Joseph D’Amico – Sports Handicapper

Memphis Tigers.

Game 806.

11:00 AM PST/2:00 PM EST.

How about the No. 5 seed getting points against the No. 12 seed? It puzzles me as well, my friends. While Colorado State is getting most of the money from the general public, and does come in here red-hot, winning and covering 10 straight games, Memphis has been playing well themselves. They have won 16 of their last 17 straight up. Granted, they are not very good against the number. But this team has a lot of talent. Maybe many out there have forgotten that during the regular season they took down Missouri, UNLV, San Francisco, Connecticut, Michigan State, Clemson, Virginia, and Mississippi. They are no strangers to stepping up in big game situations. By the way, Colorado state got embarrassed by Mississippi in a mid-November matchup. Not only that, but they also lost to some other teams they should've played well against. Both teams play in competitive conferences, and both finished pretty well in their perspective conferences. While the Rams account for 75.3-points per game, and only allow 67.1-points per game, the Tigers post over 80.0-points per game, and allow just 73.0-points per game. They are much better at both ends of the court on the boards as well, with a bigger, and stronger front court. Oh, by the way, they're also monsters from downtown. I think the wrong team is favored here. They are also 10-2 as a visitor this season. Take Memphis. Thank you.

North Carolina on the MONEYLINE.

Game 793.

1:05 PM PST/4:05 PM EST.

Momentum from the regular season, and playoffs carry over into the Big Dance, for sure. The Tar Heels finished their regular season winning six of their final seven, and covering five of their final six. Then they went 3-1 straight up in the playoffs, and covered all four of those outings as well. Not only have they stepped up recently, they're also covering the number. Mississippi has been point spread poison, failing to cover 12 of their last 15 outings. By the way, they finished their regular season losing four of their final six games, then split out dropping their last game in the playoffs. While they do have six double-digit scorers, they can't rebound aren’t very accurate, and are atrocious from the line. As good as their “O” is, the Tar Heels account for more points per game, ranking 25th in scoring, averaging over 81.7-points per game and hit 48% overall from the floor. Take North Carolina. Thank you.

Saint Mary’s.

Game 790.

12:15 PM PST/3:15 PM EST.

They say offense gets the glory, but defense gets the win. St. Mary's possesses one of the best defenses in college basketball today, ranking fifth in the nation, yielding just 60.8-points per game. They allow just 40.8% overall from the floor, 31.6% from downtown, and rank fourth in the nation on the defensive boards. When it comes to defense, Vanderbilt has none. They're absolutely deplorable at the stop end of the court. They rely solely upon their offense, which does account for over 79.7-points per game. However, they are not very good overall in shooting percentage from the floor, three-point percentage, or even from the free-throw line. They're also atrocious on the offensive boards. They do have three double-digits scorers. But so does the Gaels. This is also a team that disposed of opponents like Nebraska, USC, and Utah in nonconference competition this regular season. Remarkably, they haven't allowed a single opponent in their 33 games played, to post better than 75 points. They have too much defensively. Not to forget, a very experienced team, and a very experienced coach. Take Saint Mary's. Thank you.

Michigan State.

Game 788.

7:00 PM PST/10:00 PM EST.

After seeing a couple of very close games in yesterday’s Rd. 1 matchups, and of course McNeese State besting Clemson, I doubt very much Michigan State will take this game lightly. I am aware most of the money is coming in on Bryant. But this team has only stepped up in class twice this season, and got crushed in both outings. They faced Saint John's in mid-December, and lost by 22, and two weeks later faced Grand Canyon, and lost by 46. Those are the only two teams they had to worry about, and they lost badly in both contests. The Spartans crushed everybody in their way this season, particularly in their own conference against some very, very strong teams. Bryant is all about the offense, averaging over 82.1-points per game. They're also pretty good on the offensive glass as well. But that's where their strengths end. They go up against one of the most frustrating defenses in the country, that also ranks as one of the best on the defensive boards. That would be enough for me to raise an eyebrow here. However, the Spartans put up almost 80 PPG themselves, hit over 78% from the free-throw line, and are one of the best in the nation, ranking 11th on the offensive glass. Right now, neither of these teams know who they will play in the next round as the winner will go up against the Marquette/New Mexico winner. So, I don't see MSU looking ahead here either. I think they come out, take no prisoners, and send Bryant home very early. Take the Spartans. Thank you.

Connecticut Huskies.

Game 784.

6:25 PM PST/9:25 PM EST.

Both Connecticut and Oklahoma will have their hands full in this matchup, and I doubt very much either will be in a look ahead mode with a probable matchup in the next round vs. Florida. The Huskies are 14-4 in Big Dance games under Dan Hurley. The coach brought them two National Titles over the last two seasons. This is familiar territory for the team. While Oklahoma is a formidable foe, they really hit a snag in the second half of their season. They began the regular season winning their first 13 contests. However, they finished the regular season dropping 12 of their final 18 outings. While they played well in the playoffs taking down Georgia and losing a one-point heartbreaker at the hands of Kentucky, this team just doesn't measure up here. Yes, they have covered their last seven outings. But this is a whole different monster facing the very physical UConn squad. The Huskies played well out of the conference, taking down such notables as the Baylor Bears, Texas Longhorns, and Gonzaga Bulldogs. They also held their own finishing third in the very competitive, Big East conference. They finished their regular season winning four in a row straight up, and covering their final three games. They devoured Villanova in the postseason, only to be embarrassed taking a nine-point loss as a four-point favorite in their last game against Creighton. I feel they bounce back here strong, and get back on track to compete for another National Title. Both teams have been running with three big men, and two guards as a starting lineup in the playoffs. This will be a big advantage for the Huskies. While both teams average about the same and scoring offensively, Oklahoma has a slight edge, both from downtown, and from the free-throw line. However, Connecticut possesses a swarming, and frustrating defense that allows a mere, 68.0-points per game, and rank second nationally on the defensive boards. They will take away a lot of their opponents second-chance opportunities here. They're also monsters on the offensive glass as well, giving themselves more second-chance opportunities. They’re are way too big, and way too strong in this matchup. BTW, this game is being played in Raleigh, North Carolina, you will see quite a few more Connecticut fans. BTW, they are also a better road team going 7-4 away from home compared to Okie, who went 2-7 on the road. Take the Huskies. Thank you.