The Binghamton Bearcats will make their first NCAA Tournament appearance on Thursday night in Greensboro, North Carolina. Their maiden voyage, as it were, is a showdown with post-season regular, number two seed Duke. The game is set to tip off at 9:40pm ET at the Greensboro Coliseum. The winner will take on the victor between the Texas Longhorns and the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Binghamton vs Duke 2009 NCAA Bracket Predictions at Bodoglife.com, not surprisingly, have the Blue Devils listed as a -21.5 against the spread favorite.
The Bearcats had a great conference season, going 13-3 versus league foes and finishing first in the America East standings. However, they ran their record to 23-8 and garnered their first NCAA Tournament bid by virtue of their winning the America East Tournament last Saturday. The Bearcats won their 11th straight game when they took out the University of Maryland – Baltimore County 61-51 to win the crown.
Binghamton, which is listed at 425 to 1 odds to win the East Region, is 3-0 in neutral site games this year. The Bearcats have five players who average double figures in scoring, led by junior forward D.J. Rivera who averages 20 points per game.
Duke had an uncharacteristic rough patch this season, at one point losing four out of six games, but they corrected things in the final month of play. The Blue Devils went on to finish second in the ACC standings with an 11-5 conference record after winning eight of their last nine games. Duke also captured their 11th ACC Tournament Championship in the last 13 years by beating the Floirda State Seminoles 79-69 last Sunday.
Mike Kryzewski's squad, now 28-6, is listed at 10 to 1 odds to win this year's National Championship. The Dukies, who are an undefeated 6-0 in neutral site games this year, average 78 points per game while yielding 65.6 to opponents. The Blue Devils are led by forwards Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler; the two players combine for 33.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.
Bodoglife.com's Binghamton vs Duke 2009 NCAA Bracket Predictions:
Binghamton Bearcats +21.5 (-110)
Duke Blue Devils -21.5 (-110)
