March Madness 2012 Bracket: How to Pick Every No. 8 vs. No. 9 Game

The hardest games to pick in the first round have to be the No. 8/9 matchups.

The two teams are typically incredibly even matched, and the game has a few reasons to go one way or the other.

At least that’s normally the case.

This year each of the four games feature a distinct advantage for one of the teams so it’s only a matter of identifying it.

No. 9 UConn (20-13) over No. 8 Iowa State (22-10)

The Huskies are tournament-tested despite missing Kemba Walker and have two future NBA lottery picks. The Cyclones love the three-pointer a little too much and have a tendency to live and die by it.

UConn’s advantage: guard play

Jeremy Lamb is one of the quickest players in the nation, and the Achilles heel of the Cyclones is defense on the perimeter. They have a hard time keeping up with quick, aggressive playmakers that can get to the paint.

While the Huskies aren’t going to defend last year’s championship, they won’t be bounced right off the bat either.

No. 8 Memphis (26-8) over No. 9 Saint Louis (25-7)

The Tigers are much closer to a No. 6 seed than a No. 8, and their depth is going to overwhelm Saint Louis.

Memphis’ advantage: athleticism

The Tigers have the fifth-best field goal percentage in the country because of their incredibly fast style of play that leads to countless easy buckets.

While they tend to struggle in half-court sets, the offense is going to maintain a fast tempo to keep the Billikens uncomfortable.

They prefer to run a slow and methodical sort of offense that relies on ball movement and open looks. As long as they feel the pressure to keep up in the scoring column with the Tigers…this has the potential to be a rout.

No. 8 Kansas State (21-10) over No. 9 Southern Miss (25-8)

The Wildcats prefer a physical, in-your-face sort of defense that can wear the opponent down mentality.

Kansas State’s advantage: Southern Miss shoots 41 percent from the floor.

It's brick city for the Eagles and that plays right into the hands of a team that focuses on defense like the Wildcats. Southern Miss doesn’t cause many turnovers on defense and that really limits its transition game.

Coach Frank Martin has proven to be a strong tournament coach of late and you can bet he’ll have his troops ready for battle against one of the most overrated teams in the field. Take the under in this one as well.

No. 8 Creighton (28-5) over No. 9 Alabama (21-11)

The Blue Jays are a deadly offensive team that is one of the most efficient in all the land.

Creighton’s advantage: leads the nation, shooting 51 percent

The Bluejays are incredibly proficient because the team loves to pass. The unselfishness is extraordinary and it allows more wide-open looks that are converted. Doug McDermott poses as a matchup nightmare for the Crimson Tide, who may have a top-10 defense, but have really limped to the finish line.

The two teams are trending in opposite directions and expect the sixth-best offense in the nation to prevail. 

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