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I think we all can agree that the first two days of this tournament pass entirely too fast, as we're only on the third day and we're now down to just eight games -- including only one in the early slot. It ramps up by the afternoon, though.
What it starts to lack in quantity, though, it makes up for in quality as the stakes get higher.
Here's a look at a couple of matchups I've got my eye on today:
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 9 Pittsburgh: Much has been made of Tennessee's woeful underseeding, but Pittsburgh is in that same position. Now, Pittsburgh is usually in this position, only to flame out in the early rounds, so nobody usually pays any mind to it. But the Panthers currently are rated No. 14 by kenpom.com, and his math projects a 1 in 3 chance that the Panthers pull off the upset against his No. 1 rated team. That's a higher percentage than what we'd see in the typical second round matchup for a top seed. One thing that could be key: Both teams are superlative offensive rebounders, and both teams are excellent defensive rebounders. If Pitt can gain an advantage there, it could tilt the game in favor of the Panthers.
No. 12 North Dakota State vs No. 4 San Diego State: The Aztecs survived a scare from New Mexico State. Can they avoid the same from the Bison? And is Saul Phillips the next WSU coach? Or is he this year's Andy Enfield, printing money with each win -- especially now that Marquette, in his home state of Wisconsin, has a vacancy? SO MANY QUESTIONS?
REGION | GAME | VENUE | TIME (PT) | TV | ANNOUNCERS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
South | Pittsburgh Panthers (9) vs. Florida Gators (1) | Amway Center (Orlando, FL) | 915a | CBS | Brian Anderson/Dan Bonner//Kristine Leahy |
MidWest | Saint Louis Billikens (5) vs. Louisville Cardinals (4) | Amway Center (Orlando, FL) | 1145a | CBS | Anderson/Bonner//Leahy) |
MidWest | Texas Longhorns (7) vs. Michigan Wolverines (2) | BMO Harris Bradley Center (Milwaukee, WI) | 215p | CBS | Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel//Lewis Johnson |
West | North Dakota State Bison (12) vs. San Diego State Aztecs (4) | Spokane Memorial Arena (Spokane, WA) | 310p | TNT | Spero Dedes/Doug Gottlieb//Jaime Maggio |
South | Dayton Flyers (11) vs. Syracuse Orange (3) | First Niagara Center (Buffalo, NY) | 410p | TBS | Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery//Allie LaForce |
West | Oregon Ducks (7) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (2) | BMO Harris Bradley Center (Milwaukee, WI) | 445p | CBS | Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel//Lewis Johnson |
East | Harvard Crimson (12) vs. Michigan State Spartans (4) | Spokane Memorial Arena (Spokane, WA) | 540p | TNT | Spero Dedes/Doug Gottlieb//Jaime Maggio |
East | Connecticut Huskies (7) vs. Villanova Wildcats (2) | First Niagara Center (Buffalo, NY) | 640p | TBS | Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery//Allie LaForce |