College Basketball Reference

By Adam Kiefaber

There is nothing better than first two days of the NCAA Tournament.

Thursday’s schedule should keep every college basketball fan glued to the television.

Here is my breakdown of the first-round games on Thursday.

No. 14 Georgia (17-16, 4-12 SEC) vs. No. 3 Xavier (27-6, 14-2 A-10)
- Tip off - 12:20 p.m. ET
- About Georgia - Heading into the conference tournament, the Bulldogs had lost of 11 of their last 13 SEC games. In their defense, the team had to deal with suspensions and injuries this year. Georgia is a team on fire and a tough No. 14 seed especially if you consider that it won a conference that earned six bids into the NCAA Tournament.
- About Xavier - The Musketeers have a team capable of a run to the Final Four. XU spreads out its scoring better than anyone in the country. Six players average double figures in scoring. Center Jason Love is also capable of scoring in double digits.
- Odds - Xavier by eight points.
- Prediction - On paper, the Musketeers are just too strong to pick an upset here, right? I really thought so, but Georgia is a team that has already proven itself in tournament play with its improbable run in the SEC Conference Tournament.
- Final score - Georgia wins a thriller 67-66.

No. 16 Portland State (23-9, 14-2 Big Sky) vs. No. 1 Kansas (31-3, 13-3 Big 12)
- Tip off - 12:25 p.m. ET
About Portland State - The Vikings are making their first trip to the NCAA Tournament. Portland State has the league’s Player of the Year in sophomore point guard Jeremiah Dominguez (14.3 ppg, 4.1 apg and 44 percent 3-point shooter). Dominguez is only 5-foot-6 and is a high-energy player. Seniors Deonte Huff (13.9 ppg) and Scott Morrison (6-foot-11, 10.6 ppg) are the other key players.
About Kansas - The Jayhawks are loaded with talent. Seven players are averaging over seven points a game. Kansas has an incredible set of guards in Brandon Rush (future NBA star), Mario Chalmers (perfect college guard), Sherron Collins (great first step) and Russell Robinson (great defender). Forwards Darrell Arthur (13.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Darnell Jackson (11.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg) are extremely athletic.
- Odds - Kansas by 24 points
- Prediction - The Jayhawks have too much talent for this game to be even close.
- Final score - Kansas dominates 85-52.

No. 12 Temple (21-12, 11-5 A-10) vs. No. 5 Michigan St. (25-8, 12-6 Big Ten)
- Tip off - 12:30 p.m. ET
- About Temple - The Owls struggled during its non-conference schedule, but they have won its last six games, including an A-10 Tournament championship, heading into the NCAA Tournament. Expect a lot of terrible “Christmas time” jokes referring to star player Dionte Christmas (20.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg). Four-year starter Mark Tyndale (15.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 4.3 apg) is a complete player and has averaged over 10 points a game in each of his four season, including 19.4 last year.
- About Michigan State - The Spartans are loaded with talent, but don’t play up to expectations. MSU has won only five of its last 10 games. It has the ability to win against any opponent, but it also can shoot itself in the foot as it did with loses to Iowa and Penn State. This team is led by forward Raymar Morgan (14.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and guard Drew Neitzel (14.2, 4.0 apg).
- Odds - Michigan St. by 6.5 points.
- Prediction - MSU is stumbling into the tournament while Temple is on fire. However, MSU has the better team on paper.
- Final score - Temple frustrates MSU and wins by a score of 67-61

This entry was posted Monday, March 17th, 2008 at 2:21 pm and is filed under NCAA Tournament. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.