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This thread is a general catch-all for NCAA Tournament information, comments, and games involving non-Big East teams.

Please use the Big East game-specific threads for information and comments involving Big East teams.

On Sunday March 12 ecasadoSBU wrote:
1E Villanova
10E Marquette
11E Providence/USC
6MW Creighton
9S Seton Hall
4S Butler
11W Xavier

NCAA Tournament homepage - CBS Sports . . . NCAA Tournament Live Bracket - CBS Sports

NCAA Tournament homepage - ESPN . . . NCAA Tournament Live Bracket - ESPN

College Basketball homepage - Fox Sports . . . NCAA Tournament Live Bracket - Fox Sports


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NCAA Tournament 2017: March Madness TV tip times, announcers, schedule – CBS Sports - March 13, 2017

2017 NCAA tournament first-round betting lines – ESPN - March 13, 2017

MARCH MADNESS 2017: WHO GOT SCREWED IN THE NCAA BRACKET? – Bleacher Report – March 13, 2013

Selection Sunday winners and losers: Which teams got favorable March Madness draws? – The Dagger – March 13, 2017

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FIRST FOUR

Tuesday March 14th

6:30, truTV: No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s vs. No. 16 New Orleans (Brian Anderson/Chris Webber/Lewis Johnson)

Approx. 9:00, truTV: No. 11 Kansas State vs. No. 11 Wake Forest (Anderson/Webber/Johnson)

Wednesday March 15th

6:30, truTV: No. 16 North Carolina Central vs. No. 16 UC Davis (Spero Dedes, Steve Smith, Len Elmore, Ros Gold-Onwude)

Approx. 9:00, truTV: No. 11 Providence vs. No. 11 USC (Dedes/Smith/Elmore/Gold-Onwude) ==> NCAA: Providence v Southern Cal - Wed 9pm 3/15/17

It's amazing to see the lack of respect for the Big East and the West Coast conferences in The Dagger article linked above.

The article presents Butler as "presenting nothing troubling" in a potential matchup against North Carolina. While I agree that Carolina should be favored to win that game - as would be expected in a 1-4 matchup - the dismissive attitude against Butler ignores the fact that this is a team that has already beaten the #1 seed in the entire tournament TWICE in addition to beating Arizona and Cincinnati. I hope that Carolina takes the same overconfident attitude toward Butler because if they do, the Bulldogs will beat them.

Gonzaga is dismissed as the weakest of the #1 seeds who will have their hands full in the 2nd round against Vanderbilt. 15-loss Vandy??? They say that "it takes a specific type of team to beat Gonzaga." How would we know? They've only lost once all year! Apparently Vandy is not the only team of that type in the West bracket because they think that West Virginia can do it too. That ignores the fact that West Virginia has to get through it worst nightmare in Notre Dame just to get to Gonzaga. The Mountaineers feast on turnovers although they commit a lot of fouls in forcing them. Unfortunately for them, the Irish don't turn the ball over and they kill other teams when they get to the free throw line. Maybe picking against ND as well just reveals an overall Anuti-Catholic bias?

They also dismiss St Mary's against Arizona, whom they apparently think will win this region since Gonzaga is so weak. They conveniently overlook the fact that Arizona has already lost to Gonzaga. But back to St Mary's. Arizona is hot and talented and well coached. But they're also heavily dependent on underclassmen. Their top 3 scorers are 2 freshmen and a sophomore, who are also 3 of their top 4 rebounders. Their #6 scorer is also a freahman. In contrast, St Mary's entire starting 5 is comprised of upper classmen. This is the classic mid major team of 4 year players vs the P5 program of NBA-bound mercenaries. I'm predicting that St Mary's will give them all they can handle and will win this game.

The Bleacher Report article, "Who Got Screwed in the NCAA Bracket", linked above, is a gem. Well worth the read. Thanks for the link.

Bill Marsh wrote:They say that "it takes a specific type of team to beat Gonzaga."

I think elite defensive teams can give Gonzaga big problems. WCC schedule can't be a good training ground to prepare for that. I am interested in seeing how they fare vs. WVU, if it happens.

Watching the first four game and can't decide who to root for. Mt. St Mary's 5'5" PG may give Brunson some problems.

kayako wrote:

Bill Marsh wrote:They say that "it takes a specific type of team to beat Gonzaga."

I think elite defensive teams can give Gonzaga big problems. WCC schedule can't be a good training ground to prepare for that. I am interested in seeing how they fare vs. WVU, if it happens.

Fair point. My objections were to Vanderbilt being considered that kind of team and to the article apparently assuming that West Virginia will get by Notre Dame.

Watching the first four game and can't decide who to root for. Mt. St Mary's 5'5" PG may give Brunson some problems.

I'm with you on Mt St Mary's.

What a bizarre game. The New Orleans big guy makes a vicious dunk, is playing well, and then proceeds to choke his own PG. They also decided not to foul down 1 with 34 seconds left.

I guess Nova's going down to Nate Robinson's little brother...

Need the ACC to go down today......

Down goes Wake Forest. K-State advances to face Cincy

Wake Forest was that type of team who had a great RPI but lost most of its top 50 matchup...

2017 March Madness Bracket Predictions: NCAA Tournament Picks, Winners, Upsets - CBS Sports Staff - March 14, 2017

Our experts weigh in with their bold predictions for the tournament

Includes tournament brackets filled-in by Stephen Oh, Matt Norlander, Chip Patterson, Jerry Palm, Howard Megdal, Dennis Dodd, and Kyle Boone.

First Round - March 16th

Thursday Afternoon Window

12:15, CBS: No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Princeton (Verne Lundquist, Jim Spanarkel, Allie LaForce)
12:40, truTV: No. 5 Virginia vs. No. 12 UNC Wilmington (Ian Eagle, Steve Lavin, Evan Washburn)
1:30, TNT: No. 4 Butler vs. No. 13 Winthrop (Carter Blackburn, Mike Gminski, Debbie Antonelli, Lisa Byington)
2:00, TBS: No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 16 South Dakota State (Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Jamie Erdahl)
Approx. 2:45, CBS: No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Bucknell (Lundquist/Spanarkel/LaForce)
Approx. 3:10, truTV: No. 4 Florida vs. No. 13 East Tennessee State (Eagle/Lavin/Washburn)
Approx. 4:00, TNT: No. 5 Minnesota vs. No. 12 Middle Tennessee (Blackburn/Gminski/Antontelli/Byington)
Approx. 4:30, TBS: No. 8 Northwestern vs. No. 9 Vanderbilt (Catalon/Lappas/Erdahl)

Thursday Evening Window

6:50, TNT, No. 6 Maryland vs. No. 11 Xavier (Eagle/Lavin/Washburn)
7:10, CBS: No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s (Lundquist/Spanarkel/LaForce)
7:20, TBS: No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 VCU (Catalon/Lappas/Erdahl)
7:27, truTV: No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 Vermont (Blackburn/Gminski/Antontelli/Byington)
Approx. 9:20, TNT: No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast (Eagle/Lavin/Washburn)
Approx. 9:40, CBS: No. 8 Wisconsin vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech (Lundquist/Spanarkel/LaForce)
Approx. 9:50, TBS: No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 North Dakota (Catalon/Lappas/Erdahl)
Approx. 9:57, truTV: No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 12 Nevada (Blackburn/Gminski/Antontelli/Byington)