Here are my predictions for the Round of 64 of the 2018 NCAA tournament. The Round of 64 and will be held at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas, American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho, Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, and Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.
Thursday, March 15th
(MW7) Rhode Island (25-7) vs (MW10) Oklahoma (18-13)- 12:15, CBS: This is a fascinating game from a standpoint of that the Sooners did not finish the season well and neither did the Rams (to some degree). Trae Young's NCAA tournament experience will only last one game because I like the Rams led by Jared Terrell and EC Matthews to advance.
Prediction: Rhode Island
(S3) Tennessee (25-8) vs (S14) Wright State (25-9)- 12:40, truTV: The Vols are just the better team here led by SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams and will beat what is an over-seeded Raiders team.
Prediction: Tennessee
(W4) Gonzaga (30-4) vs (W13) UNC Greensboro (27-7)- 1:30, TNT: The under-seeded Bulldogs led by Killian Tillie will crush the over-seeded Spartans.
Prediction: Gonzaga
(MW1) Kansas (27-7) vs (MW16) Penn (24-8)- 2:00, TBS: The Quakers are under-seeded, but the Jayhawks are just way better led by DeVonte' Graham and Malik Newman.
Prediction: Kansas
(MW2) Duke (26-7) vs (MW15) Iona (20-13)- 2:45, CBS: Tim Cluess is a great coach, but his team is no where as good as the Blue Devils, led by Marvin Bagley, Wendel Carter, Gary Trent, Grayson Allen, and Trevon Duvall.
Prediction: Duke
(S6) Miami (22-9) vs (S11) Loyola-Chicago (28-5)- 3:10, truTV: The Ramblers are a very underrated team led by Clayton Custer and I like them to pull off the upset over a Hurricanes team that's missing it's best player in Bruce Brown.
Prediction: Loyola-Chicago
(W5) Ohio State (24-8) vs (W12) South Dakota State (28-6)- 4:00, TNT: This should be a very fun game with two great players in the Buckeyes's Kieta Bates-Diop and the Jackrabbits's Mike Baum. Expect a close one here with the Buckeyes coming out on top.
Prediction: Ohio State
(MW8) Seton Hall (21-11) vs (MW9) North Carolina State (21-11)- 4:30, TBS: This should be a fun game between two solid teams. The Pirates will have three of the four best guys on the court in Desi Rodriguez, Angelo Delgado, and Myles Powell, but I like the Wolfpack here led by Allerik Freeman to advance.
Prediction: North Carolina State
(E1) Villanova (30-4) vs (E16) Radford (22-12)- 6:50, TNT: The Highlanders are better than a sixteen-seed and should not have been in the First Four. That said, the Wildcats led by Jalen Brunson and Mikael Bridges will cruise here.
Prediction: Villanova
(S5) Kentucky (24-10) vs (S12) Davidson (21-11)- 7:10, CBS: This is a sneaky good game. The best player on the court will be Davidson's Payton Aldridge, but Kentucky is the better team led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Knotts and will be the Wildcats that move on.
Prediction: Kentucky
(W6) Houston (26-7) vs (W11) San Diego State (21-11)- 7:20, TBS: The Aztecs won their conference tournament to make it here and they are on a roll right now, but the Cougars are the better team led by Rob Gray.
Prediction: Houston
(E3) Texas Tech (24-9) vs (E14) Stephen F. Austin (28-6)- 7:27, truTV: Some people like the Jackrabbits to pull off the upset, but the Red Raiders are just the better team led by Keenan Allen and this isn't the same Jackrabbit team of the last few seasons.
Prediction: Texas Tech
(E8) Virginia Tech (21-11) vs (E9) Alabama (19-15)- 9:20, TNT: This should be a fun game between these two solid teams. This is an unpopular pick, but I like the Crimson Tide here led by Colin Sexton, who will be the best player on the court with all due respect to the Hokies's Justin Robinson, who is also a great player.
Prediction: Alabama
(S4) Arizona (27-7) vs (S13) Buffalo (26-8)- 9:40, CBS: The Bulls are arguably under-seeded and here they get a bad matchup with a way more superior Wildcats team led by DeAndre Ayton and Alonzo Trier.
Prediciton: Arizona
(W3) Michigan (28-7) vs (W14) Montana (26-7)- 9:50, TBS: The Grizzlies are a sneaky good fourteen-seed, but the Wolverines are a way better team led by Mohamed-Ali Abdur-Rahkman.
Prediction: Michigan
(E6) Florida (20-12) vs (E11) St. Bonaventure (26-7)- 9:57, truTV: This should be a great game. The best player on the court will be the Bonnies's Jaylen Adams, but the Gators are the better team led by KeVaughn Allen and Keith Stone.
Prediction: Florida
Friday, March 16th
(W7) Texas A&M (20-12) vs (W10) Providence (21-13)- 12:15, CBS: This is a fascinating matchup in which either team is capable of winning this game. This was a hard call, but give me Robert Williams and the Aggies over the Friars in a close one.
Prediction: Texas A&M
(E2) Purdue (28-6) vs (E15) Cal State Fullerton (20-11)- 12:40, truTV: The Boiler Makers are by far the better team led by Carsen Edwards, Vincent Edwards, and Isaac Haas.
Prediction: Purdue
(E4) Wichita State (25-7) vs (E13) Marshall (24-10)- 1:30, TNT: This is a sneaky-good game. The Thundering Herd are under-seeded and will give the Shockers a fight here as the Shockers led by Landry Shamet and Shaq Morris will pull it out.
Prediction: Wichita State
(S2) Cincinnati (30-4) vs (S15) Georgia State (24-10)- 2:00, TBS: The Panthers pulled off a miraculous upset over the Baylor Bears three years ago, but no upset this year as the Bearcats are a way better team led by Gary Clark and Jacob Evans.
Prediction: Cincinnati
(W2) North Carolina (25-10) vs (W15) Lipscomb (23-9)- 2:45, CBS: The Bisons can shoot the 3-ball well, but the Tar Heels just are the way better team with way better talent led by Joel Berry, Luke Maye, and Cameron Johnson and they'll advance.
Predcition: North Carolina
(E7) Arkansas (23-11) vs (E10) Butler (20-13)- 3:10, truTV: This is a fascinating game in which the winner won't shock me. I like the Bulldogs, who always seem to rise to the occasion in big games, led by Kelan Martin and Kamar Baldwin, to advance.
Prediction: Butler
(E5) West Virginia (24-10) vs (E12) Murray State (26-5)- 4:00, TNT: Here we have a sneaky good game. The Racers are an underrated team, but I like the Mountaineers led by Jevon Carter and Sagaba Konate to advance.
Prediction: West Virginia
(S7) Nevada (27-7) vs (S10) Texas (19-14)- 4:30, TBS: The Wolf Pack are over-seeded and I like the Longhorns here to advance led by Mo Bomba.
Prediction: Texas
(S8) Creighton (21-11) vs (S9) Kansas State (22-11)- 6:50, TNT: The Marcus Foster revenge game! That said, I like the Wildcats and their underrated defense to advance.
Prediction: Kansas State
(W3) Michigan State (29-4) vs (W14) Bucknell (25-9)- 7:10, CBS: The Spartans are by far and away the better team led by Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr against an over-seeded Bison team.
Prediction: Michigan State
(W1) Xavier (28-5) vs (W16) Texas Southern (16-19)- 7:20, TBS: The Musketeers will blow the doors off the Tigers here led by Trevon Bluiett and a solid supporting cast.
Prediction: Xavier
(MW4) Auburn (25-7) vs (MW13) Charleston (26-7)- 7:27, truTV: The Cougars are a sneaky good team that I think can pull this upset, but the Tigers (despite missing Anfernee McLemore) are a the better team here.
Prediction: Auburn
(S1) Virginia (31-2) vs (S16) UMBC (24-10)- 9:20, TNT: The Cavs lost DeAndre Hunter to a broken wrist, but that won't stop them from destroying the Retrievers.
Prediction: Virginia
(MW6) TCU (21-11) vs (MW11) Syracuse (21-13)- 9:40, CBS: Give the Orange credit for winning their First Four game and you know what? I like Tyus Battle to lead the way for them to advance against a Horned Frog team that's missing an important player in Jaylen Fisher.
Prediction: Syracuse
(W8) Missouri (20-12) vs (W9) Florida State (20-11)- 9:50, TBS: This is an interesting game that both teams are capable of winning. I like the Tigers here led by Michael Porter Jr and Karrius Robertson.
Prediction: Missouri
(MW5) Clemson vs (MW12) New Mexico State; 9:57, truTV: This should be a fun matchup here. The Tigers lost their best player in Donte Grantham and I like the Aggies to pull off this upset.
Prediction: New Mexico State
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