in NCAA B Articles

Arizona not given a chance

St. Patrick’s Day. March Madness. It’s a match made in heaven – even if the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are in the NIT.

There are 16 NCAA Tournament first-round tilts on the Friday docket. Some of them are as close to foregone conclusions as you can get in men’s college basketball (enjoy the ride, Oral Roberts Golden Eagles). Here’s a look at four games that should prove to be more competitive, including odds.

Minneapolis Region: No. 8 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers (pick ‘em)

It makes sense on many levels that an 8-9 matchup would produce an even contest. Whether this particular game will qualify depends heavily on your opinion of the Wildcats. There’s no shortage of talent with senior guard Hassan Adams (17.3 points, 5.1 rebounds per game) on board, but the season-ending injury to sophomore guard Jawann McClellan took the edge off Arizona. The underperforming ‘Cats went just 11-20 against the spread; the Badgers, meanwhile, are on an 0-5 ATS slide, but against tougher competition in the Big Ten. Tip-off is 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

Atlanta Region: No. 11 Southern Illinois Salukis at No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers (-4)

It wasn’t too long ago the Mountaineers were Pittsnoggling their way to the top of the Big East. But finishing the season 3-6 SU and 2-5-2 ATS ensured that WVU would go into the tournament behind the likes of Connecticut and Villanova (and Pittsburgh and Georgetown, in the eyes of many observers).

Kevin Pittsnoggle (19.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Co. should be able to get back on track against the Salukis, one of four Missouri Valley teams to make the Tournament this year. But it won’t be a rubber stamp. SIU locked up its bid by winning four games in a row (3-1 ATS) and capturing the MVC title. This is a 2:45 p.m. Eastern start at the Palace of Auburn Hills near Detroit.

Atlanta Region: No. 10 N.C. State Wolfpack (-1 ½) vs. No. 7 California Golden Bears

Cal was a handicapper’s delight this year, going 17-11-2 ATS and putting power forward Leon Powe (20.7 ppg, 10 rpg) on the map. The Wolfpack were just as profitable before dropping four games in a row straight up and at the pay window to go into the big dance at 14-12 ATS. Will the difference between Cal’s heat and N.C. State’s cold snap be enough to compensate for the Pac-10’s relatively low quality of opposition?

Probably not. The Bears don’t have a lot going for them besides Powe, while the Wolfpack have four players scoring in double digits. That’s ultimately why N.C. State is favored despite having the lower seed. American Airlines Center in Dallas unleashes the Madness at 7:20 p.m. Eastern.

Washington Region: No. 9 UAB Blazers vs. No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats (- 1 ½)

This is going to be a barnburner. Handicappers and fans alike remember what happened two years ago when these clubs met in the second round: UAB 76, Kentucky 75. Friday’s game could be just as close, but this time, the ‘Cats aren’t heavy favorites.

UAB spent all year in the sizeable shadow of the Memphis Tigers, finishing second in Conference-USA. But the Blazers did upset Memphis at home earlier this month before losing to them on their court in the conference final. That doesn’t portend well for Kentucky, a team that has fallen to No. 8 status for the first time since 1987. At least the ‘Cats appear to have turned a corner, going 6-2 ATS over the past month. Fans at the Wachovia Center get all the goodness starting at 9: 45 p.m. Eastern.

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