Friday Five, +1 & More

The excitement is mounting!

I will keep it simple, and give my Fab Five for Friday (plus 1, added late), and then the rest of the picks.

9:25 AM pst

Gonzaga +2 vs Davidson. Gonzaga is simply going to be better. Austin Daye is a lottery pick, and rumor is that one of the assistants at Gonzaga finally told him to just step up. He is the go to man on this team. No one else on the court will be able to keep up.

4:10pm Games

Mississippi St. -2.5 vs Oregon. I don't think the Ducks are physical enough to stay with Miss. St. I am actually going to add this as a top pick!

6:45PM pst. All late games, perfect for a 10-1 four team parlay

Villanova +6 vs Clemson. Guard play and experience keep them in it. A late three may be an upset, but a very likely cover!

Arkansas +1.5 vs Indiana. Hoosiers have lost their mojo, Razorbacks are hungrier!

Memphis -25 vs Texas Arlington. It will happen late first half, early second have. UT-Arlington will try to run with Memphis, and it will get ugly. 25 point spreads are nothing new for Memphis.

Boise St. +13.5 vs Louisville. This is just too many points. Boise is built like an SEC team with solid bodies across the line. They won't be overwhelmed by Louisville or the press. Take the points, and don't be surprised if they are up early.


The rest of the games:

9:30 am pst

Tennessee -20 vs American. Too many steals, and too many Smiths!

St. Mary's +1 vs Miami. Another classic good team vs good athletes. I take Randy Bennett to pull this off.

Drake -4 vs Western Kentucky. Too many 3's! Keep the dream alive for The Drake!

12 Noon Games

Marlyand Baltimore County +20 vs Georgetown. Take the points, slow tempo will keep this close for a long time.

San Diego +11 vs UConn. Too many points. Uconn is playing well, and they will advance. But the WCC has a way of sneaking up on folks. Look for Rob Jones, WCAL stud, to have a big game as a freshman!

Texas -16 vs Austin Peay. This is a #1 seed. They will Win by 20.

Butler -4 vs South Alabama. Butler has too much experience, and they shoot free throws very well, they will win by just under 10, but don't lay a ton here.

4:00 pm PST games

Vanderbilt -7 vs Siena. Good 3 point shooting team will punish the back end of the pressure and pull away late for a double digit win.

North Carolina -31 vs Mt. St Mary's. No mercy. Heels will play starters a lot of minutes to jack up the stats.

St. Joseph's +2 vs Oklahoma. I am not a big Sooner fan, and despite the best efforts of Blake Griffin, they will lose to a streaking St. Joe's Squad!

Good Luck
B. Anthony

Money’s picks

We have four very good number 1 seeds, which oddly enough were ranked in the top four in the Pre-season rankings. A lot of the experts are picking the number 1 seeds to reach the final four and it is tough to disagree with that theory. I don’t think we will see all four number 1 teams reach, but likely there will be three. Finding the one that misses out is the key.

My final four picks are;

Louisville
Kansas
Memphis
UCLA

I believe UCLA will beat Kansas in the championship game. I also believe that a lot of people will share these thoughts as well. While I think the final four may be cut and dry I believe there will be some “upsets” from the lower seeded teams throughout the tournament. Let’s break it down by region.

EAST;
This is a tough region with the best teams fighting to get a chance to make the final four. An argument could be made that North Carolina, Tennessee and Louisville could win the whole thing. These teams won’t be meeting each other in the final four. These will be Sweet 16 and Great 8 match-ups. In addition to those top teams, you have a solid # 4 team in Washington State, a great #5 team in Notre Dame, the best #7 team in Butler, two competitive teams at 8 and 9 and South Alabama playing a home game at 10. The number 11 seed, St. Joseph’s will beat Oklahoma. Wow. Those are some good teams, and the winner of this bracket should be applauded.

Bracket winner;
I like Louisville. I think they have a great mixture of size, skill and smarts. This will be tough to come out of this bracket, but I have the most confidence in the Cardinals. UNC is good, but frankly, I don’t think they are dominant. Tennessee goes through scoring droughts against weak SEC teams, but they will still win. Against better competition, they will lose.

Sleeper team;
I think St. Joseph’s will beat Oklahoma. The sooners are hurt and simply not that good. Martelli has some good athletes and will ensure these kids are ready to compete. I also think South Alabama will beat Butler and give Tennessee a good run for their Money. Indiana is toast. They have great players, but their season ended when Sampson’s rollover minutes expired.

MIDWEST;
This is a weak bracket. Wisconsin won the Big Ten regular season and tournament, yet they are a three? No respect for the Big Ten and I agree with that decision. I think the Hoyas are good, but not as dominant as they should be. What a treat to see Mayo and Beasley in the first round. K State will lose. Vanderbilt is totally overrated and probably loses in the first round. Clemson is solid, but can’t make free throws and only plays great against UNC and Duke. Kent state rolls in the first game.

Bracket winner;
Kansas is somehow underrated. Everyone was talking about Georgetown and Pitt, and UNC and Duke and Memphis and Tennessee, but who is playing better than Kansas? Nobody. The only thing holding these guys back is their history of losing in the tournament. This is their year since they are somewhat under the radar.

Sleeper team;
I like Villanova to make a run to the sweet 16. I think they beat Clemson and will beat Vanderbilt or Sienna in the second round. This is more based on Clemson falling apart and Vanderbilt sucking. Watch out for U$C. This team is dangerous and Mayo is finally playing like a stud. Whoever wins the 7/10 game will give the Hoyas trouble. I think it will be Davidson.

SOUTH;
Memphis, the number 1 seed could be playing Texas in Texas in the Regional finals. That does not seem fair. I wish Texas had a tougher draw, because I simply don’t believe in them. Offensively, they are great. Defensively, they need help and this will be their downfall. They will make every game they play close, even though they will be favored by double digits. Michigan state is horrible. Pitt is tough, but had their run. Stanford is boring and ugly but good.

Bracket winner;
Memphis, despite their poor free throw shooting, will get to the final four. They are a great team but won’t be hurt by their poor free throw shooting until they play UCLA in the final four.

Sleeper team;
None. I guess I could say Marquette, but they aren’t really a sleeper. I do think their guards and defense will give Stanford trouble. Mississippi state is really good and will roll over the Ducks who should not have made the tournament. Temple wins their first game, as does Saint Mary’s.

WEST;
UCLA got a break. Who is going to stop them? Themselves. If Love’s back is still sore or Luc Richard can’t go, then they may have some trouble. Otherwise, Cakewalk city! The bottom half of the bracket is crazy. You could put all six teams in a hat (Belmont and Georgia excluded) and pencil them in the Great 8. All 6 of those teams can be very good and can be very beatable too. My dark horse team is West Virginia.

Bracket winner;
ULCA is an easy choice and my pick to win it all.

Sleeper team;
West Virginia or Arizona will beat Duke, and as I said earlier the lower half of this bracket will be a mess. Maybe they end up playing Baylor. All teams in the lower half of this bracket are sleepers. BYU beats Texas A&M. Drake will shoot 3’s all day long and never go in the paint to meet Thabeet. If they are hot, they beat UConn.

Best Bets Thursday;

9:35am
TEMPLE +6.5 vs. Michigan state
Good start and easy pick for our first bet.

Noon
PURDUE -3 vs. Baylor
I like this Purdue team. Baylor is a mess right now.

KENT STATE -2 vs. Unlv
I love this game. Kent state is really good and will handle UNLV easily.

4:15pm
U$C -2.5 vs. Kansas state
Mayo and team are ready to roll through this tournament. Beasley does not a backcourt.

BYU +2 vs. Texas A&M
BYU is always great for an early round win or two. I love betting against the Aggies.

Best Bets Friday;

9:30am
SAINT MARY’S +1 vs. Miami
ACC is down and so is Miami.

DAVIDSON -2 vs. Gonzaga
Home game for Davidson. Gonzaga is too inconsistent for me.

11:45am
SOUTH ALABAMA +4.5 vs. Butler
Yes, they lost at home in their tourney, but they will give Butler trouble and win this game in Mobile.

4:15pm
ST. JOSEPH’S +1.5 vs. Oklahoma
I love this game. The sooners are overrated and hurt.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -2.5 vs. Oregon
MSU plays great defense. The ducks don’t.

SIENA +7 vs. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt is the worst 4 seed in the tournament. Vandy has had huge wins, unfortunately, they were all at home. Siena wins the game.

6:45pm
ARKANSAS +1.5 vs. Indiana
Indiana has totally collapsed.

VILLANOVA +6 vs. Clemson
Poor free throw shooting will hurt Clemson in this one. Nova escapes with a win and advances to the sweet 16.

Money

DAY 1

There is a lot of information to be gathered, but let me just give you B. Anthony's top four games, and then I will break down the rest of my picks by time.

9:20 AM PST Game

Georgia +8 vs Xavier. I need a Dog, and what better dog than a Bulldog that won 3 games in 20 minutes!!!! Keep Cinderella dancing. I think they lose, but they cover, and this line may go up to 9. Public is all against Georgia, which means they are wrong!

1:10 PST Game

Stanford -14.5 vs Cornell. Again, a team I haven't had a lot of success with, but they are dominant right now. Especially against an Ivy squad.

4:10 PST games

Duke -19.5 vs Belmont. I don't like the Dukies, but this has 20 point blowout written all over it. Experience, pressure and the like make for a big advantage.

USC -2.5 vs Kansas St. I have been pumping Beasley all year, but this KState team is not good enough to beat the triangle and two, and USC is built for the tournament. They will make a run, and it will start out with an easy win over the Wildcats

The Rest

9:25-9:30 am Games

Kansas -25 vs Portland St. Kansas is well equipped for a route. A lot of points, but this is a very deep, healthy team.

Temple +7 vs Michigan St. This is a grind it out physical battle. I like this many points. Take the Owls, but MSU advances.

11:45 am Games

Kentucky +4.5 vs Marquette. Gillespie knows how to get the most out of his team. Defense will keep them in it. James and McNeal will hit some big stretch down the stretch, but take the points in this barn burner.

Purdue -3 vs Baylor. Young, talented, cocksure squad will win this one against the Bears. Big 10 is always underrated, I think they will have a few teams advance. Purdue is one of them.

Kent St. -1.5 vs UNLV. Rebels won their tournament because they were at home. Kent State has winning in their blood this year. They advance!

Oral Roberts +10 vs Pitt. Pitt is playing great and does win this game, but double digits is too much. they will grind this one out, but ORU has experience and will hang around for a while. I think Pitt's success in New York will get to their heads and they will start slow in this game. Hopefully, Pitt will be trailing and you can load up on them in the 2nd half, and win two ways in this game!

4:10 PM PST games

Winthrop +9 vs Washington St. Great game, too many points for a low scoring offense. Again the winning team won't cover, but the Cougars dance on. Take the points.

BYU +2 vs Texas A&M. Experience wins out, and A&M is just too inconsistent. Tough game, don't lay a lot here!

6:30Pm PST games

West Virginia -2 vs Arizona. Too much confusion at U of A. New coach and Lute not seeing eye to eye, and Huggins is angry. He will limit Bayless to less than 12 points.

George Mason +7 vs Notre Dame. Irish should pull this off, but it will be close. The post play of George Mason and the experience will keep them in it. Plus ND won't shoot like they do at home!

Wisconsin -12 vs Cal St. Fullerton. Too much defense. Sorry Bobby Burton. An old friend only gets you so far!

UCLA -32.5 vs Mississippi Valley St. One route that will happen, despite the best efforts. 100-55.

good luck

B. Anthony

More information!

Who is likely Dark Horse pick?

Only a few teams out there that can surprise from a high seed.

West Virginia. Beatable AZ and Duke in first 2 rounds. If they get on roll shooting that 3, anything can happen.

Davidson. Everyone loves to cheer for this little suckers. Curry can fill it up, and experience helps, but I am not quite sold. You might be!

St. Joseph's. Likely one win, but tough to get past the next round with Louisville!

Georgia. What the hell, if they can have another weekend like the last, maybe they will be in the sweet sixteen this time next week?

Enjoy for now

B.Anthony

Time for "The Truth" to shine!

The least productive work week of the year:

1st thing Monday Morning: Go over all of the lines for NCAA and NIT tourney. At least 50 games to observe! This could go into Monday Afternoon!

9:00am Move on to the pools and sort through how many you should submit, and should you make them all the same, or all very different. Determine if you really are good this year, or should you just let the computer pick randomly for you? (by the way, at least one of my pools will be generated by the computer, just for comparison shopping)

10:30am. Start sending the pool to as many people as you can to increase the pot in your pool, because you are now convinced you can win money!

10:45am. Start to worry that a. someone else will win the pool and you wasted your time and money, and a brief hint of guilt flashes through your head about the lack of productivity. Don't worry it is very brief!

11:00am. Figure out if you should go back and change your picks. Look at how many #1 seeds you have in the final four, and go back and check history to realize four #1 seeds seldom get there. Send emails to all the people you invited to join the pool, and remind them to do the same! Network marketing at its best.

Change the day, and repeat until Wednesday!

Okay, I imagine you get the point, and this pattern will repeat itself until Wednesday night when we are tossing and turning in bed waiting for Thursday morning. Or for the lucky ones, you will be losing your money at the BlackJack table in vegas at 4am, waiting for 9am games to start.

B. Anthony is not quite ready to pick all the games for you, but let's have a little pre-tournament story, and selection Sunday Recap!

The top seeds were obvious and no one is surprised. Wisconsin is still underrated. They will likely play very ugly games, but it is hard not to pick them to advance. It is amazing how TEAMS, continue to advance, while PLAYERS, are eliminated.

The Mid-Major conferences were mostly rewarded. And I don't have a problem with it. If you have a great season, you deserve to be in the tournament. I actually think VCU got more screwed than ASU. They had a great year and deserve and opportunity. ASU had an average season, they will be better next year and will likely go to the NIT final four at MSG. (by the way, Sendek is a great coach) While we are on the topic, Arizona should not be in the tournament, but they will likely advance because no one expects it.

Who is playing great?

Pitt
Wisonsin
Clemson
Stanford, (I hate these guys, but they can beat a lot of people)
Kansas

By the way, what about Georgia!? 3 games in 30 hours! Best thing I have ever seen. Hard to bet against them, but what more can they do. I say that they run into a buzz saw against a well rested Xavier team!

I will be back with Thursday's games this afternoon! NIT will be available as well!!!!

Enjoy the tourney

B. Anthony
220-179-9 Year to Date.
(We picked more games this year than ever before) Just over 55%.

This is the start of my ineffectiveness

My hand starts to shake today. Answers to questions directed to me from my boss or wife are typically "Brackets" or "Kansas" over the next month. I will call my son or daughter "Bulldog" and my allegiance to a team and "who do I like" will change by the minute.

Today is the start of the best month of the year. We have four games today, that I am not totally interested in, and then the Selection show at 3pm. What follows is a month of madness and then the start of Baseball. Fun.

As of today, Joey Brackets has the following number 1 seeds;

North Carolina
Memphis
UCLA
Kansas

This makes sense to me. I don't think Tennessee should be a number 1 seed. This assumes that KU beats Texas, which I think they will. If Texas wins, they may end up being the number 1 seed.

CLEMSON +5.5 vs. North Carolina
Clemson knocks off Duke for the time. Up next UNC? I don't think so, but I will take the points.

ARKANSAS -7.5 vs. Georgia
I like the feel good story for Georgia, but the run ends here.

KANSAS -6 vs. Texas
Nobody is talking about the Jayhawks, but who is playing better than them right now?

WISCONSIN -6.5 vs. Illinois
This one won't even be close. With that said, I would love to have Wisconsin as the number 2 seed in my bracket.

Money