NCAA Bracket 2015: Picks, Updated Odds Ahead of Wednesday 1st-Round Schedule
The 2015 NCAA bracket is the gift that keeps giving.
It might just be the First Four, but Wednesday's action promises to surpass the gritty performances and borderline historic comebacks of Tuesday, which saw teams scratching and clawing for the right to enter Round 2.
Four more teams take the court Wednesday to finish off the First Four. One is a showdown between a pair of 16th seeds, but it would behoove potential observers to catch the action if Tuesday's showings are any sign.
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Catch up on the First Four, the bracket and championship odds below.
March Madness is here.
Key Tournament Information
Dates: March 17–April 6
Channels: CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV
Live Stream: March Madness Live
All Your Bracket Essentials
| Kentucky | 1-1 |
| Wisconsin | 13-2 |
| Duke | 13-2 |
| Villanova | 8-1 |
| Arizona | 12-1 |
| Virginia | 17-1 |
| Gonzaga | 22-1 |
| North Carolina | 25-1 |
| Iowa State | 35-1 |
| Louisville | 50-1 |
Odds courtesy of Odd Shark on March 18 at 9 a.m. ET.
The Story So Far
The Hampton Pirates started March Madness off with a bang.
Despite a 255th placement in ESPN's RPI rankings, a losing record and the absence of leading scorer Dwight Meikle (13 points per game), coach Edward Joyner's team overcame the Manhattan Jaspers, 74-64.
Reginald Johnson and Quinton Chievous both poured in 15 points, while the Pirates as a whole shot almost 50 percent from the field—just for the right to play Kentucky in the second round.
The showdown with the best team in the land, which is still undefeated, caused Joyner a bit of stress, to say the least:
"VIDEO: Hampton’s coach pretends to call Jesus when asked about odds vs. Kentucky #MarchMadness http://t.co/CMDRkJreiE pic.twitter.com/0STNexvuwo
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 18, 2015"
This is what it's all about, though. The passion these teams showcase just to make the bracket makes each game a must-see affair.
It's also why, in hindsight, Ole Miss' performance to get into the bracket will be one of this year's best moments.
Down at halftime after shooting around 30 percent from the field, Andy Kennedy's team experienced one heck of a halftime pep talk and went on to score a gaudy 62 points in the second half to take down BYU.
In the process, Stefan Moody became a household name by contributing 26 points.
"Definitely a sense of urgency," said Moody, per The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "We could have went in the locker room, sulked about it and come back out, and it would have just got worse."
Now Ole Miss will dance with sixth-seeded Xavier, perhaps as an upset special in the minds of most after the team's jaw-dropping performance late Tuesday night.
Wednesday First-Round Preview and Picks
Things only figure to get better, folks.
A North Florida-Robert Morris showdown doesn't scream must-watch television. The former hails from the Atlantic Sun Conference and ranks 165th in RPI, while the latter is from the Northeast Conference and ranks 174th.
| No. 16 North Florida (-3) vs. No. 16 Robert Morris | 6:40 p.m. | truTV | North Florida |
| No. 11 Dayton (-4.5) vs. No. 11 Boise State | 9:10 p.m. | truTV | Dayton |
It shouldn't fool observers, though, as both teams will put on a show to advance, even if it's for an encounter to play No. 1 Duke.
The Ospreys are one of the most interesting teams to watch, considering they rank 25th in the nation in points per game with 75.7 and 39th in field-goal percentage, shooting .469 from the field. Sophomore Dallas Moore, who averages 15.9 points, three rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, can take over games on his own.
North Florida presents an interesting contrast to Robert Morris, which prefers to control the tempo of the game and doesn't crack 70 points per contest.
Wednesday's late game offers even more intrigue, as a pair of 11 seeds face off for the right to encounter sixth-seeded Providence.
Look for the Dayton Flyers to come out angry in their showdown with Boise State. There's not a good reason the 32nd-ranked team in RPI should be in a play-in game in the first place, with a home-court advantage the obvious apology from the selection committee.
Broadcaster Tom Gelehrter put it best:
"Can't imagine Boise State is real thrilled about facing Dayton in...Dayton.
— Tom Gelehrter (@Tommy_G) March 16, 2015"
Indeed. Dayton has no problems scoring at a consistent clip, thanks to senior Jordan Sibert, who notches 16.5 points per game. The Flyers also tend to shut down opponents well, ranking 36th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com.
Boise State is no slouch, but if Derrick Marks (19.3 points per game) cannot get going in a hostile environment against a tough defense, it's going to be a long night for the Broncos.
Regardless, Providence awaits. So too does a landslide of madness.
Prediction: North Florida and Dayton win Wednesday night.
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