The NCAA at a glance (Thursday Evening Edition)

The NCAA Tournament really starts tonight (12am here in Manila), because who really took the play-ins that seriously. Then again, this is March Madness, so... Here we go for today's games




Tampa (Announcing Team: Ian Eagle / Jim Spanarkel / David Aldridge)

6:50 pm - Florida vs UC-Santa Barbara (2 vs 15): Gauchos in Gator territory. They ain't roping them reptiles. My pick: Florida

UCLA vs Michigan State (7 vs 10): Pac-10 has been down the past few years, and the Spartans have been totally atrocious and hard to look sometimes. But all those tough losses that Izzo deals with early are designed to pay off come this time of the year. My pick: Michigan State

Washington DC (Announcing Team: Tim Brando / Mike Gminski / Lewis Johnson)

7:20 pm - Connecticut vs Bucknell (3 vs 14): The Bison shocked the world by upsetting the Jayhawks as a 14 before. They'll give the Huskies a tough time before they exit. My pick: UConn

Cincinnati vs Missouri (6 vs 11): Cincy chowed on their lightweight non-conference before their BEast diet. Mizzou gonna press them all night long and give them fits. Another chic upset special. My Pick: Mizzou

Denver (Announcing Team: Verne Lundquist / Bill Raftery / Lesley Visser)

7:15 pm - BYU vs Wofford (3 vs 14): The Terriers is a feisty unit that gave scares last year (and might just do it again this year), but it's all about the Jimmer. My Pick: BYU

St. John's vs Gonzaga (6 vs 11): The Bulldogs of Spokane have been the Cinderella for years. But the story of St. John's and their revival makes a better story. 10 seniors, too. My pick: St. John's

Tucson (Announcing Team: Kevin Harlan / Reggie Miller / Dan Bonner / Sam Ryan)

7:27 pm - Wisconsin vs Belmont (4 vs 13): Badgers scored a total of 33 pts in a loss during the B1G tournament. I think we can't have a team like that advance. Belmont is a 30-win squad. My pick: Belmont

Kansas State vs Utah State (5 vs 12): Kansas State, along with Michigan State, have been the biggest disappointments this season. Maddeningly inconsistent, led by the bearded Jacob Pullen face a fundamentally skilled 30-win Aggies squad. My pick: Utah State

Best game for this session: St. John's vs Gonzaga

Avoid this at all cost: Florida vs UCSB