NCAA Brackets 2014: Picks, Odds Advice, Updated Schedule After 1st-Round Day 2
The play-in games are officially over, which means it's time for the real action to start up, as the Round of 64 will get started on Thursday with 16 games.
Despite entering the tournament with a losing record, the Cal Poly Mustangs were able to beat the Texas Southern Tigers 81-69 thanks to some great games from Chris Eversley and David Nwaba. Meanwhile, Iowa and Tennessee played in a thrilling game that went to overtime, but it was the Volunteers who eventually pulled out the 78-65 win.
Now that the First Four games are done with, let's take a look at the schedule for the second round, along with picks for each game and advice based off of the latest odds for each team.
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You can view the official NCAA bracket here.
Round 2 Schedule
| Thu, March 20 | (11) Dayton vs. (6) Ohio State | 12:15 p.m. | CBS | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (15) American vs. (2) Wisconsin | 12:40 p.m. | truTV | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (9) Pittsburgh vs. (8) Colorado | 1:40 p.m. | TBS | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (12) Harvard vs. (5) Cincinnati | 2:10 p.m. | TNT | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (14) Western Michigan vs. (3) Syracuse | 2:45 p.m. | CBS | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (10) BYU vs. (7) Oregon | 3:10 p.m. | truTV | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (16) Albany vs. (1) Florida | 4:10 p.m. | TBS | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (13) Delaware vs. (4) Michigan State | 4:40 p.m. | TNT | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (10) Saint Joseph's vs. (7) Connecticut | 6:55 p.m. | TBS | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (15) Wofford vs. (2) Michigan | 7:10 p.m. | CBS | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (12) NC State vs. (5) Saint Louis | 7:20 p.m. | TNT | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (12) North Dakota St. vs. (5) Oklahoma | 7:27 p.m. | truTV | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (15) Milwaukee vs. (2) Villanova | 9:25 p.m. | TBS | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (10) Arizona State vs. (7) Texas | 9:40 p.m. | CBS | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (13) Manhattan vs. (4) Louisville | 9:50 p.m. | TNT | March Madness Live |
| Thu, March 20 | (13) New Mexico St. vs. (4) San Diego State | 9:57 p.m. | truTV | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (14) Mercer vs. (3) Duke | 12:15 p.m. | CBS | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (11) Nebraska vs. (6) Baylor | 12:40 p.m. | truTV | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (10) Stanford vs. (7) New Mexico | 1:40 p.m. | TBS | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (16) Weber State vs. (1) Arizona | 2:10 p.m. | TNT | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (11) Tennessee vs. (6) Massachusetts | 2:45 p.m. | CBS | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (14) LA-Lafayette vs. (3) Creighton | 3:10 p.m. | truTV | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (15) Eastern Kentucky vs. (2) Kansas | 4:10 p.m. | TBS | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (9) Oklahoma State vs. (8) Gonzaga | 4:40 p.m. | TNT | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (9) George Washington vs. (8) Memphis | 6:55 p.m. | TBS | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (16) Cal Poly vs. (1) Wichita State | 7:10 p.m. | CBS | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (11) Providence vs. (6) North Carolina | 7:20 p.m. | TNT | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (12) Stephen F. Austin vs. (5) VCU | 7:27 p.m. | truTV | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (16) Coastal Carolina vs. (1) Virginia | 9:25 p.m. | TBS | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (9) Kansas State vs. (8) Kentucky | 9:40 p.m. | CBS | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (14) North Carolina Central vs. (3) Iowa State | 9:50 p.m. | TNT | March Madness Live |
| Fri, March 21 | (13) Tulsa vs. (4) UCLA | 9:57 p.m. | truTV | March Madness Live |
Round 2 Picks
| (11) Dayton vs. (6) Ohio State | Ohio State |
| (15) American vs. (2) Wisconsin | Wisconsin |
| (9) Pittsburgh vs. (8) Colorado | Pittsburgh |
| (12) Harvard vs. (5) Cincinnati | Harvard |
| (14) Western Michigan vs. (3) Syracuse | Syracuse |
| (10) BYU vs. (7) Oregon | Oregon |
| (16) Albany vs. (1) Florida | Florida |
| (13) Delaware vs. (4) Michigan State | Michigan State |
| (10) Saint Joseph's vs. (7) Connecticut | Connecticut |
| (15) Wofford vs. (2) Michigan | Michigan |
| (12) NC State vs. (5) Saint Louis | N.C. State |
| (12) North Dakota St. vs. (5) Oklahoma | Oklahoma |
| (15) Milwaukee vs. (2) Villanova | Villanova |
| (10) Arizona State vs. (7) Texas | Arizona State |
| (13) Manhattan vs. (4) Louisville | Louisville |
| (13) New Mexico St. vs. (4) San Diego State | San Diego State |
| (14) Mercer vs. (3) Duke | Duke |
| (11) Nebraska vs. (6) Baylor | Nebraska |
| (10) Stanford vs. (7) New Mexico | Stanford |
| (16) Weber State vs. (1) Arizona | Arizona |
| (11) Tennessee vs. (6) Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| (14) LA-Lafayette vs. (3) Creighton | Creighton |
| (15) Eastern Kentucky vs. (2) Kansas | Kansas |
| (9) Oklahoma State vs. (8) Gonzaga | Oklahoma State |
| (9) George Washington vs. (8) Memphis | Memphis |
| (16) Cal Poly vs. (1) Wichita State | Wichita State |
| (11) Providence vs. (6) North Carolina | Providence |
| (12) Stephen F. Austin vs. (5) VCU | SF Austin |
| (16) Coastal Carolina vs. (1) Virginia | Virginia |
| (9) Kansas State vs. (8) Kentucky | Kentucky |
| (14) North Carolina Central vs. (3) Iowa State | Iowa State |
| (13) Tulsa vs. (4) UCLA | UCLA |
Odds
| Florida | 5/1 |
| Michigan State | 11/2 |
| Arizona | 8/1 |
| Louisville | 8/1 |
| Kansas | 10/1 |
| Wichita State | 15/1 |
| Syracuse | 18/1 |
| Duke | 18/1 |
| Virginia | 18/1 |
| Wisconsin | 20/1 |
| Michigan | 30/1 |
| Creighton | 35/1 |
| Villanova | 35/1 |
| Iowa State | 40/1 |
| UCLA | 45/1 |
| North Carolina | 50/1 |
| Kentucky | 50/1 |
| Oklahoma State | 60/1 |
| San Diego State | 65/1 |
| Ohio State | 65/1 |
| Oklahoma | 75/1 |
| Baylor | 75/1 |
| UConn | 80/1 |
| VCU | 90/1 |
| Cincinnati | 90/1 |
| Pittsburgh | 95/1 |
| Oregon | 100/1 |
| Tennessee | 115/1 |
| New Mexico | 115/1 |
| UMass | 125/1 |
| Iowa | 125/1 |
| Memphis | 125/1 |
| Gonzaga | 125/1 |
| Texas | 125/1 |
| Saint Louis | 125/1 |
| Providence | 225/1 |
| Stanford | 225/1 |
| Kansas State | 300/1 |
| St Joseph's | 350/1 |
| Nebraska | 450/1 |
| Dayton | 500/1 |
| BYU | 500/1 |
| Colorado | 500/1 |
| Xavier | 500/1 |
| Arizona State | 500/1 |
| George Washington | 500/1 |
| N.C. State | 900/1 |
| Harvard | 1000/1 |
| North Dakota State | 1000/1 |
| Field (Any Other Team) | 100/1 |
Odds Advice
Expect Multiple Double-Digit Seeds to Advance
It's usually hard to pick the right upsets, but when filling out a bracket, you better make sure to have at least a few No. 10 seeds or lower to advance to the Round of 32.
Before 2012, it was rare to see a No. 2 seed fall to a No. 15 seed, but three of them have lost in the past two years. While the No. 2 seeds in this year's tournament are pretty strong, Kansas will have to watch out. According to KUAthletics.com, freshman center Joel Embiid will likely be out for the first week of the tournament, with head coach Bill Self saying:
""Based on that, this weekend (in the Big 12 Championship) is out. Next weekend, we feel like is a longshot, but the doctors are hopeful that if Joel works hard in rehab and progresses that it is possible that he could play in the later rounds of the NCAA Tournament if our team is fortunate enough to advance.
"
A No. 3 losing to a No. 14 has only happened once over the past three years, but a No. 4 falling to a No. 13 is much more common, as one has gone down each of the past six years. That puts a team like UCLA or San Diego State on the map, and the Aztecs have a tougher matchup, going against a team with three players at least 6'10'', including 7'5'' freshman center Sim Bhullar.
If you want a couple of upsets, picking one or two No. 12 teams over No. 5 teams isn't a bad idea either, as it has happened for nine straight seasons, including three of the four matchups last year and two in 2012. This year, watch out for the Harvard Crimson to take out Cincinnati, as they have plenty of depth, with five players scoring in double figures and an overall efficient offensive attack.
At Least One No. 1 Seed Should Make Final Four
While it doesn't feel like there's any clear go-to favorite to win it all this year, it's highly unlikely that we don't see a single No. 1 seed at the Final Four in Arlington.
No No. 1 teams made the tournament in 2006 and 2011, but other than that, at least one top-seeded team has made the Final Four in every year since 1980. At the same time, however, 2008 was the only time that all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four since 1979.
If you're looking for a go-to No. 1 team, the Florida Gators aren't a bad choice at all. They might not have the best offense, but their defense is one of the most dominant in the nation, allowing just 57.9 points and forcing 14 turnovers per game while holding opponents to just 39.9 percent shooting
According to the Pomeroy college basketball rankings, the Gators rank No. 3 overall, No. 15 in adjusted offense and No. 4 in adjusted defense, making them an incredibly tough team to deal with.
The Arizona Wildcats might be an attractive choice as well, but with Syracuse slumping and the Jayhawks missing Embiid, the Gators arguably have the easier region coming out of the South, and they should be able to make it to the Final Four.
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