A new day

By Mark Buckets

The NCAA Tournament is underway and everything went to plan yesterday. Only one upset occured (definition: a team that loses to another that is four seeds lower, so Xavier over BYU and Michigan State over Marquette don't count) and even that wasn't entirely shocking. Duke's lack of athleticsm was exposed by a team that, according to Bob Wentzel, was one of the more active teams he had seen all year. I cannot disagree with that proclimation, and the motivational factor was obvious.

As much as Clark Kellogg wanted to tell you that the games would be closer in the second session to save the Nielsen Ratings, the dearth of close games was head-scratching. I truly felt that this was the tightest field in a while, and that upsets would frequently occur. It seemed to be a common sentiment amongst TV's talking heads and the print media. Which brings me to today's slate of games.

The opening session of today's slate offers a few upset opportunities. Specifically, both games tipping at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus. To open the day, Virginia takes on an Albany team that needed a Vermont blunder in the America East Title Game to advance to this position. That doesn't mean the Great Danes don't belong here, as they are a very worthy opponent that gave Uconn a gigantic scare a year ago. As for the slumping Cavaliers (in particular J.R. Reynolds, who has gone cold late in the year) , they need an effective Sean Singletary to operate the offense. They are a squad that struggles away from the friendly confines of John Paul Jones Arena, as evidenced by their lack of a signature road win. In the end, To advance, the Wahoos will have to shake their late season rust, which I believe they'll do. As Lee Corso loves to say, pencil in air, "This game will be closer than the experts think."

In the second game of the session in C-bus, Long Beach State takes on the Tennessee Volunteers. There are a number of sidebars to this game. The Beach's coach, Larry Reynolds, is involved in a very public spat with members of the administration. His contract expires after the tourney, and talk of an extension have failed to materialize. Tennessee, on the other hand, is led by the walking soundbite that is Bruce Pearl. If Chris Lofton fails to take over this game, I think that the 49ers have the balance and inside play to steal a win. Go with the senior-laden LBSU team.

-In the lower half of the south bracket, the Nevada-Creighton game sticks out as a potential instant classic. We all know of the rock-steady Nick Fazekas and Nate Funk, who was bit by the injury bug since the day he stepped onto campus, but a number of other players will influence the outcome of this game. It all starts with Ramon Sessions for the Pack, who has been inconsistent this year. If he involves his teammates, in particular, Marcellus Kemp, the Pack should be in good shape. A mouth-watering matchup that pits Anthony Tolliver and Fazekas, who will try and draw the Creighton big man away from his comfort zone inside. It's a two-way street, though, as Tolliver will attempt to bruise and batter the gangly Nevada center. These teams' rosters are chalk full of seniors, which means each team will not go down without a fight. I like Nevada to ride Fazekas to the second round.

-Memphis is looking to garner some respect and the first opportunity to do that won't come until Sunday. As for today, the Tigers have a game against an undermanned North Texas squad. The Mean Green's frenetic stlye will be their downfall against a ridiculously athletic Memphis team. No surprises in this one as basketball returns to the New Orleans Arena.

-A couple of interesting matchups highlight the rest of the afternoon, as upstart Winthrop takes on Notre Dame and Georgia Tech will try to outrun UNLV. Winthrop is a team that can really shoot the three, but lacks the interior strength to beat Notre Dame. To have a chance, the Eagles are going to have to stay true to their style, which is to rely on their seniors. The Irish aren't as experienced in the tourney as the Eagles are, but they have a couple of players are good in their own right. Russell Carter is a jack-of-all-trades player, who can fill it up all over the court. I like Winthrop in the upset, but as was the case with Duke and VCU, it wouldn't be an earth-shattering result.

-In a game that pits teams that can light up the scoreboard, Georgia Tech and UNLV open play the United Center. The Jackets have been an engima this year, beating North Carolina one day and losing the Wake Forest the next. UNLV has stayed the course this year, despite their lack of competition in the Mountain West. I like the Rebels to outgun the Ramblin' Wreck, led by Kevin Kruger, coach Lon Kruger's son.

-There isn't much to say about Wisconsin-Texas A&MCC and Oregon-Miami. Miami is a team that is happy just to be in the tournament, and their stay won't be long. The Ducks are peaking at the right time, and if Bryce Taylor continues to knock down threes, this team has a chance to make a run to Atlanta. As for the Badgers, I don't foresee such a scenario. Without Brian Butch, UW is in need of some inside scoring. I know what you're thinking, that Butch spent more time around the arc than a standstill shooter, but is Joe Krabbenhoft really a better option? They won't have a problem dispatching of the Islanders today, but it could be a problem down the road.

I'll have a recap and predictions of tonight's game up as soon as the first session concludes. As always, enjoy the games.