AFC WEST = AFC BEST

By: Mike Rifkin

For the sixth consecutive season the Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC West. This offseason Kansas City’s three divisional opponents have made big swings to unseat the Chiefs not only as the best team in the division, but to give them a real shot at competing in the AFC.

Let’s start with the Denver Broncos who in 2021 finished with a record of 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. Denver fired Vic Fangio after three seasons, and hired Packers offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett to be the team’s new head coach. Denver has been searching for a franchise quarterback since Peyton Manning retired, and this offseason they swung big and acquired Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson for two first round picks, quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant,etc… Wilson missed a few games last season due to a dislocated finger and surgery but Wilson still had 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. In his career Wilson has a 65.0 completion percentage, 292 touchdowns, 87 interceptions and a 101 Passer Rating. Even with trading Fant, Wilson will have a great group of skilled position players. Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick at receiver will all be excellent, and second year running back Javonte Williams should also improve with Wilson at the helm. Denver also signed pass rusher Randy Gregory to a five year 70 million dollar contract, Gregory a former second round pick of the Dallas Cowboys tied his career high with six sacks last season and for the second consecutive season forced three fumbles. Gregory will replace Bronco legend Von Miller who was traded to the Rams on their way to the Super Bowl. Gregory will pair with former first round pick Bradley Chubb creating a dynamite pass rush for a Bronco team that had 36 sacks on the season. 

Then there are the Los Angeles Chargers who finished the season at 9-8, but all people will talk about until they kick off next season is the blunder first year head coach Brandon Staley had in week 18 against the Raiders. Second year quarterback Justin Herbert had a 66.9 completion percentage with 38 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Herbert will have the services of receiver Mike Williams who signed a three year extension with the team. Williams put up career highs in receptions (76) and yards (1,146) and had nine touchdowns. But it’s the other side of the ball where the Chargers made their impact, they traded for Edge rusher Khalil Mack from the Chicago Bears in exchange for draft picks. Mack in 2021 was limited to seven games due to a foot injury he had six sacks. Since coming into the league in 2014 Mack has 76.5 sacks and 23 forced fumbles. Mack and Joey Bosa give the Chargers a dynamic pass rush for a team that had 35 last season. The Chargers also signed Patriots cornerback JC Jackson to a massive five year contract worth 82.5 million dollars. Jackson, one of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks has 17 interceptions over the last two seasons and 25 over his first four seasons. 

The Las Vegas Raiders went through a lot in 2021 with the Jon Gruden situation. But still the Raiders found a way to make the playoffs under Rich Bisaccia and lost to the eventual AFC Champion Bengals in the Wild Card Round. After the season Bisaccia and General Manager Mike Mayock were relieved of their duties. The Raiders raided New England to find their new GM and Head Coach. Dave Ziegler, the Patriots director of player personnel, was named GM and Offensive Coordinator Josh Mcdaniels was named the head coach. The Raiders extended Defensive End Maxx Crosby to a four year 99 million dollar contract. Crosby over his first three seasons has 25 sacks. Last offseason the Raiders signed Edge Rusher Yannick Ngakoue to a two year contract. In 2021 Ngakoue had 10 sacks, and now he has been traded to the Indianapolis Colts for cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (great name). Ya-Sin fills the Raiders need at corner and over his first three seasons in the league Ya-Sin only has two interceptions but he has 20 passes defended or breakups. And the Raiders actually upgraded from Ngakoue by signing Linebacker Chandler Jones to a three year 51 million dollar contract. Jones in 2021 had 10.5 sacks including five in week one for the Arizona Cardinals. Jones in 2021 also had six forced fumbles and in his career has 107.5 sacks and 33 forced fumbles. But the Raiders weren’t done; they traded for arguably the best receiver in the NFL in Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers and all it took was their first two draft picks in this year’s draft. Adams, who played with quarterback Derek Carr at Fresno State had 123 receptions for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns last season for the Packers. Adams signed a five year 140 million dollar contract with the Raiders and has over 1,000 yards and double digit touchdowns in three of the last four seasons. Adams along with Hunter Renfrow, Darren Waller, Bryan Edwards and Josh Jacobs puts a lot of pressure on Derek Carr to win now. 

All three of these teams have had tremendous offseasons, but which one has had the offseason that makes you believe they can unseat the Kansas City Chiefs. There are still some solid free agents out on the market and the draft is coming but one thing is for sure AFC West games this season are going to be must-see TV.

MARCH MADNESS ROUND 2 PREVIEW

By Mark Halpern

  So after a fun and outstanding round one of this year’s tournament, we head to round two. The weak Calves have been left behind, and now time to see what surprises are in store for round two.

   #4 Arkansas vs. #12 New Mexico. Teddy Allen showed why teams should take the Aggies seriously. I hate to say it like this, but he single-handed guided the Aggies to their win with his 37pts. With that said, the team is going to have to step up. Now the Razorbacks, Stanley Umude, had a great game against VT, scoring 21pts and 9reb and must be that player again. He will also need the strong play of J.D. Notae, who also had 17pts and 7reb. These two were flying high after their win. The Razorbacks also need more support from other personnel to keep their tourney hopes alive. I like the Razorbacks in this game to win narrowly 79-77.

#1 Gonzaga vs. #9 Memphis. This game is going to be a better game than people expect. The heavy favorite is Gonzaga here, but Memphis isn’t a team to take lightly. Star Jalen Duran is out to prove he is ready for the NBA and improve on his 10pt 11reb game he had in round one. Deandre Williams will also have to work harder in this game to keep pace with the number one team in the tournament. Gonzaga came out of the gate and looked like they were all hungover and tired. Also, simple shots like close-up jumpers and layups weren’t falling. By the second half, Gonzaga woke up and took charge. Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren will have to play better, and that’s hard to say because of what they did against Georgia. In the end, I believe Gonzaga moves on, winning 90-79.

#3 Texas Tech vs. #11 Notre Dame. Well, the luck of the Irish is still going on for the Irishmen. They will have their work cut out for them, but they have proven they can beat tough opponents. Cormac Ryan has put this team on his back. He will need to produce the same stat line against Alabama with 29pts and 6reb. Not that the rest of the Irishmen didn’t contribute, they did, but in this game, they will have to produce more. The Red Raiders didn’t have a troublesome first game. They won by 30pts but, this won’t be the case here. Bryson Williams and Terrence Shannon will need to repeat 20 point games, but the rest of the starting line will have to play the same as they did in the first round. The Red Raider’s starting line all had double-digit games, and they are going to need that same spirit to get by a ravenous Notre Dame team. I give it to The Red Raiders hear but not by a blowout 82-72.

#2 Duke vs. #7 Michigan State. As I said earlier today, Coach K will be looking to keep dancing as the Blue Devils have a winnable game against the Spartans. Paul Banchero will look to put up the same number (17pts 10reb) and will need help from center Mark Williams as the Spartans like to shoot, and rebounds will be significant in this game. However, Joey Houser will have to get his team hyped to motivate them even more than they are. Housers 27pts 8reb game led Spartans, but he will need more production from Guard A.J. Goddard, who had 14pts but only 3reb and 2ast. Goddard has to control the clock because you can’t give coach K any time on the clock. After all, he will burn you just like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. Look for Duke to keep dancing as they win this one 79-66.

Hope all your brackets be still intact. For me 1 out of 3 seems to be doing very well but not well enough lol. The only time I see a perfect brackett is in my dreams. I leave the Basketball up to our team at S.I.N.’s The Throwdown. Enjoy round two and go ZAGS.

MARCH MADNESS WEST REGION RND 1 RECAP

By Mark Halpern

     Well, round one is in the books, and we had it all in the first round. We had an upset, we had unbelievable close games, we had wins, and we had blowouts. Overall, I went .500 on my picks. Let’s look at the winners and who they will be playing in round 2.

#9 Memphis. The Tigers came out fighting and never lost control of this game. Memphis is a team that likes to move the ball fast, and Boise was known to control the pace. Memphis starter Deandre Williams led the team with 14pts, and Star Jalen Duran had a double-double with 10pts and 11reb. Memphis proved they could move the ball and score fast. They will have to be accurate in their shooting and play pressure defense as they move on to play #1 Gonzaga to try and move on. Memphis has a very tough task in facing off against #1 Gonzaga

 #12 New Mexico State. Talk about upsetting a tourney favorite in the Huskies. The Aggies of New Mexico didn’t look nervous by playing the #5 Huskies. Teddy Allen of the Aggies had a monstrous game with 37pts, 6reb, 3ast, and 2stl. This is an NBA stat line if I have ever seen one. Fouls contributed to many problems for UCONN as Allen went 13-13 from there alone. New Mexico is moving on and will face #4 Arkansas.

#1 Gonzaga. My Pick of the tournament didn’t look like themselves in the first half. They just seemed completely out of sorts. Once the second half came, it was all ZAGS. Drew Timme scored the first basket and led the team in points with 32 while contributing 13reb. Chet Holmgren is going to the NBA, and this kid can play. He had 19pts and 17reb, 5ast, and 7blk. He is your #1 overall pick in this year’s draft. The Zags take on #9 Memphis

#4 Arkansas. Before congratulating Arkansas, let us hear it for the Catamounts. They played a great game. Arkansas kept pace and ended up pulling out a 4pt win against Arkansas. Stanley Umude led the Razorbacks with 21pts, 9reb, and J.D. Notae chipped 17pts and 7reb. Arkansas looked off. Now that is not a dis against VT. Just I have seen more life out of the Razorbacks this season. Arkansas will next take on Texas Tech

#3 Texas Tech. In a blowout win, the Red Raiders demolished the Montana Bobcats. This was not a surprise as the Red Raiders rolled to a 35 point win. Bryson Williams and Terrence Shannon Jr both had 20 points. Actually, all starters for the Red Raiders had double-digit points in this one. Texas Tech Moves on to face #11, Notre Dame

#11 Notre Dame. I can hear the words from Bill Murray’s mouth “A Cinderella Story” is what the Fighting Irish are right now after a double OT win to make it to the dance. What a game for Cormac Ryan, who had 29pts and 6reb and Blake Wesley 18pts and with significant help from Paul Atkinson on the boards with 8reb and 13pts. This Notre Dame team is very determined, but they have a decisive match-up with the Razorbacks.

#2 Duke. The story continues for the great coach K as the Blue Devils take down the Titans by 17 points. This is the last dance for the great coach, and it would be fitting if he gets to cut that net down. First-round draft pick Paolo Banchero had a double-double with 17pts, and 10reb and everyone on the starting lineup had double digits as well. The big key here was that duke outrebounded CSU 38-18; that’s a problem. Duke moves on to face #7 Michigan State

#7 Michigan State. What a thrilling ball game that came down to the wire. The Spartans took on the Wildcats and just edged them out 74-73. One-point games are so much fun to watch. Joey Houser led the Spartans with 27pts and 8reb and A.J. Hoggard had 14pts and 3reb. Now have to mention Luke Brajkovich led the Wildcats with 18pts and 3reb, and Sam Mennenga had 15pts and 5reb. This game was one of the best games from this region in round one. The Spartans move on barely to face the #2 Duke Blue Devils.

    With round one in the books, we move on to round two. Please look later as my preview for tonight’s games will be up later. Go ZAGS.

NCAA Tournament Midwest Region RD 1 Recap/RD2 Preview

By Mike Rifkin

  1. Kansas def (16) Texas Southern – 83-56
  2. Auburn def (15) Jacksonville St. – 80-61
  3. Wisconsin def (14) Colgate – 67-60
  4. Providence def (13) South Dakota St. 66-57

      (12) Richmond def (5) Iowa 67-63

     (11) Iowa St. def LSU :59-54

     (10) Miami def (7) USC : 68-66

    (9) Creighton def (8) San Diego St. 72-69 OT

Kansas, the top seed in the Midwest advances to the second round with a 83-56 victory over Texas Southern who defeated Texas A&M Corpus Christi to play.  The Jayhawks had a balanced attack led by Christian Braun who scored 14 points and was 4-5 from three. The Jayhawks as a team were 11-23 (47.8%) from behind the arc. Defensively they held the Tigers to 32.8% from the field and 3-14 (21.4%) from three. 

The Jayhawks advance to take on the Creighton Blue Jays who defeated San Diego ST 72-69 in overtime. Creighton found a way to win this game, and that is what has to happen in the NCAA tournament. They shot 44 % from the field and were 2-14 from three. Trey Alexander led the Blue Jays with 18 points but also made some big plays defensively. The Aztecs struggled from three going 5-19 (26.3%) and from the free throw line 10-17 (58.8%). 

The two seed Auburn Tigers advanced by defeating Jacksonville St. Gamecocks 80-61. Potential first overall pick Jabari Smith led the Tigers with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Walker Kessler chimed in with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 9 blocks. If Auburn wants to make a deep run they need to shoot the ball better. They went 9-24 (37.5%) from three and missed seven free throws. The Gamecocks shot 47.2 % from the field during the season and shot 31.1% against Auburn.

The Tigers will play the Miami Hurricanes who defeated USC Trojans 68-66. Miami won this game with their defense as they forced 18 Trojan turnovers and only turned the ball over three times. Isaiah Wong led the way with 22 points, but Charlie Moore who had 16 points  made some big shots down the stretch. Miami went 1-14 from three in this game. USC outscored Miami 46-37 in the second half but it wasn’t enough. The Hurricanes were -12 rebounding in this game, if they want to compete with Auburn they have to rebound. 

The third seeded Wisconsin Badgers survived a scare from Colgate and advanced into the second round. The Badgers were led by player of the year candidate Johnny Davis who had 25 points and eight rebounds. Wisconsin’s defense forced 12 turnovers. For the Raiders Nelly Cummings led the way with 20 points.

Wisconsin will play the Iowa St. Cyclones defeated the LSU Tigers 59-54. Tyrese Hunter had 25 points including seven three pointers to lead the Cyclones to victory. Iowa State as a team made 12 threes, while LSU only hit four (4-19). Iowa State forced 19 turnovers in the victory.

Providence defeated South Dakota St. 66-57. Noah Horchler and Al Durham had 13 points each to lead the Friars. South Dakota St. averaged 86.7 points per game and were held to 57 in this game. South Dakota St. shot 30.4 % from three, during the regular season they shot 45 % as a team. 

Providence advances to play the Richmond Spiders. Richmond upset the fifth seed Iowa Hawkeyes 67-63. Jacob Gilyard led the way with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists. The Spiders defense held the Hawkeyes to 36.4% shooting from the field, and 20.7% from three. 

RD 2 Matchups

  1. Kansas vs (9) TCU
  2. Auburn vs (10) Miami
  3. Wisconsin vs (11) Iowa ST.
  4. Providence vs (12) Richmond.

NCAA Tournament South RD 1 Recap/RD 2 Preview

By: Mike Rifkin

South recap

  1. Arizona def (16) Wright St : 87-70
  2. Villanova def (15) Delaware: 80-60
  3. Tennessee def (14) Longwood : 88-56
  4. Illinois def (13) Chattanooga : 54-53
  5.  Houston def (12) UAB : 82-68

     (11) Michigan  def (6) Colorado St. : 75-63

     (7)  Ohio State def (10) Loyola Chicago : 54 – 41

      (8) TCU def (9) Seton Hall : 69-42

Number one seed Arizona defeated Wright St. Wright St defeated Bryant in the first four for this opportunity. The Wildcats were led by Bennedict Mathurin who had 18 points. Christian Koloko had 17 points and 13 rebounds. The Wildcats shot 11-20 (55 %)  from  three while the Raiders shot 9-25 (36%) from three. Grant Basile led the Raiders with 21 points. 

Arizona moves on to play TCU, who defeated Seton Hall 69-42. The Horned Frogs were led by Mike Miles who scored 21 points. The Horned frogs as a team shot 50.9 % from the field, while the Pirates shot 28.8 % from the field and 28.6 % from three. Myles Cale and Jamir Harris had 11 points each. Senior Jared Rhoden who averaged 15,9 points per game during the season had five points and shot 2-7 from the field. 

Villanova also advanced to the second round by beating Delaware 80-60. Justin Moore led the Wildcats with 21 points. Villanova shot 46.4% (13-28)  from three while the Blue Hens shot 15.0% (3-20). 

Villanova will play Ohio State on Sunday. The Buckeyes defeated Loyola Chicago 54-41. EJ Liddell led the Buckeyes with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Buckeyes outrebounded the Ramblers 41-31. The Buckeyes were 17-21 from the free throw line while the Ramblers went 3-10. If Ohio State wants to defeat Villanova they have to shoot the three better, they went 1-15 against the Ramblers. Braden Norris led the Ramblers with 14 points. Ramblers struggled shooting the ball, they shot 26.8% from the field, 8-28 (28.6%) from three and 30 % from the free throw line.

Tennessee advanced to the second round by beating Longwood 88-56. The Volunteers had a balanced scoring attack ( Vescovi 18 pts, James 17 pts, Fulkerson 15 pts, Zeigler 10 pts). Volunteers shot 58.3% from three (14-24) and 60.0% from the field. 

Tennessee will play Michigan. The Wolverines, a team a lot of people didn’t understand getting in, defeated the Colorado St Rams 75-63. Hunter Dickinson led the balanced attack with 21 points, six rebounds and four blocks. Michigan shot 19-22 from the free throw line while the Rams went 5-7. As a team Michigan shot 54.2% from the field, while the Rams shot 35.4%. With the win there is a chance starting Point Guard DeVante Jones could return, he missed the game due to concussion protocol. 

Illinois survived an upset scare from Chattanooga 54-53. The Mocs had led most of the game but at the final buzzer Illini survived. Kofi Cockburn led the way with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Illinois got a lift from Alfonso Plummer who scored 15 points. If Illinois wants to make a deep run they need more from Trent Frazier and Andre Curbelo who combined for seven points on a combined 1-13 from the field.

Illinois advances to play the Houston Cougars. Houston defeated UAB 82-68. Kyler Edwards led the way with 25 points. During the regular season the Blazers shot 38 % from three, in this game they went 5-19 (26.3%)

RD 2 Matchups

  1. Arizona vs (9) TCU
  2. Villanova vs (7) Ohio State
  3. Tennessee vs (11) Michigan
  4. Illinois vs (5) Houston

East Day 1 Recap Day 2 Preview

By Lawrence Lang

Well, well, it was an exciting day for the whole NCAA Men’s Tournament, especially in the East Region with what is upset of the tournament so far with 15 Saint Peter’s upset 2 Kentucky with an 85 -79 overtime win. 

The Peacocks got the game to overtime with Doug Edert making a jump shot to tie the game at 71-71. With 24 seconds left, Kentucky would have a shot to try and win the game but was unsuccessful in the game-winner attempt. Then in overtime, the Peacocks took control, and Daryl Banks III and Doug Edert helped lead the way to the March Madness upset. Banks III had 27 points going 9-19 from field goal range and 5-8 from three-point range and was 4-4 at the free-throw line. Edert off the bench had 20 points 5-7 from field goal range 2-2 from three-point range, and 8-8 at the free-throw line. 

This loss is a shocking blow for Kentucky because most saw them going on a run, and I even had them going all the way to face Duke in the finals because who wouldn’t want to see Coach K and Coach Calipari face off one? More time, especially for a National Championship. That is the power of March Madness, where Madness ensues and upsets happen at any moment, and that is the best part of March Madness because an upset can happen anytime and shake the tournament right up. 

For the rest of day one for the East Region 

1 Baylor took care of business against 16 Norfolk State with a 85 -49 win 

4 UCLA barley gets the win out against 13 Akron 

  • Tyger Cambell made a clutch three pointer with a 1:19  left to give UCLA the lead. 
  • Akron’s Gavin Clark got the score down to 53-55 with 34 seconds left to give Akron a shot to win but with 4 secounds left Ali Ali missed a layup to tie the game. 
  • With 2 seconds left Johnny Juzang made a pair of free throws to seal the game for UCLA 

5 Saint Mary’s took care of 12 Indiana with a 82-53 win 

7 Murray State took care of 10 San Francisco in OT 92- 87 

  • SF Jamaree Bouyea made a three pointer with 19 seconds left to tie the game and send it to overtime
  • Jordan Skipper-Brown would have 5 of the 19 points of Murray State in overtime making a tip in 2 pointer with 32 seconds left and then make three of four free throws to help seal the win for Murray State.  

8 North Carolina took care of 9 Marquette 95-63 

Day 2 Only two games left for the East Region of the bracket 

2:00 PM 14 Yale takes on 3 Purdue 

  • Purdue 27-7 3rd in Big Ten 
  • Purdue Jaden Ivey (G) 17.4 PPG 
  • Yale 19-11 2nd in Ivy 
  • Yale Azar Swain (G) 19.2 PPG
  • Can Yale Purduce another major upset in the tournament ? (That pun was for you Mike) 

4:30 PM 11 Virginia Tech takes on 6 Texas 

  • Virginia Tech 23-12 7th in ACC 
  • Virginia Tech Keve Aluma (F) 15.8 PPG 
  • Texas 21-11 4th in Big 12 
  • Texas Timmy Allen (F) 12.3 PPG 

What Can The Browns Do For Baker?

By : Mike Rifkin

The Cleveland Browns were one of the massive disappointments in the NFL in 2021. In 2020 the Browns lost in the AFC Divisional Round and people thought better times were ahead. Instead in 2021 the Browns went 8-9 and finished in third place in the AFC North. One of the major conversations over the past year is what a contract for quarterback Baker Mayfield would look like. The Browns selected Mayfield first overall in the 2018 draft. In 2020 Mayfield had his best season as a pro, still the front office have yet to give Mayfield the long term contract he desires. In 2021 Mayfield’s play dipped especially after Mayfield tore the labrum in his shoulder. Mayfield was eventually shut down for the season.  

It was reported earlier this week that the Browns had conversations with the Houston Texans regarding trading for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson is still being sued civilly for 22 counts of sexual harassment and assault, Watson will be suspended we just don’t know for how long. The Browns were known as one of the four finalists to acquire Watson, there is one problem they never told Mayfield. Mayfield took to social media earlier this week thanking the fans of Cleveland for supporting him these past four seasons. Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported the Browns were looking for “ An adult” for the quarterback position. I would rather have Watson over Baker if I was starting a franchise, but to say you want an adult in the room and the rumored guy you are talking about has 22 lawsuits for sexual harassment and assault isn’t the best look for the organization. 

On Thursday Watson told the Browns he didn’t want to play for them ( he has a no trade clause) and later on Baker Mayfield requested a trade. The Browns response was that they have no plans on trading Baker. It’s the organization’s prerogative to upgrade the position if they want, but at least let Mayfield know what is going on. Now how can Baker come back into the locker room, and trust the organization? For a while I agreed with the Browns front office because Baker Mayfield isn’t worth 40 million dollars a season, and I don’t care that they looked into acquiring Watson. But why can’t you tell Mayfield that you are exploring this opportunity? My issue with Baker is that he needs to realize there is a business side to this and trades happen. The problem Cleveland now has is what is out there that is an actual true upgrade over Mayfield? This will be fascinating to watch how this whole thing plays out the rest of this offseason.

WEST REGION ROUND 1

DAY 2

By Mark Halpern

   So yesterday was an exhilarating round one, and today could be even more explosive. Powerhouse Gonzaga gave us all a little scare initially but ended up doing what they do in the end and win by 21 GO ZAGS! Games start at 1:45 pm Est, and we have some good ones.

#3 Texas Tech vs. #14 Montana State. Texas Tech is coming off a great season and is in a prime spot to move one. Bryson Williams and Kevin Ober will have to try and control the pace. Williams is averaging 13.7 pts a game, and his leadership will be needed. As for Montana State, they are coming off a good season, and Xavier Bishop, who is leading the team in multiple categories, will be the floor general for Montana. I see Texas Teach running away with this one 82-70.

#6 Alabama and #11 Notre Dame. Hats off to the Irish to go through double overtime to make it to the dance. Notre Dame will have their work cut out for them. Let’s hope the Irish have recovered from St. Patrick’s Day. Blake Wesley will have another good game, and Paul Atkinson will need to contribute under the boards. The Crimson Tide are led by star guard Jaden Shackelford with 16.7 points a game and Keon Ellis, who is very capable of averaging a double-double in the game. I see Alabama winning by 10 points here 75-65.

#2 Duke vs. #15 CSU Fullerton. This tourney is the last for the great Coach Mike Krzyzewski. He has had an outstanding career, and wouldn’t it be fitting to win it all again and go with a win. Duke Stars Paolo Banchero and Wendell Morre Jr, who led duke in most categories, will do everything to get the Great Coach to the final four again. CSU Fullerton has had an excellent season, and it’s hard to face one of the tournament’s scariest teams. E.J. Anosike and Damari Milstead are going to have to be near flawless to move on. The Blue Devils win big here 82-69.

#7 Michigan State vs. #10 Davidson. Michigan State will look to move on here. Gabe Brown at 11.4 pts a game and Marcus Bingham 6.1 boards a game is going to have to keep pushing the ball and set the pace because Davidson has a real chance to beat Michigan here. They are a hungry team, and Star guard Foster Loyer who leads the team in points and assists, will be the general out there and help on the boards from Luka Brajkovich, a monster on the boards and can put a double-double every game. This is my pick of the day, Davidson to win 67-65

    Look Tomorrow for a recap of the first round and previews of round Two. Good luck to the teams today and let us see some history created.

NCAA Tournament: MidWest Preview 

By: Mike Rifkin

The NCAA tournament begins today here is a preview for the Mid West region

Top Seeds 

  1. Kansas
  2. Auburn 
  3. Wisconsin
  4. Providence
  5. Iowa

Key first round matchup (8) San Diego St. Vs (9) Creighton: 8 vs 9 always brings a lot of intrigue. SDSU allows the fewest points per game at 57.7 points per game. Creighton averages 69.0 points per game. Expect a defensive battle. Matt Bradley for the Aztecs averages 17.0 points per game and shoots 41.6 percent from three. 

Best 1st rd upset (11) Iowa St. over (6) LSU. LSU fired coach Will Wade due to NCAA violations. Iowa St. has not played well either down the stretch but I do expect them to upset the Tigers. 

Surprise team to make a run: (14) Colgate: Last year Colgate gave Arkansas all they could handle in the first round. This year they play a Wisconsin team that lost in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. Colgate has won 19 of their last 20 games. 

Player to watch: There are a lot to choose from Keegan Murray from Iowa, Johnny Davis from Wisconsin, Ochai Agbaji from Kansas. But I will go with Jabari Smith from Auburn. Smith averaged 17.1 points per game this season including averaging almost 24 points per game in the team’s final seven games. Smith also averages seven rebounds per game and shoots 42.8 percent from three. Smith is likely to be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. 

Region Winner : (2) Auburn Tigers : They struggled down the stretch a little, but I don’t mind that this team has a lot of talent. With Smith and Walker Kessler who is a block machine Auburn has a good front court and they shoot 32.3 percent from three as a team. I like Bruce Pearl’s team to come out of this region.

MARCH MADNESS WEST REGION PREVIEW

GAMES KICK OFF AT 1:45pm

By Mark Halpern

Let the Madness begin. Starting today at 1:45 pm est the West Region kickoffs, it’s part of the tourney. The West Region has some real potential to be the region that wins the tournament, with Gonzaga favored almost 3-1 to win.

    #8 Boise State vs. #9Memphis. Traditionally this is where most of the records for teams playing even out. The record is close to .500, with #8 seeds just edging out #9. Memphis will have to keep the ball moving and get the ball down low to Star Center Jalen Duran. He is a scary threat and a monster under the boards, averaging almost double-double whenever he is on the floor. Boise will have to slow down this offense and keep Duran isolated. Abu Kigab and Maiden Armus, the two top players on Boise, will have to control the floor today. I have Memphis Pulling out a small margin victory 87-80

#5 Uconn vs. #12 New Mexico State. There is another win for Uconn here as the Huskies and R.J. Cole and Adama Sanogo have their eyes set on the dance. They have had outstanding years, with Cole averaging 15.7 pts a game and Sanogo managing 8 rebounds a game. New Mexico earned their spot here with an excellent 26-6 record to earn their spot in the tourney. Teddy Allen is the team’s clear leader with 19.3 pts and 6.8 rebounds a game. He and the Aggies have their work cut out for them as I foresee a narrow victory here with Uconn edging out New Mexico 77-73.

#1 Gonzaga vs. #16 Georgia State. I congratulate Georgia for making the tournament, and it’s sad they face off against the heavily favorite Gonzaga in the first round. Top-tier players Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren will be licking their chops to help put the Zags with their first win in the tourney. It has happened before, but I don’t foresee any upset here. Look for Panther’s star Corey Allen to have the most vigorous game as I see #1 Gonzaga 98-Georgia State 74.

#4 Arkansas vs. #13 Vermont. The Razorbacks will face off against the Catamounts in a late match-up on TNT at 9 pm est. J.D. Notae leads the Razorbacks with 18.4 pts and 3.7 assists per game. Jaylin Williams has helped under the boards, who is almost averaging a double-double every game. The Catamounts didn’t have a quiet season either. Compiling a 28-5 record and lead by Ryan Davis with 17 pts a game and Isaiah Powell, who leads the team in reb/ast. I see the great play by the Catamounts here and pulling out an upset and winning 82-79.

     Tomorrow I will have reactions to today’s games and previews of tomorrows West Region games for Friday up at the same time. Good luck to all teams and may the Zags win it all.