2016 NCAA Tournament: Second Round Predictions
Did Yale or Little Rock mess up your brackets? Have no fear, you can still play the round by round games! Here are the predictions for the second round games on Saturday! Sunday’s will be up tonight or tomorrow so you have plenty of time to get the picks in!
West Region:
(4)Duke vs. (12)Yale:
Duke’s weaknesses were exposed by UNC-Wilmington, but the Seahawks had no chance with the way that game was called from an officiating standpoint. The Blue Devils were in the bonus just six minutes into the second half. When you let a team get to the line that much, you aren’t going to win. That tells you just how well the Seahawks played to stay in that game. They honestly outplayed Duke.
For the second straight year, Baylor got unceremoniously dumped in the first round. I think they were surprised by Yale’s tenacity on the boards despite how undersized they were.
Yale plays good enough defense to keep them in this game. Duke needs to play a cleaner game than they did in the opening round. Based on pure talent, Duke is by far the better team, though I do think Yale plays better as a team. Can they exploit them the way that Wilmington did? That will decide the game.
Pick: Yale
Next: Saturday's South Region Games
South Region:
(1)Kansas vs. (9)Connecticut:
Austin Peay provided little resistance to the Jayhawks, who netted over 100 points. UConn had all they could handle against Colorado, but survived poor early shooting to storm back and take the win.
If UConn starts cold against Kansas, the Jayhawks likely wont let them back in the game. That being said, Connecticut has been one of the hottest teams in the country as of late. Who was the number one overall seed again? The brutal road for Kansas officially begins here.
Kansas is one of the most complete teams in the tournament. It will take a very good game but UConn to beat them. The way that they have played in March, that is not out of the question. At the same time, it is not something I would bet on either. This Kansas team is similar to the one that won the title in 2008. They are loaded with experience and play well as a team.
Pick: Kansas
(3)Miami(FL) vs. (11)Wichita State:
Buffalo is a spirited team that managed to hang around, but Angel Rodriguez was just too much for the Bulls. He had a huge game to push the Hurricanes into the second round. Wichita State absolutely dominated Arizona. They weren’t intimidated by the Wildcats’ seeding or size on the interior. They won’t be intimidated by Miami either.
Rodriguez is going to have a tougher go against the stout Wichita State guards. The Shockers play excellent defense and can slow anyone down. They also have nine wins in the NCAA tournament over the last four years. The experience factor is really on Wichita State’s side here.
This will likely be a close, guard dominated game. For that reason, Wichita State is the favorite because of Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker. I hope they keep winning just so I can watch these guys play more!
Pick: Wichita State
Next: East Region Saturday Picks
East Region:
(1)North Carolina vs. (9)Providence:
Florida Gulf Coast put up a valiant effort against North Carolina, but the Tarheels were just too much down the stretch. The Providence-USC was one of the best ones of the day. It had to be tough for USC to lose that way!
North Carolina didn’t play a great game, but it was more the spunk of the Eagles that kept them in it. Providence has the same attitude, and they have loads of talent at the guard position. This really is a tough matchup for North Carolina. They are going to need a better game from Marcus Paige and company to survive this. I think this stays a close game.
I was sad when I saw the draw that Providence got. I wanted to see more of Kris Dunn, but I’m afraid that might not happen.
Pick: North Carolina
(4)Kentucky vs. (5)Indiana:
Kentucky made short work of Stony Brook, who was a solid team. That is more evidence of Kentucky’s perceived underseeding. Then again, Indiana did the same thing to a solid Chattanooga team. The committee got their wish: a Kentucky-Indiana NCAA Tournament game!
Des Moines got three of the hottest teams in the country right now. All three advanced yesterday. Indiana is the odd team out, but they are still a solid team. They are going to have their hands full with a big and athletic Kentucky team. This game has the potential to not be that close.
Pick: Kentucky
Next: Midwest Region Saturday Picks
Midwest Region:
(1)Virginia vs. (9)Butler:
Virginia made short work of Hampton, which came as a surprise to no one. It was a rough day for eight seeds on Thursday. All three of them lost! Butler’s outside shooting proved to be way too much for Texas Tech.
Virginia’s defense is going to give Butler fits. The Bulldogs survived the first round despite a less than stellar game from Roosevelt Jones. They will need Jones at his best to have any shot against Virginia. The Cavaliers have excellent guard play. This doesn’t look good for Butler.
Pick: Virginia
(4)Iowa State vs. (12)Arkansas-Little Rock:
The Iowa State-Iona game was a track meet, but Iowa State was comfortably ahead for much of the game. Little Rock stormed back from a 13 point deficit with three minutes left to take the game in double overtime. They were able to run circles around Purdue’s size. The Boilers tried to go small, but it didn’t always work.
Iowa State has some size, but they are very athletic as well. Little Rock wont be able to be as aggressive against the Cyclones. I thought Iowa State was a bit underseeded. They will likely show it here against upset-minded Little Rock.
Pick: Iowa State:
(3)Utah vs. (11)Gonzaga:
Fresno State showed heart coming back on Utah, but just like at the beginning of the game, Utah pulled away again late. Gonzaga enjoyed a double digit lead for most of the last 28 minutes of the game against Seton Hall. The Pirates had no answer for Gonzaga’s shooting and defense.
Jacob Poeltl was relatively quiet against Fresno. Gonzaga has the size to frustrate him as well. Utah will need good guard play to stay in this game. It could end up being a defensive battle.
Pick: Gonzaga
Next: Derrick Rose Fantasy Update
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