Meredith Spelbring — No. 12 Oregon over No. 5 Wisconsin
Maybe it is not a huge matchup in the realm of the march madness insanity, but anyone who follows Pac-12 basketball knows the fact this game is happening is wild. A month ago, no one would have bet Oregon advanced through the Pac-12 tournament, let alone advanced to NCAAs. They have a toughness and fight about them that makes the Ducks a fascinating program to follow. My guess is they will be a team to follow for a couple rounds.
Chris Deremer — No. 13 Northeastern over No. 4 Kansas
Statistically, a 13-seed has beaten a 4-seed 24 out of 34 years, with two 13-seeds pulling off the upset last season. The Huskies are a veteran team who can shoot the ball well from behind the arc, and with the young Jayhawks struggling this season, Northeastern could pull off the unthinkable amongst the madness.
Jonah Baker — No. 7 Wofford over No. 2 Kentucky
Assuming that both teams win their first-round matchups, the Terriers should be in great position to upend the Wildcats in a second-round matchup. Wofford has not lost a game in 2019 and was the only team to win every conference game, and their canine mascot brings to mind another historic upset from last year’s tournament. The Terriers are far more qualified than 2018’s UMBC, and sharpshooter Fletcher Magee (yes, that is his real name) could flip any matchup.
Zack Kellogg — No. 11 Saint Mary’s College over No. 6 Seed Villanova
Saint Mary’s is in the prime position to take down the Wildcats in this first round matchup. Getting an upset win over a now one seeded Gonzaga team in the WCC championship game, thanks in large part of their defense, has put the Gaels in a terrific spot to pull of an early upset up the Wildcats. With Jordan Ford and Tanner Krebs being tremendous scoring threats to go along with SMC’s stellar defense, expect Villanova to be out early.
Jordan Smith — No. 13 UC Irvine over No. 4 Kansas State
While there is a notable difference in the difficulty of schedules between these two, UC Irvine is riding a 16-game winning streak into the ‘Big Dance’, and has a great stage to showcase their veteran talent against a tough Wildcat team. Look for UC Irvine to play a high risk-high reward style of play that can propel them into the Sweet 16.
Braedon Cain
Braedon Cain — No. 12 Murray State over No. 5 Marquette
Both teams have top 10 scorers in the nation, Ja Morant (Murray St.) and Marcus Howard (Marquette), with Ja Morant being a projected top 5 lottery pick for the upcoming NBA draft. Murray State won the Ohio Valley Conference over top seeded Belmont who also received an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament. Marquette was the top seed heading into the Big East tournament but lost to 3 seed Seton Hall in the semi-final game. The game should attract a lot of viewers seeing as both Morant and Howard should be lighting up the scoreboard.