PICK: Furman (+5.5 at FOX Bet) to lose by fewer than 5.5 points (or win outright) I’ll be waiting for a first-half line in this game, which features an overrated UVA team that just lost a glue guy, forward Ben Vander Plas, for the season with a fractured hand.įurman led the country in 2-point shooting and has one of the best young coaches in college hoops, Bob Richey, making his NCAA Tournament debut. PICK: Drake (+3 at FOX Bet at time of pick) to lose by fewer than 3 points (or win outright) Miami lost forward Norchad Omier to an ankle injury in the ACC Tournament, and if he can’t play, the Hurricanes are in trouble. Tucker DeVries, son of Drake coach Darian DeVries, was a Top 100 recruit with offers from Florida, Oregon and Iowa State, among others. They’re a terrific shooting team, ranking 46th in the country in 3-pointers and 20th in free-throw percentage. The Bulldogs steamrolled the competition in the Missouri Valley Tournament, winning every game by 12 or more points. PICK: Arkansas (-2 at FOX Bet) to win by more than 2 points The Illini have one win over a tourney team in six weeks ( Northwestern, at home), and even that win required a furious second-half comeback. The 3-point shooting (304th in the country) concerns me, but the athleticism and length on defense might overwhelm Illinois. But all five losses were to tourney teams. The Razorbacks are a tricky handicap because their best player, Nick Smith, missed much of the season with an injury, and his return to the lineup has been a bumpy one as Arkansas is just 1-4 in its past five games. PICK: Kansas State (+900 at FOX Bet) to win East Region This is a long shot, but I had to take it because I like the Nowell matchup against Marquette’s best player, Tyler Kolek. First-year coach Jerome Tang has zero March Madness experience, but what he does have is a tenacious defense (19th in efficiency), an elite point guard in 23-year-old Markquis Nowell, and eight wins this season against tournament teams.ĭepth is an issue after the starting five, but in terms of experience, they’re 16th in the tournament.
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