Anyone who has watched MSU play should know of forward Raymar Morgan; he's their biggest threat and a legit big-time player. He plays with a lot of hustle and is a natural scorer, but he struggled in the Big Ten tournament, shooting 5 - 19 for a combined 15 points in two games. Still, he will demand attention, and the Owls certainly don't have one guy who can take him out of the game. Morgan didn't dominate the Big Ten, scoring 15 a game, but he is a guy that has the potential to spring for 30 on any given night. If the Owls can't figure out some sort of double team or another way to account for the matchup problem, they'll be in trouble.
To me, this is a toss up and I think it will be a good game. But, in recent years, I've developed a system to picking what I believe to be a toss up. Basically what I do is, I consider the possibility that the game might end up being a blowout (which can always happen), and figure out which team could blow the other one out. I can't see Temple running away from MSU by a huge margin, but it wouldn't shock me to see Michigan State just be too much for a guard-based team to handle.
The pick: Michigan State
(4) Pittsburgh vs. (13) Oral Roberts
Over the past three seasons, I have become a huge fan of the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles, despite lacking a regional or personal connection. I was drawn to their story during the 2005 - 2006 season, when they were coming off a season where they won their league in the regular season but lost in the tournament final. They had two great players in Caleb Green and Ken Tutt (who each ended up scoring 2,000 points in their career.) I started tracking their games, watching whatever I could on ESPNU, and bought myself an "ORU Basketball" shirt online. I arbitrarily decided to become the only Oral Roberts fan I know.
That year, they broke through to the NCAA tournament, and were a 16 seed playing Memphis. They held their own, even leading the game in the second half. Last year, senior year for Green and Tutt, they got in as a 14 seed and were leading Washington St at halftime before falling in the end. Even with the loss of their two superstars, they're back with their third conference title in a row. I smell upset!
Their leading scorer is Robert Jarvis, a Juco transfer who comes off the bench. This guy is a ton of fun to watch; he plays with a lot of energy and is a true shooter, in the sense that he is completely fearless. In the conference title game, he went 6 - 17 but hit a three that broke open a deadlock late in the second half. I don't think he has ever seen a shot that he didn't want to take, and if he can get hot then the Golden Eagles will stand toe to toe.
Big man Shawn King is a certifiable presence inside for the Golden Eagles, and has held his own in their previous tournament appearances. He should be able to defend well enough to not let ORU get man-handled.
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