We will start with one of the games played tomorrow and what seems the easiest games to call in these first four. The goal is when you pit a pair of sixteen seeds and a pair of eleven seeds against each other you will end up with four competitive games. Unfortunately things don't always end up that way. I don't think tomorrow's games are set up to be instant classics. Tomorrow The Manhattan Jaspers will face off against the Hampton Pirates. I wish the Pirates luck and they will need it. The Jaspers ended up in third place in the MAAC with a 13-7 conference and a 19-13 over all record before winning the conference tournament. They had a solid over all record and was one of the best teams in their conference all year. Hampton is a different story altogether. They finished sixth in the MEAC this year with a lack luster 8-8 conference record. They are one of those rare teams that have made it into the big dance with a losing record at 16-17. The Jaspers should win this one. the Pirates could get lucky like they did in the conference tournament, but I think their luck has just ran out.
The other game is also interesting in the fact I think that their is a clear favorite in the game. The 25-9 BYU Cougars versus the 20-12 Ole Miss Rebels. Let's look at this logically. BYU definitely has the better record. The Rebels best win was at the Arkansas Razorbacks, and BYU's best win was at Ganzaga. Advantage BYU. How about the game breakers. Those players that have the ability to just dominate the game. BYU has two Tyler Haws that just broke Jimmer's all time scoring record and Kyle Collinsworth who just broke the NCAA's single season's record and tied the career record for most triple doubles. Ole Miss just does not have those sort of game breakers on their team. Ole Miss is an interesting team. Usually we talk about what good wins and bad losses a team has, but what got the Rebels into the dance this year was a good loss, a really good loss. How can a loss be good. When you just about beat the only undefeated team in the nation on their home court. If Ole Miss is going to win this game they will have to have a complete team game from the start to the finish. Byu averages more points than anyone else in the tournament and although the Rebels 72 points a game is respectable they will have to slow down the lightning fast cougars to have a chance. I think who ever wins this game has a chance to knock off Xavier. In the end BYU will just prove to be to much for the Rebels.
Wednesday's games are both going to be so competitive. If you want to see some quality basketball befor the real action begins on thursday trhan watch those two Wednesday games. The 19-14 Robert Morris Colonials that finished second place in the North Eastern Conference in the regular season standings against the North Florida Osprey's who one the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 23-11 record. Both are solid teams and this game could be a real good one. In the end I will go with the Osprey even though many are choosing the Colonials. Who ever wins gets destroyed by Duke but good luck to both teams.
That leaves the best for last. In my opinion this is the best of the first four. You have the 25-8 Dayton Flyers, versus the 25-8 Boise State Bronco's. A lot of people were surprised with the poor placement of the Dayton Flyers. Most people think they should have been seeded higher and think they will be playing with a chip on their shoulder. They also have one more advantage, they play in Dayton. So this is a cake walk for Dayton right? Not so fast. I think that it will be Boise State that has a chip on their shoulder. Not only is the record of these two teams tied but if you look at the statistics they are just about even on paper in almost every way. If they are just about even with Dayton on paper why does everybody seem to have Dayton wining the game as a mere formality? That is the question that I believe will be sticking in the craw of the Boise State Bronco's. I think that this will be an amazing game going right down to the wire with the Bronco's picking up the narrow victory. That's right I am not picking the Flyers in this one.
Well that's how I think the first four will work out. Only time will tell if I am right. I will admit right now I am not an unbiased observer. I am a BYU fan. Go Cougs!