CBB Picks: The Final Countdown

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
14. North Carolina at 4. Duke 8:00 pm ESPN - Who would have thought a month ago, this would be a top 15 matchup again, and everything is right with the world. Marcus Paige developed into one of the best point guards in the nation, and I do not think Duke has an answer for him.  They will win this game by outscoring North Carolina yet that's hard to come by right now for Duke which is weird given all the talent they have especially on the offensive side. I do not trust Duke right now. Coach K is having health issues, team cannot play defense and cannot score, horrible recipe against a hot team. UNC 77-72

19. Connecticut at 11. Louisville 1:00 pm CBS - If Cardinals win, they get at least a split of the conference title in the first year of the American.  Russ Smith might be the least talked about senior in a long time. Smith been so damn good in the past couple weeks including a big 24 point second half against SMU. Smith had a nice game the first time around against the Huskies and there is no reason to think otherwise on Saturday. We need a Russ versus Shabazz five minute interlude and just watch in awe. I will take Louisville. Montrezl Harrell and Russ Smith will be too much for the Huskies. UL 69-62

21. New Mexico at 10. San Diego State 9:00 pm CBS Sports Network - Second meeting between these two squads and the first time, New Mexico delivered a beat down. Dirty little secret about the Aztecs is they have not really beat anyone worth nothing since early January. Last game, San Diego State received 27 points from their bench which is not the norm for them, they will need it again this time around. They also need to put a body on Cameron Bairstow. He went off the first time around for 26 points and eight rebounds. Aztecs cannot have that happen again if they want the rematch. I think they do. Xavier Thames last game with The Show behind him will yield a good result. SDSU 65-58

3. Arizona at Oregon 3:00 pm CBS - Tricky, tricky game for Arizona. They survived Oregon State on Wednesday night and now face an Oregon team that needs a win. They are flirting with the bubble, and if they win, the Ducks are probably in unless something crazy happens. Ducks are hot winning the last six games, and getting Johnathan Lloyd healthy again is big for this team. Mike Moser needs to be a factor too. He disappeared against Arizona earlier this year. It is hard to bet against Nick Johnson whom had 20 or more points three of the last four games, but that's what I am doing. Betting against a team with their backs against the wall at home is usually foolish. Quack quack. OREG 78-75

SECOND TIER
25. Kentucky at 1. Florida 11:00 am CBS - Woof. Kentucky is heading into a buzzsaw with this game. There might be slight hope that the Wildcats could catch them with an 11 am start, but I highly doubt that. Michael Frazier II proved on Tuesday, Florida has so many different options that can beat them.  Casey Prather and Scottie Wilbekin combined for 47 points in the first meeting, and it is hard to imagine things will be different on Saturday. Gators are playing really strong basketball right now, and Kentucky is not whatsoever. I would be stunned if the Cats found a way to win this one. Go Gata. UF 70-59

18. SMU at 20. Memphis 11:00 am ESPN - Even though my team resides in the Big East, the American has been the best new conference from a talent standpoint. All around, I would probably take the Big East, but I move on. Memphis needs to find some defense quick. They gave up over 80-plus points to a Cincinnati team that is known for their defense. They gave up 87 points to SMU in January, what makes me think anything will be different with this team?  Memphis is a good team that cannot play defense. That's a problem. SMU runs them over again with a strong Nic Moore game. SMU 81-72

Oklahoma State at 16. Iowa State 1:00 pm ESPN - Cowboys decided not to be on the bubble once Marcus Smart came back. Unless Oklahoma State loses their last two games of the year, this one and their first Big 12 conference game, I think they are safely in. If they do finish out with two straight losses, they might be sweating a bit. These two played a triple overtime classic at Stillwater and I would expect nothing different at Hilton. I am not worried about Iowa State. I think DeAndre Kane and George Niang will figure it out powering Cyclones over the Cowboys. ISU 74-72

Missouri Valley Conference Championship (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm CBS - Odds are Wichita State could be playing to go wire-to-wire with the undefeated season. That's worth the price of admission. Cannot really make a pick rather just inform you it is there.

THIRD TIER
22. Michigan State at Ohio State (Played on Sunday) 3:30 pm CBS - Can anyone trust Ohio State right now? They are not doing anything on offense and while this will be senior day for Aaron Craft as well as others emotions will run high for the Bucks. Michigan State seemed back against Iowa. Four of their five starters were in double figures plus a nice effort from Travis Trice off the bench. Even though senior day will inspire Craft, Michigan State might be gearing towards to make their run. MSU 66-62

7. Syracuse at Florida State (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm ESPN3 - No one likes to play in Tallahassee and this will be the Cuse's first conference visit. In the last month, the highest point total for Syracuse was 62 points in a loss to Georgia Tech. Noles are hot of late winning four of their last five games playing good defense and actually scoring, a problem for them in the past. Okaro White has been white hot averaging 21.5 points in the last three games. Everything tells me to go with Florida State, but I cannot picture Syracuse dropping another game. They put it together and win a closely contested game. CUSE 64-63

Georgetown at 6. Villanova 1:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Am I discrediting Villanova? They only have three losses total this season, two against Creighton and one against Syracuse. They beat Kansas albeit early in the season. Nova is being talked about as a one seed and deservingly so. The big three of Bell, Pinkston and Hillard are all averaging around 14 to 15 points a game. Markel Starks gave one of his best performances of his career on Tuesday, but it's not happening here. Nova is not losing at home with the big three taking control late. NOVA 69-61

FOURTH TIER
9. Wisconsin at Nebraska (Played on Sunday) 6:30 pm Big Ten Network - Oh baby. This is the biggest game in Nebraska's college basketball history. It will be a sold out crowd. March atmosphere will be in the air for sure. Wisconsin is red hot and hard to pick against, but the question is 'Who needs this more?' Cornhuskers without question. NEB 63-61

Providence at 13. Creighton 7:00 pm CBS Sports Network - An easy one here. Dougie McBuckets final game in Omaha seems like an easy win even though Providence needs a win desparately here. McDermott goes for 36 tonight in a win. CREIGH 85-72

5. Virginia at Maryland 11:00 am (Played on Sunday) CBS - This has all the remnants of an upset. Virginia already won the ACC. Terrapins are not going to be in the tournament, and this will be their Super Bowl being on national TV and save their coach's job. Easy money here. MARY 68-65

17. Saint Louis at Massachusetts (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm CBS Sports Network - All of the sudden, Billikens have careened off the side of the road. Minuteman are probably in and could help their resume with a win here. Jordair Jett is bothering a knee injury and that worries me. Give me The Zoo. UMASS 65-60

Charlie.

CBB Picks: Wild Weekend on Tap?

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
4. Syracuse at 12. Virginia 3:00 pm ESPN - College basketball is a crazy mistress. At the beginning of the year, no one would say the biggest game on Saturday March 1st would be Syracuse against Virginia. The Orange skated by another tough game at Maryland Monday night, but once again, it speaks to the Cuse's ability to find a way to win no matter the situation. While Virginia's record is great, the last time they played a ranked team... February 2nd and it was Pittsburgh whose struggling as of late. Beat North Carolina when the Tar Heels were down. Am I saying this team is overrated? Kinda. They play great defense, but to win this one, they will need Joe Harris to have a big game especially from the outside where he is 42 percent from three. I think C.J. Fair and Tyler Ennis turn in big games with the spotlight on them leading them to victory. CUSE 53-49

7. Louisville at 21. Memphis 1:00 pm CBS - This game lost some of its luster with Memphis falling to Houston on Thursday night. Louisville did their part, and I think people are sort of forgetting about the defending champs. They have rounded into form rather nicely in the past couple weeks with Terry Rozier playing his ass off. This team is lurking around right now. Memphis scored a big win in January by beating Louisville with a big second half led by Shaq Goodwin. They will need Goodwin to be good. Looking at Memphis' last four games, they lost to UConn, beat Rutgers only by five, a 20-loss Temple team to them to overtime and they lost to Houston. Even though it is a road game, Louisville wins bigger than expected. LOU 83-69

10. Saint Louis at VCU 5:00 pm ESPN2 - Billikens fell into a classic trap game. They played Duquense at home Thursday night only to fall before heading to Richmond. What to make of it?  There is the attitude that teams need a loss as sort of a reset, and then they come back to form. Also we have seen team losing multiple games after a long unbeaten streak. In the first meeting, Saint Louis controlled the tempo and it pushed them to a late victory. I do not see it again at VCU's homecourt. Juvonte Reddic been great in the last couple of weeks and I think he continues this strong stretch in another victory for the Rams. VCU 78-72

5. Kansas at Oklahoma State 8:00 pm ESPN - People expected these two teams battling for the Big 12 crown with the storyline... 'Could Bill Self get his 10th straight at his alma mater?' But that's not happening with the Jayhawks already wrapping up yet another Big 12 crown on Monday. Oklahoma State is building steam and desparately need this win for the tournament resume. I think this is a case of 'Who wants it more?' right now. Kansas already has things wrapped up and despite knowing they could finish the Cowboys, Oklahoma State will get another huge Marcus Smart and Markel Brown combination effort. If Oklahoma State gets embarrassed here, Travis Ford's seat will be white hot. OSU 77-70

SECOND TIER
Missouri State at 2. Wichita State 1:00 pm ESPN - This is the Shockers last game of the season, and it will be a tough test. When these teams met in January, Missouri State had a 18 point lead at half holding Wichita State to only 24 points. This lead to furious comeback to force overtime and Shockers ended up winning it. This was easily their toughest challenge in the conference season. If the Bears want to pull the upset, they will need Jamar Gully and Marcus Marshall to be great with more control shooting as they both struggled in the first matchup. While Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker are the story, Tekele Cotton has been tremendous in the past couple games. He stays the course and the undefeated season happens for the Shockers.
WSU 72-65

9. Creighton at Xavier 4:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Big one for the bubble as well as how the standings will play out in the Big East. This will be a ton of offense and not much defense. Doug McDermott had 35 points in their first meeting and guess what? There is still no one whom cannot stop Douglas MC Buckets on Xavier. He should have another solid game. If the X were to get a win here, they need a huge effort from Dee Davis and Semaj Christon. If those two can score around 15-25, they can win this game. But I cannot see it with Xavier's inability to stop McDermott. He has a big game and pulls the Jays from the depth late. CREIG 88-83

11. Cincinnati at Connecticut 11:00 am ESPN - Can we please just get a game where Shabazz Napier and Sean Kilpatrick just play Rucker rules and go back and forth for the whole game please?  That's all I want in life. Glad no one took me up on the coffee after the Huskies terrible loss on Sunday. UConn is rather shaky of late with scoring only 55 against SMU and 61 against South Florida. Now they face Cincinnati, arguably one of the best defensive team in the nation, meaning it could be a ton of trouble. Honestly, this feels like a road beatdown from Cincy. They had a week to stew watching highlights of Russ Smith hitting a game-winner jumper combined with UConn's inability to shoot recently, it is a perfect storm for the Bearcats win. CIN 66-59

23. Texas at Oklahoma 3:00 pm ESPN3- This is me being a dumb Wisconsinite but it does not feel like this is a real big rivalry for basketball. When both were real good, it got amped up to near football levels with the Hollis Price, T.J. Ford days.  Here is a dirty little secret about Texas... They only have two road wins in the Big 12 conference play and they are against TCU and West Virginia. Buddy Hield played well in their first meeting and I expect to remain the same with this one. Maybe a sneaky good Ryan Spangler game.
OKLA 81-76

THIRD TIER
LSU at 1. Florida 3:00 pm CBS - Gators had to survive Vanderbilt on Tuesday, but I felt that was a real important game for them. Florida did not score for five minutes to end the game before Dorian Finney-Smith hit a big three to dagger the Commodores. They will roll in this one as LSU not playing well especially with Anthony Hickey struggling as of late and I think Florida will be shake off the poor shooting night in Nashville. UF 79-62

Marquette at 8. Villanova (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm CBS - I hate the fact this Marquette team is on national television. I hope Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery get the call to talk about their love for Davante Gardner. Marquette will need to be tough on the perimeter holding back Villanova's big shooters as well as pound it inside. I would love to tell you Marquette wins and puts their name in the hat yet I cannot see it. Villanova does too many things that exploit the Golden Eagles' weaknesses. NOVA 84-78

15. Iowa State at Kansas State 6:00 pm ESPNU - People really have no idea how good the Big 12 is but this is a fun matchup between two solid teams. Iowa State beat this team without DeAndre Kane having a big game going 3/12 only having 10 points. Then again, I do not usually bet against Kanas State at home. Yup, let's go with the latter. KSU 73-65

Stanford at 3. Arizona (Played on Sunday) 7:00 pm ESPNU - GUESS WHOSE BACK?  BACK AGAIN. ARIZONA'S BACK!  TELL A FRIEND. Honest to God, they look like themselves again and Stanford plays no defense at all. Bad combination, bet the house on the Cats. ZONA 101-79

FOURTH TIER
22. Ohio State at Indiana (Played Sunday) 3:00 pm CBS - Woof this is a national televised game? Ohio State continues their inconsistent circus, and Indiana won their first big game versus Iowa on Thursday. Hoosiers need this one for their distance bubble hopes, but I like Aaron Craft keeping Yogi Ferrell at bay being the difference. OSU 64-56

14. Wisconsin at Penn State (Played Sunday) 11:00 am Big Ten Network - I do think Wisconsin will need to be careful in this one as Bryce Jordan Center knows to play mind games on teams and Tim Frazier done some things against Wisconsin yet Penn State will not be able to keep up with the Badgers. UW 70-59

13. San Diego State at Fresno State 9:05 pm CBS Sports Network - Do not let their record fool you as the Bulldogs have won seven of their last eight games, could they give San Diego State a run for their money?  Signs point to yes. Tyler Johnson is a hell of a player for Fresno. Let's get crazy and take the Dawgs in this one. FRESNO 68-62

Minnesota at 16. Michigan 5:00 pm Big Ten Network - Gophers did get a nice win for their bubble hopes this week beating Iowa, but what others forget is Minnesota lost six of their last eight before the game. Michigan big. MICH 74-57

Charlie.

CBB Picks: First-Class Weekend

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER 
1. Syracuse at 5. Duke 5:00 pm ESPN - A rematch of arguably the best game of the season. Both teams will be coming off losses in games where they did not play at their very best. Duke's cold streaks against North Carolina's zone has to give you some trepidation heading into this one. While Carolina played a 1-3-1, Syracuse's 2-3 is just as mean and could really affect Blue Devils shooters. Jabari Parker will need to play a complete game. He disappeared last night and it hurt Duke. As for Syracuse, they have been skirting by in the last couple of weeks with similar offensive issues. C.J. Fair reverted back to his old ways of appearing only for short bursts versus the entire game. I like Duke at home in another close one with the difference being Amile Jefferson. DUKE 65-62  

11. Louisville at 7. Cincinnati 11:00 am CBS - Last time these two teams met, the Bearcats nearly blew a 17 point lead in the second half only to have Sean Kilpatrick close out the game. Louisville been red hot with their only loss being to Cincy in the last month or so yet the finish to their season will be brutal. I do not know if it is fair to judge how Louisville is playing right now since it is all against inferior opponents. Cincinnati only fell once to SMU but other than that, it is all cylinders ahead. Russ Smith will need to be involved and not go 6/15 like he did the first time these two teams played in January. Kilpatrick will carry the squad again with a big game inside from Justin Jackson. CIN 68-63

16. Wisconsin at 15. Iowa 11:00 am ESPN - These two have a good rivalry going in the last couple of years. I am fascinated to see what would have happened in early January if Fran McCaffery does not get ejected from the game. Iowa stood a fighting chance in that game, and it completely changed with McCaffery got tossed. People forget how good Deyvn Marble was in that one with 27 points. Wisconsin is red hot in recent weeks with strong play from Frank Kaminsky and Nigel Hayes keeps doing work off the bench. Hayes had eight points the first time these two met, but not as much of a factor as he has been in the last couple games. I have Iowa. I feel like they will rise to the occasion again at home gaining another major win for their resume. IOWA 79-76

6. San Diego State at New Mexico 9:00 pm ESPN2 - This will be worth a bar watch on Saturday night pitting the top two Mountain West opponents. Also these two teams have played some classics in the last couple of years. San Diego State's defense has been stout all year and rarely do they allow 65 points or more. Lobos will have to capitalize on every opportunity they get on Saturday night. As for New Mexico, they can give it to with either Kendall Williams or Alex Kirk inside whom should be healthier. I could see Kirk being a real issue for the Aztecs and will push the home team to victory. UNM 71-69

13. Michigan State at 20. Michigan (Played on Sunday) 11:00 am CBS - This game was a lot more exciting a couple weeks ago. Both teams are in desperate need of a win. Keith Appling played in a win against Purdue having nine assists and it can only be assumed he will be closer to full strength for this one. Michigan has alternated wins for the entire month of February. This should be bode well as they lost the last one. They need to find their offense again because it has suddenly disappear or Indiana unlocked a secret about how to stop them. Michigan State hit a record 17 threes on Thursday night. They beat Michigan for 35 minutes last time and didn't close. They finish the deal Sunday. MSU 67-61

SECOND TIER
19. Texas at 8. Kansas 6:30 pm ESPNU - First time these two teams met Texas threw a #BEATEMDOWN on Kansas. And I think the reverse could happen on Saturday.  Texas holds a team without seniors, we know that, and I have to think this is a problem heading into one of the toughest arenas in all of college basketball. Jayhawks also have scuffled in the last few games meaning they are poised for another outbreak. Kansas rolls in this one. KU 79-62

4. Arizona at Colorado 8:00 pm ESPN - No one can deny Arizona is a different team without Brandon Ashley. They went from contending for the title to maybe being a fringe Elite Eight squad. They need to find some offense inside possibly with Big Zeus or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in conjunction with more consistent guard play. Colorado is warming up and learning how to play without their star, Spencer Dinwiddle as they have won five of their last six. Wildcats were able to squeak one out in Salt Lake City and I cannot see the same thing happening in Boulder. Big time Askia Booker performance. BUFFS 74-65

SMU at 21. UConn (Played on Sunday)  1:00 pm CBS Sports Network - First time around the world learned SMU is a better team than anyone gave them credit for at the beginning of the year. Since then, UConn has been a different team only falling to Louisville, Cincinnati and sweeping Memphis. I think this will be a pissed off Husky team ready to dominate the Mustangs. If Shabazz Napier does not get 30, I will buy everyone whom reads this a coffee. UCONN 81-68

George Washington at 10. St. Louis 7:00 pm No TV - Bilikens survived George Mason on the road this week and it is clear the bulls-eye is directly on their back right now. They needed a big Jordair Jett performance in the second half and overtime to win the game. George Washington has been playing better but they do not seem like a team that can head into the Arch and win this game. STL 69-61

THIRD TIER
23. UCLA at Stanford 5:00 pm ESPN2 - Must-win for Stanford whose hanging onto the bubble right and last time these two met, the Bruins ran them out of the game putting up 91 points. Even though it is tough to win at Maples for a road team, Stanford does not play defense and UCLA is a good offense team. No upset here. UCLA 89-73

St. John's at 9. Villanova 12:30 pm FOX Sports 1 - Johnnies have yet to lose in the month of February facing their toughest task, a road game in Philadelphia. If they were to win, it will definitely help their bubble case in a major way. Villanova did not play well the first time they saw St. Johns in early January shooting only 35 percent including doing nothing from three. They will need to do a little bit more on Saturday. James Bell was a non-factor in the first meeting and that does not happen in this one. NOVA 69-62

2. Florida at Ole Miss 11:00 am CBS - Quick #HotTake: Marshall Henderson could not handle Kentucky at home, and Florida will frustrate the hell out of him. UF 70-54

Minnesota at 24. Ohio State 5:00 pm Big Ten Network - Quick #HotTake: Gophers are on the wrong side of the bubble and do not see Columbus being nice to them. OSU 61-51

Charlie.

CBB Picks: Bubble, Bubble, Bubble Watch

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
3. Florida at 14. Kentucky 8:00 pm ESPN - Only one of two SEC games that mean a damn. People are hyping up the Gators right now, but this will be the game where we could say 'They are legit' versus them racking up wins against inferior opponents. The matchup of day will be the Harrison Twins versus Scottie Wilbekin and Michael Frazier II. Both teams have strong forward play, but the guards playing well can make these teams that much better. Julius Randle versus Patric Young should be bar fight. I have a feeling the Wildcats get up for the game, and win this game with a big performance from Andrew Harrison plus a couple great Randle moments. UK 73-67

6. Villanova at 18. Creighton (Played Sunday) 4:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Revenge game for the road team as Creighton shot lights out from three when they last played. Odds are it will not happen again, but Nova needs to do a better job guarding the perimeter. Doug McDermott has been out of mind of late, and he tends to step up in the big moments. Nova's balanced attack could give the Jays a ton of problems especially since they do not really play much defense I will take Dougie McBuckets at home. CREIG 75-72

21. Wisconsin at 15. Michigan (Played Sunday) 12:00 pm CBS  - Another revenge game for the road team. Wisconsin seems to have figured it out a bit in the last couple of games. They continue to get great effort out of Nigel Hayes and Ben Brust had a big scoring day against Minnesota. Michigan picked up a key road win Tuesday with a big Derrick Walton Jr. performance. Nik Stauskas got going again as well which is important to Michigan's success. While Badgers have looked better as of late, Michigan is a tough team to beat at home plus their balance should give Wisconsin problems. MICH 73-64

SECOND TIER 
20. Memphis at 24. UConn 11:00 am ESPN - Great guard matchup here with Joe Jackson and Michael Dixon versus Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.  I feel like all four of these players could equal everyone out meaning it will come down to big men. This could mean a big game from Shaq Goodwin whose been known for a big game here or there. Or for UConn, DeAndre Daniels could come big for the Huskies. I will take UConn at home. I do not trust Memphis to go into a hostile environment to win a big game.
UCONN 69-63

VCU at 12. St. Louis 1:00 pm ESPN2 - This game will be all about pace. If St. Louis is able to slow down 'Havoc', they should win this game. But if VCU makes the Bilikens run a bit, it favors the Rams in a major way. Both teams are red hot as St. Louis has won 16 straight games and VCU won seven of their last eight games. I am going out on a limb and taking the Rams. They seem to be rounding into form, and I feel like they could catch St. Louis on the road with their frenetic offense.  VCU 82-73

25. Pittsburgh at North Carolina 12:00 pm CBS - People might not know this but North Carolina has won their last five games slowly gaining momentum. Tar Heels are not playing the greatest ACC teams, but it could make a splash here with win against Pitt. Panthers are reeling after a buzzer-beater defeat to Syracuse, and they need to respond quickly. Talib Zanna and James Michael McAdoo should be a fun matchup in the middle. I do not think Pittsburgh has a good enough answers for Marcus Paige, and he goes off for a big game to keep Carolina rolling. UNC 65-61

2. Arizona at Arizona State 8:00 pm (Played Friday) ESPN - Sun Devils are warming up with winning five of their last six games. This one will be huge for their NCAA resume. If they could get a win against rival Arizona, it will do wonders for them. I am curious to see whom the Wildcats put on Jahii Carson because I do not know if they have an answer. The battle in the middle between Kaleb Tarczewski and Jordan Bachynski. I am tempted to ride with the Sun Devils, but Wildcats with a Nick Johnson game-winner are the difference. ARIZ 68-67

THIRD TIER 
West Virginia at 19. Texas 7:00 pm Longhorn Network - Don't sleep on the Mountaineers as they have won their last four of five with their only loss being at Allen Fieldhouse. They blew the doors down against Iowa State hitting 13 threes and going 53 percent from the field. I expect a close game. I think these two teams match up well, but it seems like Texas always has one guy go off for 20+ points whether it be Javan Felix, Johnathan Holmes or anyone else. Too many weapons for the Horns take down West Virginia.
TEXAS 76-68

Maryland at 8. Duke 5:00 pm ESPN - Remember when this game mattered in the large scope of things? This will I believe be the last meeting for the Terrapins heading to Cameron Indoor. Duke will likely send them off the right way. I do not not really believe this will be a close game in any facet. Jabari Parker will have a big time game for the Dukies. DUKE 82-65

NC State at 1. Syracuse 3:00 pm ESPN3 - With how soft the bubble is this year, NC State still has a legitimate chance to get into the NCAA Tournament. They could bolster their resume with a win at the Carrier Dome. T.J. Warren has been great in the last couple games, but I think the zone suffocates him leading to yet another Orange victory. CUSE 62-57

16. Iowa at Penn State 12:00 pm ESPNU - I need to make an upset pick as I have been on fire the last couple weeks. I nearly went with Arizona State, but here it is from Happy Valley. Penn State had an amazing comeback win on Wednesday night at Indiana, and I think they will ride the momentum to take down Iowa. Just feels like a trap game for the Hawkeyes as they have a big week upcoming with a road trip to Indiana and home against Wisconsin. PSU 68-62

CBB Picks: B1G Showdown, Ghost of Michael Snaer

Since college football and basically National Football League is done, we have been making picks for college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

First Tier Games 
21. Michigan at 3. Michigan State 6:00 pm ESPN - Crazy to think the first time ever, two teams are 6-0 facing off each other in the Big Ten against each other. John Beilein deserves to be Coach of the Year thus far, and Nik Stauskas is red hot right now. Michigan seems to be getting a team effort versus two guys like Mitch McGary and Trey Burke carrying the team like they did last night. They faced rival Michigan State, and they are hurting right now. Sparty will be without Branden Dawson as he broke his hand in frustration and Adreian Payne will also be missing in this one. Gary Harris needs to put himself on the map in this one, and I am not sure he is ready for the moment. I am riding the Wolverines' hot streak. MICH 74-68

4. Villanova at Marquette 1:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Hmm. The homer in me wants to believe Marquette will play like they did at the end of the second half led by unsung heroes John Dawson and Steve Taylor Jr. The realist in me says this team has not proven they made the turn just yet, and need to be a team like Villanova, who is probably a little overrated given their ranking. Marquette needs to be better at guarding the perimeter as Villanova has four players shooting over 35 percent from 3-point land. My worry about Marquette in this one is James Bell and Darrun Hillard will go off against Marquette's guards, but I do think they can contain JayVaughn Pinkston. I am taking the Wildcats. I don't want to, but until Marquette can beat a high quality opponent, I cannot pick them. NOVA 69-64

Florida State at 15. Duke 11:00 am ESPN - In recent years, Seminoles have been a throne in Duke's side whether it be at home or in Cameron Indoor. Leonard Hamilton does a great job with this team getting them prepared to deal with the Duke environment. This Florida State team nearly beat Michigan and Florida in the non-conference meaning they can compete with this Duke team. I do think Blue Devils figured it out a bit in the last couple of games especially Jabari Parker as he went for 17 and 15 against Miami. He will need to be a factor in this one. I think Florida State's size keeps them in this game, and Duke escapes with a last-second three. DUKE 73-71

Second Tier Games 
Texas at 24. Baylor 12:30 pm ESPN3 - Texas deserves all the credit in the world this season. Rick Barnes' job is saved because Longhorns' head honchos have to see what he is doing without having any seniors, and no matter the result in this one, Texas deserves to be ranked. I do think Texas is running into a buzzsaw. Baylor lost their last three games plus another one to boot in the Big 12. This is a must-win for them, and I fail to see how Baylor does not capitalize at home in this one. BAY 73-64

9. Wisconsin at Purdue 4:00 pm Big Ten Network - You could look at this game two ways if you are Purdue... One, you are playing a Wisconsin team that cannot play defense, and maybe Purdue's offensive woes can be fixed playing them. Two, you are playing a pissed off Wisconsin team that is ready to break their losing streak. Purdue is not a bad team, but they are not a good team either. I would be shocked if they beat Wisconsin. Badgers score enough points, and the defensive holds strong. UW 74-61

20. Pittsburgh at Maryland 5:00 pm ESPN2 - What's up lookahead game?  This has all the makings of Pittsburgh laying an egg. Terrapins are not a good team, but at the same point, they have talented players like Dez Wells who can win them basketball games. Pittsburgh knows they are welcoming Duke on Monday night in a much anticipated game meaning their head might not be there for this one. I would put some chips on Maryland winning this one at the always tough College Park. MARY 64-57

Third Tier Games 
2. Syracuse at Miami 12:00 pm CBS - An old Big East matchup that is now an ACC matchup. Whenever a team is undefeated this late in the season, a bulls-eye developed on the team. Miami would love nothing more than to end the Orange's unbeaten streak. But at the same time, this Hurricane team likely cannot handle a full 40 minutes of the suffocating 2-3 zone, they need to play a perfect game. It is not happening. CUSE 65-53

Utah at 1. Arizona (Played on Sunday) 7:00 pm FOX Sports 1- Improved year for Utah as they are playing well and beating some good teams in the process yet they have not seen a great team like Arizona. Wildcats will have no issues in this game. ARIZ 77-63

Tennessee at 6. Florida 3:00 pm ESPN - This used to be a high-profile SEC game, and now it is just sort of there. I think people have forgotten about Florida due to the SEC being a mediocre conference besides the Gators and Kentucky. Tennessee does have the size to compete with Florida as Jarnell Stokes and Jerrone Maymon can both be factors if they stay out of foul trouble. It is the guard play I am unsure about, and what probably gets the Gators the win. FLA 72-68

Charlie.