Years later, bad beats sure are the Pitts
YOU’D think that we’ve been doing this long enough that a horrific beat — a foul called with 0.7 seconds left against Charleston, allowing San Diego State to hit otherwise meaningless free throws to steal the cover — wouldn’t sting that much. You would think.
Pittsburgh (+4.5) over Iowa State: At least one First Four team has advanced to the Round of 32 in all but one of the past dozen years and the Panthers should continue that trend. While the Cyclones have lost seven of their past eight games against teams not named Baylor, Pittsburgh will find no surprises in its latest matchup against a slow-paced opponent defined by defense. The Panthers have won multiple matchups against similar tournament teams (Virginia, Northwestern), and knocked off one (Mississippi State) Tuesday night while committing just six turnovers. Jeff Capel’s top-30 offense is due to shoot even better in its next game.
Vermont (+10.5) over Marquette: Shaka Smart will always be remembered for his Final Four run with VCU in 2011. I remember him losing in the Round of 64 in six straight appearances. The Golden Eagles will be remembered for winning the Big East Tournament for the first time this season. I remember lowly St. John’s being an open shot away from knocking out Marquette, which has secured five of its past eight wins by two points or less. John Becker’s Catamounts are a consistently tough out in the tournament, losing by four to Arkansas last year and by an average of seven points in Vermont’s past three appearances. The America East champs will threaten brackets again, featuring an experienced, disciplined and balanced group, which enters on a 15-game win streak.
Gonzaga (-15.5) over Grand Canyon: It’s chic to deride the Zags for dominating the West Coast Conference and falling short in the NCAA Tournament — ignoring the team’s pair of recent title game appearances, non-conference success against power conferences and improbable rise from anonymity in a recruiting wasteland — but Mark Few’s teams tend to flex their muscles in the first round. In the past three tournaments, the Zags have won their opening-round games by an average of 34 points. Entering this tournament with significantly less pressure than recent years, Gonzaga’s latest top-ranked offense could hit triple digits against the overmatched Antelopes.
Purdue (-23) over Fairleigh Dickinson: “The more I see Purdue, the more I think we can beat them,” Knights coach Tobin Anderson shouted after the team’s First Four win. Those words won’t make the task easier for a team which only advanced this far due to an NCAA technicality and a First Four matchup with an opponent owning one of the three worst records in NCAA Tournament history. The Boilermakers weren’t going to take the 1-16 matchup lightly anyway, following their stunning loss to 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s in last year’s Sweet 16. Purdue’s National Player of the Year, 7-foot-4 Zach Edey, should have no trouble putting up 30 and 15 against the smallest team in the country.
TCU (-5.5) over Arizona State: In a First Four win over Nevada, the Sun Devils scored 98 points, while shooting over 63 percent from the field, hitting 11 of 21 3-pointers. Against a top-20 defense, the team ranked 288th in the nation in true shooting percentage will return to earth. And as shot after shot bounces off the rim, the Horned Frogs — the nation’s leader in fast-break points — will take advantage.
THIS SEASON: 18-9-3
2011-22 RECORD: 319-283-9