I don’t know about y’all…but I’m still buzzing from this weekend of college basketball. It’ll be interesting to see this week’s bracketology after the top 6 teams in the country tripped up this weekend with some terrible bad beats (Kentucky inconsequential 3 pointer). We’re focusing on quality over quantity with picks today with only 19.5 games played today, so we’ll include some wrap-up notes as well.
Too Long, Didn’t Read
Game of the night: SDSU(-2)@Wyoming 129.5
Picks
South Carolina State +10
Baylor -1.5
Game of the Night
SDSU(-2)@Wyoming 129.5
The Aztecs made the Pokes chances of winning the regular season conference title much more difficult by missing 2 free throws while up by 1 against Boise State and fouling a dude with 1.3 seconds left to lose in ridiculous fashion. I’m not bitter at all, but I hope we beat these sons of bitches by 40. A rational, unbiased human being would talk about how San Diego State is the hungrier dawg in this fight and have the second ranked defense in the nation to slow down our big 2–but I am not that human being. We’ve yet to lose in the dome of doom, we’re gonna bury these shmucks, and Nevada/the sheep are going to help us win the regular season conference championship. LFG.
Picks
South Carolina State+10@Howard
I’ll take these big lines if it’s a wagon of a progrum against a middling/shitty team in a conference, but this isn’t the case with these two teams. It’s Norfolk State and everyone else in the MEAC, so I love the value with SCSU here.
Baylor-1.5@Texas
Set up an additional TV in your mancave for this secondary game of the night. I really thought the game against Kansas would expose Baylor’s lack of depth after losing Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua a few weeks ago, but credit to them for weathering the early storm and finding a way to win. Their depth is still a concern, but their starting 5 are more than capable of leading them to another Final Four. This might be a good team to live bet if they start getting into foul trouble.
Weekend Wrap Up
Arkansas is a wagon
Make it 13 wins in the last 14 games for the Hogs. My Final Four future has been getting it done defensively, but the offensive efficiency we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from Eric Musselman is back too. They can beat you with defense or offense and will put you away with free throws. I love this team.
Ike and Maldo are back
It was a quintessential trap game for Wyoming, but they took care of business against Nevada. After getting locked down by the sheep, the dynamic duo paired for 45 points on Saturday. We’ll need it again tonight against SDSU.
Saint Mary’s is legit
I think everyone started questioning the Gaels after losing to Santa Clara last month, but they put up a “good showing” against the Zags (a 16 point loss on the road) 1 week later, beat both San Francisco and BYU at home and stormed the court after beating Gonzaga Saturday night. Hand up, I’ve been disrespecting the WCC, but Saint Mary’s resume is incredible.
The Pac-12 is full of frisky teams
I’m in the Oregon belongs in the tournament camp, and I think Colorado’s win against UofA reinforces this claim. I’m not going to go into any long transitive property spiel that puts ASU in the bubble conversation like Bill Walton did, but from Colorado to Cal in the Pac-12 standings, nobody would want to play these teams because they’re still talented and they’ll wreck your resume. What a great time to buy stock in the Wildcats
The National Champion will come from the SEC (but still sprinkle Villanova)
Between Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky (sprinkle in Bama), the SEC has 4 legit contenders for the title. A few weeks ago I felt like it was a Cal year, now I think it might just be a south year…if it wasn’t for the Big East. I love Villanova and UConn, I’m not going to panic after Villanova lost to UConn this weekend, the team with the highest free throw percentage will be able to close out games against any opponent.
It feels like torture to have such as small slate after such a fun weekend, but there are some incredible matchups on the horizon and conference tournaments (the real madness) start up for some leagues this week. Buckle up, love you, bye.
The Morning Flush 