NCAA tournament picks today

The NCAA action resumes today with some top seeded teams taking the court. None of the underdogs have it easy yet big upsets in the first round are always possible. Here is a listing for all the games, NCAA tournament scoreboard. I think UNC has the most favorable opponent in East Kentucky because the depth off the bench and all-around quality talent for North Carolina. Of course the Tarheels are my favorite team and I'd like to see them at least make it to the Final Four.

Duke also plays tonight against VCU, which definitely looks to be an easy contest for the Blue Devils, who are a #6 facing a #11. The lineup is too strong with McRoberts and Scheyer as the two top scorers for VCU to handle. I don't think they disrupt the Duke game strategy. Besides Coach K wouldn't allow such a travesty to happen, he'd never heard the end of it either.

Texas Tech squares off in a fairly equal match-up with Boston College. If anyone heard Bobby Knight's comments yesterday in a press conference then you know how anxious and fired up he is due to the uncertainty of his team's performance. I think this game will be close up until 5 minutes to go and then one player will take over. BC has 3 scoring threats and change the course of the game. The central figure here is Jared Dudley. He's expected to deliver with clutch plays and ignite a rally. I pick Boston College over the Long Horns by a 3-6 point margin.

In other contests, Michigan State takes on Marquette whereas Gonzaga tangles with Indiana. Last season MSU was a surprise team in the tournament, pulling off a few upsets and doing damage in the Sweet Sixteen. Though they may have a bigger lineup than Marquette I'm going to cancel them out for the contest. I figure their pressure defense late will make up for their inability to drain enough three-pointers. Forcing enough turnovers will definitely give them a chance and keep them within striking distance. I'll go with Gonzaga in the other match-up. Their strength from the inside and outside scoring, with Heytvelt averaging 16 ppg along with 7 rpg I feel will be too overpowering for Indiana. The Zags finished with a 23-10 record and 11-3 in the Western conference.

Since I'm an ACC fan Maryland was my favorite over Davidson (the game is nearing a close). D J Strawberry and Mike Jones have the shooting touch plus this squad has dependable scorers off the bench as well to give them a lift. The last two games of really any significance are Belmont vs. no. 2 Georgetown and no. 6 Louisville vs. no. 11 Stanford. I don't know much about these teams because I don't stay in tune with their conferences, but it's a no-brainer Georgetown will be victorious. They've got too many weapons both offensively and defensively. As far as the second game, it's a toss-up. Both teams are tough to beat, but due to a better rank I pick Louisville. Today's games are a beginning showcase for the tourney as March Madness action will be sizzling in the coming weeks.