| Day One of the 2006 men's tournament featured a | | | | Day One also had its share of blowouts as Wichita |
| little of everything. There were blowouts, close calls for | | | | State began the day with an easy 86-66 win over |
| some high seeds, some pointspread 'nightmares' and | | | | Seton Hall, Florida had little trouble with South Alabama |
| as always, upsets. The NCAA defines a major upset | | | | (76-50) and UCLA posted the day's largest margin of |
| as the winner being seeded five or more places | | | | victory, beating Belmont by 34 points (78-44). |
| beneath the loser. | | | | The Big East set a record on Sunday when it received |
| Using that definition, Montana and Texas A&M's | | | | eight bids but yesterday was hardly a good day for its |
| wins (both 12-seeds) over Nevada and Syracuse (both | | | | schools. Besides Seton Hall and Syracuse losing, |
| five-seeds) fit the bill, as does Wisconsin-Milwaukee's | | | | Marquette lost to Alabama (90-85), giving the Big East |
| (11-seed) win over sixth-seed Oklahoma. Alabama's | | | | an 0-3 Thursday. Alabama's win gave the SEC a |
| (10) win over Marquette (7), falls short. | | | | perfect 4-0 day (Fla, LSU and Tenn also won), while |
| My free play for Friday is on Southern Illinois over | | | | the ACC (Duke and BC), the Big-10 (Illinois and Indiana) |
| West Va at 2:45 ET. I just missed a 3-1 NCAA | | | | and the Pac-10 (UCLA and Washington) all went 2-0. |
| Thursday, as Wilmington blew an 18-point second half | | | | There are 32 more first round games Friday (all on |
| lead vs George Washington. I do have a big Friday in | | | | CBS), beginning with Davidson vs Ohio State (12:15 ET) |
| store, including my 20* NCAA 1st Round Game of the | | | | and ending with the latest scheduled tip-off, UAB |
| Year. Check the purchase picks page for all my BKB | | | | versus Kentucky at about 9:45 ET. |
| plays in both CBB and the NBA for Friday. | | | | The NIT is also playing, although it's hardly getting much |
| As far as pointspread upsets go, only Montana's win | | | | ink. After home teams went just 4-4 SU (3-5 ATS) in |
| over Nevada is of note. The Wolf Pack opened a | | | | the tourney's eight opening round games on Tuesday, |
| seven-point favorite in that game and were bet down | | | | home teams have ruled the day in the first round. |
| to 5 1/2. Oklahoma was a three or 3 1/2 point favorite | | | | Wednesday, home teams went 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS |
| over Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette a two-point | | | | and last night, were a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS! Of |
| choice over Alabama, so neither of those outcomes | | | | note, all four visiting teams last night were playing their |
| should be considered much of a surprise. In the case | | | | second game in three days, while the home team was |
| of the Texas A&M/Syracuse game, Syracuse | | | | playing for the first time. |
| opened a one-point choice but A&M closed a one | | | | The NIT's first of four No. 1 seeds played last night, as |
| or 1 /2-point favorite. | | | | Michigan beat UTEP, 82-67. Two more No. 1 seeds |
| Texas A&M and Montana's upsets came in the | | | | play tonight, Louisville hosting Delaware State at 7:00 |
| now-famous (or infamous) 5/12 matchups. Washington | | | | ET (Cards are favored by 16 points) and Cincinnati |
| (also a five-seed), avoided the curse by beating | | | | hosting NC-Charlotte at 8:00 ET (Bearcats are |
| 12th-seeded Utah State, 75-61. The last of the four 5 | | | | favored by 6 1/2 points.) |
| 12 matchups will be played tonight at 7:10 ET, when | | | | Again in tonight's action, all four visiting teams will be |
| Pittsburgh takes on Kent State. Pitt, the five-seed, is | | | | playing their second games while the home teams are |
| favored by 6 1/2 points. | | | | playing for the first time. Tonight however, the visitors |
| Duke was the only one of the four No. 1 seeds in | | | | do have an extra day of rest. The NIT's final No. 1 |
| action on Thursday and the Blue Devils did little to | | | | seed (Maryland) plays tomorrow for the first time, four |
| dispel the notion that they are no more than a | | | | days after the tournament began! |
| two-man team. Redick and Williams each scored 29 | | | | Miami came back from a 25-point deficit last night |
| points, accounting for all but 12 of Duke's points in an | | | | against the Celtics (trailed 59-34 in the second quarter) |
| uninspiring 70-54 win over Southern. The remaining | | | | to win, 107-104. It matched the league's largest |
| three No. 1 seeds (U Conn, Villanova and Memphis) all | | | | comeback win this year. Miami has now won 13 of 14 |
| play Friday. | | | | games and is a season-high 22 games above .500 at |
| Three high seeds, No. 2 Tennessee. No. 3 Gonzaga | | | | 43-21. However, the Heat are in no danger of catching |
| and No. 4 Boston College, were lucky to win on | | | | the Pistons, as they trail Detroit by 8 1/2 games in the |
| Thursday. Tennessee needed an off-balance jumper | | | | Eastern Conference. |
| by Lofton with 2.9 seconds left to get by 15th-seeded | | | | Seattle beat Philly last night (anyone care?) and |
| Winthrop. Gonzaga, a three-seed, needed a late | | | | despite Kevin Garnett's 22nd consecutive |
| comeback and a 35-point effort from Adam Morrison | | | | double-double (he owns a league-best 51 on the year!), |
| to get past Xavier (14), 79-75. The win extended the | | | | the T-wolves lost to the Warriors, 105-97. It marks |
| Bulldogs' winning streak to a nation-best 19 games but | | | | Minnesota's seventh straight loss (tying New Orleans |
| it should be noted that the team is just 7-12 ATS in | | | | for the longest current losing streak), its eighth straight |
| those wins. | | | | road loss and its 21st loss in its last 24 road games! |
| As for BC, the Eagles trailed Pacific (13) 71-65 with just | | | | Tonight's NBA schedule contains 11 games, highlighted |
| under three minutes to go but somehow forced OT. | | | | by Ron Artest's return to Indianapolis (Kings at Pacers) |
| Pacific also took a six-point lead in the first OT but | | | | and a huge Western Conference showdown, the |
| again BC tied it. In the second OT, the Eagles | | | | Suns at the Spurs. The Kings lost their first two games |
| outscored the Tigers 14-2, leaving Pacific bettors (at | | | | with Artest but have since gone a remarkable 15-5 SU |
| plus-eight) shaking their heads. | | | | and 16-3-1 ATS! At 33-31, the Kings are now in the 7th |
| It was not fun to have had NC-Wilmington, either. The | | | | playoff spot out West, just two games behind |
| Seahawks were 2 1/2 or three-point underdogs | | | | Memphis. As for the Pacers, they occupy the East's |
| versus George Washington but led 64-46 with 11:11 left | | | | sixth playoff spot, 4 1/2 games inside the "cut line." The |
| in regulation. GW used a 19-0 run to help send the | | | | game tips at 7:05 ET and the Kings are favored by 1 1 |
| game into OT and then Wilmington blew an 85-81 lead | | | | 2 points with a total of 194. |
| with 2:06 left, before losing 88-85! | | | | |