Hello Again Friends... and welcome to the greatest annual sporting event of the year. That time of year when we celebrate the finest men in amateur athletics competing for the highest prize in amateur basketball.

Because you've heard enough of me droning on in my monotone, let's kick it over to my broadcast partner.



Whoops... that must be his face after he got busted for soliciting a prostitute back in January. Which is a sad time in the career for Greg Anthony, but great news for all college basketball fans. Because that means for the first time ever...



ONIONS!!!!!!



Holy **** after like 30 years of being the most fun, energetic, and all around greatest college basketball color commentator, Bill Raftery finally gets the opportunity to call the Final Four this year. For those of you unfamiliar with Raf... first, shame on you. Second, watch these videos and enjoy the greatness.



(Sadly no Gus on CBS but this video is too good not to post)

But anyways, he only gets to call a few games before the Final Four so enough about the guys calling the games for now, let's get to the games.

The Bracket



Thursday's Schedule

12:15 Eastern - CBS
Midwest Region #3 Notre Dame vs. #14 Northeastern

The Matchup - These teams are strikingly similar to each other, although Notre Dame is simply more talented. Notre Dame runs a guard heavy lineup around their lone big man Zach Auguste. Both teams are very efficient on offense, Notre Dame coming in as the #1 team in the country in eFG%, and Northeastern is no slouch there at #20 overall. If there is a problem for Northeastern, they have a propensity to turn the ball over too much. They are capable of filling it up so if they shoot well there is some upset potential, but if the Irish can pick up their defense and force some turnovers, this game could get ugly in a hurry.

Player to Watch - Notre Dame #32 Jerian Grant - Notre Dame's #32 can do it all on offense. Shoots the ball well, often the ball runs through Grant on every possession whether it's on him to create his own shot, or if he drives and dishes to one of Notre Dame's capable 3 point shooters.

Kenpom Prediction - Notre Dame 77 - Northeastern 65

Zimmer Prediction - This one gets ugly early. Notre Dame is on a roll, they have an insanely efficient offense, and I don't think Northeastern's offense will be able to keep pace. Would not be shocked if this is a 30 point game.

12:40 Eastern - TruTV (Yes Seriously TruTV)
South Region - #3 Iowa State vs. #14 UAB

The Matchup - Another very fun offensive team to watch here in Iowa State. They space the floor better than almost every team in the country, leaving driving lanes for their very talented slashers. Georges Niang is a 6-8 Hybrid forward/guard with excellent ball handling skills for his size and can also shoot it from outside if he gets an open look. UAB is a solid defensive team with length and athleticism at the guard position, but they can struggle to score the ball offensively.

Player to Watch - Iowa State #1 Jameel McKay - McKay has been coming on very strong at the end of the season with big performances against Oklahoma and Kansas in the Big XII Tournament. He's often Iowa State's lone big man on the court, but he's dynamic in transition and has become a fearsome rebounder as well.

Kenpom Prediction - Iowa St 81 - UAB 69

Zimmer's Prediction - UAB could give Iowa State some issues if they can guard the perimeter tight, but ultimately Iowa State is too good on offense and too well coached to lose this one.

1:40 Eastern - TBS
West Region - #3 Baylor vs. #14 Georgia Southern

The Matchup - Baylor is long and athletic at just about every position other than Point Guard. They don't shoot the ball very well, but they crash the offensive glass more often and better than just about anybody in major college basketball. Therein lies the most interesting matchup of the game as Georgia State excels at preventing offensive rebounds. So this game could be determined by whether or not Baylor, specifically #2 Rico Gathers, can crash the boards. Georgia State features Kevin Ware, back to playing basketball just 2 years removed from that ugly injury he suffered against Duke while playing for Louisville.

Player to Watch - Georgia State #22 RJ Hunter - Hunter is a legit NBA Prospect as a 6'6 guard. He is an excellent perimeter defender and can score in bunches. He had back to back games of 35 and 32 points in the Qtrs and Semis of their conference tournament. If Georgia State has a chance at an upset, it's gonna have to be because Hunter has a big game.

Kenpom Prediction - Baylor 68 - Georgia State 61

Zimmer's Prediction - Baylor wins by 10. Georgia State has athletes to match with Baylor for 40 minutes, but they just struggle too much to score the ball. If Hunter doesn't have an A+ game, then Georgia State has no shot.

2:10 Eastern - TNT
West Region - #2 Arizona vs. #15 Texas Southern

The Matchup - Arizona is a really good basketball team. They are one of the largest teams in the bracket with 4 of 5 starters being 6'6 or larger. They have very few weaknesses, they are good on offense but absolutely terrifying on defense. Texas Southern is a team built around getting to the Free Throw line. That works against the smaller teams they face in the SWAC, and has even propelled them to an upset win in December over Sparty, but they've struggled with most of the major conference teams they've faced, especially ones like Baylor and Florida whose size provides problems for TXSO.

Player to Watch - Arizona #5 Stanley Johnson - This freshman is a surefire lottery pick in next year's draft. Supreme athlete, as a freshman his defense is amazing to watch. I look for Arizona to absolutely suffocate Texas Southern's offensive attack, and Johnson's defense is a major reason why.

Kenpom Prediction - Arizona 78 - Texas Southern 57

Zimmer's Prediction - It isn't even that close. Arizona seemed to have more massive blowout wins than anybody else this year thanks to their incredible defense. If they can do that against the Pac-12 competition I think they sustain that against Texas Southern.

2:45 Eastern - CBS
Midwest Region - #6 Butler vs. #11 Texas

The Matchup - This is an interesting matchup. Two teams who both defend and rebound at a very high level. Texas has a big size advantage with their quartet of big men, Lammert, Turner, Ridley, and Holmes, but Butler went up against plenty of size in the Big East and seemed to fare pretty well. Texas has some issues with turning the ball over. If Butler can step up their defense and force turnovers then they may have an advantage here. Given that neither team looks to get many second chance points, shooting % and foul trouble could be the big keys to this game.

Player to Watch - Butler #24 - Kellen Dunham - Very fun player to watch. Athletic guard that is a very skilled offensive player. If he is getting touches in position to drive or shoot then Butler's offense is capable of running well. Given Texas's shot blocking proclivity, look for Dunham to try to get his looks on the outside in this game.

Kenpom Prediction - Butler 61 - Texas 60

Zimmer's Prediction - Butler wins in a game that is not so close. Texas struggles to score when they can't rely on second chance points and Butler does a very good job of cleaning up the defensive glass. Butler is better coached and can find more ways to score on a tough defense. This game likely will remain in the 50s or 60s and I think Butler is capable of finding enough offense to pull away in the end.

3:10 Eastern - TruTV
South Region - #6 SMU vs. #11 UCLA

The Matchup - Two teams that feature very short rotations, SMU rarely going more than 8 men in the game, and UCLA rarely going more than 7 deep. Given that, look for foul trouble to be a big factor in this game. SMU is superior athletically especially on the front line. UCLA is a team a lot of people had out of the bracket but snuck their way in thanks to the selection committee.

Player to Watch - SMU #5 - Markus Kennedy - Kennedy has been on a roll lately with 5 straight games scoring more than 15 points. He is a great athlete whose best asset is his ability to draw fouls when he gets the ball in the post. If SMU can get out in transition then Kennedy is capable of throwing down some monster dunks.

Kenpom Prediction - SMU 70 - UCLA 67

Zimmer's Prediction - SMU is just better at pretty much every facet of the game. UCLA doesn't have an answer for their athletes and SMU wins comfortably.

4:10 Eastern - TBS
West Region - #6 Xavier vs. #11 Mississippi

The Matchup - Mississippi is currently 1 of 2 teams that is 1-0 in the NCAA Tournament after their furious comeback win over BYU in the First Four game on Tuesday night. Mississippi is a skilled, albeit undersized team, who prides themselves on avoiding turnovers and shooting Free Throws very well. Unfortunately for them, Xavier is a team that can defend well without fouling. Xavier also plays a somewhat smaller lineup centered around do-everything center Matt Stainbrook.

Player to Watch - Xavier #40 - Matt Stainbrook - Stainbrook is a versatile big man who can do it all. He can score from the low block, he is an excellent passer, and if need be, he can bang with, score, and defend against big men of similar size. He's a wide load with a quick first step and an edge of toughness that propelled Xavier to the finals of the Big East Tournament. His success in this game will go a long way towards Xavier's success in the game.

Kenpom Prediction - Xavier 74 - Mississippi 72

Zimmer's Prediction - Ole Miss just has no answer for the big man with the goggles. Ole Miss doesn't get a chance to put their Free Throw prowess to good use, instead it is Xavier shooting Free Throws and holding on to a 6 point win.

4:40 Eastern - TNT
West Regional - #7 VCU vs. #10 Ohio State

The Matchup - Two Teams that love playing up tempo, pressing their opponents into making mistakes, and taking advantage of their athleticism. Ohio State's senior class of Amir Williams, Shannon Scott, and Sam Thompson has been viewed as a disappointment, not living up to their potential, but their lineup this year has been bolstered by contributions from freshman Jae'Sean Tate, and a massive contribution from superstar freshman D'Angelo Russell. VCU has really struggled offensively since the season ending injury to star Briante Weber 10 games ago.

Player to Watch - Ohio State #0 - D'Angelo Russell - Amazing skillset for a freshman, really is fun to watch when he has the ball in his hands. He can shoot, drive, and is already one of the best passers in all of college basketball.

Kenpom Prediction - OSU 70 - VCU 69

Zimmer's Prediction - Very close game, OSU likely winning in a tight one.

In good news the NCAA is going back to calling the real first round (round of 64) the first round again officially starting next year.

Running a $50 bracket if anyone is interested, 20 entrants so far:

Site: yahoo.com
Scoring: Fibonacci (2+3+5+8+13+21)
Buy-in: $50
Max entries per player: 4
Payment methods: Paypal or Venmo (similar to Paypal, quicker cash outs)

PM me if interested

Link: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/40...hread-1517199/

Great OP

PRAISE THE SUN

Evening Games

6:50 PM - TBS
East Region - #1 Villanova vs. #16 Lafayette

The Matchup - Hoo boy this one could get ugly. Two teams that play very good offense, but only one is capable of playing defense. Lafayette is a very respectable 39th in Adjusted Offense, the problem is that they are 339th in Adjusted defense. Villanova comes in sporting the 4th most efficient offense in the country, which should flourish against Lafayette's porous defense. Lafayette really struggles to guard the 3 Point Line, which does not bode well against a team in Villanova that runs a 3-guard offense and spaces the floor incredibly well. If you're someone who criticizes college basketball for not featuring pretty offenses, then give Villanova a try. Every player knows how to handle the ball, and they're the closest to an NBA offense I've seen. No panic when things go wrong, no panic when the shot clock runs down, they always know where the ball should go and how to create good looks for everybody.

Player to Watch - Villanova #4 Darrun Hilliard - If you're looking for a guy who can create instant offense then look no further. Hilliard is capable of filling it up in a hurry. This lefty doesn't always get a ton of looks in Villanova's very balanced offense, but he is a streaky shooter capable of making threes in a hurry.

Kenpom Prediction - Villanova 86 - Lafayette 64

Zimmer's Prediction - There will be a 16 over 1 upset someday, but this is not gonna be it. Villanova is too much for Lafayette to handle, they score the ball with ease and they win in a rout.

7:10 PM - CBS
Midwest Region - #8 Cincinnati vs. #9 Purdue

The Matchup - This one could get ugly but for an entirely different reason. Cincinnati is one of the more offensively challenged teams among the power conference at larges. They hang their hat on defense, and so does Purdue. Both have game changing interior defenders in Cincinnati's #2 Octavius Ellis and Purdue's #20 A.J. Hammons. Points will be at a premium and whoever can make more contested shots will likely win it. Keep an eye on the big men getting in foul trouble as these teams struggle when their big guys are on the bench.

Player to watch - Purdue #0 Jon Octeus - Most people will be watching the trees in the paint as they are good, but I'll be watching Purdue's #0. The super senior transfer from Colorado State plays very tough perimeter defense and is a capable driver. If anybody is going to draw fouls on Ellis it'll likely be Octeus.

Kenpom Prediction - Cincinnati 60 - Purdue 59

Zimmer's Prediction - Purdue by 8. Purdue just has more ways to score the ball than Cincinnati does. Cincinnati being without their coach who is currently battling through a tough illness (get better Mick!) will probably hurt them in tough situations. Probably a game in the low to mid 50s, if you want pretty basketball then keep it tuned to Villanova.

7:20 PM - TNT
West Region - #4 North Carolina vs. #13 Harvard

The Matchup - Interesting stylistic matchup here of one of the most athletic teams in the country vs. the Eggheads. Harvard wants to play a slow, methodical game led by coach Tommy Amaker, while UNC really wants to push the pace and get out and run in transition. I actually like this matchup for Harvard. The two things UNC really excels at are 3 Point defense and Offensive rebounding. Harvard is 326th in % of points that come from 3 pointers, so they can find ways to score that don't involve shooting it from beyond the arc. They also crash the defensive boards and do a good job of cleaning up the glass.

Player to watch - North Carolina #13 J.P. Tokoto - It seems like every time North Carolina is playing well, Tokoto is at the center of it. He is an excellent athlete at 6'6 who can defend the best player on the opposition, grab offensive rebounds, and has a variety of offensive moves in his arsenal. Marcus Paige and Kennedy Meeks will get more pub from the commentators, but UNC's success often relies on Tokoto bringing his A-Game.

Kenpom Prediction - UNC 71 - Harvard 63

Zimmer's Prediction - This comes down to a one possession game. Harvard will be able to get back in transition defense and control the pace of the game. Whether or not they can score enough points to keep up will be the key. I think they can and I think there's good upset potential in this one.

7:27 PM - TruTV
South Region - #5 Utah vs. #12 Stephen F. Austin

The Matchup - In this game it's the favorite that wants to slow the game down and grind it out, and we have a fun underdog that really likes to get out and run. The Southland Conference plays a very fun, fast brand of basketball, and nobody plays it better than Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks have a very impressive resume with only 4 losses. One coming in conference, and the other 3 coming to high seeds Northern Iowa, Baylor, and Xavier. Utah is a Kenpom darling, #8 overall in their rankings despite their 5 seed. They're led by major force Delon Wright who does it all on offense for Utah. SFA may be able to score with Utah, but I feel like they'll struggle to contain Wright.

Player to watch - Stephen F. Austin #0 Thomas Walkup - Walkup is very fun to watch, not the best shooter, so he will look to get into driving lanes and use that to either score or dish for opportunities. Whether or not he can score over Utah's 7 foot freshman Jakob Poeltl is to be seen. Look for Stephen F. Austin to really push any transition opportunities and Walkup to be the leader of most of those opportunities.

Kenpom Prediction - Utah 69 - Stephen F. Austin 63

Zimmer's Prediction - Utah wins pretty comfortably. Utah is beatable, but Wright is one of the best players in the country, and against Stephen F. Austin's undersized front line, I look for him to be able to score in the lane, and if he can't, Poeltl should be able to clean up the glass for second chance opportunities. Upset chance comes in as pretty low in this one.

sick OP

Great OP!

Most exciting two days of sports for me.

Oh and take the under in the cincy game. Can't put that total low enough.

Trying to add up all the equities and implications of each game in all my zillion brackets and drafts is tough.

The only teams I'm certain I'm rooting for tomorrow are Texas, Ohio State, Purdue, Utah, NC State and Eastern Washington, lol.

Yep same thing.

Teams I'm rooting for tomorrow are Baylor, Butler, SMU, and Stephen F. Austin.

Overall themes for me, I'm high on Kentucky, Villanova, Gonzaga, and Wisconsin. Low on Duke, the Big XII, Kansas, and every other non 1 and 2 seed.

Nice writeups man, but your crazy if you think Harvard has much of a chance of winning against UNC. This isn't the same Harvard team that beat Cincy last season in the tournament. They don't shoot it as well and they don't score it as well either. UNC won't even have to get out in transition to win this game relatively easily. All they have to do is get the ball down low to Johnson and Meeks and Harvard isn't going to have much of an answer for that.

Also, I would love to see Georgia State upset Baylor, a team that has overachieved in my mind this year, but I just don't see it happening unless Georgia State just shoots lights out. You pointed out that they excel at keeping opponents off the glass, but Georgia State is actually one of the worst defensive rebounding teams coming in as the 30th worst offensive rebounding team in the country. That will most likely be there downfall in this game since Baylor gets a lot of offensive rebounds like you pointed out.

Sigh misread ratings somehow. Yeah Georgia State is not a very good defensive rebounding team. Outside of Hunter somehow going off massively I don't see them having much of a chance.

When you look up "GOAT SE OP'' in Webster's, this is what you will see.

edit: would love to see Zimmer break down the LSU v lolpack game.

Woooooohoooooo it feels like Christmas morning!!!!!

Can't sleep. Too anxious.
My bold predictions:
neither duke nor UNC make the sweet 16.
A team from Texas will make the final 4.
Eastern Washington wins over gtown by double digits.

Enjoy the games and may all your brackets be perfect.

ZIM

No send in Jerome when you post Raftery videos should lead to a permaban



jk Great OP

Gonna laugh at everyone who takes ewu over gtown

Finally filled out a couple brackets. Homered it up and have Virginia in the finals, but I'm not THAT much of a homer and have Kentucky winning it.

Didn't go with too many upsets. Maybe I should, since I normally suck at these.

Have an MRI at 10:00am, have a stop to make after that, then it's HOOPS for a few hours until I have to take my kid to karate.

Ok. As far as rooting for teams, do you guys actually root for favorites when it's a team you have going far in your brackets, or do you automatically root for the dog and pure madness regardless of torching your brackets?

I'm firmly in the chaos camp.

Other than "your" one team you follow throughout the year I think everyone should be rooting for upsets everywhere.

I generally root for chaos. I haven't been in a pay bracket challenge in years, so I'm almost always just playing for pride. Sometimes I'll casually root for the favorites if I don't mind them and there's a matchup I want to see. For instance, I'd love to see Wisconsin vs. Kentucky, but then again, I don't think I'm actually cheering for either team.

Also, root against Duke no matter what.

Leggooo

So excited. Go EWU and THE OHIO STATE

you guys both forgot HAMPTON. I'm certain I am rooting for them despite having Kentucky in every f4 and winning more brackets than not.

That's exactly how I am. I always root for the dog in any game so long as there not playing against the wolverines. I don't have to worry about that this year though ha.