**UNC-Wilmington vs. George Washington**

--These schools will meet at the Greensboro Coliseum in the first game of the night session that will conclude with top-seeded Duke facing Southern. Most sports books have installed George Washington (26-2 straight up, 12-9 against the spread) as a 2 1/2-point favorite with a total of 131. Bettors can back the Seahawks to win outright at a plus-125 price.

--Don't be surprised if the Colonials come into the Tournament with a serious chip on their shoulder due to their seeding. After all, GW lost only one game when it was at full strength this season. And that's the burning question with this squad, will all of its weapons be ready Thursday night? In particular, we're talking about Pops Mensah-Bonsu, who has missed four straight games with a left knee injury. Menash-Bonsu, who averages 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, is listed as "questionable."

--UNC-Wilmington (25-7 SU, 20-9 ATS) has won eight consecutive games, posting a 6-2-1 spread record during that span. The Seahawks won the Colonial title to garner their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2003, when Maryland beat UNC-W on a falling-out-of-bounds desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer, ending the career of the school's all-time leading scorer, Brett Blizzard.

--George Washington's schedule, or lack thereof, was certainly a factor in settling for a No. 8 seed despite its exemplary record. The Colonials played a pair of ACC teams, but Xavier is their only other foe that made the Big Dance. GW beat Maryland 78-70, but it lost 78-59 at North Carolina State. The Colonials won 89-85 at Xavier, giving them a 1-1 record against teams in the field.

--UNC-Wilmington split a pair of regular-season games against George Mason, the 11th seed in the Washington region. The Seahawks also played at Wisconsin, losing by just three, but they were thumped by 19 at Colorado. They beat Northwestern by eight on a neutral court.

--The Seahawks own an outstanding 7-2-1 spread record in 10 games as underdogs.

--The 'under' is 6-2 in GW's last eight games, 16-13 overall. On the flip side, the 'over' is 13-11 for the Seahawks.

--GW's odds to win it all are 100/1 at Sportsbook.com. Meanwhile, UNC-W is the owner of 500/1 odds.

**Duke vs. Southern**

--Most spots have marked Duke (30-3 SU, 13-17 ATS) as a 25-point 'chalk' with a 144 1/2-point tally.

--Duke won the ACC Tournament at this same venue last weekend, beating Boston College 78-76 in the finals. However, the Blue Devils failed to cover the spread as five-point favorites against BC. In fact, they are in the midst of a 1-6 ATS slide.

--Southern (19-12 SU, 1-0-1 ATS) is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 13 years. The Jaguars won the SWAC Tournament by beating up on Arkansas Pine-Bluff 57-44 as seven-point favorites. Peter Cipriano led the Jags with 21 points and nine rebounds in the tourney finals.

--Southern stepped up to play against the big boys five times this year, losing by 14 or more in each instance. The Jaguars lost 73-56 at Xavier, in addition to the following defeats: 89-59 at Texas, 84-56 at LSU, 88-44 at Texas A&M and 68-54 at Oklahoma.

--Duke is 9-10-1 ATS as a double-digit favorite. The Blue Devils are 3-5 ATS when favored by 20 points or more.

--The 'over' has been a serious money maker for Duke all season, compiling a 20-11 overall record. The 'over' has been even more prevalent recently, taking the money at a 15-3 clip in Duke's last 18 games.

--A No. 16 seed has never beaten a top seed outright.

**Iona vs. Louisiana State**

--Most books have tabbed LSU (23-8 SU, 12-13 ATS) as an eight-point favorite with a total of 147 1/2. The Gaels are listed at plus 300 on the money line.

--John Brady's team won the SEC regular-season title with a 14-2 record in league play, but the Tigers lost to Florida in the SEC Tournament semifinals last week, 81-65.

--LSU is led by sophomore sensation Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who finished second in the SEC in scoring and first in rebounding. Also, senior guard Darrel Mitchell has enjoyed an excellent year, averaging 16.1 PPG despite being forced to play point guard when Tack Minor went down with a season-ending injury. Mitchell scored 41 points, dished out 10 assists, grabbed seven rebounds and committed just two turnovers in a pair of games at the SEC Tournament.

--Iona (23-7 SU, 17-9 ATS) finished the regular season with back-to-back losses, but the Gaels bounced back with three straight wins (each by double digits) to capture the MAAC championship. They beat St. Peter's 80-61 in the MAAC Tournament finals as 8 1/2-point favorites. Steve Burtt scored a game-high 28 points, burying 4-of-7 from 3-point land.

--Burtt is the second-leading scorer in Iona school history, averaging 25.2 PPG during his senior campaign. Burtt's backcourt mate Ricky Soliver can put up points too, scoring 16.1 PPG.

--Iona has only been an underdog four times this season, posting a 3-1 spread record. The Gaels won 89-72 at Iowa State as 13 1/2-point underdogs, in addition to a 70-69 victory at Fresno State. They lost 73-67 at Kentucky but covered the spread as 9 1/2-point 'dogs. Iona's lone non-cover as a 'dog came in a 73-59 loss at Seton Hall.

--LSU freshman center Tyrus Thomas has been out of the lineup since spraining his ankle in a 71-67 win over Kentucky back on Feb. 25. He returned to practice Tuesday, but soreness forced him to leave the court after a few drills. The team took another X-Ray that was negative and Thomas is expected to start against Iona.

--The 'under' is 17-10 for LSU, but the 'over' has an 18-10 record for Iona.