NCAA TOURNAMENT-FIRST ROUND

MOREHEAD STATE UPSETS LOUISVILLE

    It didn't take long for the "madness" to set in on the NCAA tournament when Morehead State eliminated Louisville in Thursday's first round. My phone started ringing off the hook with buddies' plaintive responses to the upset: "I'm done." Below are my predictions for the first day (published 3/17), with correct picks in bold type and losers in red. Amazingly, I did not have this exact list on any one of my five "money" brackets. What was I thinking? Thursday's results: 14-2.

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.

    The Louisville loss had to hurt most everyone's pool picks. I picked Mizzou with my heart and not with my head. That was bound to be a mistake, given the Tigers' poor play down the stretch.

        

FRIDAY PICKS

Texas (4) vs. Oakland (13): The Longhorns can't like this opener, but they prevail.

Michigan (8) vs. Tennessee (9): This is a tossup, but I think the Vols take it.

Notre Dame (2) vs. Akron (15): The Irish advance easily.

George Mason (8) vs. Villanova (9): Of my five money brackets, I have Nova winning 3 times by a nose.

Arizona (5) vs. Memphis (12): Arizona should win, but this is "madness".

Duke (1) vs. Hampton (16): Blue Devils start a long march.

Texas A&M (7) vs. Florida State (10): A tough matchup for the Aggies, they sneak by the 'Noles.

Ohio State (1) vs. UT-San Antonio (16): A warmup for the Buckeyes' run to the Final Four.

Kansas (1) vs. Boston U (16): Jayhawks pound the Terriers.

North Carolina (2) vs. Long Island (15): The Tarheels get back on track after the ACC tournament.

Purdue (3) vs. St. Peter's (14): Despite a disciplinary problem, the Boilermakers advance with ease.

Xavier (6) vs. Marquette (11): Look for another upset. Marquette advances.

UNLV (8) vs. Illinois (9): The Illini loss to Missouri doesn't bode well. Take the Running Rebels.

Washington (7) vs. Georgia (10): Another tough call, especially since I've seen little of either; but the     Huskies are on a late season run that should continue.

Georgetown (6) vs. Virginia Commonwealth (11): If Chris Wright can play effectively in his return to the     lineup, the Hoyas will advance.

Syracuse (3) vs. Indiana State (14): The Sycamores are going to give the Orange a scare before fading     late.