Possible Upset Alert - (11) VCU vs. (6) UCLA
by Nick Meyer
Every year, a so-called trendy upset pick takes America by storm as people look for underdog teams to pick on their UCLA Bruins.
UCLA had a very good run in the Pac-10 Conference, but they didn’t do it in a pretty fashion as they gutted out wins using their tough, Ben Howland-coached defense and clutch play by point guard Darren Collison.
Collison will have his hands full in a matchup with Eric Maynor, who will easily be the best player on the floor in this Duke back in 2007 and he’s back for more in this one. Maynor is a complete player who can both score and dish.
But UCLA has plenty of bodies to throw at him on the perimeter and some good shot blockers inside as well so Maynor won’t have his way with the tough UCLA defense like he did with Duke back in 2007.
The Bruins are listed as an 8 ½-point favorite in this one with the over-under set at 137 points.While UCLA averaged a 13+ point margin of victory on the season, that number is skewed a bit by some huge early-season blowouts. UCLA has a very hard time putting the ball in the basket against set half-court defenses and with Maynor controlling the tempo for the Rams in this one, this should be a back-and-forth kind of game.
In the end, UCLA’s balance will probably lead them to a first-round win over Virginia Commonwealth, but it should be a close win. 8 ½ points is a high spread in a game that many people believe could easily be an upset for the 11th-seeded Rams. While VCU is not the most balanced offensive team around, as Larry Sanders is the only other double-figures scorer, but with the way UCLA plays with its potential to undergo scoring droughts, a few big plays by Maynor in the clutch when everything else bogs down could give the Rams a big advantage.
UCLA has better athletes across the board but VCU is a solid defensive team that only gives up about 63 points per game, and that defense combined with timely plays by Maynor will give them every opportunity to pull the upset and at least keep the game close, making VCU a good bet in this first round tournament game.
The Pick: VCU (+8 1/2 )
