The NCAA Basketball Tournament now down to 32 teams amidst many big upsets continues today with eight second round games.
Tomorrow eight more second round games will be played cutting the field to the so called “sweet sixteen” with games resuming on Thursday March 24th at 4 Regional semi-final and finals sites.
Thus far one regional two seed and one regional three seeds have been ousted from the tournament.
Each of those upsets occurred yesterday as Middle Tennessee ousted two seed Michigan State from the South Region.
Then at night unheralded Stephen F. Austin University took out East three seed, West Virginia University.
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks College Basketball …
Click above for more on upstart Stephen F. Austin basketball
In a game tonight that really means nothing, the San Antonio Spurs are three plus point favorites vs the defending NBA champion, Golden State Warriors.
No matter the result tonight and as you will see I am predicting San Antonio to win, the Warriors and not the Spurs, will get the top record in the NBA.
So my prediction in this regular season tilt tonight on ABC with college basketball “opposing” it is:
Spurs 104 Warriors 96.
With all the bluster about Michigan State and its fine coaches Tom Izzo in basketball and Mark Dantonio in football, the shocking basketball loss to Middle Tennessee yesterday leaves Michigan State under some real scrutiny in both sports.
The football team were decided underdogs to Alabama in the semi-final game, horribly scheduled on New Year’s Eve. Alabama dismantled Michigan State.
Now the “2” seed basketball team, which apparently attracted “mucho” money to win it all in the NCAA Basketball Tournament from Las Vegas bettors, is out losing and incredibly never leading vs Middle Tennessee State.
On the flip side of the Michigan State debacle, the win by Middle Tennessee State University located in Murfreesboro (Tennessee), previously best known as an NCAA Basketball Tournament site, is tremendous for them.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders College Basketball
Click above for more on Middle Tennessee basketball.
“We are ready for March Madness and love basketball,” proclaimed Rick’s Cabaret New York girl Jenna Lynn. “There are over 50 high-def TVs and flat screens. And, of course, about 100 Rick’s Cabaret girls!”
Rick’s Cabaret New York is famous for its beautiful dancers, warm hospitality, and gourmet restaurant under the direction of the acclaimed Chef Franklin Edwards.
The club is a favorite spot for many pro athletes from all the major sports. But whomever you are, you can expect VIP treatment at this upscale gentlemen’s club.
Attention Howard Stern fans: say hello to “Flat Ronnie” who is currently welcoming all in the Rick’s Cabaret front lobby!
Rick’s Cabaret New York
*** Over 100 Showgirls Daily
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*** VIP Private Suites, Deluxe Sky Boxes
*** Full Menu Steakhouse, Open Late
*** Roof Deck Cigar Lounge and Garden
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*** Weekend Brunch
Higher seeded Notre Dame is a three plus point favorite in their NCAA Basketball Tournament first round tilt vs Michigan at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York tonight.
Of course this had to be the match up as it has glitz and plenty of local alums on both sides. Always hindsight is 20/20, but a look ahead, and I would have “known” Michigan would beat Tulsa to face Notre Dame.
This will be the first NCAA Tournament battle between the teams since Michigan won in both 1974 and 1976 with each team a very good one.
The teams are better known for their football battles which came to an abrupt end when Notre Dame dropped Michigan from its schedule.
Yesterday’s (5-4) win by the Detroit Tigers vs the St.Louis Cardinals was the eighth straight home/Lakeland, Florida win for the Tigers.
Two other teams playing very well in the spring exhibition games are the Toronto Blue Jays, who once played at Exhibition Stadium and the Washington Nationals under new manager Dusty Baker.
Last year the Blue Jays were far better than expected and roared to the AL East title and won a round in the baseball tournament.
Conversely, last year the Nationals were a horrible disappointment, although still finishing second. They fired Matt Williams and replaced him with Baker as their manager.
Note to the outstanding reporter Richard Hake of WNYC and staff: The Florida Gulf Coast/Fairleigh Dickinson, (A Gulf Coast rout win) game was not in the first full round of the NCAA Tournament.
It was a “play in” game or for a few years, in annoying fashion called a first round game by the NCAA.
By either standard it was not a “full first round game.”
This year the NCAA has properly called the 32 games cutting the field from 64 to 32, first round games.It also is the first full round.
Two teams that won in the “play in” round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, Michigan and Holy Cross, have each won the title once in their team history.
The Crusaders of Holy Cross took the title led by the great Bob Cousy in 1947. “The Cooz” went on to play on six NBA title teams with the Boston Celtics.
Rumeal Robinson’s incredibly clutch free throws lifted Michigan to the national title in 1989.
The schools whose teams Holy Cross and Michigan won the title against are also in the field of 64.
Oklahoma beaten by Holy Cross in 1947 scored 47 points in the finals game loss.
Seton Hall which lost a heartbreaking game to Michigan in by the score of (80-79) in 1989.
Rumeal Robinson sank two free throws in the waning seconds of overtime lifting Michigan to an NCAA Basketball title in 1989.
The National League West has two teams that have never won the World Series which is second to the American League West which houses three such teams.
Neither the San Diego Padres entering their 48th season, nor the Colorado Rockies beginning their 24th, (ah a 2 to 1 ratio) have ever won it all. The teams are a combined (1-12) in World Series games, the Rockies (0-4) having been swept by the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 World Series.
On the flip side of the proverbial coin, the San Francisco Giants have won the last three even year World Series (2010, 2012 and 2014).
Also while the L.A. dodgers have not titled since 1988, their longest drought other than the far longer one until their first, (glorious John Podres led) World Series win in 1955, they did win in their last two World Series appearances in 1981 and 1988.
Add the Arizona Diamondbacks win in their lone World Series, keyed by Tony Womack’s all-time type clutch hit in the bottom of the ninth inning of game 7 and the Giants,Dodgers and Diamondbacks have combined to win in their last 6 World Series appearances.
There will be predictions here during this tournament season.
Other than the Super Bowl, this is the biggest sports betting item. Please if you must bet, do so for fun and do not make money a big factor. Easier said than done, be careful.
I feel if one does predict the outcome of games as I do from time to time, it should be vs the spread or one can predict both. It is not meaningful to say huge favorite Oklahoma will beat Cal Bakersfield. Will they cover the spread?
So one prediction is Oklahoma will win big enough vs Cal Bakersfield.
The other for now, Temple, not all that far from Brooklyn, will “get there” in two ways, to the arena by bus and for their bettors, Iowa 58 Temple 55.
Andy B Sports 