College Basketball Picks

Three official plays:

Pacific vs Washington (Over 153.5, play to 157) - 12:20pm - Saturday - Game #523-524

It is no secret that Washington is an undersized ultra quick team who flourishes on getting up and down the court. Meanwhile, their defense is still somewhat suspect, especially playing away from home, and especially on the interior. Pacific is a very skilled offensive team that can put up points on just about anyone. They are equally adept at scoring inside & outside. Their overall team shooting percentage (.499) is near tops in the nation. Pacific averaged 72.5ppg on the season despite playing in a league that features several very low scoring teams (UCSB, Long Beach, UC Riverside, Idaho, etc). They put up 79 points on a pretty good Pitt defense in opening round and should score well again in round two. Pacific is not the best defensive team. I foresee them having trouble keeping up with Washington's all around team quickness. They played a similarly undersized quick team in Cal State Fullerton twice during Big West play. Pacific won the first meeting 94-88 and the second meeting a few weeks ago had a final score of 92-88. Both teams should be able to put up high numbers in this matchup. Expect this to get into the 160's without much incident.

Official Play: Over 153.5, play to 157 2 UNITS

Utah (+5) vs Oklahoma - 12:40pm Pacific - Game #527-528

I am still high on the Utes. Some of you may have noticed that I picked them to go to the final four in my NCAA bracket. A longshot indeed, but not as long as most people think. This team is capable of beating anyone when the supporting cast generates offense. Their team defense and rebounding is as good as anyone. Center Andrew Bogut is the best player in college. The Utes overcame 7 second half missed free throws and a very partisan UTEP crowd to notch a six point win Thursday. They have now won 23 of their last 25 games and are a perfect 6-0 in NCAA tournament games played at the McKale Center in Tucson. Oklahoma had a dream matchup in first round against an undersized and undisciplined Niagra team. The Sooners are one of the weaker #3 seeds in the tournament in my opinion. They did sneak up to win the Big 12 regular season title but did not do much in non-conference play or in the Big 12 tournament. They are clearly not as dangerous as a Kansas or Oklahoma State, especially playing here in Arizona. I give Utah a good shot at the upset and they are definitely a live second round dog.

Official Play: Utah +5 1 UNIT

Gonzaga (-3) vs Texas Tech - 10:10am Pacific - Game #529-530

This line should definitely be higher. The Zags had tremendous success in non-conference play. They beat Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City and came back two days later to lose by only 2 at Missouri. They have a neutral court win over Georgia Tech and also beat #1 seeded Washington by 12. JC transfer power forward J.P. Batista missed the first two games of the season and took a while adjusting to Division 1 play but has been a major factor in the second half of the season. Meanwhile, starting guard Erroll Knight, the teams most athletic perimeter player and best defender was forced to miss a string of 6 games early in the season with a hand injury. Therefore, the Zags are probably better now than they were when they got some of their big non-conference wins. The WCC conference this year was as good top to bottom as it has been in a long time, and every team is sky high to face Gonzaga. Their 12-2 record in conference play was a major accomplishment. Texas Tech has played well of late but there has to be a limit on how far this team can go. Their frontline is undersized and prone to foul trouble. Gonzaga just has too much firepower and will advance to the sweet 16.

Official Play: Gonzaga -3 1 UNIT