Gonzaga

Bracketology: Saturday Night NCAA Tournament Projection

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:08:23 -0700

The latest Bracketology projection as of 11:00 PM, March 16th. One more day until Selection Sunday.

Why Pay Attention to What I Have to Say: Collegehoops.net's projections have consistently proven to be the best in the business. Over the last 5 years, Shawn Siegel is one of the Top 5 Bracketologists according to the Bracket Project. This ranking includes the likes of Joe Lunardi, Gary Parrish, Jerry Palm, and Andy Glockner.. none of whom come close.

As always, the field below is a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand today, not what they should do. This is done by taking into account standings, polls, computer rankings, and the committee's historical biases. Check out the follow up Bubble Watch for updates about teams on the NCAA Tournament Bubble, and NITology for a ranking of the best of the rest.

Notes:

Arrows indicate how many seeds a team has moved up or down since the previous update. Conference Champ.

ONE

Gonzaga 7

Louisville 3

Duke 1

Kansas 5

TWO

Indiana 10

New Mexico 2

Georgetown 9

Miami 4

THREE

Ohio St 11

Michigan St 8

Florida 6

Marquette 13

FOUR

Michigan 18

Syracuse 12

Kansas St 16

Oklahoma St 27

FIVE

UCLA 23

Saint Louis 22

Arizona 15

Wisconsin 28

SIX

Memphis 14

Pittsburgh 42

Creighton 26

North Carolina 17

SEVEN

Butler 21

VCU 25

Notre Dame 36

Colorado St 19

EIGHT

UNLV 24

Missouri 35

North Carolina St 30

Illinois 40

NINE

Oregon 49

San Diego St 32

Saint Mary's 33

Iowa St 44

TEN

Temple 41

Oklahoma 40

Villanova 52

Cincinnati 48

ELEVEN

Wichita St 37

Minnesota 34

Belmont 20

Ole Miss 50

TWELVE

Boise St 43

Akron 46

Colorado 38 / Tennessee 59

La Salle 45 / UCONN 47 California 53

THIRTEEN + 2

Bucknell 51

South Dakota St 63

New Mexico St 57

Valparaiso 58

FOURTEEN

Davidson 61

Montana 83

Florida Gulf Coast 93

Harvard 94

FIFTEEN

Northwestern St 96

Iona 97

Pacific 105

Western Kentucky 150

SIXTEEN + 2

Albany 128

Long Island 175

James Madison 182 / Liberty 288

Southern 181 / North Carolina A&T 211

Last In: California, Tennessee, La Salle, Colorado

First Out: Maryland 66, Middle Tennessee 31, Kentucky 56, Southern Miss 29

College Basketball Top 50: #2 Gonzaga Hits All-Time High

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:52:42 -0800

Collegehoops.net's Top 50 Power Ranking is your weekly dive into the national college basketball scene. The CHN Top 50 is brought to you before all the other polls late Sunday night. Arrows represent notable moves. (Also: Check out the weekly Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking.)

Top 50 Ranking: February 24th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Indiana	24-3	1
2	Gonzaga	27-2	3
3	Duke	24-3	5
4	Florida	22-4*	2
5	Michigan	23-4	6
6	Miami	22-4*	4
7	Louisville	22-5	8
8	Kansas	23-4	10
9	Arizona	23-4	11
10	Michigan State	22-6**	7
11	New Mexico	23-4	12
12	Georgetown	21-4	15
13	Kansas St	22-5	13
14	Syracuse	22-5*	9
15	Ohio State	20-7	16
16	Oklahoma St	20-6*	14
17	Marquette	19-7*	20
18	Notre Dame	22-6	23
19	Wisconsin	19-8	26
20	Memphis	24-3	28
21	Wichita St	24-5	24
22	Pittsburgh	21-7*	22
23	VCU	22-6*	17
24	Butler	22-6*	18
25	Colorado St	21-6**	19
26	Missouri	19-8*	25
27	Middle Tennessee	25-4	32
28	UNLV	21-7	34
29	San Diego St	20-7	29
30	Minnesota	18-9*	21
31	Saint Louis	21-5	38
32	UCONN	19-7	36
33	NC State	19-8*	31
34	St. Mary's	24-5	41
35	North Carolina	19-8	43
36	Oregon	22-6*	27
37	Creighton	22-7*	30
38	Illinois	20-9*	33
39	UCLA	20-7	39
40	Kentucky	19-8	44
41	Belmont	22-6	43
42	Cincinnati	19-9**	35
43	Temple	19-8	46
44	Maryland	19-8*	42
45	Iowa St	19-8	49
46	Ole Miss	20-7*	37
47	Akron	22-4	NA (52)
48	Virginia	19-8*	48
49	Bucknell	23-5	50
50	La Salle	19-7*	47

* = losses this week

last = last week's ranking

Next Five: Colorado (18-8), Louisiana Tech (24-3), Boise St (18-8), Oklahoma (18-8), Villanova (18-10)

Top 50 Drop Outs (that haven't returned)

			Week
	Baylor		15
	Boise St		14
	BYU		13
	Wyoming		13
	Iowa		11
	Colorado		10
	Murray St		9
	Virginia Tech		7
	Xavier		6
	Alabama		6
	St. Joseph's		5
	Ohio		5
	California		4
	Santa Clara		3
	Tennessee		3
	Northwestern		3
	Florida State		3
	Texas		2
	Northern Iowa		2
	South Alabama		2

week = week dropped out of Top 50

During the season, don't forget to check out the CHN Top 50 Power Ranking every Sunday night!

For more depth, check out the weekly the Non-BCS Top 25 ranking.

You can also revisit the Top 50 archive and view this week's AP Top 25.

Non-BCS Top 25: Gonzaga Still #1 Despite Loss

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:28:47 -0800

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a CollegeHoops.net original, copied by multiple major outlets. As a weekly companion to our popular CHN Top 50 ranking, it takes an in-depth look into the underrated universe of teams outside of the big six. The original Non-BCS ranking.

Non-BCS Top 25: January 20th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Gonzaga	17-2*	1
2	Butler	16-2	3
3	Creighton	17-2*	2
4	New Mexico	16-2	5
5	Wichita St	17-2	7
6	VCU	16-3	8
7	San Diego St	14-4**	4
8	UNLV	15-4*	6
9	Memphis	14-3	10
10	Wyoming	15-2*	9
11	Colorado St	15-3	14
12	Belmont	15-4	16
13	Bucknell	16-3	13
14	Temple	12-5*	12
15	St. Mary's	15-4	18
16	Boise St	13-4**	11
17	BYU	15-5*	15

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
18	MTSU	16-4	20
19	Southern Miss	15-4	24
20	North Dakota St	16-4*	19
21	Saint Louis	12-5*	17
22	Murray St	14-4	22
23	Akron	13-4	25
24	Louisiana Tech	16-3	NA
25	Charlotte	15-3*	21

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: Stephen F Austin (16-1), Xavier (11-6), Lehigh (13-4), Indiana St (12-6), Eastern Kentucky (15-4*)

Further 5: Utah St (14-3**), La Salle (12-5*), Ohio (13-5), Stony Brook (13-5*), Saint Joseph's (10-6*)

Out of Top 25: Utah St (14-3**)

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

Non-BCS Top 25: Gonzga Take #1

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 17:03:52 -0800

Non-BCS Top 25: December 2nd

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Gonzaga	8-0	2
2	Creighton	7-1*	1
3	New Mexico	8-0	3
4	San Diego St	5-1	4
5	UNLV	5-1	5
6	Wichita St	8-0	8
7	Murray St	5-1	7
8	Colorado St	6-0	11
9	Memphis	4-2	9
10	Temple	5-0	13
11	Ohio	6-1*	6
12	Wyoming	8-0	NA(+5)
13	Xavier	6-1	14
14	Bucknell	7-1	19
15	St. Joseph's	4-2*	12
16	VCU	5-3	18
17	Boise St	6-1	NA
18	Belmont	5-2*	16

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
19	Butler	5-2	17
20	St. Mary's	5-2	20
21	Santa Clara	5-2**	10
22	Saint Louis	4-3*	15
23	Southern Miss	6-1*	21
24	Akron	4-2	24
25	Dayton	5-2*	22

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: Illinois St (5-2*), Davidson (4-3), Utah St (4-1), Valparaiso (5-1), Charlotte (7-0)

Further 5: SMU (8-1), UIC (6-1), George Mason (5-3*), Louisiana Tech (7-1), CS Northridge (6-2*)

Out: CS Northridge (6-2*), Illinois St (5-2*)

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

College Hoops Top 50: Creighton & Gonzaga Intop Top 10

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:27:05 -0800

Top 50 Ranking: November 25th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Indiana	6-0	1
2	Michigan	5-0	2
3	Duke	6-0	4
4	Syracuse	4-0	5
5	Ohio State	4-0	6
6	Louisville	5-1*	3
7	Florida	5-0	7
8	Kentucky	4-1	8
9	Creighton	6-0	11
10	Gonzaga	6-0	12
11	Arizona	3-0	13
12	Michigan State	5-1	17
13	North Carolina	5-1*	9
14	Kansas	4-1	18
15	Missouri	5-1*	16
16	Colorado	5-0	19
17	Oklahoma St	5-0	20
18	Cincinnati	6-0	22
19	New Mexico	6-0	33
20	San Diego St	4-1	24
21	Illinois	7-0	NA (+5)
22	NC State	4-1	25
23	Minnesota	6-1*	27
24	UNLV	3-1*	15
25	UCONN	5-1*	21
26	Ohio	5-0	34
27	Pittsburgh	5-1*	31
28	Wichita St	6-0	44
29	California	6-0	NA
30	Notre Dame	5-1	28
31	Georgetown	4-1*	NA
32	Murray St	4-1	36
33	Kansas St	5-1*	39
34	Baylor	4-2*	23
35	Alabama	5-0	35
36	Wisconsin	4-2*	26
37	Marquette	4-1*	37
38	Santa Clara	5-0	45
39	Oregon	5-1*	NA(+5)
40	Memphis	3-2**	14
41	Colorado St	4-0	43
42	St. Joseph's	3-1	38
43	Florida State	4-1	39
44	Temple	3-0	48
45	Northwestern	6-0	NA
46	Tennessee	3-1	42
47	Xavier	5-1*	NA(+5)
48	UCLA	4-2**	10
49	Saint Louis	3-2*	46
50	Belmont	5-1*	49

* = losses this week

last = last week's ranking

Next Five: Butler (3-2*), VCU (3-3**), Arizona St (4-1*), Bucknell (5-1*), Saint Mary's (4-2**)

Top 50 Drop Outs

		Week
St. Mary's	4-2**	2
Texas	3-2**	2
Northern Iowa	3-3***	2
Iowa St	4-2**	2
South Alabama	2-3***	2
VCU	3-3**	2

week = week dropped out of Top 50

During the season, don't forget to check out the CHN Top 50 Power Ranking every Sunday night!

For more depth, check out the weekly the Non-BCS Top 25 ranking.

You can also revisit the Top 50 archive and view this week's AP Top 25.

2012-13 Non-BCS Top 25: November 19th

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 21:11:57 -0800

Non-BCS Top 25: November 19th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Creighton	3-0	x
2	Gonzaga	3-0	x
3	Memphis	2-0	x
4	UNLV	2-0	x
5	San Diego St	2-1	x
6	St. Mary's	3-0	x
7	New Mexico	3-0	x
8	Ohio	3-0	x
9	Murray St	3-1*	x
10	St. Joseph's	2-1*	x
11	Northern Iowa	3-0	x
12	South Alabama	2-0	x
13	Colorado St	3-0	x
14	Wichita St	4-0	x
15	Santa Clara	2-0	x
16	Saint Louis	1-1*	x
17	Temple	2-0	x
18	Belmont	3-0	x
19	VCU	2-1*	x

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
20	Bucknell	5-0	x
21	Butler	1-1*	x
22	Xavier	3-0	x
23	CS-Northridge	6-0	x
24	Akron	3-2**	x
25	Illinois St	3-0	x

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: UCF (3-0), Dayton (3-1*), Davidson (1-2**), Detroit (2-1*), Utah St (2-1*)

Further 5: SMU (3-0), Drexel (1-2**), Southern Miss (2-0), BYU (2-2**), Cleveland St (2-1*)

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 16-30

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:45:04 -0700

With most teams eliminated from competition, its time to start looking ahead to the 2012-13 season. Following up on yesterday's Early 2012-13 Top 15, here are teams 16 to 30.

I had to make many assumptions about the NBA Draft in compiling the following list, and I've noted which assumptions I've made. Once players make their official Draft decisions later in the summer, this ranking will be updated. Also uncertain is where some remaining unsigned recruits will end up. In particular, Shabazz Muhammad (#1 by Rivals.com), Anthony Bennett (#7), Devonta Pollard (#9), and Nerlens Noel (#3 in 2013) remain up for grabs. I purposely made no assumptions about where unsigned prospects will end up. (All prospect rankings are according to the Rivals 150 ranking.)

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 16-30

16 Kansas St Kansas State had a solid season, but they were always a step behind the elite teams. With Jamar Samuels being the lone senior of note, they should be able to take another step forward next year. A pair of solid bigs including 43rd ranked Robert Upshaw join the fray.

17 Memphis The key for Memphis is whether Will Barton decides to enter the Draft. Assuming he doesn't, the Tigers return a talented squad that only loses Wes Witherspoon. Three more 4-star recruits also enter the mix. With Barton back, Memphis has top 10 talent, but it remains to be seen whether Pastner is a top 10 coach.

18 Gonzaga While Robert Sacre graduates, the question remains whether Elias Harris goes pro. If Harris bolts, the roster would be deep, young, and talented, but thin up front. Little used guys like Hart and Spangler would need to emerge as legit contributors. Even without Harris, Gonzaga has top 20 potential.

19 Texas With such a young squad this year, simply making the tournament was an accomplishment. Veteran bigs Chapman and Wangmene graduate, but they'll be replaced by better prospects such as big man Cameron Ridley (#21 on Rivals) and Prince Ibeh (10th ranked center). I'm assuming J'Covan Brown returns, but that's no guarantee.

20 Saint Mary's Rob Jones graduates after a great career, but the rest of this squad returns intact. Freshman Brad Waldow has the potential to be even better than Jones, and so long as Dellavedova is around, Saint Mary's will be fine. They also have solid a solid PF prospect on the way who can help ease the Jones loss.

21 Notre Dame The Irish endured a lot of difficulties to put together a surprisingly fine season. If Tim Abromaitis is granted a redshirt season, Notre Dame could even exceed this ranking. Scott Martin graduates, but the 3-person recruiting class is full of solid forwards.

22 New Mexico Drew Gordon is a huge loss, as he was by far the Lobos best player. But 3 of their 4 next highest scorers were sophomores who should improve substantially. UNM's recruiting class is solid but unspectacular.

23 Florida Erving Walker is the Gators lone senior loss, but I'm assuming that both Brad Beal and Patric Young go pro in this projection. If even one of them returns, they could move up the ranking. Either way, Boynton, Murphy, and Rosario are solid players who will be joined by a 3-man class that lacks a blockbuster name (although 62nd ranked PG Braxton Ogbueze could be underrated).

24 Marquette In Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette loses its two best players and 36 ppg. But although they'll take a step back, don't expect Marquette to be complete irrelevant. There are emerging talents on the roster and the 4-person recruiting class will add scoring punch.

25 VCU Unlike most schools that will be awaiting NBA Draft decisions, the big x-factor for VCU is whether Shaka Smart returns. Brad Burgess was the lone senior on a team that looks very dangerous next year. There are even 3 solid newcomers, led by Jordan Burgess, an underrated wing.

26 florida St the Noles will take a step back after a surprise ACC title. They lose the core of the team in James, Dulkys, and Louks. However, a quality 4-person class full of Top 100 prospects will provide added depth. The real key is whether Michael Snaer decides to go pro. As of now, I'm assuming he's back.

27 Saint Louis The Bills lose their leading scorer in Brian Conklin, but the rest of this deep roster remains intact. There is no help on the way in terms of major recruits, but many of this year's sophomores could take major steps forward.

28 Alabama While losing senior JaMychal Green hurts, the bigger question is whether Anthony Grant returns as head coach. He did a fine job this season despite many distractions. However, if he leaves, the Tide would have to drop.

29 Drexel The dragons do lose their leading rebounder in Samme Givens, but the rest of the roster returns. Its been 13 years since Bruiser Flint has made the NCAA Tournament, this should be the year.

30 UCLA Despite a seemingly disastrous season, UCLA remained competitive in the Pac-12. Senior's Lazeric Jones and Jerime Anderson depart, but those losses are more than made up by the entry of Kyle Anderson, the country's 2nd best prospect. If UCLA were to also add Shabazz Muhammad, they'd jump even higher.

>> Continue to 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 31 to 45

<< Return to 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 1 to 15

Ohio St vs Gonzaga: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:16:27 -0700

(2) Ohio State vs. (7) Gonzaga: East Region

Records

Ohio State 28-7, 13-5 Big Ten (Regular-season 3-way conference champions; At large)

Gonzaga 26-6, 13-3 WCC (At large)

Time: 2:45 p.m. Saturday

TV: CBS

Location: Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh

First round results

Ohio State def. Loyola (Md.) 78-59

Gonzaga def. West Virginia 77-54

Winner will face: (3) Florida State, (6) Cincinnati, (11) Texas or (14) St. Bonaventure, Thursday in Boston

Rankings

Ohio State No. 7 AP; No. 7 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

Gonzaga No. 30 AP; No. 30 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Ohio State 7

Gonzaga 22

Line: Ohio State -8 (O/U 136½)

Players to Watch

Ohio State: F Jared Sullinger, 6-9 So. (17.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 53.9% FG); F Deshaun Thomas, 6-7 So. (15.4 ppg, 5 rpg, 53.1% FG); G William Buford, 6-6 Sr. (14.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.9 apg). Thomas’s offensive game has continued to improve and has become more consistent. On Thursday, the sophomore had career-highs of 31 points and 12 rebounds in the Buckeyes’ win over Loyola. He made 13 of 22 shots during the performance.

Gonzaga: F Elias Harris, 6-7 Jr. (13.1 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 50.5% FG); C Robert Sacre, 7-0 Sr. (11.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg); G Kevin Pangos, 6-1 Fr. (13.8 ppg, 3.4 apg, 40.5% 3s). After struggling down the stretch, Sacre has played well in Gonzaga’s last two games. On Thursday, he was 6-for-9 from the field for 14 points. He also had six boards, an assist and a block in the triumph.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Ohio State: With Thomas scoring the way he is, OSU has three really good scoring options in three very distinct ways. The Buckeye defense held Loyola to 19-of-54 shooting and 4-of-14 from the 3-point line. PG Aaron Craft is among the best perimeter defenders in the country. For the season, Ohio State is shooting 48.2 percent from the floor (16^th-best in the country), while holding opponents to 40.5 percent. The Buckeyes out-rebound opponents by eight per game and have a plus-3.2 turnover margin.

Gonzaga: The Bulldogs are shooting 47.6 percent from the floor, 38.1 from the 3-point line (31^st-best in the country) and 71.6 at the foul line, where they score 23.7 percent of their points. They have one of the most efficient offenses in the country, scoring 1.11 points per possession and 74.1 points per game. In Thursday’s 23-point win, they shot 56 percent overall and 53 from deep. They had 15 assists on 28 field goals and they got nine steals. Opponents are shooting just 41.1 percent overall and 30.8 from deep. Gonzaga made more free throws this season than its opponents have shot.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Ohio State: Thomas isn’t a great defender and Craft and Lenzelle Smith don’t provide the Buckeye offense much punch. There is little quality depth off of the OSU bench. If any of the Buckeye stars – Thomas, Sullinger, Craft or Buford – get into foul trouble, it could put OSU in a tough situation. They don’t have much of a defensive presence in the paint and that’s something Gonzaga could take advantage of.

Gonzaga: Sacre’s inconsistency is baffling. Will he rise to the occasion of facing Sullinger or will he shrink? Against Michigan State – a team similar to the Buckeyes – the Bulldogs allowed MSU to shoot 54 percent from the field in a 9-point loss. The Bulldogs turn the ball over 13.3 times per game and force just 13 with a poor 1.04-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Despite their size, the Zags block just 3.2 shots per game. Sullinger could have a big day inside.

The Bottom Line: Ohio State’s inside toughness will likely win out in the end. But 8 points? Really?

The Pick: Ohio State 70, Gonzaga 66

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 206-158-6 (Through Thursday, March 16)

Thursday's NCAA Tournament Games to Watch

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 01:47:35 -0700

With CHN's Greg Mengelt handling previews and predictions for every game the daily preview will look a little different for the NCAA tournament, with the focus being the game of the day in each region. Below are the games on Thursday's slate that you should make time for, and with four networks (CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV) showing every game in its entirety, there's no excuse (besides a lack of TVs or laptops) for you to not have a multiple TV/computer setup in your home. Enjoy the games.

Albuquerque: (4) Wisconsin vs. (13) Montana
2:10 PM EST; TNT

Many have gone with the Grizzlies in this one, citing the Badgers' reliance on the 3-pointer and the quality of Montana guards Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar. Those are indeed good reasons to go with Wayne Tinkle's team to win, not to metion Derek Selvig insde. However keep in mind that Bo Ryan is 9-1 at Wisconsin in opening games in the NCAA tournament, having won five straight.

They'll be prepared for what Montana looks to throw at them, and with an experienced leader in point guard Jordan Taylor Wisconsin will be tough to knock off. Cherry will draw that defensive assignment, and the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year is capable of getting the job done. The winner gets the winner of the Vanderbilt/Harvard matchup on Saturday, with the winner of this four-team pod off to Boston for next week's East Regional.

Rest of the day in Albuquerque
(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) Harvard; 4:40 PM EST (TNT)
(3) Baylor vs. (14) South Dakota State; 7:27 PM EST (truTV)
(6) UNLV vs. (11) Colorado; 9:57 PM EST (truTV)

Louisville: (8) Iowa State vs. (9) Connecticut
9:20 PM EST; TBS

Many have jumped to the conclusion that the Huskies will take on Kentucky on Saturday, and that's a very dangerous position to take especially if the UConn players take the same approach. At 6-9, 270 Iowa State's Royce White is the kind of player that UConn hasn't seen this season, as he runs the point and is just as good at distributing as he is at scoring himself. Roscoe Smith will iikely get the call defensively but he doesn't have the physical strength of White.

Just as important for the Huskies will be the play of their big men, led by Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi. Outside of White the Huskies have a clear edge in the paint, but that's only as effective as they make it. How well UConn defends the three will also be important as the Cyclones are a very good perimeter shooting team. Scott Christopherson and Chris Allen can both knock down shots, and Chris Babb will have the task of guarding Jeremy Lamb. This one's going to go down to the wire.

Rest of the day in Louisville
(6) Murray State vs. (11) Colorado State, 12:15 PM EST (CBS)
(3) Marquette vs. (14) BYU, 2:45 PM EST (CBS)
(1) Kentucky vs. (16) Western Kentucky (TBS)

Pittsburgh: (7) Gonzaga vs. (10) West Virginia
7:20 PM EST; TNT

Arguably the most overrated aspect of this game is the fact that Pittsburgh is 90 minutes away from Morgantown. Sure the Mountaineers will likely enjoy an advantage when considering the crowd but it isn't as if natives of the Steel City are lining up to cheer on WVU. Gonzaga should (and likely will) be more concerned with senior foward Kevin Jones, who led the Big East in both scoring and rebounding this season. Elias Harris and Robert Sacre' need to bring it from an effort standpoint if they're to slow Jones down.

The other key aspect of this matchup is the decision-making of West Virginia's guards, most notably Truck Bryant. If the senior's struggling in this regard then the freshmen are likely to follow suit. Kevin Pangos has been one of the best freshman guards in the country for Gonzaga, and classmate Gary Bell Jr. is also capable of breaking out. Keeping WVU off the boards is the one thing Gonzaga has to do in order to win, but that's definitely possible.

Rest of the day in Pittsburgh
(8) Kansas State vs. (9) Southern Miss, 12:40 PM EST (truTV)
(1) Syracuse vs. (16) UNC Asheville, 3:10 PM EST (truTV)
(2) Ohio State vs. (15) Loyola (MD), 9:50 PM EST (TNT)

Portland: (5) Wichita State vs. (12) VCU
7:15 PM EST; CBS

There weren't too many people thrilled with this matchup, especially if you're a fan of the mid-major. Both the Shockers and Rams have the potential to reach New Orleans, but after this battle only one of them will remain in the field. VCU is going to throw their "havoc" system at Wichita State throughout, and if the Shockers are unable to handle that pressure it could be a long night in Portland. Joe Ragland was very good this season for WSU and they've got other solid options on the perimeter as well.

There are two keys for VCU: Bradford Burgess plays well, and D.J. Haley and Juvonte Reddic can combine to perform well against All-MVC center Garrett Stutz. Gregg Marshall's Shockers have enough talent and depth to handle the VCU pressure with a minimal number of turnovers, and if they can the dynamic of the game will change. Both head coaches will be hot names on the open job market during the offseason but that's of little concern to either team at this point in the season.

Rest of the day in Portland
(4) Louisville vs. (13) Davidson, 1:40 PM EST (TBS)
(5) New Mexico vs. (12) Long Beach State, 3:10 PM EST (TBS)
(4) Indiana vs. (13) New Mexico State, 9:45 PM EST (CBS)

Gonzaga vs West Virginia: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:07:40 -0700

(7) Gonzaga vs. (10) West Virginia: East Region

Records

Gonzaga 25-6, 13-3 WCC (At large)

West Virginia 19-13, 9-9 Big East (At large)

Time: 7:20 p.m. Thursday

TV: TNT

Location: Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Winner will face: (2) Ohio State or (15) Loyola, Md., Saturday

Rankings

Gonzaga No. 30 AP; No. 30 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Gonzaga 25

West Virginia 50

Line: West Virginia -1 (O/U 131½)

Players to Watch

Gonzaga: F Elias Harris, 6-7 Jr. (13.1 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 50.5% FG); C Robert Sacre, 7-0 Sr. (11.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg); G Kevin Pangos, 6-1 Fr. (13.8 ppg, 3.4 apg, 40.5% 3s). Pangos had an outstanding freshman season for the Bulldogs, but he has struggled recently. He made just 3-of-18 shots in Gonzaga’s overtime loss to St. Mary’s in the WCC title game. Pangos has hit 74-of-185 3s this season, but he was just 1-of-10 against St. Mary’s after burning the Gaels for 27 points in their previous meeting.

West Virginia: F Kevin Jones, 6-8 Sr. (20.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 51.3% FG); G Darryl “Truck” Bryant, 6-2 Sr. (17.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.8 apg); C Deniz Kilicli, 6-9 Jr. (10.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 50.2% FG). Jones, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds in the Mountaineers’ 71-67 overtime loss to UConn in the conference tourney, led the Big East in scoring and rebounding and was named 1^st-Team All-Big East.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Gonzaga: Gonzaga is really talented and long. Harris has the skill and Sacre the size to compete with any team in the country. Pangos, Gary Bell and David Stockton comprise a young, talented backcourt. The Bulldogs gets offensive contributions from eight different players, and they play solid defense. They get to the foul line with regularity and shoots 71.5 percent while there.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers are tough. Jones and Kilicli will battle anyone in the paint. Behind the duo, WVU has a plus-7.8 rebounding margin, it averages 15 offensive rebounds per game and it has one of the nation’s best rebounding percentages at 55.4. At times, it plays sound, stifling defense. Opponents shot just 45 percent from the field and 31.7 from the 3-point line during the season.

Why Makes Each Team Vulnerable

Gonzaga: Inconsistency has plagued the Bulldogs, as it has for several years now. They have inexplicable losses to Illinois, BYU and San Francisco. Shot selection is one reason why. With talented big like Harris and Sacre, the Bulldogs sometimes rely on the 3-point shot too much. Turnovers have been another issue. Gonzaga turns it over 13.4 times per game and has just a 1.03-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers have pretty good athleticism but not a lot of skill. Outside of Jones and Bryant, there’s not a Mountaineer that gives opponents any semblance of fear. West Virginia shot just 44 percent from the floor – including 41.7 in Big East play – and only 30 from the 3-point line.

The Bottom Line: This is one pf the most interesting matchups of the first round. Gonzaga can be really good, but it rarely lives up to expectations. If Pangos, Bell and Stockton are hitting 3-point shots, the Bulldogs should win a close one. The best bet, however, is the over.

The Pick: Gonzaga 74, West Virginia 70

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 198-148-6 (Through Sunday, March 11)