Pitino’s Cards will deal Michigan an ‘L’

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Well, at least the bonus picks (10-6-1) are hitting, so we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.

Louisville (-2½) over Michigan: I am not dancing with the one that brung me anymore. The Wolverines, who needed a ridiculous stretch of 3point shooting to survive against Oklahoma State, will struggle to get open looks against the Cardinals’ smothering defense. It truly is stunning to see a two-seed with one of the best coaches in college basketball history (Rick Pitino) go so overlooked.

Wichita State (+4½) over Kentucky: Three years ago, undefeated and top-seeded Wichita State got screwed by the committee, which underseeded Kentucky and created an amazing — and unjust — secondround matchup between the teams. This time, the Wildcats are the victim, facing a 10th-seeded Shockers squad that could be a No. 5 seed.

Rhode Island (+4½) over Oregon: No team in the country would sign up to face Rhode Island — winners of nine straight games — right now. The Ducks showed some vulnerability with- out Chris Boucher around to protect the rim in the first round, and after running over one of the worst defenses in the tournament (Iona), Oregon will not be comfortable facing a defense as disruptive as any in the nation.

UCLA (-4) over Cincinnati: The Bearcats will make Lonzo Ball and friends work harder for points than the top-ranked offense is accustomed to, but ultimately Cincinnati’s improved offense hasn’t improved enough to keep up with the Bruins, who should be considerably looser in their second tournament game. This season: 21-21 2011-16 record: 172-126-7