NCAA-THURSDAY GAMES

MY PICKS

 

West Virginia (5) vs. Clemson (12): The Tigers won Tuesday night and may have an early edge; but the     Mountaineers will prevail.

Butler (8) vs. Old Dominion (9): My rule of thumb: if a team lost to Missouri, they will not advance.     Butler moves on with a narrow win.

Louisville (4) vs. Morehead State (13): Louisville wins easily. I expect the Cardinals to make a deep run.

Temple (7) vs. Penn State (10): I didn't have Penn State in my "mock" bracket, so give this to the Owls.

Kentucky (4) vs. Princeton (13): Wildcats win easily and advance.

Pitt (1) vs. UNC-Ashville (16): The Panthers will win an easy one.

Vanderbilt (5) vs. Richmond (12): My rule of thumb rules again. The Spiders notch the first 5-12 upset.

San Diego State (2) vs. Northern Colorado (15): We'll see how good the Aztecs are in a tighter-than-    expected win.

Florida (2) vs. UC-Santa Barbara (15): The Gators take a first step on a deep run.

BYU (3) vs. Wofford (14): Jimmer and company easily handle the Terriers.

UConn (3) vs. Bucknell (14): Kemba and crew advance easily.

Wisconsin (4) vs. Belmont (13): The Badgers take out the Bruins in a close game.

UCLA (7) vs. Michigan State (10): A tough call, but I'll take Howland's Bruins over Izzo's Spartans in OT.

St. John's (6) vs. Gonzaga (11): Despite the Red Storm's surprising run in the Big East, the 'Zags advance     with a narrow victory.

Cincinnati (6) vs. Missouri (11): Despite a late-season slide, the Tigers' recent tournament history gives     them an edge over the Bearcats. MU takes an ugly victory in a mild upset.

Kansas State (5) vs. Utah State (12): Wildcats are overseeded and Utah State is underseeded, but KSU     advances after a scare.