Oregon State came up with a superb season before it leaves those old rivalries behind, and they’ve done it with defense. Four of their past six opponents haven’t broken 60 in regulation, and the exceptions were both Stanford. Notre Dame also knows how to play that way, although it’s not the Irish’s preference.
With the recent legislation in North Carolina legalizing sports betting, the potential for increased betting activity is high. The impact of this legislation has been profound, with reports indicating that within the first two weeks of legalization, North Carolina generated a staggering $200 million in revenue, setting a pace for a potential $600 million per month.
Welcome to my Quick Picks column, where I hand out winners, winners, and more winners every day. I fire off picks on everything from college hoops to the NHL.
With the Huskies favored by 11 points, the oddsmakers have penciled them into the Elite 8. It’s time to break down this matchup and see if San Diego St. can conjure up the same magic from last year, and not only cover the spread, but win the game outright and advance.Â
The regional semifinal gives us a rare rematch of the national title game — and this one might not be as close as the previous one. Connecticut appears better than it was a season ago, while San Diego State isn’t quite where it was last year.
Creighton breezed past Akron in the first round, 77 to 60, but got tested in the second round by Oregon. The game went into double OT, but the Bluejays outscored the tired Ducks team in the final overtime period to win by 12, 86 to 73.
Duke routed both opponents on their road to the Sweet 16. They beat Vermont 64 to 47 in the first round and 12th-seed JMU 93 to 55 in the next round. The Blue Devils had a relatively easy path on the first weekend, beating two double-digit seeds, but do not doubt their talent. Their starting five is as good as any in the country and should give Houston a fight.
Gonzaga routed both opponents through the first two rounds. They beat McNeese State 86 to 65 and then thrashed Kansas 89 to 68. They were down one at halftime against Kansas but beat them by 22 in the second half. Anton Watson was the leading contributor and scored 21 on 73% shooting. They shot 60.3% as a team and held Kansas to 38.6% from the field.
They must travel a similar distance to play at TD Garden in Boston, but both should have plenty of time to adjust. They will be the final game on Thursday, scheduled to start at 10:09 p.m. EST on TBS and truTV. The clash of two styles should make an exciting, action-packed game.