Yesterday we looked at Thursday's NCAA tournament action and, as promised, here's a quick look at Friday's first-round tournament happenings.
It begins in Buffalo when West Virginia, winners of the Big East tournament, takes on Morgan State, winners of the MEAC regular season and tournament titles, in the 2/15 game in the East Regional (12:15 pm Eastern). Then Xavier, A-10 regular-season co-champs and at-large tournament invitees, plays Minnesota, a fortunate Big 10 at-large bid, in the 6/11 West Regional game in Milwaukee (12:25). Then Temple, champs of the Atlantic 10, rumbles with Cornell, champions of the Ivy League, in the 5/12 game in the East in Jacksonville (12:30). And out in Spokane, Purdue, co-regular-season champs in the Big 10, takes on Siena, regular-season and tournament champions of the MAAC, in the 4/13 game in the South (2:45).
As of Friday morning SBGglobal.com is listing the Mountaineers at -15 1/2 over Morgan State; the Owls at -3 1/2 over the Big Red; the Golden Gophers at -1 over the Musketeers; and the Boilers at -4 1/2 over the Saints.
Friday's second set of games also begins in Buffalo when Clemson, an ACC at-large bid, goes against Missouri, an at-large out of the Big 12 (2:45), in the 7/10 game in the East. Then Pittsburgh, one of seven at-largers out of the Big East, plays Oakland, the regular-season and tournament champions of the Summit League, in the 3/14 game in the West in Milwaukee (2:55). Then another Big 10 at-large invitee, Wisconsin, will try to avoid the upset bid of Wofford, champs of the Southern Conference, in Jacksonville in the 4/13 game in the East (3:00). And in a battle of Aggies, Texas A&M, at-largers out of the Big 12, takes on Utah State, the regular-season WAC champs, in the South 5/12 game in Spokane (4:55).
SBG Global is listing Clemson's Tigers at -1 1/2 over Mizzou's Tigers ; Pitt's Panthers at -10 1/2 over Oakland's Golden Grizzlies; the Badgers at -10 over the Terriers; and A&M at -3 over Utah State.
Gonzaga, the West Coast Conference's regular-season champs, gets Friday night's action started when it runs with Florida State, an at-large out of the ACC, in the West Regional 8/9 game in Buffalo (7:10). Then Oklahoma State, Big 12 at-largers, takes on another ACC bid, Georgia Tech, in the 7/10 game in the Midwest in Milwaukee (7:15). Then Michigan State, co-regular-season champs in the Big 10, plays New Mexico State, winners of the WAC tournament, in the Midwest 5/12 bout in Spokane (7:20). And Duke, which tied for first in the ACC during the regular season and then won the ACC tournament, takes on Tuesday night's play-in winner, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which started the season 0-11 but won the SWAC tournament, in the 1/16 game in the South in Jacksonville (7:25).
SBGglobal.com is chalking the underseed Seminoles at -1 1/2 over the Zags ; OSU at -1 1/2 over Georgia Tech; and the Spartans at -13 1/2 over NMS.
And the final session of the first round starts when Syracuse, regular-season champions of the Big East, goes against Vermont, winners of the American East Conference tournament, in the 1/16 game in the West in Buffalo (9:40). Then Ohio State, regular-season conference co-champs and winners of the Big 10 tournament, plays UC-Santa Barbara, which did the same things in the Big West, in the 2/15 game in the Midwest in Milwaukee (9:45). Then Maryland, co-regular-season champs in the ACC, tangles with Houston, which finished seventh in C-USA then won the conference tournament, in the 4/13 game in the Midwest in Spokane (9:50). And finally Cal, the Pac-10 regular-season champs, takes on Louisville, at-largers out of the Big East, in the 8/9 game in the South in Jacksonville.
SBGglobal.com is listing the Orange at -18 over the Catamounts; the Buckeyes at -17 over the Gauchos; the Terps at -9 over the Cougars; and the Golden Bears at -1 over the Cardinals.
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