Day 1 will tip-off at Madison Square Garden at 12pm with quite an interesting game, No.16 Depaul and No.9 Uconn. It is key that Connecticut wins today, if they want to dance. Louisville will face the winner of (Game 3) which features Providence vs Seton Hall, they tip-off at 7pm. I expect Louisville to get it together and play exceptionally well in this tournament. Their defense has been a constant throughout the season, I think Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith will get in a groove, and the other teammates will follow suit. Truly the only thing that separates this team from having a 1st round exit or a Elite 8 run is their shooting.
Alas, I digress, Here are my picks for Day 1:
| Tuesday, March 6 - First Round | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noon ET | No. 16 DePaul vs. No. 9 Connecticut (Game 1) - ESPN2 I'll take Connecticut in this one. They are a very talented team and simply have too much talent to continue to under-preform. Additionally, I like the Huskies to be a sleeper team in this tourney, Shabazz Nappier and company know what is at stake. Connecticut by 12 | |||||
| 2:00 PM ET | No. 13 Pittsburgh vs. No. 12 St. John's (Game 2) - ESPN2 As the seeding indicates, this will be the best game of the Day. Jamie Dixon, hasn't found any answers this season for his Panthers, (they've also made Louisville fans feel better about their situation), and I don't think he'll get them today. It will be close, but in the end, St. Johns will prevail in front of a home crowd. Johnnies by 2 | |||||
| 7:00 PM ET | No. 15 Providence vs. No. 10 Seton Hall (Game 3) - ESPNU Providence is just bad and Seton Hall needs this to make it to the Big Dance. This one is simple, if Seton Hall can just shoot the ball decently, they should roll and face the Cards tomorrow. Seton Hall by 10 | |||||
| 9:00 PM ET | No. 14 Villanova vs. No. 11 Rutgers (Game 4) - ESPNU Jay Wright has had his struggles this season, with such a talented team, and it's strange to say why. Rutgers comes in winning 2 out of the last 3, they also have some talented guards. But for some reason, I think Nova' can win some games in this tourney. This is my upset pick of the day. Villanova by 5 | |||||
You've heard me with my picks, Now I want to hear yours. Email me at chris.hatfield@louisville.com, Follow me @_ChrisHatfield
Photo Courtesy of New York Times.
