UNLV (+2) vs Georgia Tech - 9:25am Pacific - Game #627-628
UNLV deserved much better than a #7 seed for their great run through the underrated Mountain West league and decisive tournament championship. The Rebels have two impressive non-conference road wins at Nevada and at Texas Tech and all of their success has come despite battling injuries to key players throughout the season. Starting guard Michael Umeh (knee), starting forward Wendell White (ankle) and starting point guard Kevin Kruger (thigh) missed a combined nine games but were also less than 100% in many others. All are back to 100% healthy now and UNLV heads into this game having won 14 of 16 games. They do not have any one superstar but have exhibited great teamwork and a smart brand of basketball. Mountain West teams are already 2-0 SU & ATS in the NIT and BYU played very well in the NCAA Thursday night despite facing an Xavier team that was playing just 90 minutes from campus. The Rebels have three experienced guards who can both handle the ball and score. They are comfortable playing either a half-court or full court game. Georgia Tech finished the season strong but is still completely unproven on the road where they finished 1-8 for the season. They were not impressive in the ACC tournament losing to Wake Forest in the opener. The Jackets have four freshman in their rotation including their top two scorers. They are still a bit too inconsistent and undisciplined. This will be a good experience for GT but I believe they are a year away from making any noise in the NCAA's. The wrong team is favored here. Expect UNLV to advance.

RAS Official Play: UNLV +2 1 UNIT | WIN 67-63

Long Beach State vs Tennessee (-7) - 11:45am Pacific - Game #623-624
Hats off to Bruce Pearl. The Vols overcame the loss of three key players to graduation, lost their best big man in the offseason, and had to deal with multiple injuries during the season but still had a great year. Leading scorer Chris Lofton missed four games due to injury and key reserve guard Jordan Howell missed another eight games. The Vols actually went 16-4 with both players healthy. Tennessee beat both Memphis and Florida convincingly and loss at Ohio State by only 2. They should badly outclass Long Beach State here. The 49ers won a very weak Big West conference to get here. They have very little size with two 6-6 players starting on the front line. This team does not play well from behind or when facing adversity. I have seen players point fingers and turn on each other very quickly. This could pose a problem as they face a pressing team for the first time all season. They also have to be one of the most poorly coached teams in the tournament. Head coach Larry Reynolds still has not had his contract extended despite leading the team to the tournament. LBS has looked good vs Big West opponents but in last non-conference game vs Hawaii three weeks ago were beaten soundly by 15 points and that was in Long Beach. LBS is not used to long distance travel or playing on a big stage. This is sure to be an up and down high scoring game which makes the spread easier to cover. Expect Tennessee to be much better prepared, more composed, and the more talented team. Give the points.

RAS Official Play: Tennessee -7 1 UNIT | WIN 121-86

Holy Cross (+7.5) vs Southern Illinois - 6:40pm Pacific - Game #621-622
Holy Cross has all of the key ingredients for a team that can make some noise in the tournament. They have an all senior backcourt, an above average big man, play superb defense, and have a head coach with a wealth of experience. Guards Torey Thomas and Keith Simmons are do it all performers on both sides of the floor. 6-10, 275 center Tim Clifford can clog the middle, block shots, and is a decent inside scoring option. Head coach Ralph Willard gave three higher seeded teams real scares in the 2001-2004 tournaments. Southern Illinois gets a lot of credit for their defense, but Holy Cross only allows 0.891 points per possession, which ranks 7th in the nation, 24 spots ahead of SIU. The Salukis rarely overwhelm good teams. They know how to win games but finished the season with a 1-4 ATS run overall and a 3-9 ATS run in the favorite role. The Missouri Valley appears to be down a bit from last season and the conference is already 0-2 ATS in the NIT. The Patriot League has gone 5-0 ATS in the first round of the NCAA tournament over the past five years including back to back outright wins by Bucknell. This figures to be a very low scoring game with the total set at 108 which makes the +7.5 points especially valuable. I expect Holy Cross to compete well here and stay within the number. Take the points.

RAS Official Play: Holy Cross +7.5 1 UNIT | LOSS 51-61


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