It is finally here. Let me tell you what happened to me last night, I COULDN'T SLEEP. Oh but not because I wasn't tired or because I had to take care of a crying baby, no it was because I was so excited for March Madness to begin. It was like being a kid on Christmas eve. So I wanted to give you all a few additional picks for this first day of the tournament. These picks have nothing to do with Streak for the Cash or College Pick 'Em, but these are my 3 top things to look for on the first weekend of the dance.
1) There will be an upset no one is expecting. Most people are picking Oregon over Oklahoma State or Belmont over Arizona, or Saint Mary's over Memphis, but my prediction is that there is an upset out there that no one is expecting. Unless you all totally forget about how insane and unpredictable the regular season was, how can you not expect something of equal insanity to happen today? Last season we had two 15 seeds win on the first day of the tournament. Now I will not be bold enough to predict that something that awesome will happen again, but there will be a few shockers. I am expecting Davidson to take Marquette down to the wire. I think Harvard may keep it close against New Mexico. I also think Iona, who has the 5th highest scorer in the country in Momo Jones and their other guard Sean Armand can make lots and lots of 3's, he knocked down 7 or more on multiple occasions this season. Iona will not be an easy out for the Buckeyes. And now, my biggest prediction of all: a number 1 seed will ALMOST lose. Last season Syracuse almost got knocked off by #16 UNC Asheville. I was impressed by some of the #16 seeds in the play-in games and would not be surprised if a #1 seed is tested again early.
2) Someone will have their coming out party in the first round. Like Steph Curry did back in 2008 leading his team all the way to the Elite 8 and missing out on a Final Four by 2 points. Curry's tournament play turned him into a # 7 draft pick. Back in 2011 Derrick Williams of Arizona led his team all the way to the Elite 8 and had his coming out party against Duke when he scored 32 points. He was subsequently selected #2 in the following NBA draft. This year someone who is almost unknown will stand out and surprise a lot of people. I think someone will have their coming out party in this tournament. Maybe Nate Wolters, or Mike Muscala, or Spencer Dinwiddie, but I have a feeling that someone unexpected is going to put up big numbers. My bold prediction: Someone will score 40 points in the first round.
3) At least 3, thats right 3, double digit seeds will make it to the Sweet 16. Lets face it, we all love to pick the upsets but when we pick our brackets, we usually make the straight forward chalk picks after the first round. We pick an upset here or there, but then come round two, its all chalk. Most people's Sweet 16's are nothing but top 4 seeds and maybe an 8 seed. But if we look at the most recent years, double digits seeds are advancing. In 2010, Washington (11), St. Mary's (10), Cornell (12). In 2011, Richmond (12), VCU (11), Florida St. (10), Marquette (11). And last year in 2012, Xavier (10), Ohio (13), NC State (11). So this year will be more of the same. So don't just pick chalk. Some of your first round upsets will also go to the next round.
I hope you all enjoy the tournament! Let's pray for some upsets and some buzzer beaters. Oh yes, it is finally here. If you are having to work and won't be able to watch all the games on TV, make sure you check out (http://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/?ncaa_mid=persistence-bar:%20mml) and stream all the games live. If you are watching the games at work, just click on the "Boss Button" and an Outlook screen will come up so your boss won't yell at you. Don't get fired! Also, for those of you who enjoy Grantland, check out some live March Madness commentary with Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose, and others (http://www.grantland.com/live). Check out thefantasysportscenter.com for picks, predictions, and all things related to fantasy sports, especially the NCAA tournament.
Good luck on all your picks. Have a great first weekend of the tournament.
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