Leans for Friday (TGIF):
New Mexico -2
This team is seeded incorrectly. That's how I feel and thats how I am betting this game. They have a great inside presence and solid players 1-5. I think Stanford is a weak team. They have talent in Powell and Randle, but I think New Mexico is more balanced. I will roll with New Mex here.
Baylor -4
This team has COME ALIVE late in the season. They played lackluster all year and finally got it together at the end of the year. Nebraska is a good team, and as a big ten fan I respect them, but I think they are not going to fare well in the tournament atmosphere. They did not play well away from home this season. This game is also in TEXAS... benefit to the bears.
UL Lafayette +14
14 is a ton of points, even against Dougie fresh. The ragin cajuns average 81.69 points a game which is very very impressive. They also rebound well and shoot a really solid percentage. Creighton scores a lot of points as well, so I can see this being a back forth game of runs. Neither team defends particularly well, so I have to roll with the team getting a ton of points.
Oklahoma State -3
Smart, Brown, Nash, Forte. GREAT scorers... Gonzaga... I just cannot drink their kool aid. The small line is a little worrying, but I dont wanna over think this. A player like Marcus Smart thrives on situations like this to show himself and his team off. I look for OK State to get it going. The WCC is a conference that gets a lot of love, yearly, but I cannot believe that they can hang with a solid Big 12 team here.
Providence +4***
I have loved this team since about mid way through the season. They have such solid players all over. Josh Fortune, Bryce Cotton, Kadeem Batts, LaDontae Henton... They have great players. UNC is a fluky team and I am sure they will be up for the tournament, but I think the Friars have more than enough defense inside to defend UNC big men and plenty of options on offense to hang in there. It is not fluke this team won the Big East Tourney.