March Madness 2011 Bracket: Arizona vs. Memphis and the Top Friday Matchups
The tournament is underway and the first day of action did not disappoint, with big upsets by Morehead State and Richmond.
With those wins, it appears that the Kansas Jayhawks' road has gotten easier. But as we saw last season, no one is unbeatable. The tourney's second day of action promises to be even better with some very good games on tap.
Many big-name schools will go to head-to-head, looking for the opportunity to advance to the Round of 32 and possibly a shot at a Sweet 16 appearance.
There should be some very close games during the Day 2 slate and hopefully more of the buzzer-beating action that we saw on Day 1.
Here is a look at nine of the top games for Day 2 of the tournament.
No. 8 Michigan vs No. 9 Tennesee
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The Michigan Wolverines come into the game against Tennessee playing some of their best basketball of the season. They went 7-3 in their last 10 games of the year while the Volunteers are slumping, having lost seven of their last 12.
The Wolverines are led by sophomore guard Darius Morris (15.1 points per game, 6.8 assists per game) who has been Michigan's go-to-guy all season. Another player to watch for Michigan is Tim Hardaway Jr. (13.8 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game) who played very well as a freshman and who has only gotten better as the season has gone along.
Tennessee will look to junior guard Scotty Hopson (17.7 points per game, 1.3 assists per game) when it needs a bucket, as well as freshman forward Tobias Harris (14.7 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game).
Michigan loves to shoot the threes (42 percent of their field-goal attempts this season) and this game could very well be decided by how the Wolverines shoot from beyond the arc.
The Vols like to get out in transition and if they can't score that way then they will set up their half-court offense and look to get a bucket down low.
Michigan is very capable of winning this game if they come out shooting well, but I like the Vols in this one as their athleticism and ability to score in the front court will eventually get them the win and a shot at Duke.
Prediction: Tennessee 72, Michigan 67
No. 8 George Mason vs No. 9 Villanova
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George Mason is back in the tourney and this time no one should be overlooking them. The Patriots dominated their opponents this season, winning by an average of 11.5 points per game. Granted they were not always facing top competition, but this is a very good basketball team and a No. 8 seed proves that.
Villanova looked like a title contender earlier in the season when they jumped out to a 17-2 record. But they finished the season on an extremely poor note, losing their final five games and seven of their last nine.
George Mason's strength lies in the backcourt, where they have plenty of guards who can shoot, drive to the hole or look for a shot or kick it out for another jumper.
Villanova is also strong in the backcourt where they rely on senior guards Corey Fisher (15.5 points per game, 4.8 assists per game) and Corey Stokes (14.9 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game).
George Mason shoots the three very well at nearly 40 percent and the Wildcats defend the three fairly well, allowing their opponents to shoot 32 percent from beyond the arc.
Villanova should have the size advantage down low, but the Wildcats will have to play more like they did in the first half of the season if they want to take down a giant killer like George Mason.
Call me crazy but I think the Wildcats will come to play and end the Patriots' Cinderella run before it gets started this time around.
Prediction: Villanova 69, George Mason 66
No. 6 Xavier vs No. 11 Marquette
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Xavier always seems to find itself playing past the first round. If they want to do so this year, they will have to get past a tough Big East team in Marquette.
The Golden Eagles were the highest-scoring team in the Big East this season at 76 points per game while Xavier allowed just 64.5 points per game.
Both teams rely heavily on guard-play to score points. The Musketeers will count on A-10 Player-of-the-Year Tu Holloway (20.1 points per game, 5.5 assists per game) to score in bunches while the Golden Eagles will need big efforts from Darius Johnson-Odom (16 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game) and Jimmy Butler (16 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game).
Xavier is not nearly as deep as some of the other top teams in the tournament and that could come back to bite the Musketeers.
This should be another exciting game that comes down to the wire, but I will take the Big East team in this tough defensive battle.
Prediction: Marquette 63, Xavier 59
No. 7 Washington vs No. 10 Georgia
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The Huskies have all of the momentum in the world after winning the Pac-10 tournament on Isaiah Thomas's buzzer-beating jumper, while the Bulldogs should be happy to even be in the tournament.
Georgia likes to play at a much slower tempo than the Huskies' frenzied pace. The Bulldogs averaged just 68 points per game this season while the Huskies put up 83 points per contest.
Georgia is led by a very good big man in 6'10" Trey Tompkins (16.1 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game) who could give the Huskies' undersized team some trouble in the post.
Washington is strong in the backcourt, as they typically are, with Thomas (16.6 points per game, 5.6 assists per game) leading the way. The Huskies also have 6'9" Matthew Bryan-Amaning (16 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game) down low who puts up good numbers but who is not a dominant presence in the frontcourt.
This game will be determined based on which team controls the style of play and I like the Huskies' chances to speed the Bulldogs up and pull away late.
Prediction: Washington 76 Georgia 64
No. 4 Texas vs No. 13 Oakland
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Many people are pegging this game as a potential upset as Oakland takes on Texas.
The Longhorns have been a strong team this season and they were viewed as one of the top threats to cut down the nets earlier in the year before a slump cost them the Big 12 regular-season title.
Oakland is a solid team with a very good player in 6'11" center Keith Benson (18 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game). Benson is going to have to carry the Golden Grizzlies to victory against the Longhorns, which could be a very tall order against a talented Texas team.
Texas is led by sophomore guard Jordan Hamilton (18.5 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game) and freshman forward Tristan Thompson (13.5 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game).
Thompson will have his hands full all game with Benson, but the Longhorns have too much talent and firepower to lose to the Golden Grizzlies in this one.
Prediction: Texas 83, Oakland 71
No. 5 Arizona vs No. 12 Memphis
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Arizona and Memphis will be a battle of teams that like to score, as both teams are averaging over 70 points per game.
The Wildcats are coming off a tough loss against UW in the Pac 10 tournament title game while Memphis is fresh off of their Conference USA tournament victory.
Arizona will look to one of the top players in the country in sophomore forward Derrick Williams (18.8 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game) to lead them to the next round while the Tigers will counter with freshman guard Will Barton (12.3 points per game, 5 rebounds per game).
Arizona is better from the field and from the line and they should be too much for the Tigers to contend with in this matchup.
While Memphis is a solid team, they are not anywhere near as good as when Calipari was there and they will likely make their exit against the Wildcats.
Prediction: Arizona 84, Memphis 77
No. 7 Texas A&M vs No. 10 Florida State
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This ACC-Big 12 battle is of two teams that quietly put together solid seasons while playing second fiddle to the power teams in their respective conferences.
Florida State will certainly benefit from the return of their top scorer in this one as Chris Singleton (13.8 points per game) returns after missing a month due to injury.
Neither of these teams are all that athletic and neither of them score all that well so you should expect a hard fought, defensive battle in this one.
Texas A&M will counter Singleton with their own impact player in rising sophomore star Khris Middleton (14.4 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game). Middleton will need to have a big game if the Aggies are to advance to the next round. Although this game could go either way, I expect the Seminoles to come out on top at the final horn.
Prediction: Florida State 64, Texas A&M 61
No. 6 Georgetown vs No. 11 VCU
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The Georgetown Hoyas are another team that is expecting their top player back for the tournament, with the return of senior guard Chris Wright from injury.
Wright missed the final three games of the Hoyas season, all losses, so the Georgetown faithful will be very happy to have their leader back for this big contest against VCU.
VCU pulled off a big win over USC on Tuesday night to officially punch their ticket into the field of 64.
The Rams will rely on their three-point shooters to come up big for them against the Hoyas, particularly senior point guard Joey Rodriguez, who makes the VCU offense go.
Georgetown will have the advantage in the post against a Rams team that doesn't rebound all that well. That could be enough to help the Hoyas advance to the next round.
VCU will have to be on from beyond the arc to pull off the upset but I think the more balanced team will ultimately win this one and that team is the Hoyas.
Prediction: Georgetown 71, VCU 66
No. 8 UNLV vs No. 9 Illinois
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The winner of this one will have the unenviable task of taking down Kansas, and if they are able to do that, then they will get the reward of facing a double-digit seed in the Sweet 16.
That is well down the road for both of these teams, though, and this game should be one of the better matchups of the day.
Illinois has not had a great season but the Illini are capable of making a run in the tournament if they can run their balanced offense with success. The Illini are led by senior guard Demetri McCamey (15 points per game, 6.1 assists per game) and senior forward Mike Davis (12.2 points per game, 7.1 assists per game).
The Runnin' Rebels will counter with senior guard Tre'Von Willis (13.5 points per game, 3.6 assists per game) and former UCLA Bruin forward Chace Stanback (13 points per game, 6 rebounds per game). Willis is best known for his smack talk directed at Jimmer Fredette, but UNLV fans are hoping Willis will be known for his play on the court after this one.
UNLV is not a great offensive team, but they do play very strong defense and Illinois is a very average team that is not likely to put up huge offensive numbers in this contest.
UNLV will keep their strong season going with a victory in this one, and they will be a strong opponent for the Jayhawks in the next round.
Prediction: UNLV 66, Illinois 60
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