Tuesday, March 31, 2015

PW's NIT Final Four Predictions

By Peyton Wesner

NIT Semi-Finals

7:00 PM EST-ESPN
24-12 (10-8) #2 Miami (FL)
26-10 (13-5) #1 Temple
(At MSG in New York City)

24-12 (10-8) #2 Miami (FL)
Great Wins:
-#8 Florida 69-67 (Road)
-#24 Illinois 70-61 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Home)
-#4 Duke 90-74 (Road)
-NC State 65-60 (Home)
-Syracuse 66-62 (Road)
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
-Green Bay 68-55 (Home)
-Eastern Kentucky 72-44 (Home)
-Georgia Tech 70-50 (Home)
-Florida State 55-54 (Road)
-Wake Forest 72-70 (Road)
Tournament Run:
-#7 North Carolina Central 75-71 in Round of 32 (Home)
-#6 Alabama 73-66 in Sweet Sixteen (Home)
-#1 Richmond 63-61 in Elite Eight (Road)
Key Contributors:
---#10 Sheldon McClellan (JR)
-14.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, & 2.0 APG.
---#13 Angel Rodriguez (JR)
(Expected to be out with a wrist injury for third straight game.)
-11.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.9 APG, & 1.8 SPG.
---#23 Tonye Jekiri (JR)
-8.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG, & 1.4 BPG.
---#20 Manu Lecomte (SO)
-8.3 PPG & 1.8 APG.
---#5 Davon Reed (SO)
-8.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, & 1.8 APG.
---#1 Deandre Burnett (FR)
-7.1 PPG & 2.1 RPG.
---#33 Ivan Cruz Uceda (JR)
-5.3 PPG & 3.4 RPG.
---#22 Omar Sherman (FR)
-4.7 PPG & 2.2 RPG.

26-10 (13-5) #1 Temple
Good Wins:
-Louisiana Tech 82-75 (Home)
-#10 Kansas 77-52 (Home)
-Connecticut in Overtime 57-53 (Road)
-Cincinnati 75-59 (Home)
-Connecticut 75-63 (Home)
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
-UNLV 57-50 in Third Place Game of Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
-Saint Joseph's 58-56 (Road)
Tournament Run:
-#8 Bucknell 73-67 in Round of 32 (Home)
-#5 George Washington 90-77 in Sweet Sixteen (Home)
-#2 Louisiana Tech 77-59 in Elite Eight (Home)
Key Contributors:
---#2 Will Cummings (SR)
-14.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, & 1.9 SPG.
---#25 Quenton DeCosey (JR)
-12.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
---#3 Jesse Morgan (SR)
-12.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#15 Jaylen Bond (JR)
-7.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, & 1.4 BPG.
---#1 Josh Brown (SO)
-6.3 PPG & 3.0 RPG.
---#0 Obi Enechionyia (FR)
-5.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, & 1.2 BPG.

Prediction:
---Temple 64, Miami (FL) 62

9:00 PM EST-ESPN
22-13 (9-9) #2 Stanford
27-7 (13-5) #1 Old Dominion
(At MSG in New York City)

22-13 (9-9) #2 Stanford
Solid Wins:
-Wofford 74-59 (Home)
-#9 Texas 74-71 (Road)
-#21 Washington 68-60 in Overtime (Home)
-Connecticut 72-59 (Home)
-Arizona State 89-70 (Home)
-Washington 84-74 (Road)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-UCLA 86-81 in Double Overtime (Road)
-#7 Arizona 89-82 (Home)
-Washington State 89-88 (Road)
-UCLA 69-67 (Home)
-Colorado 64-58 (Road)
-Oregon 73-70 (Home)
-Arizona State 67-62 (Road)
Tournament Run:
-#7 UC Davis 77-64 in Round of 32 (Home)
-#3 Rhode Island 74-65 in Sweet Sixteen (Home)
-#5 Vanderbilt 78-75 in Elite Eight (Home)
Key Contributors:
---#5 Chasson Randle (SR)
-19.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, & 1.4 SPG.
---#21 Anthony Brown (SR)
-15.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, & 2.7 APG.
---#4 Stefan Nastic (SR)
-13.4 PPG & 6.5 RPG.
---#25 Rosco Allen (JR)
-7.7 PPG & 4.5 RPG.
---#15 Marcus Allen (SO)
-6.2 PPG & 3.2 RPG.
---#22 Reid Travis (FR)
-6.2 PPG & 5.4 RPG.

27-7 (13-5) #1 Old Dominion
Good Wins:
-Richmond 63-57 (Home)
-LSU 70-61 in Quarterfinal of Paradise Jam.
-#14 VCU 73-67 (Home)
-Georgia State 58-54 in Overtime (Home)
-Louisiana Tech 72-53 (Home)
Poor Losses:
-Illinois State 64-56 in Semi-Final of Paradise Jam.
-Middle Tennessee 68-58 in Overtime (Road)
-UTSA 72-67 (Road)
-Middle Tennessee 59-52 in Quarterfinal of Conference-USA Tournament (in Birmingham)
Tournament Run:
-#8 Charleston Southern 65-56 in Round of 32 (Home)
-#4 Illinois State 50-49 in Sweet Sixteen (Home)
-#3 Murray State 72-69 in Elite Eight (Home)
Key Contributors:
---#20 Trey Freeman (JR)
-17.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 1.4 SPG.
---#1 Aaron Bacote (JR)
-10.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, & 2.8 APG.
---#35 Jonathan Arledge (SR)
-8.9 PPG & 4.9 RPG.
---#23 Richard Ross (SR)
-8.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, & 1.6 BPG.
---#22 Ambrose Mosley (SO)
-6.9 PPG & 2.0 RPG.

Prediction:
---Stanford 72, Old Dominion 69


PW's Collegeinsider.com Tournament (CIT) Final Four Predictions

By Peyton Wesner

Collegeinsider.com Tournament Semi-Finals

7:00 PM EST-CBS College Sports
21-12 (10-6) Tennessee-Martin
at 22-12 (9-9) Evansville

21-12 (10-6) Tennessee-Martin
Quality Conference Wins:
-Morehead State 75-72 in Overtime (Home)
-Eastern Illinois 81-51 (Home)
-SIU Edwardsville 64-59 (Home)
-Eastern Illinois 75-73 in Overtime (Road)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-Eastern Kentucky 66-58 (Home)
-Belmont 72-67 (Road)
-Murray State 65-62 (Road)
-SIU Edwardsville 76-68 (Road)
-Murray State 73-67 (Home)
Tournament Run:
-Northwestern State 104-79 in Round of 32 (Road)
-USC Upstate 60-49 in Sweet Sixteen (Road)
-Eastern Kentucky 70-69 in Elite Eight (Road)
Key Contributors:
---#24 Deville Smith (SR)
-13.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.6 APG & 1.7 SPG.
---#30 Twymond Howard (JR)
-13.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, & 1.7 APG.
---#25 Marshun Newell (SR)
-13.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#3 Alex Anderson (JR)
-12.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG & 1.9 APG.
---#40 Javier Martinez (SO)
-5.7 PPG & 3.8 RPG.

22-12 (9-9) Evansville
Solid Wins:
-Belmont 65-62 (Road)
-Ohio 81-69 in Overtime (Home)
-#23 Northern Iowa 52-49 (Home)
-Indiana State 89-78 (Home)
Single-Digit Losses:
-Green Bay 64-62 in Semi-Final of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Murray State 81-79 (Home)
-Indiana State 79-75 in Overtime (Road)
-Loyola (IL) 71-70 (Home)
-Drake 70-65 (Road)
-Bradley 56-53 (Home)
-Illinois State 69-67 in Overtime (Home)
-Illinois State 71-67 in Quarterfinal of Missouri Valley Conference "Arch Madness" Tournament (in St. Louis)
Tournament Run:
-IPFW 82-77 in Round of 32 (Home)
-Eastern Illinois 83-68 in Sweet Sixteen (Road)
-Louisiana-Lafayette 89-82 in Elite Eight (Road)
Key Contributors:
---#31 D.J. Balentine (JR)
-20.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, & 3.2 APG.
---#55 Egidijus Mockevicius (JR)
-12.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, & 2.2 BPG.
---#5 Mislav Brzoja (SO)
-7.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, & 2.6 APG.
---#12 Adam Wing (JR)
-7.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, & 1.9 APG.
---#50 Blake Simmons (SO)
-7.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
---#4 Duane "Boo" Gibson (SO)
-5.2 PPG & 2.6 RPG.
---#3 Jaylon Brown (SO)
-5.0 PPG, 1.9 RPG, & 2.5 APG.

Prediction:
The biggest home game this decade for the Evansville Purple Aces is tonight at the Ford Center. It has been a very up and down season for Evansville this year as for some experts within the Missouri Valley Conference they were considered a disappointment since they finished fifth in the MVC standings with all of their starters returned from the previous season. But now I believe we can all agree that the Purple Aces' 2014-2015 season cannot be classified as "disappointing" since they have danced into the Collegeinsider.com Tournament Final Four. How the quick turnaround you ask? Three words: "D.J. and Giddy." The leading scorer in the Missouri Valley Conference D.J. Balentine shot poorly to end the regular season in a pair of games against Illinois State, but in tournament play he has averaged 30.7 points per game while shooting 59.3% from the field! D.J. for MVP? I would say so! Although Balentine has played better than anyone in any post-season tournament this month, he has not done it alone. The big fella from Lithuania, Egidijus "Giddy" Mockevicius, who also received All-MVC First Team honors, has defended the paint and influenced games without scoring points. Tonight, Mockevicius must rebound from a two for seven outing at Lousiana-Lafayette to avoid his team being soared by.

The Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks are the last team from the Ohio Valley Conference to still be playing this season. Tennessee-Martin came into the CIT on a two-game losing streak with their next game against a high-scoring, Northwestern State team. And they won...convincingly thanks to a triple-double from "Star Senior" Deville Smith (21 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists.) After the twenty-five point win on the road they traveled south and defeated USC Upstate by holding them to 29.6% from the floor. But conference rival Eastern Kentucky ended their run right? Wrong! With six seconds left and EKU up one, Senior Marshun Newell put his rough shooting game aside and nailed a three pointer that later won the game for his team. So easily stated is that Tennessee-Martin is no stranger to playing and WINNING on the road in March. But will they tonight? This showdown for the privilege to go to the Championship Game of the Collegeinsider.com Tournament will essentially be a fight between experience (UT-Martin) and youth (Evansville)---but that shouldn't matter because at this point in the season Juniors can be considered Seniors. Despite the previous statement, I believe the Skyhawks will double-team or  "box and one" D.J. Balentine to try to limit his production. Little do they know, Balentine is very capable passer that can find open shooters. Also an advantage for the Purple Aces is that Tennessee-Martin has no post size...whatsoever! The Skyhawks tallest post player is 6'7" meaning Egidijus Mockevicius will have a whole four inches of height advantage. So in other words look Mockevicius to feast on the  guard-oriented offense of Tennessee-Martin. Honestly though---and all my fellow Missouri Valley Conference fans know this---Evansville has a tendency to play down to opponents, which gives me the inkling that the Skyhawks' quartet of Deville Smith, Twymond Howard, Marshun Newell, and Alex Anderson, will bucket a plethora of points turning this into a track meet. Unfortunately for them, Tennessee-Martin will not be able to score enough this evening in the Ford Center as I feel D.J. Balentine will score at least twenty-points while Egidijus Mockevicius posts another double-double.
---Evansville 77, Tennessee-Martin  70


9:00 PM EST-CBS College Sports
21-11 (6-9 on Road) N.J.I.T.
at 22-14 (13-5) Northern Arizona

21-11 (6-9 on Road) N.J.I.T.
Solid Wins:
-Duquesne 84-81 (Road)
-#17 Michigan 72-70 (Road)
-St. Francis (NY) 68-66  (Home)
-St. Francis (PA) 77-65 (Home)
-Maryland-Eastern Shore 69-60 (Home)
-Yale 78-71 (Home)
-Hampton 86-67 (Home)
Single-Digit Losses:
-University of Massachusetts-Lowell 63-61 (Home)
-University of Massachusetts-Lowell 71-67 (Road)
-Lafayette 76-71 (Road)
-Dartmouth 62-53 (Road)
-Albany 65-59 (Home)
Tournament Run:
-New Hampshire 84-77 in Round of 32 (Home)
-Cleveland State 80-77 in Sweet Sixteen (Home)
-Canisius 78-73 in Elite Eight (Home)
Key Contributors:
---#5 Damon Lynn (SO)
-17.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, & 1.7 SPG.
---#11 Winfield Willis (JR)
-12.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#2 Tim Coleman (SO)
-11.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.2 BPG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#0 Ky Howard (JR)
-11.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, & 4.0 APG.
---#10 Daquan Holiday (SR)
-5.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, & 1.5 BPG.

22-14 (13-5) Northern Arizona
Solid Wins:
-Southern 70-63 in Overtime in Emerald Coast Classic
-Loyola Marymount 71-69 (Home)
-Saint Mary's 73-71 (Road)
-Northern Colorado 65-60 (Home)
-Eastern Washington 73-69 (Home)
-Sacramento State 70-68 (Home)
-Northern Colorado 63-57 in Quarterfinal of Big Sky Tournament (in Missoula, MT)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-Sacramento State 78-73 (Road)
-Weber State 74-65 (Home)
-Montana 64-57 (Road)
-Northern Colorado 76-74 (Road)
-Montana 61-59 in Semi-Final of Big Sky Tournament (in Missoula, MT)
Tournament Run:
-Grand Canyon 75-70 in Round of 32 (Road)
-Sacramento State 78-73 in Sweet Sixteen (Road)
-Kent State 74-73 in Overtime in Elite Eight (Home)
Key Contributors:
---#2 Quinton Upshur (SR)
-14.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, & 1.1 BPG.
---#4 Kris Yanku (SO)
-13.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.1 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#1 Aaseem Dixon (SR)
-12.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, & 2.3 APG.
---#11 Ako Kaluna (SO)
-8.8 PPG & 3.4 RPG.
---#34 Jordyn Martin (JR)
-7.8 PPG & 7.4 RPG.
---#32 Gaellan Bewernick (SR)
-5.1 PPG & 4.9 RPG.

Prediction:
Who would have thought that N.J.I.T. would be in the CIT Final Four! And if you did predict the magical run, you must have known something none of us knew about the team. The New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders, N.J.I.T. for short, may ring a bell to most of you college basketball fans since they upset the ranked Michigan Wolverines in Ana Arbor earlier in the season, but if you have not followed them since...they have been just as good! Led by "Stud Sophomore" Damon Lynn, the Highlanders have defeated some very good mid-majors in the Collegeinsider.com Tournament not with their defense like some, but with their offense which has produced 80.7 points per game. Like I previously noted, Lynn has been the star on the team and has scored twenty plus points in two out of the three games including in the quarterfinals against Canisius. One thing that has yet to been proven for the "Jersey Boys" is if they can win on the road, but I guess we will find out tonight against Northern Arizona. The home team this evening, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks of the Big Sky Conference, have survived close call after close call so far in the Collegeinsider.com Tournament. Just look at their average winning margin in the tourney! It is 3.7 points per game! Unlike their opponent this evening that has one great player, the Lumberjacks have many good players to go along with a bench that provides great depth. In each tournament game, NAU has had a different leading scorer as Aaseem Dixon put up twenty-one in the first round, Jordyn Martin posted twenty-seven in the round of sixteen, while Kris Yanku scored nineteen pointd to advance his team to the semi-finals. Is NAU the UNI of the Big Sky Conference considering all the offensive options they posses? Personally, I can see a bit of resemblence with the Northern Iowa Panthers and since I do, I do not see the Lumberjacks having any trouble at home against the Highlanders, who have a 6-9 record on the road during the regular season. I really hate to say it because it has been an amazing run, but I do not think Damon Lynn will be able to do enough for his team to move them into a winner take all battle with D.J. Balentine's Evansville Purple Aces on Thursday Night at the Ford Center
---Northern Arizona 74, N.J.I.T. 60



7:00 PM EST-CBS College Sports
23-14 (13-5) Northern Arizona
at 23-12 (9-9) Evansville

23-14 (13-5) Northern Arizona
Solid Wins:
-Southern 70-63 in Overtime in Emerald Coast Classic
-Loyola Marymount 71-69 (Home)
-Saint Mary's 73-71 (Road)
-Northern Colorado 65-60 (Home)
-Eastern Washington 73-69 (Home)
-Sacramento State 70-68 (Home)
-Northern Colorado 63-57 in Quarterfinal of Big Sky Tournament (in Missoula, MT)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-Sacramento State 78-73 (Road)
-Weber State 74-65 (Home)
-Montana 64-57 (Road)
-Northern Colorado 76-74 (Road)
-Montana 61-59 in Semi-Final of Big Sky Tournament (in Missoula, MT)
Tournament Run:
-Grand Canyon 75-70 in Round of 32 (Road)
-Sacramento State 78-73 in Sweet Sixteen (Road)
-Kent State 74-73 in Overtime in Elite Eight (Home)
-N.J.I.T. 68-61 in Final Four (Home)
Key Contributors:
---#2 Quinton Upshur (SR)
-14.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, & 1.1 BPG.
---#4 Kris Yanku (SO)
-13.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.1 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#1 Aaseem Dixon (SR)
-13.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, & 2.3 APG.
---#11 Ako Kaluna (SO)
-8.6 PPG & 3.3 RPG.
---#34 Jordyn Martin (JR)
-7.7 PPG & 7.7 RPG.
---#32 Gaellan Bewernick (SR)
-5.1 PPG & 4.9 RPG.

23-12 (9-9) Evansville
Solid Wins:
-Belmont 65-62 (Road)
-Ohio 81-69 in Overtime (Home)
-#23 Northern Iowa 52-49 (Home)
-Indiana State 89-78 (Home)
Single-Digit Losses:
-Green Bay 64-62 in Semi-Final of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Murray State 81-79 (Home)
-Indiana State 79-75 in Overtime (Road)
-Loyola (IL) 71-70 (Home)
-Drake 70-65 (Road)
-Bradley 56-53 (Home)
-Illinois State 69-67 in Overtime (Home)
-Illinois State 71-67 in Quarterfinal of Missouri Valley Conference "Arch Madness" Tournament (in St. Louis)
Tournament Run:
-IPFW 82-77 in Round of 32 (Home)
-Eastern Illinois 83-68 in Sweet Sixteen (Road)
-Louisiana-Lafayette 89-82 in Elite Eight (Road)
-Tennessee-Martin 79-66 in Final Four (Home)
Key Contributors:
---#31 D.J. Balentine (JR)
-20.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 3.2 APG.
---#55 Egidijus Mockevicius (JR)
-12.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, & 2.1 BPG.
---#12 Adam Wing (JR)
-7.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, & 1.9 APG.
---#5 Mislav Brzoja (SO)
-7.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, & 2.6 APG.
---#50 Blake Simmons (SO)
-7.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.3 APG.
---#4 Duane "Boo" Gibson (SO)
-5.1 PPG & 2.7 RPG.
---#3 Jaylon Brown (SO)
-5.1 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.4 APG.
---#10 Jaylon Moore (SR)
-4.2 PPG.

Loyola-Chicago did it, can Evansville pull off the second postseason tournament championship for the Missouri Valley Conference tonight? The Evansville Purple Aces caused the Skyhawks to be grounded for the summer on Tuesday night as they won by the score of 79-66. So it was an easy victory? Not exactly. With 5:45 in the first half the game was actually tied at 28! The problem for UTM was that D.J. Balentine was once again the best player on the court and he went on a personal 7-0 run to shift the prior Tennessee-Martin momentum while breaking the tie. Later Evansville started to "wing it" by using Adam Wing, who himself went on a 6-0 personal run. Before anyone knew it the Purple Aces were ahead 46-34 going into halftime and they were not done yet. To start the second half Evansville went on a 12-0 run to extend the lead to twenty-four! Although the Skyhawks were able to eventually dwindle UE's lead down, Tennessee-Martin was already down for the count and Evansville was going to the CIT Championship game. "Great Junior," and Most Outstanding Player candidate if the Purple Aces win the championship, D.J. Balentine ended the night with a game-high twenty-eight points on ten for sixteen shooting while his big man Egidijus Mockevicius only played twenty minutes and scored four points. With Mockevicius having one of his worst games of the season, a pair of unlikely heroes, Adam Wing and Blake Simmons posted a combined twenty-nine points (Wing 16 points and Simmons 13 points), which no one expected. Another thing I am sure no one expected on Tuesday night, this time in Flagstaff, Arizona, was that their home team would be down twelve early in the first half by an institute of technology. 

The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks were playing the biggest game in school history, but the scoreboard was making many fans nervous because the New Jersey Institute of Technology was looking to continue their magical season right to Evansville for the championship. Star Senior Quinton Upshur was determined to not allow his collegiate career to end and went on a 7-1 run individually to break the tension within the arena and decrease their opponent's lead to six from twelve. The battle was on! With 6:11 left in regulation, the Lumberjacks finally took back the lead with a layup and pair of free throws from Kris Yanku. As soon as the Highlanders lost the lead, I had a feeling that they would never see themselves ahead on the scoreboard for the rest of the night...I was right. NAU's defense turned it up a notch and held N.J.I.T.'s offense to one for nine shooting from the floor after the final official timeout while the home team made six of their eight of the free throws to seal the deal. Northern Arizona guard Quinton Upshur was the top performer on the night as he bounced back from a horrid eight point performance against Kent State with twenty-three points against the Highlanders. The matchup was set, Northern Arizona would travel to Southern Indiana to face the Evansville Purple Aces with everything on the line.

Keys for Victory for NAU:
-Share the ball between Upshur, Yanku, and Dixon.
-Get Egidijus Mockevicius in foul trouble and cause him to miss easy close range shots.
-Although it will be tough, contain D.J. Balentine to under twenty-five points.

Keys for Victory for UE:
-Get the ball to Balentine and let him create off the dribble.
-Turn the game into a high-scoring, track meet.
-Make Mockevicius a factor by getting him touches against Len Springs.

Prediction:
There is no three game series in the Collegeinsider.com Tournament as in forty game minutes a champion will be crowned. This evening some important questions will be answered such as can D.J. Balentine stay great on the biggest stage and will Northern Arizona's depth, like Northern Iowa, give the Purple Aces trouble? Besides the Lumberjacks having more offensive depth, these two are very similar as Evansville averages only one more point per game on the offense than NAU while also allowing 1.6 less per game to opponents. Despite more scorers on Northern Arizona, I am ultimately going with Evansville. Why? Well the Purple Aces do have home-court advantage, which significantly helped both sides get to the Championship in their semi-final matchup. In addition, with the way D.J. Balentine has played in the tournament (30 points per game), I see no way that the Lumberjacks will be able to stop him. Even if they do double team or box and one him, like I said Tennessee-Martin should have done, he can find the open man. Adam Wing and Blake Simmons were factors against Skyhawks because of how much attention Balentine was getting! Do not expect Egidijus Mockevicius to play only twenty minutes and score four points because that is not realistic. Please do not get me wrong though, Northern Arizona has a good team that could very well go into the Ford Center and knock around the Purple Aces. In fact if Upshur outscores Balentine, the Lumberjacks will be crowned champions. Despite all the stats and facts, a popular artist once said "It's going down and I am yelling timber"...but this time the tree will be falling on the Lumberjacks in the form of a loss from the Evansville Purple Aces.
---Evansville 71, Northern Arizona 70
Most Outstanding Player: Evansville's D.J. Balentine (JR)




PW's CIT Tournament Pick'em Record: 2-0

PW's Postseason Pick'em Record: 14-4

PW's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Prediction Record: 8-1

PW's Regular Season Prediction Record: 205-70 (81-18 in the MVC)


Monday, March 30, 2015

PW's CBI Championship Special

College Basketball Invitational Championship

Game 1:

8:00 PM EST-CBS College Sports
24-12 (14-6) Louisiana-Monroe
at 22-13 (8-10) Loyola (IL)

24-12 (14-6) Louisiana-Monroe
Solid Wins:
-UAB 74-65 (Road)
-Northwestern State 82-74 (Home)
-Lousiana-Lafayette 57-55 (Road)
-Georgia Southern 71-68 in Overtime (Road)
-Louisiana-Lafayette 67-55 (Home)
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
-Samford 64-50 (Road)
-Texas-Arlington 61-57 (Home)
-Arkansas State 70-68 (Road)
-Appalachian State 66-43 (Road)
Tournament Run
-Eastern Michigan 71-67 in Sweet Sixteen (Home)
-Mercer 71-69 in Elite Eight (Road)
-Vermont 71-65 in Final Four (Home)
Key Contributors:
---#12 Tylor Ongwae (SR)
-14.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#13 Majok Deng (JR)
-10.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, & 1.4 BPG.
---#11 Nick Coppola (SO)
-9.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 3.8 APG.
---#32 Justin Roberson (JR)
-8.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#5 Jamaal Samuel (JR)
-6.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#4 Mack Foster (JR)
-4.9 PPG & 1.9 RPG.

22-13 (8-10) Loyola (IL)
Solid Wins:
-Kent State 69-61 (Road)
-Texas Tech 62-44 in the Semi-Finals of the Las Vegas Classic.
-Boise State 48-45 in the Championship of the Las Vegas Classic.
-Bradley 64-49 (Home)
-Evansville 71-70 (Road)
-Missouri State 53-50 without Milton Doyle and Christian Thomas (Road)
-Drake 80-75 in Overtime for Sixth Seed (Road)
-Indiana State 81-53 in Quarterfinal of Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (in St. Louis)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-#23 Northern Iowa 67-58 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Evansville 65-56 (Home)
-Illinois State 48-45 (Home)
-Illinois State 67-60 (Road)
Tournament Run:
-Rider 62-59 in Sweet Sixteen (Home).
-Oral Roberts 86-78 in Elite Eight (Home).
-Seattle 63-48 in Final Four (Home).
Players to Watch:
---#35 Milton Doyle (SO) 
-11.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.4 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#32 Christian Thomas (SR)
-11.2 PPG & 4.5 RPG.
---#24 Montel James (JR)
-9.3 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
---#2 Earl Peterson (JR)
-8.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, & 2.0 APG.
---#4 Devon Turk (JR)
-8.3 PPG & 2.6 RPG.
---#0 Donte Ingram (FR)
-5.1 PPG & 3.3 RPG.

Prediction:
Three games for the right to be named the 2015 College Basketball Invitational Champions. The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks have been going to war with opponent team's defenses since losing in their conference tournament semi-final and come into tonight averaging seventy-one points per game in their last three. "Star Senior" Tylor Ongawe has played terrific in this year's tourney and is averaging 25.0 points per game while being hotter than the Arizona desert from the field by shooting the 46.3% and 38.1% from beyond the arc. In addition to Ongawe's production, Majok Deng has dominated the paint by posting 16.7 points and 11.0 rebounds of late. Will the two dominate another defensively-sound team on the road? I think not! The Loyola Ramblers out of the Missouri Valley Conference are showing the nation how good they would have been if it was not for a foot injury that made star and "Stud Sophomore" Milton Doyle miss the majority of the conference season. The home-grown product from Chicago has done a little of everything so far in yhe CBI Tournament and enters the Joseph J. Gentile Center with tourney averages of 15.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. Although, Doyle's Robin to his Batman, Christian Thomas, has struggled scoring the basketball, 6'7" post player Montel James has been productive in addition to Devon Turk, who is averaging 11.3 points and 4.0 rebounds. The same productivity is a must this evening to take a 1-0 series lead to Monroe, Louisiana. Normally in match-ups such as this one, I go with the team that can put the "biscuit in the basket," in hopes of a win in a high-scoring game...BUT NOT TONIGHT! With the way the Ramblers have protected their house in March (3-0), I think Doyle, Thomas, James, and Turk will be able to contain Ongawe and Deng in a close, exciting matchup that send the Warhawks flying home in a must-win situation.
---Loyola (IL) 64, Louisiana-Monroe 63


Game 2:

8:00 PM EST-CBS College Sports
23-13 (8-10) Loyola (IL)
at 
24-13 (14-6) Louisiana-Monroe
(Loyola (IL) leads series 1-0.)

23-13 (8-10) Loyola (IL)
Solid Wins:
-Kent State 69-61 (Road)
-Texas Tech 62-44 in the Semi-Finals of the Las Vegas Classic.
-Boise State 48-45 in the Championship of the Las Vegas Classic.
-Bradley 64-49 (Home)
-Evansville 71-70 (Road)
-Missouri State 53-50 without Milton Doyle and Christian Thomas (Road)
-Drake 80-75 in Overtime for Sixth Seed (Road)
-Indiana State 81-53 in Quarterfinal of Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (in St. Louis)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-#23 Northern Iowa 67-58 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Evansville 65-56 (Home)
-Illinois State 48-45 (Home)
-Illinois State 67-60 (Road)
Tournament Run:
-Rider 62-59 in Sweet Sixteen (Home).
-Oral Roberts 86-78 in Elite Eight (Home).
-Seattle 63-48 in Final Four (Home).
-Win Against Louisiana-Monroe 65-58 in Game One of Championship, Best of Three Series (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#35 Milton Doyle (SO) 
-11.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#32 Christian Thomas (SR)
-11.3 PPG & 4.5 RPG.
---#24 Montel James (JR)
-9.3 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
---#2 Earl Peterson (JR)
-8.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, & 2.0 APG.
---#4 Devon Turk (JR)
-8.4 PPG & 2.6 RPG.
---#0 Donte Ingram (FR)
-5.0 PPG & 3.2 RPG.

24-13 (14-6) Louisiana-Monroe
Solid Wins:
-UAB 74-65 (Road)
-Northwestern State 82-74 (Home)
-Lousiana-Lafayette 57-55 (Road)
-Georgia Southern 71-68 in Overtime (Road)
-Louisiana-Lafayette 67-55 (Home)
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
-Samford 64-50 (Road)
-Texas-Arlington 61-57 (Home)
-Arkansas State 70-68 (Road)
-Appalachian State 66-43 (Road)
Tournament Run
-Eastern Michigan 71-67 in Sweet Sixteen (Home)
-Mercer 71-69 in Elite Eight (Road)
-Vermont 71-65 in Final Four (Home)
-Loss To 
Loyola (IL) 65-58 in Game One of Championship, Best of Three Series (Road)
Key Contributors:
---#12 Tylor Ongwae (SR)
-14.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#13 Majok Deng (JR)
-10.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, & 1.4 BPG.
---#11 Nick Coppola (SO)
-9.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 3.8 APG.
---#32 Justin Roberson (JR)
-8.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#5 Jamaal Samuel (JR)
-7.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#4 Mack Foster (JR)
-4.8 PPG & 1.8 RPG.

Prediction:
The Warhawks were flying high as they took a 26-24 lead into halftime of Game 1 of the College Basketball Invitational best of three championship series. Soon though the momentum was about to stay in their grasps or swing in favor of the team that would eventually win. The second half started with an Earl Peterson turnover that was taken for two by Louisiana-Monroe's Justin Roberson, which was exactly what head coach of Loyola Porter Moser didn't want out of the break. But for the following eight minutes, I am going to assume he was very pleased because the Ramblers went on a 31-18 run that put the home team ahead 55-44 with 8:08 remaining in the game. During the run, big man on Loyola Montel James threw down a rim-rattling dunk that not only made the crowd a factor again, but was number one on Sportscenter Top 10 plays from Monday night. But there was plenty of time remaining and Louisiana-Monroe actually was able to cut their deficit down to three with about four minutes left in regulation on a DeMondre Harvey tip in. We had ourselves a ball game in Chi-town! With the pressure on and the lead slipping away, not Milton Doyle nor Montel James but Christian Thomas was able to get a crucial offensive board and stick-back for two to end the Warhawks run and extend the lead back to five. After the last media timeout, the Ramblers defense stayed on the hunt as they held Louisiana-Monroe to zero for four shooting while "Stud Sophomore" Milton Doyle put the nail in the coffin with a made layup off a steal. Loyola wins...but will they be able to close the series tonight on the road? If their defense plays as well it did on in the previous game, the Ramblers will definitely be on the prowl for a two game series sweep, but we all must keep in mind that Star Senior on the Warhawks Tylor Ongwae went three for nineteen from the field on Monday for twelve points while grabbing eleven rebounds. The point I am trying to make is that no one should expect the same rough outing in his home gym! In addition, Jaamal Samuel was great for ULM in game one as he finished with fifteen points. But I do not see his performance playing a factor this evening! Personally, I see tonight being a "do or die" game for both teams because if the Ramblers fall tonight momentum will be in the Warhawks favor while if Louisiana-Monroe loses, Loyola will be named champions and the tournament will be over. Ramblers' guard Earl Peterson was huge in the opener as he led the pack with sixteen points, but I look for "Batman," Milton Doyle to be the main difference-maker. Doyle was three for ten from the floor and only collected six points in his home-town on Monday, but if I could take one thing away from what I have watched from this special talent the past two seasons, it is that MD35 does not have two off-games in a row (not saying that in Game 1 he didn't make a positive difference). By the end of tonight, I believe that the CBI Tournament will be all over because of Milton Doyle, who will forever be hated in Monroe, Louisiana in the years to come!
---Loyola (IL) 64, Louisiana-Monroe 62
Most Outstanding Player: Loyola's Milton Doyle (SO)



Saturday, March 28, 2015

PW's NCAA Tournament Elite Eight Special

By Peyton Wesner

Elite Eight

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Midwest Region
8:49 PM EST-TBS
32-5 (24-4) #3 Notre Dame
37-0 (18-0) #1 Kentucky
(In Cleveland)
(Winner moves on to play winner of Wisconsin/Arizona)

37-0 (18-0) #1 Kentucky
---SEC Regular Season Champions
---SEC Tournament Champions
Great Wins:
-#5 Kansas 72-40 in Champions Classic (in Indianapolis)
-#6 Texas 63-51 (Home)
-#21 North Carolina (Home)
-UCLA 83-44 in CBS Classic (in Chicago)
-#4 Louisville 58-50 (Road)
-#18 Arkansas 84-67 (Home)
-#21 Arkansas 78-63 in SEC Tournament Championship (in Nashville)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#16 Hampton 79-56 in Round of 64 (in Louisville)
-#8 Cincinnati 64-51 in Round of 32 (in Louisville)
-#5 West Virginia 78-39 in Sweet Sixteen (in Cleveland)
Key Contributors:
---#2 Aaron Harrison (SO)
-11.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, & 1.2 APG.
---#1 Devin Booker (FR)
-10.1 PPG & 2.0 RPG.
---#12 Karl-Anthony Towns (FR)
-9.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, & 2.3 BPG.
---#5 Andrew Harrison (SO)
-9.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#15 Willie Cauley-Stein (JR)
-9.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.7 BPG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#41 Trey Lyles (FR)
-8.7 PPG & 5.4 RPG.
---#44 Dakari Johnson (SO)
-6.7 PPG & 4.8 RPG.
---#3 Tyler Ulis (FR)
-5.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 3.8 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

32-5 (14-4) #3 Notre Dame
---ACC Tournament Champions
Great Wins:
-#19 Michigan State 79-78 in Overtime of ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Home)
-#18 North Carolina 71-70 (Road)
-#4 Duke 77-73 (Home)
-#16 Louisville 71-59 (Road)
-#2 Duke 74-64 in Semi-Final of ACC Tournament (in Greensboro)
-#19 North Carolina 90-82 in ACC Tournament Championsip (in Greensboro)
Losses:
-Providence 75-74 in Semi-Final of Hall of Fame Tip-Off (in Uncasville, CT)
-#3 Virginia 62-56 (Home)
-Pittsburgh 76-72 (Road)
-#4 Duke 90-60 (Road)
-Syracuse 65-60 (Home)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#14 Northeastern 69-65 in Round of 64 (in Pittsburgh)
-#6 Butler 67-64 in Overtime in Round of 32 (in Pittsburgh)
-#7 Wichita State 81-70 in Sweet Sixteen (in Cleveland)
Key Contributors:
---#22 Jerian Grant (SR)
-16.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 6.7 APG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#30 Zach Auguste (JR)
-12.7 PPG & 6.4 RPG.
---#24 Pat Connaughton (SR)
-12.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#11 Demetrius Jackson (SO)
-12.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#32 Steve Vasturia (SO)
-9.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#3 V.J. Beachem (SO)
-6.1 PPG.
---#35 Bonzie Colson (FR)
-5.6 PPG & 2.7 RPG.

Prediction:
DON'T TALK TRASH NOTRE DAME! DO ANYTHING BUT! The Kentucky Wildcats truly mauled the West Virginia Mountaineers and when I say mauled, I mean that UK obliterated their opponent. At halftime, Kentucky had a 44-18 lead in points, NOT REBOUNDS, but points. Eventually West Virginia had a little more success scoring the ball, but the Wildcats still had their way on the offensive end and outscored the Mountianeers 34-21. The final score was 78-39 meaning Kentucky straight-up doubled West Virginia in points! In fact, West Virginia's total was the fewest in a Sweet Sixteen game since 1975 when the NCAA Tournament was expanded to thirty-two teams. In addition, Kentucky had five double-digit scorers, (Trey Lyles (14 points), Andrew Harrison (13 points), Aaron Harrison (12 points), Dakari Johnson (12 points), and Devin Booker (12 points)) while the Mountaineers had only one, Juwan Staten (13 points). How did that Freshman do that talked all the trash? Daxter Miles Jr. went 0-3 from the field with zero points. Kentucky shot 48.0% from the field on the evening and if they perform even close to how they played in their previous game on the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame is in trouble.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played on CBS Thursday. What does that have to do with anything? Connaughton Blasts Shockers...Pat Connaughton had sixteen points and ten rebounds against the team that is known for their underdog wins, the Wichita State Shockers. Notre Dame's offense on the night made one of the best defensive teams in the country look flimsy as they made 55.6% of their field goals and 47.4% of their three point attempts. While Connaughton had the best overall performance of the game, a pair of "Stud Sophomore," Demetrius Jackson and Steve Vasturia, played like Seniors and combined for thirty-five points while making timely shots to stop Fred Van Vleet's Shockers' momentum. With the hot shooting, the defense was fantastic against First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference guard, Ron Baker, and Wichita State's best defensive player, Tekele Cotton, and contained the two to four for twenty shooting and fifteen points. But with Kentucky's offensive threats, can the Fighting Irish defend all of the Wildcats options or even put "the biscuit in the basket" on the offensive end? I guess we will find out tonight! However, when it comes to my pick this evening, I forsee UK's defense stopping Grant from penitrating and finding the open man while making Connaughton, Auguste, Jackson, and Vasturia beat them by scoring baskets. On the offensive end for Kentucky and defensive end for Notre Dame, I believe the Fighting Irish will not be able to get defensive stops when they matter allowing the Wildcats to stay up by two possessions in the final five minutes.
---Kentucky 72, Notre Dame 65


West Region
6:09 PM EST-TBS
34-3 (16-2) #2 Arizona
34-3 (16-2) #1 Wisconsin
(In Los Angeles)
(Winner moved on to play winner of Kentucky/Notre Dame)

34-3 (16-2) #1 Wisconsin
---Big Ten Regular Season Champions
Great Wins:
-Georgetown 68-65 in Semi-Final of Battle 4 Atlantis.
-Oklahoma 69-56 in Championship of Battle 4 Atlantis.
-#25 Iowa 82-50 (Home)
-Michigan State 68-61 (Home)
-#23 Ohio State 72-48 (Road)
-Michigan State 80-69 in Overtime in Big Ten Championship (in Chicago)
Losses:
-#4 Duke 80-70 in ACC/Big 10 Challenge (Home)
-Rutgers 67-62 (Road)
-#14 Maryland 59-53 (Road)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#16 Coastal Carolina 86-72 in Round of 64 (in Omaha)
-#8 Oregon 72-65 in Round of 32 (in Omaha)
-#4 North Carolina 79-72 in Sweet Sixteen (in Los Angeles)
Key Contributors:
---#44 Frank Kaminsky (SR) 
-18.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.5 BPG.
---#15 Sam Dekker (JR) 
-13.5 PPG & 5.5 RPG.
---#10 Nigel Hayes (SO) 
-12.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, & 2.0 APG.
---#12 Traevon Jackson (SR)
(Played first game since suffering foot injury against #4 North Carolina.)
-9.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#24 Bronson Koenig (SO)
-8.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.4 RPG.
---#21 Josh Gasser (SR) 
-6.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, & 1.8 APG.
---#13 Duje Dukan (SR)
-4.8 PPG & 2.7 RPG.

34-3 (16-2) #2 Arizona
---PAC-12 Regular Season Champions
---PAC-12 Tournament Champions
Great Wins:
-#15 San Diego State 61-59 in Championship of Maul Invitational
-#9 Gonzaga 66-63 in Overtime (Home)
-#8 Utah 69-51 (Home)
-Oregon 90-56 (Home)
-UCLA 57-47 (Home)
-#13 Utah 63-57 (Road)
-UCLA 70-64 in Semi-Final of PAC-12 Tournament (in Las Vegas).
-Oregon 80-52 in PAC-12 Championship (in Las Vegas).
Losses:
-UNLV 71-67 (Road)
-Oregon State 58-56 (Road)
-Arizona State 81-78 (Road) 
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#15 Texas Southern 93-72 in Round of 64 (in Portland)
-#10 Ohio State 73-58 in Round of 32 (in Portland)
-#6 Xavier 68-60 in Sweet Sixteen (in Los Angeles)
Key Contributors:
---#5 Stanley Johnson (FR)
-14.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, & 1.5 SPG.
---#21 Brandon Ashley (JR)
-12.1 PPG & 5.2 RPG.
---#23 Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (SO)
-11.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#4 T.J. McConnell (SR)
-10.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, & 2.2 SPG.
---#35 Kaleb Tarczewski (JR)
-9.2 PPG & 5.3 RPG.
---#1 Gabe York (JR)
-9.1 PPG & 2.1 RPG.

Prediction:
2.3 seconds...Arizona's ball, down one point. Nick Johnson catches the ball and starts dribbling towards the left block. He pulls up for the game-winning attempt, but the buzzer had already sounded and Wisconsin was heading to the Final Four as a two seed. Tonight, the roles are reversed and the Wildcats are the second seed while the Badgers are the number one seed in addition to the fact that Arizona's starting lineup is significantly different due to stars Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson now being in the NBA and not in college. What about Wisconsin's lineup? Well, their lineup does not look much different as the only player that graduated last year was Ben Brust. So, Wisconsin with their experience and returning playmakers should have no problem moving on to a possible matchup with Kentucky, right? Not so fast my friend! Another Freshman with NBA-talent plays in the desert now and his name is Stanley Johnson. Johnson, who's statistical averages in the NCAA Tournament are below his regular season's, comes in with the stats of 12.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game to go along with a three point percentage of 42.9% in "The Big Dance." In fact, Senior point guard T.J. McConnell has been the go-to player for Arizona in the NCAA Tournament as he averages 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. Will McConnell, Johnson, in addition, to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who has played big with 13 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in his last three performances, be able to play well enough to take down Wisconsin in a revenge game? The Badgers hope not! Wisconsin is also led by a "Big Three" of their own as they have Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, and Nigel Hayes. Kaminsky was truly "Klutch" down the stretch against North Carolina as he made all four of his free throws with sixteen seconds left in the game to keep the winninh margin above three. Dekker played even better than the All-American Kaminsky as he scored twenty-three points and ten rebounds on Thursday night. Tonight should be just as interesting as last year's due to both teams' recent history and them both having the same overall record. So who wins?! I really don't know! Revenge always motivates a team, which does play a factor in my pick. Also, will the Wildcats' defense actually show up today considering how they played against Xavier? Another good question! Ultimately, I am picking Arizona as I feel the Freshman, who wasn't even on the team last year during the loss, Stanley Johnson will fuel his team in points while McConnell plays another great overall game with Wisconsin's Trevon Jackson guarding him. A possible problem for the Wildcats could be Kaminsky as he is averaging 20.6 points per game to go along with 9.0 rebounds per since Selection Sunday. But with both teams evenly matched, shouldn't the odds be 50/50? Sure! But the game is in Los Angeles, which last time I checked is really close to Arizona and will provide as good of home-court advantage a team will get on a "neutral floor."
Prediction:
---#2 Arizona 67, #1 Wisconsin 66


Sunday, March 29, 2015

East Region
2:20 PM EST-CBS
26-11 (12-6) #7 Michigan State
27-8 (12-6) #4 Louisville
(In Syracuse)

26-11 (12-6) #7 Michigan State
Good Wins:
-Indiana 70-50 (Home)
-Iowa 75-61 (Road)
-#23 Ohio State 59-56 (Home)
-Purdue 72-66 (Home)
-Indiana 72-66 (Home)
-Ohio State 76-67 in Quarterfinal of Big Ten Tournament (in Chicago).
-#8 Maryland 62-58 in Semi-Final of Big Ten Tournament (in Chicago)
Questionable Losses:
-Texas Southern 71-64 in Overtime (Home)
-Nebraska 79-77 (Road)
-Illinois 59-54 (Home)
-Minnesota 96-90 in Overtime (Home)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#10 Georgia 70-63 in Round of 64 (in Charlotte).
-#2 Virginia 60-54 in Round of 32 (in Charlotte).
-#3 Oklahoma 62-58 in Sweet Sixteen (in Syracuse).
Key Contributors:
---#20 Travis Trice (SR)
-15.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 5.1 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#45 Denzel Valentine (JR)
-14.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, & 4.4 APG.
---#22 Branden Dawson (SR)
-11.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, & 1.6 BPG.
---#5 Bryn Forbes (JR)
-8.6 PPG.
---#10 Matt Costello (JR)
-7.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, & 1.2 BPG.
---#34 Gavin Schiling (SO)
-5.2 PPG & 3.9 RPG.

27-8 (12-6) #4 Louisville
Good Wins:
-#14 Ohio State 64-55 (Home)
-Indiana 94-74 (in Jimmy V Classic)
-#13 North Carolina 78-68 in Overtime (Home)
-#2 Virginia 59-57 (Home)
Single-Digit Losses:
-#1 Kentucky 58-50 (Home)
-#18 North Carolina 72-71 (Road)
-#3 Virginia 52-47 (Road)
-NC State 74-65 (Home)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#13 UC Irvine 57-55 in Round of 64 (in Seattle).
-#5 Northern Iowa 66-53 in Round of 32 (in Seattle).
-#8 NC State 65-65 in Sweet Sixteen (in Syracuse).
Key Contributors:
---#0 Terry Rozier (SO)
-17.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.9 SPG.
---#24 Montrezl Harrell (JR)
-15.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG, & 1.2 BPG.
---#3 Chris Jones (SR)
(Dismissed from team on February 22 for sexual assault allegation.)
-13.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 2.0 SPG.
---#25 Wayne Blackshear (SR)
-11.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, & 1.2 SPG.

Prediction:
---#7 Michigan State 67, #4 Louisville 64



South Region
5:05 PM EST-CBS
35-2 (17-1) #2 Gonzaga
32-4 (15-3) #1 Duke
(In Houston)

35-2 (17-1) #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)
Losses:
-#3 Arizona 65-63 in Overtime (Road)
-BYU 73-70 (Home)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#15 North Dakota State 86-76 in Round of 64 (in Seattle).
-#7 Iowa 87-68 in Round of 32 (in Seattle).
-#11 UCLA 74-62 in Sweet Sixteen (in Houston).
Key Contributors:
---#33 Kyle Wiltjer (JR)
-16.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, & 1.9 APG.
---#4 Kevin Pangos (SR)
-11.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.9 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#24 Przemek Karnowski (JR)
-11.1 PPG & 5.8 RPG.
---#22 Byron Wesley (SR)
-10.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#11 Domantas Sabonis (FR)
-9.7 PPG & 7.1 RPG.
---#5 Gary Bell Jr. (SR)
-8.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, & 2.0 APG.

32-4 (15-3) #1 Duke
Great Wins:
-#19 Michigan State 81-71 (Home)
-#2 Wisconsin 80-70 (Road)
-#6 Louisville 63-62 (Road)
-#2 Virginia 69-63 (Road)
-#10 Notre Dame 90-60 (Home)
-#15 North Carolina 92-90 in Overtime (Home)
-#19 North Carolina 84-77 (Road)
-NC State 77-53 in Quarterfinal of ACC Tournament (in Greensboro)
Losses:
-NC State 87-75 (Road)
-Miami (FL) 90-74 (Home)
-#8 Notre Dame 77-73 (Road)
-#11 Notre Dame 74-64 in Semi-Final of ACC Tournament (in Greensboro)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#16 Robert Morris 85-56 in Round of 64 (in Charlotte).
-#8 San Diego State 68-49 in Round of 32 (in Charlotte).
-#5 Utah 63-57 in Sweet Sixteen (in Houston).
Key Contributors:
---#15 Jahlil Okafor (FR)
-17.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, & 1.5 BPG.
---#2 Quinn Cook (SR)
-15.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#12 Justice Winslow (FR)
-12.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#5 Tyus Jones (FR)
-11.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.7 APG, & 1.5 SPG.
---#14 Rasheed Sulaimon (JR)
(Dismissed from team on January 29 for sexual assault allegation.)
---#21 Amile Jefferson (JR)
-6.6 PPG & 5.8 RPG.
---#13 Matt Jones (SO)
-5.9 PPG & 2.3 RPG.

Prediction:
---#2 Gonzaga 70, #1 Duke 64



PW's NCAA Tournament Pick'em Record: 8-2

PW's Postseason Pick'em Record: 8-2

PW's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Prediction Record: 8-1

PW's Regular Season Prediction Record: 205-70 (81-18 in the MVC)