively. It's worth noticing that the lowest margins of victory were actually against the better teams (i.e., the lower-numbered seeds) and it's entirely possible that the upset-minded Musketeers from Xavier simply ran out of gas against the Bulldogs after beating #2 Arizona, 73-71.

Seeds of 11 or higher generally don't make the Final Four. In fact, no team seeded higher than 11 has ever reached the promised land of college basketball. Three 11 seeds have, those being LSU, in 1986; George Mason in 2006; and VCU in 2011. None of them won.

So, the 24-point romp over Xavier, which finished the season with a very respectable 24-14 record has to be weighed against their overall quality. The Musketeers were 9-9 in the Big East conference. The Big East may have been massively overseeded, sending seven teams and finishing with a record of 6-7 in the tournament. Only Xavier, Villanova (knocked out in the second round), and Butler won games. Not to belabor the point, but the Bulldogs may have had one of the easier paths to the Final Four, thanks, in part, to Xavier, for whipping the #2 and #3 seeds in the region, Arizona and Florida State.

Gonzaga's three-point win over #4 seed West Virginia is another indicator that the Bulldogs may not be competitive against the very best in the country. Though they have, during the regular season, posted wins over Florida, Iowa State, and Arizona, but those games were all played on their home court, a definite advantage.

See College Basketball Daily's Final Four Stats post for more.

Looking at South Carolina's wins, they came against #10 Marquette, 93-73; #2 Duke, 88-81; #3 Baylor, 70-50; and #4 Florida, 77-70. The Gamecocks took down three of the four top seeds in the region, and, it's possible that they may have been in business against #1 Villanova, but Wisconsin (beaten by Florida in the Sweet 16) beat them to it.

The quality of South Carolina's wins are very high, as are some other revealing tournament stats. The Gamecocks are scoring an average of 82.0 points per game; Gonzaga, 72.3. South Carolina is also shooting better, .476 to .432, and making their free throws. They were shooting freebies at a 69% rate and are knocking them down at 75% during their tourney run. Gonzaga has gone in the opposite direction, making 74% during the regular season and devolving down to 59% in the tourney.

While the Bulldogs carry into the game the gaudy 36-1 record (best in the country), South Carolina pales by comparison at 26-10, but they appear to be very much in the mold of a team playing with purpose and conviction. Team leader, Sindarius Thornwell is a senior and was the SEC Player of the Year. Among other scoring options for South Carolina are the shifty PJ Dozier and Carlos Silva on the interior. 6'10" freshman forward, Maik Kotsar emerged as a real threat in the win over the Gators, scoring 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting.

For Gonzaga, they always need a big effort from leading scorer Nigel Williams-Goss (16.7 ppg regular season) because after him, the talent level falls off in fairly dramatic fashion, but the Bulldogs are fairly deep and play excellent defense.

In the final analysis, it's difficult to see how the Bulldogs can defeat this solid bunch from South Carolina by more than a few points, if at all. Taking the 6 1/2 points would seem to be just about a no-brainer as the Gamecocks may prove to be one of the best 8-seeds of all time.

Key Players For NCAA FINAL FOUR: North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Gonzaga

Tournament Final Four Key Players

North Carolina Tar Heels (31-7)

It's difficult to identify just one key player for the Tar Heels, but if anyone fits the bill, it is point guard Joel Berry II. Berry leads the team in assists, is second in scoring (14.6 points per game), and runs the offense. Available to either drive the ball, lead the fast break or shoot threes, Berry is always a key component to the Carolina offense.

Defensively, nobody plugs the middle like Kennedy Meeks, the 6'10" double-double machine. Meeks is imposing in size and a strong defender and rebounder. Against Kentucky in the South regional final, Meeks had just seven points, but collected 17 rebounds. The Wildcats didn't get many second shots and the Ducks likely won't either if Meeks is on his game.

Oregon Ducks (33-5)

Oregon's offense flows through 6'4" guard Tyler Dorsey, who averaged 14.5 points during the regular season, but has stepped up his game significantly in the post season, scoring 20 or more points in seven straight games, including 27 in each of the Ducks' wins over Rhode Island (75-72) and the blowout 74-60 victory over Kansas in the Midwest Regional final.

Deadly from beyond the arc, if left open, Dorsey makes the opposition pay dearly, stroking it at 65.4% (17-for-26) during the tournament, his three-point shots have proven to set the Ducks flying time and again, and will be a potent weapon against the Tar Heels.

A stalwart on defense is 6'9" forward Jordan Bell, who scored 11 points with 13 rebounds and 8 blocked shots in Oregon's win over Kansas. He'll be up against a variety of long and lanky Tar Heels in the paint, but is tough to root out once he's established position. Bell will be a key for the Ducks on both the offensive and defensive boards.

South Carolina Gamecocks (26-10)

Averaging 25.8 points per game, Sindarius Thornwell is on pace for Tournament Most Outstanding Player should South Carolina move forward to the National Championship. The Gamecock forward is generally unstoppable for an entire game and Carolina looks to him constantly throughout contests to pace the offense and especially in tight conditions at the end of the half or the game. Thornwell is the leading scorer among players remaining in the tournament and will have to be at his best if the Gamecocks are to reach the tourney final. Preparedness is high on the "to do" list for South Carolina, so expect Thornwell, the SEC Player of the Year (and there were some good ones in the conference), to be focused and show leadership.

Gonzaga Bulldogs (36-1)

There is one and only one key player for the Bulldogs, and he is known as Nigel Williams-Goss, the team leader in both scoring (16.7) and assists (4.6), and the second-leading rebounder (5.9). The 6'3" junior from Happy Valley, Oregon is a homegrown legend in the Pacific Northwest and the absolute key to Gonzaga's success. Capable of leaping out of his sneakers, Williams-Goss can penetrate or shoot three-pointers with the best in the nation.

As he goes, so go the Bulldogs, and, with just one loss, he's been going good all season long. Against Xavier in the West regional final, he did not shoot well (7-for-19), but had 23 points, making four of seven from three-point range, with eight rebounds, four assists, a pair of steals and a blocked shot. Williams-Goss has been Gonzaga's go-to guy and will be up to the challenge presented by South Carolina's stout defense.

Thursday: Analysis of East-West, South Carolina-Gonzaga National Semi-final
Friday: Analysis of Midwest-South, Oregon-North Carolina National Semi-final

2017 NCAA Final Four Stats; Gonzaga vs. South Carolina; Oregon vs. North Carolina

NCAA Regular Season and Tournament Stats

Regular Season Stats per game
Team	points	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb.	asst.	a/to	steals	blocks
North Carolina	84.9	.471	.705	.366	43.5	18.2	1.53	6.94	3.24
Oregon	79.1	.481	.711	.378	36.4	16.4	1.42	6.50	6.65
Gonzaga	84.6	.518	.738	.382	40.3	16.0	1.42	7.15	4.45
South Carolina	72.1	.414	.690	.338	36.3	12.6	0.94	7.84	3.88
Tournament Stats per game
Team	points	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb.	ass	a/to	steals	blocks
North Carolina	85.5	.474	.700	.321	45.3	18.0	1.36	8.25	4.50
Oregon	77.8	.500	.648	.432	37.0	12.3	1.11	6.75	3.75
Gonzaga	72.3	.432	.586	.350	41.8	10.0	0.82	6.00	5.75
South Carolina	82.0	.476	.752	.329	36.8	13.0	1.11	7.50	3.00
Tournament margin of victory
Team	gm1	gm2	gm3	gm4	total	avg.
North Carolina	39	7	8	2	56	14
Oregon	16	3	1	14	34	8.5
Gonzaga	20	6	3	24	53	13.25
South Carolina	20	7	20	7	54	13.5

The week ahead:
Wednesday: Key players, situations, strategies...
Thursday: East-West National Semi-Final Preview
Friday: South-Midwest National Semi-Final Preview

2017 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: Midwest and West Match-ups, Previews

Midwest and West NCAA Tourney Match-ups

With four games Thursday and four more Friday, the Sweet 16 will, by late Friday night, be reduced to the Elite Eight (and the unfortunate eight, the losers).

Thursday offers games from the West and Midwest regions, so we'll take a look at those contests today, and cover the East and South on Thursday. That way, everybody will have ample time to make their picks and either agree or throw things at College Basketball Daily's best guesses as to which teams are advancing.

Midwest Region:

(3) Oregon Ducks vs.
(7) Michigan Wolverines
(7:09 pm ET, CBS):

The Ducks come out of the PAC-10 as the runner-up in both the regular season and the conference tournament to Arizona. Oregon was ranked nationally all season, and they are currently #9 in the AP poll. Not that it should matter at this point, but Oregon has been highly-regarded all season, while the Wolverines were more or less an afterthought for an at-large bid until they won the Big Ten tournament and received the automatic bid. Otherwise, Michigan might be playing in the NIT, but, here they are, the #7 seed in the region, upsetting #2 Louisville, 73-69.

Oregon will continue to miss Chris Boucher, injured during the conference tourney, in the post, but they managed to ride the likes of Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey through wins over Iona (93-77), and Rhode Island (75-72). The Rams gave them a scare and they'd be wise to take the Wolverines very, very seriously. Michigan may just be the tournament's Cinderella team, plane crash, practice jerseys and all.

Michigan nailed 16 three-pointers and needed every one of them in their 92-91 win over #10 Oklahoma State, but proved multi-dimensional in beating the Cardinals, hitting just six from downtown. The Ducks can drain them as well, but this game may not be a shoot-around some are expecting. Look for Michigan to play better defense and exploit Oregon's inside weakness with crisp ball movement.

(1) Kansas Jayhawks vs.
(4) Purdue Boilermakers
(9:39 pm ET, CBS):

Kansas (30-4) has had its way with both opponents thus far, smashing #16 seed UC Davis, 100-62, and demoralizing Tom Izzo and his #9 seed Michigan State Spartans, 90-60, establishing the Jayhawks as the team with the largest average margin of victory remaining, at 29 points. That's usually a big factor when the tournament reaches this level, as teams that squeak by are normally eliminated by those that have routed their opponents and given subs some playing time and starters some rest.

Speaking of rest, the Jayhawks have had plenty of it, as they lost in the opening round of the Big 12 tourney but were assured a solid seed after dominating the regular season in the conference.

Kansas is led by senior Frank Mason III, an all-American if ever there was one, averaging 36.1 minutes, 20.8 points and 5.2 assists per game. His backcourt running mate, Josh Jackson is an explosive freshman, averaging 16.6 points and 7.1 boards per outing.

25-7 Purdue is not going to be bowled over by the impressive resume Kansas brings. They also won their conference - the Big Ten - handily, and lost in the opening round to - guess who? - Michigan, in the conference tournament. The Boilermakers are big inside and play a very controlled offense with few miscues. As it turns out, this may be one of the great match-ups of the tournament, with Purdue intent on controlling the paint and Kansas seeking to bomb from outside.

Oddsmakers have Kansas a 4 1/2-point favorite, but it may well be closer than that. Purdue beat #13 seed Vermont by 10 in the opening round and took down Iowa State (a thorn in the side of Kansas) 80-76. They're on a par with the Jayhawks here, but the game is really too close to call. Instinct says go with the #1 seed; emotion says pray for the underdog.

West Region:

(1) Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. (4) West Virginia Mountaineers
(7:39 pn ET, TBS)

Gonzaga (34-1) has been ranked in the top five all season and were undefeated until they lost the very last game of the season to BYU, 79-71. Apparently, the Zags just brushed it off, winning the WCC tournament with three straight wins, topping St. Mary's (for the third time this season) in the final, 74-56.

The Bulldogs whipped #16 South Dakota State by 20 in the opening round, then dispatched #8 Northwestern, 79-73, to move into this round. That game against the Wildcats may have been a tell for the Zags, as the knock on them is that they do not come from a major conference, thus, their gaudy record is unconvincing. Maybe so, but their non-conference schedule was not for the feint of heart, with Arizona, Tennessee, Florida, Iowa State and Washington in the mix, and they beat them all.

Gonzaga has been close before, but, with the field thinned down and the demise of the ACC, this could be their year.

West Virginia didn't scare anybody all season, but they finished tied with Baylor for second place in the Big 12, with a record of 12-6, and they were 28-8 overall, plus, they have the distinct advantage of being coached by one of the greats, Bob Higgins, who rose to fame with Cincinnati. Of course, Gonzaga's Mark Few is certainly no slouch, so this game may mark a high point in coaching acuity. The Mountaineers, who lost in their conference tournament final to Iowa State, have shown the ability to tear up opponent's game plans with a deep, nine or ten-man rotation and scathing defense. They may have had a case of nervousness when they beat Bucknell, 86-80 in their opener, but showed all their skills dominating #5 Notre Dame, 83-71.

West Virginia is a three-point underdog, which is acceptable, but they can beat the Zags if they're on from three-point land. They have four players, including starters Esa Ahmad and Jevon Carter, who can hit at nearly 40% from beyond the arc. If Gonzaga gives up open looks, the Mountaineers will make them pay.

(2) Arizona Wildcats vs.
(11) Xavier Musketeers
(10:09 pm ET, TBS)

Of all the metch-ups presented for Thursday night, this one looks to be the most lopsided and the oddsmakers agree, installing the Arizona Wildcats as 8-point favorites. That's not unexpected, as Xavier, a #11 seed is the highest (or lowest, according to your own perspective) seed in the Sweet 16. The Musketeers are the one of the two remaining teams from the seven sent by the Big East, which included #1 seed and last year's champion, Villanova, so perhaps the Big East wasn't as "big" as the selection committee thought.

However, Xavier is a scrappy bunch, checking in with a 23-13 mark, after going just 9-9 in conference. In a way, the Musketeers simply shouldn't be here. They lost six straight near the end of the regular season, but then won two games in the Big East tourney before falling to Creighton in the semis. Once into the NCAA tournament, however, Xavier raised its game, taking down Maryland, 76-65, in the first round, then absolutely crushing Florida State, 91-66, to reach this level.

Arizona is another story altogether. They conquered the PAC-12 both in the regular season and in the conference tournament, having to deal with top-notch squads from UCLA and Oregon en route. Their 32-4 record includes tournament wins over #15 North Dakota, 100-82, and #7 St. Mary's, 69-60, the same team the #1 seed in the West, Gonzaga, whipped three times this season, so the Wildcats have taken measure of what may be their ultimate opponent in the region.

That does not mean they can look past Xavier. The Wildcats can play inside and out, especially with their resident Finnish frosh, Lauri Markkanen, who is a double-double match-up nightmare, capable of stroking it from the outside or taking to the hole. He averages 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds and hits threes at a .433 rate. Allonzo Trier is the leading scoring, putting down 17.1 per game. The Wildcats go nine deep and they an all play. As a team they hit at 39.6% from three-point range. Look out. They'll beat the Musketeers and maybe win the whole shooting match.

Tomorrow: East and South Region Previews

2017 NCAA Championship Tournament Bracket Breakdown

Bracket Breakdown for Monday, March 13, 2017

Editor's Note: Unavoidably, this may be the last College Basketball Daily post until Thursday morning, at which point Fearless Rick may have managed to extricate himself from up to 18 inches of snow (therein lies the danger of opening one's camp too early). Our intrepid publisher made it through a windstorm that crippled Rochester NY, leaving more than 120,000 homes without power last week, and for surviving that in a camper on a windswept plain, he managed only to get cut off in eight seconds by AM radio talk show host Bob Lonsberry on WHAM, Monday morning. In any case, the snow storm is expected to be not quite as severe as the windstorm, but travel will likely be impossible Tuesday and Wednesday. Good luck with your brackets. We'll be listening, and tracking the four play-in games.

Let's break down some brackets, shall we?

Link to ESPN's 2017 NCAA Tournament Bracket (opens new window)

East: #1 seed, Villanova Wildcats. The reigning champs are in good company in their home region, their first game a meeting with the winner of the Mount St. Mary's-New Orleans play-in game. Villanova will be making it's initial tournament appearance of the season on Thursday night in Buffalo, which, as noted above, might include a bit of a travel issue. Note to Wildcats and their fans: leave Philly NOW! It's about six hours to Buffalo and you won't make the drive on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Other notables in Villanova's portion of the East bracket are Florida, Virginia, and Wisconsin, though none of these teams have been playing particularly well. Look out for #13 seed East Tennessee State. The 27-7 Buccaneers won the Southerrn conference tournament and are upset-minded.

Villanova should cruise through their bracket into the Sweet Sixteen, and play for the regional title that weekend, potentially against Duke, the #2 seed. The Blue Devils won the ACC tournament, and, as usual, are ready to rock. They face Troy in their opener, and will likely have to deal with South Carolina, then Baylor or SMU. The 30-4 Mustangs have won 16 straight and knocked off Cincinnati to capture the American Athletic conference tourney title. They get the winner of the Providence-USC play-in game to start and could be a real tournament sleeper. Overall, the #6 line - SMU, Creighton, Cincinnati, Maryland - looks pretty formidable, but this is set up for a Villanova-Duke meeting in the Big Apple, with the winner advancing to the Final Four. There's a real chance that it could happen, but #1 meeting #2 in a region is not all that probable. Odds are that the Blue Devils get knocked off somewhere before meeting the Wildcats.

Midwest: #1 seed: Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas skipped the Big 12 tournament by losing in their opener, 85-82, to TCU. It should be readily apparent that despite getting six teams from the Big 12 into the tournament, the Horned Frogs and their 6-12 conference record are not among them. Is this a black eye for the Jayhawks? Probably, but it won't be noticeable until the regional semi-final, when they'll likely meet either Iowa State or Purdue. In the unlikely event that they get past one of those, Michigan, Louisville (#2 seed), Oregon or #6 seed Creighton await in the regional final. The Jayhawks are a liability to the tournament and will get an early boot. Reaching the Final Four is like their Big 12 counterpart in football, Oklahoma, playing for the national championship. It's just ont going to happen. Iowa State already beat them, 92-89, in Kansas and the Cyclones are probably drooling for another shot at their conference nemesis. Also, this just in: KU head coach Bill Self is a jerk. Enough. The Midwest is loaded and Kansas won't survive. Iowa State may be the team to beat here.

South: #1 seed: North Carolina Tar Heels. There's something about North Carolina and this tournament that brings back fond memories. Ah, yes, Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan. That has to be it, or, maybe, Dean Smith smoking outside the locker room at halftime. In any case, the Tar Heels are a #1 seed, despite losing to Duke in the ACC final, 93-83. But, that's all right, because Carolina beat Duke, 90-83, a week prior, wrapping up the ACC regular season title, which is probably a more deserving honor. Besides, the only way the Heels would play the Devils again would be in the NCAA final, and that would make any bracketologist blush at the mere notion of picking ACC chalk all the way through.

After dispatching with Texas Southern in their opener Friday afternoon (Greenville, SC), the Heels will kick it against either #8 Arkansas or #9 Seton Hall. Both are good teams, but unlikely to spring an upset. Take the Pirates in their opener, because, well, everybody likes Pirates, right?

The one hiccup in the South may come from little Middle Tennessee State, a 30-4 squad that stormed through Conference USA with a 17-1 mark, won the conference tourney without breaking a sweat (83-72 over Marshall in the final) and can play with any team in the country. If proof is needed, try their 77-62 win over Ole Miss or, better yet, the 71-48 beat down they put on Vanderbilt. Both of those games were way back in late November, early December, so, the Blue Raiders may be even better now. They're the #12 seed and face #5 Minnesota Thursday afternoon in Milwaukee. Nothing like your home boys getting crushed by some unknowns from the South.

On the other side of the South bracket are two powerhouse programs, UCLA and Kentucky, making this region possibly the toughest in the tourney, with the Midwest next. The #2 Wildcats and #3 Bruins should both reach the regional semi-final, the winner (hint: UCLA) taking on the Tar Heels. (Hint: UCLA). The Pac-12 sent just four teams to the tournament. Arizona, UCLA, Oregon and USC. Since the Ducks have come up lame and USC isn't very good, that leaves the doors wide open for AZ and UCLA. See below for Arizona's road to the Final Four.

West #1 seed: Gonzaga Bulldogs At 31-1, the Zags have the best record in the nation, but they hail from a notoriously-weak West Coast Conference. Only they and St. Mary's made the tournament, which is about all one needs to know about Gonzaga other than their head coach, Mark Few, is one of the best in the nation. He's repeatedly taken this team deep into the tournament and this may be one of the best Gonzaga teams ever.

Despite the high praise for the coach and the program, Gonzaga faces a myriad of obstacles. In their side of the bracket are #8 Northwestern, #5 Notre Dame (vs. #12 Princeton), and #4 West Virginia. Any one of those four teams could upend the Zags. If Gonzaga makes it through to the regional final, their likely opponent is Arizona, who has no competition to speak of in their side of the bracket. #6 Marquette, #11 Xavier, #3 Florida State, and #10 VCU aren't nearly the caliber of the Wildcats, who quietly went 30-4, won the PAC-12 tournament by defeating both UCLA in the semis and Oregon in the final. If there is a rock-solid pick to reach any regional final and probably the Final Four, it's Arizona.

In case anybody wants to go out on a limb and predict the Final Four and the ultimate champion, College Basketball Daily will do so. After all, what other publication has a guy who goes by the name Fearless Rick as editor and publisher? Um, none.

So, it's Villanova from the East, Iowa State from the Midwest, UCLA from the South, and Arizona from the West.

East plays West and Midwest plays South. Let's take Arizona over Villanova and Iowa State over UCLA, with Arizona beating the Cyclones, 87-78, in the championship.

Easy, right?

Good luck and enjoy.

As usual, College Basketball Daily will provide somewhat untimely and incomplete coverage of almost the entire tournament, including our non-exclusive conference scoreboard. For those interested, here are the number of teams from each conference (showing only those with two or more teams invited):
ACC 9
Big East 7
Big Ten 7
Big 12 6
SEC 5
Pac-12 4
Atlantic 10 3
American Athletic 2
West Coast 2

#1 Gonzaga Solid in 96-61 Win Over SF; Nigel Williams-Goss Drops In 30

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 16, 2017

The hits just keep on coming for top-ranked Gonzaga, as Nigel Williams-Goss pumped in 30 points, leading the Bulldogs to their 27th win without a loss, bombing San Francisco, 96-61.

Not only are the Zags the #1 team in the country, they're also demolishing the West Coast conference with a 15-0 mark, their closest competitor being #20 St. Mary's, at 13-2, though Gonzaga has beaten the Gaels twice, first by 23 points and most recently in a 74-64 road win this past Saturday.

The closest any team has come to defeating Gonzaga this season was back in December, when the Bulldogs hosted Florida and Iowa State back-to-back. The Zags dropped the Gators, 77-72, then slipped by the Cyclones, 73-71. Since then, blowouts - mostly of conference rivals - of 20, 30 points or more have been the norm.

In Thursday's game, Williams-Goss was at his usual best, making 10 of 14 from the field, including 4-for-6 from three-point range. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the line, adding six boards and dishing seven assists.

One of the leading candidates for national player of the year, Williams-Goss averages 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.

The Bulldogs have just three games left in their regular season, all against teams they've already mastered, Pacific, San Diego, and BYU. The season finale, February 25 at home against the BYU Cougars, should be the most competitive of the three. Gonzaga won at BYU, 85-75, on February 2nd.

#1 Gonzaga Busts BYU, 85-75, Behind Nigel Williams-Goss' 33 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 2, 2017

Hailing from Happy Valley, Washington, 6'3" junior transfer, Nigel Williams-Goss, has made the transition from playing two years for the Washington Huskies, across the state to Gonzaga, in Spokane.

At Washington, Williams-Goss averaged 13.4 points per game as a freshman and 15.6 as a sophomore. With 33 points in Gonzaga's' Thursday night 85-75 victory at BYU, Goss is again averaging 15.6 per game and the future for the 23-0 Bulldogs looks bright.

Proving to be one of the more versatile players in college hoops, Williams-Goss made 12 of 18 field goals including a pair of three-pointers and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. He also dished four assists, hauled in seven rebounds, and made three steals.

The scoring outburst was the most by the junior since pouring in 36 in a 95-80 Zags win at San Francisco on January 5th. Because of rules surrounding transfers, Williams-Goss sat out the 2015-16 season at Gonzaga, paving the way for his return to action for the Zags this season. He leads the Bulldogs in scoring and assists (4.3) and is second in rebounding, averaging 5.7 per game.

Ranked #1 in both the AP and Coaches Polls, Gonzaga has cruised through their schedule thus far and has notched wins against three ranked teams, Iowa State, Arizona, and St. Mary's. They have seven games remaining in their regular season slate, hosting pushover Santa Clara on Saturday. On January 15, the Bulldogs bucked the Broncos, 88-57.

Sweet 16: Duke, Michigan State, Gonzaga Reach Elite Eight with Louisville as Montrezl Harrell and Terry Rozier Power Cardinals

Sweet 16 Recaps: Friday Games

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 27, 2015

South Region
(2) Gonzaga 74, (11) UCLA 62 - Unable to strike from outside nor contain Gonzaga's bigs in the paint, the UCLA Bruins were bitten by the Bulldogs and eliminated from the NCAA proceedings. The Bruins didn't hit a three-pointer until there were less than three minutes left in the game. Meanwhile, Gonzaga's Przemek Karnowski scored a game-high 18 points and Domitras Sabonis added 12. Karnowski added nine boards, two assists and two blocks, helping the Zags establish a double-digit lead in the second half that they would not relinquish.

Gonzaga out-rebounded the Bruins, 50-39. Neither team was effective from beyond the arc. UCLA ended up the better of the two, hitting three of 13 (23%), while Gonzaga was 3-for-19 (16%).

(1)Duke 63, (5) Utah 57 - Led by Justise Winslow's 21 points and 10 rebounds, the Duke Blue Devils prevailed over the Utes, building a second-half gap that Utah tried in vain to close.

The Blue Devils did it with defense and foul shots, holding the Utes to 35% shooting, while making 20 of 26 free throws. Duke will meet Gonzaga on Sunday for the chance to advance to the Final Four.


East Region
(4) Louisville 75, (8) NC State 65 - In a game that resembled a rugby scrum at times, the two ACC entrants went toe-to-toe until Louisville opened up a late lead on a 9-0 run approaching the end of regulation. Terry Rozier did it all for the Cardinals with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists, as four Cardinal starters scored in double figures.

Montrezl Harrell was his usual impressive self, with 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Harrell was 9-for-12 from the field and 6-for-7 at the foul line.

(7) Michigan State 62 (3) Oklahoma 58 - Tom Izzo's surprising Spartans knocked off the #2 and #3 seeds - Virginia and Oklahoma - in the region for the right to move onto the Elite Eight round. Once again, Travis Trice was sensational, leading both teams in scoring with 24 points, hitting four of nine from three-point range and going 6-for-6 from the foul line.

The game was as close as the final score indicates, with neither team shooting 40% from the field. The Spartans make a date with Louisville on Sunday, the winner heading to Indianapolis for the Final Four.

Conference Power Scoreboard

Conference	W-L	Winners (# of Ws)
ACC	15-4	Notre Dame (3), NC State (2), North Carolina (2), Arkansas (1), Virginia (1). Louisville (3), Duke (3)
Big East	5-6	Butler (1), Xavier (2), Villanova (1), Georgetown (1)
Big Ten	9-5	Ohio State (1), Michigan St. (3), Maryland (1), Iowa (1), Wisconsin (3)
Big 12	5-7	Kansas (1), West Virginia (2), Oklahoma (2)
Pac-12	8-3	UCLA (2), Arizona (3), Utah (2), Oregon (1)
SEC	4-4	Ole Miss (1), Kentucky (3)
All Others	14-31	Hampton(1), Robert Morris (1), Dayton (1), UAB (1), Georgia St. (1), Cincinnati (1), N. Iowa (1), Wichita St. (2), San Diego State (1), Gonzaga (3), Dayton (1)

NCAA Tournament: Sweet 16 Previews, Friday Games feature Duke, Gonzaga, Cardinals, Spartans

Sweet 16 Previews: Friday Games

South Region
7:15 pm (11) UCLA (22-13) vs (2) Gonzaga (34-2) CBS - The highest seed remaining in the tournament, UCLA will defend the honor of the PAC-12, which has done surprisingly well during the first two rounds, compiling a 7-1 mark from four teams (UCLA, UTAH, Arizona, and Oregon). What the Bruins face, however, is one of the best teams left in the tourney. Gonzaga hasn't been a "Cinderella" team for quite some time; they're established as a powerhouse on a national scale and perennial champions of the West Coast conference. Additionally, Gonzaga already has a win at UCLA in the books this season, a December 19, 87-74 victory.

9:45 pm (5) Utah (26-8) vs (1) Duke (31-4) CBS - As usual, the Blue Devils have raised their game as the tournament has proceeded. Under the tutelage of Mike Krzyzewski, nothing short of 100% is expected from the players on the floor and that's generally what he always gets. Duke can produce from the outside, raining down threes on the opposition or inside, using Jahlil Okafor's wide body for scoring and defense. The Utes will test the interior of Duke's defense, as they have significant size on their front line. Not an easy task for the Blue Devils and possibly a significant upset, should Utah prove too tough in the lane.

East Region
7:37 pm (8) NC State (22-13) vs (4) Louisville (26-8) TBS - An all-ACC meeting here in the East, and the edge belongs to the Wolf Pack, by virtue of a 74-65 win at Louisville during the regular season. Both teams are notable for athleticism and defense, and this will be as hard-nosed a game as one will see in the entire tournament. While Louisville was awarded a lower seed, there really isn't much differentiating these teams and the game could come down to fouls (who's left on the court) and free throws. If there's a "must see" game for potential upsetters of the status quo, this one is it.

10:07 pm (7) Michigan State (25-11) vs (3) Oklahoma (24-10) TBS - The Sooners and Spartans are both well-coached and highly regarded by the remaining competition. This game could turn into a brawl, with physicality in excess on both sides, but the duel between Michigan State's Travis Trice and Oklahoma's premier scoring threat, Buddy Hield, will be prominent. Oklahoma hasn't seen much in the way of serious competition, beating Albany, then Dayton, to advance, while the Spartans have made their way with a win over Georgia before upsetting the #2 seed in the region, Virginia, and doing so with apparent ease. Ought to be a good one leading up to Sunday's epic games.

2015 Non-essential, Indeterminate Guide to Surviving NCAA Bracket Pools

Quite possibly, more time is wasted and more work hours spent in an unproductive manner on filling out brackets for the NCAA tournament every year than by any other outside influence.

No event captures the imagination and gaming instincts of the American public (an easy group to engage) like the annual rite of March Madness, but, in the end, almost everybody goes home a loser, while some overfed, testosterone-overdosed moron in the office or workspace lauds his or her game-picking prowess over the unfortunate few who suffer the fool.

Remember, Kentucky wins.

Not that there may or may not be a science to correctly picking four (the First Four), 32, then 16, then 8, 4, 2 and finally one game correctly. Some people actually make a living at it, like ESPN's Joe Lunardi, often referred to as the bracket guru or tournament maestro, though it would be interesting to tally up how many of Joe's predictions actually pan out. At the very least, Joe Lunardi has emerged far enough into the American psyche that he now has his very own drinking game, played during ESPN's Championship Week.

It's an easy game. Watch games on ESPN. Any time Joe Lunardi is mentioned by name (often), drink. Guaranteed to please.

Beyond the obvious need to engage in picking winners, without further ado, College Basketball Daily presents its first - and maybe last - guide to picking your brackets without losing your mind, a lot of money or your personal dignity.

The 2015 edition of the NCAA tournament is pretty easy to break down. Kentucky will win it all. Simple enough, right? Just take Kentucky all the way through and you're guaranteed to end up in the winner's circle of your office pool or Calcutta... along with about a zillion other players. So, our advice is neither prescient nor the stuff of genius, though it is an indefatigable prescription for being right on six games, all of which will be won by the Wildcats.

After those six nearly-guaranteed winners, there are only 61 games remaining to pick. Nothing to it. We'll give you some tips and pointers along the way which will make some sense and maybe produce a plurality of winners.

Tip #1: Take conference champions over at-large teams. Simply put, teams who captured automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments (except for Harvard in the Ivy League, where they have no post-season tournament, though the Crimson did win a one-game playoff over Yale) are battle tested in single-elimination competition. That said, the selection committee was a little hard to read when they made Iowa State and Notre Dame - winners of the Big 12 and ACC tournaments, respectively - #3 seeds, while making Duke, which didn't even win the ACC regular season (Virginia did) and was eliminated in the semi-final by Notre Dame, a #1 seed. The other three #1 seeds - Kentucky, Villanova and Wisconsin - all won their conference tourneys, so what gives? Yet another reason to hate Duke.

Tip #2: Low-number seeds over high-number seeds, 1 through 4. The parlance used in terms of seeds can become confusing. Somebody might say Louisville is seeded higher than Iowa, for instance, but what that actually means is that Louisville is a #4, while Iowa is a #7. Confusing? No. Reverse logic. Simply put, take the #1, 2, 3, and 4 seeds in each region over their opponents in the opening round, unless advised otherwise. We'll get to that in the region-by-region breakdown.

Tip #3: Upsets are common in 7-10 and 5-12 match-ups. #11 seeds don't often beat #6's, and 8's vs. 9's are toss-ups, though sometimes mismatches.

Tip #4: After the opening round games on Thursday and Friday of the first week, it's wide open. - Anybody can win once they've gotten through the first game, but, odds are the lower-number (higher) seeds will survive. Some teams will surely surprise, but those are often teams which won their conference tournaments or teams from big conferences that lost in the final.

Tip #5: Don't listen to experts. Whether it's some guy on a talk-radio show, ESPN or the reigning champion of your office pool, who has done nithing but drink beer and watch basketball for the past two months, they will almost always give bad advice. All. The. Time. A good example was whether or not UCLA would be in this year's tournament. All the experts said, "no way." we said, "absolutely," our reasoning being that we figured the PAC-12 would send four teams to the tourney. We're not experts, and, lo and behold, we were right.

Tip #6: If you don't do well, don't worry about it. A lot of what goes into picking winners in the NCAA tournament has to do with dumb luck, voodoo, i-Ching, tarot cards, tea leaves, astrology and alchemy. Most of it is bunk. You're a good person, and you might even be a smart person. Just because Kansas loses to Northern Iowa or some other malady of fate occurs, doesn't change who you are. Unless you're a complete loser whose entire existence revolves around being right or this particular tournament, of course, then losing might cause some disturbing personal reactions, like not bathing for a couple of weeks, or throwing your TV out a window (this has happened), or not showing up for work, which might actually be a silver lining to both your boss and your co-workers.

Tip #7: After the second weekend, it can get really boring, really fast. The first two weekends are exciting, with games on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and lots of teams involved. By Saturday and Sunday of the second weekend, however, it's down to the Elite Eight - and, while those games are usually some of the most exciting of the tournament, being regional finals, the winner going to the Final Four, after that, there are only three games left, and they're a week away, the semi-finals on Saturday and the National Championship, Monday night.

That week can get tiresome, especially if you've already been eliminated in your pool, and even moreso if a couple of guys are making everyone else crazy arguing over who's going to get that $136 final prize. Whether you're still alive or not, get some fresh air, do some yard work, take a bike ride. Ferchistsake! It's a basketball tournament. Get a life, or, get yours back.

Now that we have the tips out of the way, on to the breakdown.

Let's start with those pesky First Four games on Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Tuesday's games are:
6:40 PM (16) Hampton vs (16) Manhattan - Hampton is the only team in the tournament with a losing record (16-17), despite winning the Mid-Eastern tournament. Did you know that they beat Delaware St. to get the automatic bid? No? Nobody else does either and nobody cares. Manhattan beat Sienna to win the Metro-Atlantic. And they won by 10 points. And they're called the Jaspers, defined as an opaque reddish-brown variety of chalcedony. Cool. They are the pick.

9:10 PM (11) BYU vs (11) Ole Miss - BYU can really light up the scoreboard. Good enough. Both of these teams were at-large selections. Cougars maul Rebels. Excellent.

Wednesday:
6:40 PM (16) Robert Morris vs (16) North Florida - Both are tournament winners with automatic bids, North Florida from the Atlantic Sun, Robert Morris from the Northeast. North Florida's team name is the Ospreys. Good enough. You'll look like a genius.


9:10 PM (11) Dayton vs (11) Boise State - Dayton lost to VCU in the Atlantic 10 final. Take a flyer on the Flyers. But, shouldn't it be spelled fliers? Never mind. They'll probably lose in the next round.

OK, since everybody figures the Wildcats will be crowned national champions come April 6, the Midwest region where Kentucky is the #1 seed and the #1 overall seed in the tournament starts the region-by-region breakdown.

Midwest Region

You've already penciled in Kentucky, right? For the remainder, follow our tips, which means #12 Buffalo (MAC champs) over #5 West Virginia (at-large) is the main upset. After Kentucky, the 2, 3, and 4 seeds should all win. In the 6-11 match-up, Butler (6) should handle Texas (11). Wichita State and Indiana, that's a toss-up. Flip a coin. And, #9 Purdue should handle #8 Cincinnati.

After the opening round, keep to our tips and keep this in mind. Kansas lost in their conference tournament. They are not that good and could conceivably lose either of their first two games. Notre Dame won their's. If they meet, the Irish will move forward ad probably lose to Kentucky in the regional final.

West Region

OK, now it gets interesting, because the #1 seed, Wisconsin, may not get through to the Final Four. They might, but #2 Arizona, #3 Baylor and #4 North Carolina all look pretty darn good.

In the opening round, #7 VCU should oust #10 Ohio State. The winner of the BYU-Ole Miss game gets #6 Xavier on Thursday night and could easily upset. Oregon (8) over Oklahoma State (9) and #12 Woffard will give #5 Arkansas a heck of a time. That's a key game, but Arkansas is likely to pull through.

After the opening round, this region looks pretty chalky and could easily end up with the top four seeds. In that case, Wisconsin will likely get past North Carolina and Arizona should beat Baylor. Arizona is a very good choice to win this region. They won the PAC-12 tournament and the PAC-12 isn't getting much respect.

East Region

Winners of the Big East, Villanova, the #1 seed, looks vulnerable, but the competition in this region is weak. This could be the one that blows up. The 8-9 game, NC State vs. LSU is a pure toss-up, as is the 5-12 game, Northern Iowa and Wyoming. Both won their conference tournaments, but Wyoming might be the ultimate sleeper pick. Might not, but, if they win, you'll look awesome... for about a day.

Providence, the 6 seed, could be awesome, but they may fall to the winner of the play-in game, Boise St. or Dayton. Michigan State got in as a 7, and they look good for at least a win, but they'll probably lose to Virginia in the next round. Also, #4 Louisville has trouble scoring at times and UC-Irvine won the Big West. Could be the upset of the weekend. Any combination could end up in the regionals, but stick with #2 Virginia. One could take Villanova, Virginia, UC-Irvine, Oklahoma, Providence or Michigan State to make the Final Four. This is wide open.

South Region

Duke got the #1 seed in this region and should make it through the first weekend without a problem. After that, Utah could beat them, or, either (2) Gonzaga or (3) Iowa State in the regional final, should knock them out. But, they're good, and they're Duke, but, you don't really want to pick Duke, do you?

As usual, the 8-9 (San Diego St. vs. St. John's) game is unpickable. #5 Utah is a good sleeper in this region, as is #10 Davidson. #11 UCLA should slip by SMU, but they'll lose to a very strong Iowa State team, winners of the Big 12 tournament.

Georgetown is the weakest #4 team in the tournament. #13 Eastern Washington (Big Sky champions) could get them. If not, Utah surely will in the following round.

#2 Gonzaga is one of just three teams that could beat Kentucky, though that's a questionable call. The other two are Notre Dame and Arizona.

Final Four: Midwest plays West, East plays South. Whichever team comes out of the South region will beat the East region representative, which means, either Gonzaga, Iowa State, or, heaven forbid, Duke, could meet the Wildcats in the Final. Arizona could upset Kentucky, but not likely.

Kentucky wins. Didn't we say that already?

Sam Dower Leads Gonzaga to 13th WCC Title; 12 Teams In Tourney

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Sam Dower scored 20 points, going 10-for-16, and snagged 13 rebounds to lead Gonzaga to the West Coast Conference tourney championship with a 75-64 win over BYU.

The Bulldogs (28-6, 15-3 WCC) won their 13th WCC title since joining the conference in 1979. They will be in the NCAA tournament field for 16th straight season.

Including the Bulldogs, four more teams punched their tickets to the big dance. A total of twelve teams have now received automatic invitations.

North Dakota State upended IPFW, 60-57, capturing the Summit League; Milwaukee took down Wright State, 69-63, to wrap up the Horizon League championship; and, Mount St. Mary's took down Robert Morris, 88-71, in the Northeast Conference title game.

Kevin Pangos Scores Career-High 34 Points for Gonzaga; Syracuse Captures Maui Title

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Gonzaga's trip to the Hawaiian Islands for the Maui Invitational didn't exactly live up to expectations when the Bulldogs lost their opening-round game to Dayton, Monday night, 84-79.

However, Dayton being a pretty good team and it being early in the season, the 11th-ranked Bulldogs took the defeat in stride, went on to hammer Chaminade, 113-81, on Tuesday and rolled to a 91-81 win over Arkansas Wednesday, largely on the sharp-shooting of junior guard, Kevin Pangos.

The 6'2" Canadian drilled seven of eight from beyond the three-point arc and hit 10 of 15 shots overall to lead the Bulldogs with a career high 34 points.

Regarded as one of the best pure shooters around, Pangos hit seven of eight from the foul line, grabbed three rebounds and dished out four assists.

Gonzaga took a 38-31 lead into the break and maintained their lead in the second half as Pangos threw down 19 points in the final 20 minutes.

The nation's top team in shooting percentage at a cool 57%, the Bulldogs improved to 6-1 on the season, while their star shooter increased his scoring average to an even 20 points per game.

Wrapping up the Maui tournament, Minnesota dumped Chaminade, 83-68, Dayton topped Cal, 82-64, and #8 Syracuse took the championship, 74-67, over #18 Baylor, led by C.J. Fair's 24 points.

NCAA Tourney: Thursday Second Round Early Games Results

Midwest Region

(3) Michigan State 65 (14) Valparaiso 54 - Widebody Derrick Nix led the Spartans with game highs in scoring and rebounds, with 23 and 16, respectively.

Michigan State had a huge rebounding edge of 44-20, including 17 on the offensive end, nine of which were hauled in by Nix. After Michigan State took a 35-18 lead into the half, the contest was never in doubt.

(4) St. Louis 64 (13) New Mexico State 44 - Dwayne Evans scored a game-high 24 points as the Billikens easily outpaced the Aggies, advancing to play the Oregon Ducks on Saturday.

(6) Memphis 54(11) St. Mary's 52 - The Tigers dodged a bullet, beating the Gaels by a bucket. St. Mary's Matthew Dellavedova hoisted a three-point shot as time expired, but missed, advancing the only entrant from conference USA onto the next round. Memphis will face Michigan State on Saturday.

(12) Oregon 68 (5) Oklahoma State 55 - This is technically an upset (12 beating a 5), though it's difficult to comprehend how the Ducks, who won the PAC-12 tournament, were seeded so low, while the Cowboys, respectable at 13-5 (third) in the Big 12 got a 5-seed.

No matter, the Ducks dominated the proceedings, opening up an 11-point lead at the half and never being challenged, eventually leading by as many as 15. Arsalan Kazemi scored 11 points and was a monster on the glass with 17 rebounds. The Ducks had a massive rebounding edge of 45-29. Damyean Dotson led the scoring parade with 17.

East Region

(6) Butler 68 (11) Bucknell 56 - Bucknell actually out-shot Butler by a smidge - 37.1-36.4% - but the Bulldogs took better care of the rock, turning it over just four times, and had a slight rebounding edge, 36-30. Center Andrew Smith was a powerhouse, with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Butler will face Marquette in the third round on Saturday.

(4) Marquette 59 (13) Davidson 58 - Miraculously, Marquette ended the nation's longest winning streak at 17, coming from seven points down with 1:33 to play, to narrowly oust the Wildcats from the tournament. Down the stretch, Vander Blue made a pair of free throws, then made a three bracketed by a pair of three-pointers by Jamil Wilson to draw to within one.

Davidson threw away an inbounds pass with 6.7 seconds left, giving Marquette a final chance and Vander Blue made a running layup with one second on the clock to escape the possible 14-3 upset. Blue (16 points) was just 5-for-15 from the field, but he and Wilson (4-for-13, 14 points) made the shots when they counted.


West Region

(8) Wichita State 73 (9) Pittsburgh 55 - The first team from a major conference has fallen, and it didn't take long, happening on the first full day of the tournament, Wichita State, out of the Missouri Valley, topped Pitt from the Big East in a result that wasn't even close. The Shockers went on a 15-8 run to close out the first half and the Panthers were never able to cut the lead to less than four.

Malcolm Armstead and Cleanthony Early lead the Shockers in scoring with 22 and 21, respectively. Three-pointers came at a premium, with the Panthers hitting just one of 20 and Wichita State making two of 20. Pitt committed 27 fouls, sending the Shockers to the line 41 times, where they made 33. The Shockers face #1 seed Gonzaga in round three.

(1) Gonzaga 64 (16) Southern 58 - The Jaguars threw quite a scare into the top-seeded Bulldogs. Southern tied the game at 54 with just over four minutes left, but couldn't connect down the stretch and Gonzaga played cool under pressure. Derrick Beltran scored 21 for Southern, but was equalled by Kelly Olynyk, who scored 17 of his 21 in the second half to go with 10 rebounds.

Despite a huge, 36-20, edge in rebounding, Gonzaga shot only 42%, which kept the Jaguars in the game.

Kelly Olynyk Leads Gonzaga into Tourney; Iona Takes MAAC

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, March 11, 2013



Gonzaga defeated St. Mary's in the West Coast conference tourney final to stamp their ticket to the NCAA tournament with emphasis, winning by a decisive, 65-51, score.

It was the third time Gonzaga had defeated St. Mary's this season; the Gaels will have to wait until selection Sunday to see if they receive an at-large invitation.

The Bulldogs were led by center Kelly Olynyk, who topped the scoring charts with 21 points and added 12 rebounds. Olynyk was 7-for-12 from the field and made seven of nine from the foul line.

Ranked #1 in the nation, Gonzaga completed a 16-0 season in conference and has the best overall record in the college ranks at 31-2.

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Iona defeated Manhattan, 60-57, to take home the Metro Atlantic Athletic conference championship. Tre Bowman came off the bench for the Gaels to lead all scorers with 20 points, making seven of nine from the field and all four of his free throw attempts.

Kelly Olynyk, Elias Harris Too Much for BYU as Gonzaga Rebounds

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 24, 2013 BYU is an improved team this season, but they'll have to go a ways in order to compete with the top team in the WCC, as Gonzaga proved too powerful on the interior, cruising to an easy, 83-63, home win over the Cougars.

Seven-footer, Kelly Olynyk, was perfect both from the field and the foul line, making nine of nine shots and hitting all eight of his free throws for a game-high 26 points.

Falling just one rebound short of his third double-double of the season, Olynyk wiped the boards with nine rebounds.

Complementing his center's perfect play, Elias Harris did get his third double-double of the season, chipping in with 26 points on 8-for-11 shooting and 9-for-13 from the foul line with 10 boards.

The Bulldogs got off early and were up 40-21 at the half. For the game, they held BYU to just 36% shooting and out-rebounded them 37-29. The Bulldogs shot 57% for the game.

Gonzaga was coming off a last-second, one-point loss at Butler, but showed no negative hangover effect, winning for the 18th time against just two losses.

The Bulldogs lead the West Coast Conference with a 5-0 mark, trailed by St. Mary's (5-1), and 5-2 BYU.

Kelly Olynyk Leads Gonzaga over St. Mary's; Arizona Tastes First Defeat in 70-66 Loss at Oregon

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 10, 2013

The biggest upset of the night came late into it, as the Oregon Ducks won their 17th straight home game, downing the Arizona Wildcats, 70-66, with balanced scoring, quality distribution and a nagging defense.

The 13-2 Ducks had 10 steals and six blocked shots against the previously unbeaten Wildcats (14-1), forcing 14 turnovers. As a team, Oregon dished 17 assists. The result left just two undefeated teams within the college ranks: #1 Duke and #2 Michigan.

Even later into the night, the #9 Gonzaga Bulldogs continued an impressive run with their seventh straight win, this time holding home court against their cheif rival in the WCC, the St. Mary's Gaels, 83-78.

Seven-footer, Kelly Olynyk, was unstoppable in the post, hitting 11 of 19 shots for a game-high 31 points, fresh on the heels of a 33-point outburst at Santa Clara this past Saturday.

Olynyk was 8-for-11 from the foul line and snatched eight rebounds, three on the offensive end.

The 16-1 Bulldogs now share the West Coast Conference lead at 3-0 with BYU. San Diego is a half game back at 2-0