8:00 PM EST-ESPNU
18-5 (9-2) 23. SMU
at 17-5 (10-0) Tulsa
18-5 (9-2) 23. SMU
Lunardi's Bracketology: 7 Seed
Solid Wins
-Eastern Washington 77-68 (Home)
-Wyoming 66-53 (Home)
-UC Santa Barbara 80-73 in Overtime (Home)
-Michigan 62-51 (Road)
-Memphis 73-59 (Home)
-Temple 60-55 (Road)
Losses to Non-Ranked Opponents:
-Indiana 74-68 (Road)
-Cincinnati 56-50 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To Cincinnati 62-54 (Home)
Key Players:
---#11 Nic Moore (JR)
-14.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 5.4 APG, & 1.4 SPG.
---#2 Yanick Moreira (SR)
-11.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, & 1.3 BPG.
---#5 Markus Kennedy (JR)
-11.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#0 Ben Moore (SO)
-7.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, & 1.0 BPG.
17-5 (10-0) Tulsa
Lunardi's Bracketology: 11 Seed
Solid Wins:
-Auburn 53-35 in Semi-Final of MGM Grand Main Event.
-Temple 63-56 (Road)
-Connecticut 66-58 (Home)
-Memphis 73-59 (Home)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
-Southeast Oklahoma State (Non Division I) 69-66 (Home)
Key Players:
---#10 James Woodard (JR)
-14.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#3 Shaquille Harrison (JR)
-14.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, & 1.8 SPG.
---#1 Rashad Smith (JR)
-8.8 PPG & 6.3 RPG.
---#40 D'Andre Wright (JR)
-7.5 PPG & 4.7 RPG.
---#15 Marquel Curtis (JR)
-7.4 PPG & 3.5 RPG.
---#5 Rashad Ray (JR)
-7.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
Prediction:
These two teams are going to have wuite the rivilary history by the time SMU's Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy and Tulsa's James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison graduate. Under the great coach Larry Brown, the SMU Mustangs are having a great season as the only big blimesh on their record has came from the Cincinnati Bearcats, who have beaten SMU twice, including in their last game on Thursday night in Dallas. In the first half, the Mustangs were in control as they had a five point lead heading into the break. The second half was when the game wss decided. Cincinnati, propelled by a game-high fifteen points from Jermaine Sanders outscored SMU 42-29 in the last twenty minutes turning a five point halftime deficit into a eight point road win. The great guard/forward duo of Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy has an unidealistic night as the two combined for four for seventeen shooting and fifteen points (Moore 8 points & Kennedy 7 points). It is crucially essential for Moore and Kennedy to be more productive tonight against the American Athletic Conference's undefeated Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Although it is only Tulsa's first year in the AAC, they are playing like they have been their since its establishment. The Golden Hurricane made the NCAA Tournament last year with a Conference-USA Tournament Championship while James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison were Sophomores and this season the best duo in the American Athletic Conference hopes to add AAC Tournament Champions. Amazingly, Tulsa is a perfect 10-0 in conference play while owning a game lead on the second place team, SMU. The Golden Hurricane has literally wrecked the conference with teams like Cincinnati, Memphis, and last year's NCAA Tournament Champions the University of Connecticut Huskies. So who will come out on top tonight? This is really a hard matchup to pick as I am a fan of both SMU and Tulsa. Ultimatley, I feel it will come down to which duo will score more points, SMU's Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy or Tulsa's James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison. I personally would love to see Tulsa win this game since they are undefeated, but I think SMU will win. I just do not see the Mustangs losing two games in a row. No matter who wins, expect an exciting showdown from start to finish.
---SMU 65, Tulsa 57
10:30 PM EST
13-11 (4-3) Grand Canyon
at 9-14 (4-3) Cal State Bakersfield
13-11 (4-3) Grand Canyon
Solid Wins:
-New Mexico 68-65 (Home)
-Abilene Christian 83-81 (Home)
-UC Riverside 71-69 (Home)
-Cal State Bakersfield 73-65 (Home)
-UMKC 78-57 (Home)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
-Idaho State 67-51 (Home)
-UT-Pan American 73-72 (Road)
-Chicago State 56-55 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Seattle 66-64 (Road)
Key Players:
---#0 DeWayne Russell (JR)
-15.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#2 Joshua Braun (FR)
-11.3 PPG & 4.9 RPG.
---#12 Daniel Alexander (JR)
-9.7 PPG & 5.0 RPG.
---#22 Royce Woolridge (SR)
-9.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, & 2.7 APG.
---#21 Jerome Garrison (SR)
-8.6 PPG & 3.6 RPG.
---#4 Ryan Majerle (JR)
-7.4 PPG & 3.5 RPG.
9-14 (4-3) Cal State Bakersfield
Solid Wins:
-California 55-52 (Road)
-UT-Pan American 66-53 (Home)
-Seattle 71-61 in Overtime (Home)
Questionable Losses:
-Arkansas-Pine Bluff 56-49 in Rainbow Classic.
-North Carolina A&T 83-70 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Utah Valley 72-69 (Home)
Key Players:
---#42 Aly Ahmed (JR)
-14.7 PPG & 6.9 RPG.
---#10 Kevin Mays (JR)
-9.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#3 Javonte Maynor (SR)
-8.3 PPG.
---#11 Jaylin Airington (SO)
-7.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 1.7 APG.
Prediction:
This conference is "wickity wickity WAC." The Western Athletic Conference normally does not get much national recognition since it receives only one bid for the NCAA Tournament. This year though their are four teams competing at the top for the conference crown, and two of them are playing in this game. Although the Grand Canyon Antelopes are in only their second year in Division One Men's Basketball, they are having a good season that features the biggest win in school history over a perennial NCAA Tournament team in the New Mexico Lobos. Grand Canyon's key to success in my opinion is their plethra of scorers led by Junior DeWayne Russell. Russell is currently the fourth leading scorer in the conference, but he is coming off a terrible one for nine shooting performance at Seattle. Russell is hoping he can break out of his slump against Cal State Bakersfield. The Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners are also in their second season in the WAC and, like Grand Canyon, CSU Bakersfield won the biggest game in their school's history this season in a 55-52 road victory over the California Golden Bears of the PAC-12 Conference. Zooming ahead of others on the team in points, is Center Aly Ahmed. Ahmed has been a force on the block this season and comes into tonight averaging 19.7 points per game in his last three outings. In the first matchup between the two teams, Grand Canyon used home court advantage and a 24 point, 8 assist performance from DeWayne Russell to gallop to a 73-65 win. Will Cal State Bakersfield be able to split the season series? I feel this game will be extremly close but, the difference maker will be DeWayne Russell. If Russell can put his recent bad outing out of mind and have a great game, Grand Canyon will be the team tied for second place at the end of the night.
---Grand Canyon 66, Cal State Bakersfield 61
11:30 PM EST-ESPN2
23-1 (11-0) 2. Gonzaga
at 9-15 (3-9) San Francisco
23-1 (11-0) 2. Gonzaga
Solid Wins:
-#22 SMU 72-56
-Georgia 88-76 in Semi-Final of NIT Season Tip-Off.
-St. John's 73-66 in Championship of NIT Season Tip-Off.
-UCLA 87-74 (Road)
-BYU 87-80 (Road)
-Pepperdine 78-76 (Road)
-Saint Mary's 68-47 (Home)
-Memphis 82-64 (Home)
Only Loss:
-#3 Arizona 65-63 in Overtime (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Santa Clara 77-63 (Road)
Key Players:
---#33 Kyle Wiltjer (JR)
-15.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, & 1.9 APG.
---#4 Kevin Pangos (SR)
-11.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.8 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#24 Przemek Karnowski (JR)
-10.9 PPG & 6.0 RPG.
---#22 Byron Wesley (SR)
-10.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#11 Domantas Sabonis (FR)
-10.0 PPG & 7.1 RPG.
---#5 Gary Bell Jr. (SR)
-8.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG, & 2.1 APG.
9-15 (3-9) San Francisco
Solid Wins:
-Hawaii 88-73 in Quarterfinal of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Montana 76-57 (Home)
-Portland 89-77 (Road)
-Pepperdine 71-59 (Home)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-San Diego 57-56 (Home)
-Santa Clara 70-64 (Road)
-Loyola Marymount 70-69 (Home)
-BYU 78-74 (Road)
-San Diego 77-69 (Road)
Key Players:
---#15 Kruize Pinkins (SR)
-15.2 PPG & 5.4 RPG.
---#23 Mark Tollefsen (JR)
-14.4 PPG & 5.2 RPG.
---#32 Tim Derksen (SR)
-11.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#21 Devin Watson (FR)
-7.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#5 Matt Glover (SR)
-6.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
Prediction:
If what I think will happen, happens, I will be going to bed at halftime because Gonzaga will be up a big margin. The San Francisco Dons have really struggled this season as they are second to last in the West Coast Conference standings. Personally, I do not understand why San Francisco is so bad as they have two really good scorers in Kruize Pinkine and Mark Tollefsen. Tonight, San Francisco's opponent, Gonzaga doesn't have just two good players but four good players to go along with two of the best players in the whole conference (Kyle Wiltjer and Kevin Pangos). With Wiltjer and Pangos, the Bulldogs are ranked second in the nation as they have only one blimish on their record, which came against the Arizona Wildcats in Tuscon. Like I said I hope this game is over by halftime but if it isn't I expect it to be a blowout nonetheless. In addition, I predict Wiltjer and Pangos will combine for forty plus points in a twenty point victory.
---Gonzaga 78, San Francisco 58
PW's Prediction Record Coming into Today: 117-46 (42-13 in the MVC)
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