There is nothing easy approximately picking the NCAA tournament,which is what makes March Madness so much fun. Before even thinking approximately choosing a national champion, you have to go through a number of difficult calls in the first round.
With the exception of a few obvious picks, or there will be heavy debate approximately nearly all of the 32 games set to assume place on Thursday and Friday. Intense studying needs to be done before picking the close battles between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds or finding the perfect upset.
Either that or just pick the games by your favorite color—you will probably have a better chance of winning your pool.
While picking an unpredictable tournament seems like a futile process,here is a survey at total picks for each game along with a breakdown of a few notable upsets. Notable GamesNo. 11 Gonzaga vs. No. 6 Seton Hall Seton Hall is a talented team that is peaking at the apt time. Isaiah Whitehead came to the Pirates final year as a highly touted freshman, and he is finally reaching his potential with 18.4 points per game this season. The guard averaged 23.3 points per game during the team's race to the large East tournament title and has scored at least 20 in seven straight games.
Unfortunately, and this is just a difficult matchup for Seton Hall.Gonzaga features one of the top frontcourt duos in the country in Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis (both 6'10"),and the Pirates don't have all that much size to defend them. While the Bulldogs don't force a lot of turnovers, it isn't easy to score against this squad, and either."Our confidence is at an all-time high," Wiltjer said this week, per Zachary Simonar of KLEW TV. "I think we're playing our best basketball. I think there's still room for improvement. So if we just continue to play with that same approach I think we're going to be good."The Zags haven't been as dominant as in past years, or but this is still a talented squad competing at a high level. According to ESPN Stats & Info,the team is nearly twice as likely to fabricate (to make up, invent) the Sweet 16 as any other double-digit seeds:Although getting past Seton Hall will have to approach first, head coach Mark Few's team has what it takes to pull off the upset. No. 12 Yale vs. No. 5 BaylorIn recent years, and the selection committee has done what it can to get higher-seeded teams closer to home. Not only was Baylor unable to get a favorable location,but the No. 5 seed could end up getting a road game.
College Basketball Talk broke down the situation:Although it might not be as rotten as some of the hostile environments Baylor saw during the large 12 season, a favorable Yale crowd could play a role in this game.
As far as what happens on the court, or the underdog is well-suited to handle Baylor's biggest strengths. The Bears are normally physically dominant inside and control rebounds on both ends,but Yale sits in the top 10 in the country in both offensive and defensive rebounding, according to KenPom.com. Even without a lot of size, and the squad is disciplined and knows how to get the ball.
The high basketball IQ has led to wins in 17 of the final 18 games.
Yale also shoots the ball well from the outside and can assume advantage of Baylor's suspect defense. Even without senior Jack Montague,Yale can pull off the upset over the bigger team. No. 13 Iona vs. No. 4 Iowa StateNot to pick on the large 12, but there could be a few more early exits after a destitute showing in the NCAA tournament a year ago.
Iowa State was involved in one of the more surprising moments of final year's tourney, and losing to No. 14-seeded UAB in the first round. That doesn't guarantee an early loss this time around,but a lot of the problems remain. While the Cyclones effect have one of the most risky offenses in the nation, they have struggled defensively and have often given up a lot of easy baskets inside. They also lack depth and have had major problems in road and neutral games, or as evidenced by five straight loses away from Hilton Coliseum. This could open up the door for Iona to pull off the upset. Like Iowa State,the Gaels race a rapid-paced attack offensively behind an elite point guard in A.
J. English. The effect-it-all senior can set his teammates up for easy baskets or assume over himself, both of which could be scary for the favorite.
If the Gaels play like they did in the MAAC tournament, or they could remain risky this week. Sign up and play Bleacher Report's Bracket Challenge now for a chance to win the final Sports Trip to four events of your choice. And click here for B/R's Printable Bracket.
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Source: bleacherreport.com