Yesterday was absolutely insane. Congratulations to UAB and Georgia State for two inspiring upsets! Tough day, going 1-3 after Stephen F. Austin missed the cover by half a point, but we’re right back at it today with some quality picks.

Michigan State (-6) vs. Georgia: I know this seems like a lot of points to be giving up in a 7-10 match up. However, this is a Michigan State team that was seconds away from an upset of Wisconsin in the Big 10 championship and has been very impressive down the stretch. Tom Izzo is one of the best tournament coaches of this generation, and Georgia has very limited tournament experience, and was a middle of the pack team in a very weak SEC. Nemanja Djurisic has shown the ability to play in tough games for the Bulldogs, but I expect him to struggle against the tough interior defense of Branden Dawson and Gavin Schilling. When Djurisic is on, it makes the Bulldogs a much more dynamic team. However, when they lose the ability to work the ball inside-out to Kenny Gaines and J.J. Frazier, they have a tendency to get stagnant on offense, and that will not play out well against a hot-shooting Spartans team. Expect Michigan State to look for Denzel Valentine and Travis Trice in transition, and expect some incredible plays from Dawson in what I expect to be a double digit win for Tom Izzo’s team. P.S. Michigan State is in my Final Four.

Wichita State (-5.5) vs Indiana: I have to agree with Adam on this one. Wichita State is one of the best defensive teams in the country, and time and time again this Hoosier team has proven to be one of the worst. They lost 4 of their last 5 to close out a season that was very questionably determined as tournament worthy by the NCAA selection committee, but they come into this game lacking momentum. Yogi Farrell is a lot of fun to watch, but he will be the focus of a very tough Wichita State defense that has held numerous opponents in check throughout an impressive 28-4 season. Fred VanVleet is a great leader and ball handler, and if anyone can match the athleticism and transition skills of Troy Williams, it is the Shocker’s high-flying Tekele Cotton. This will be a rare game for the Shockers where they aren’t completely outsized, and that will make it a lot easier for Darius Carter to get post touches that can lead to easy baskets for himself as well as open 3’s for Ron Baker, who shoots about 40% from beyond the arc. Expect freshman scorer James Blackmon Jr. to struggle for the Hoosiers, as he often does in big games, and look for the Shockers to rely on their defense to build a comfortable lead and come away with a double digit win in a favorable environment.

Iowa (-2) vs. Davidson: Iowa is a very interesting team this season. They managed a 12-6 record in a solid Big Ten conference, but ended their season with a very unimpressive performance against Penn State. Prior to that, the Hawkeyes had won 6 in a row and looked like they had all the momentum for a deep run in the conference tournament. They may have taken their matchup against Penn State lightly, but Fran McCaffery will not let them make that same mistake twice. Davidson shoots the ball very well, and that is what carried them through the A-10 this season. They are around 47% from the field and 40% from 3-point range as a team, but they have not played a Big Ten defense this season. Iowa has plenty of players who can make it difficult on 3-point shooting teams, especially the length of Jarrod Uthoff, and they have shown the ability to hold good shooters in check throughout a game. They shoot the ball well from the line, they have a lot of size inside with Adam Woodbury and Gabriel Olasemi, and they play excellent defense. That spells trouble for a Davidson team that doesn’t have Steph Curry to bail them out late in games. I expect this game to be close in the first half, but for Iowa to pull away late when Davidson’s fatigue starts making some of their shots come up short.

Albany (+13) vs. Oklahoma: With all three of the 3-14 match ups being decided by 4 points or less, the statistics would lean towards a close game in this one. Albany has a lot to like: an emotional run fueled by Peter Hooley, 3 consecutive years of tournament experience, and a seasoned head coach in Will Brown who led Albany to a halftime lead over tournament #1 seed UConn just a few years ago. Although the Great Danes lack size, most of Oklahoma’s scoring comes from their stellar guards in Isaiah Cousins and Buddy Hield. That said, they will need Sam Rowley to keep Ryan Spangler and TaShawn Thomas off of the offensive glass to limit the looks for the Sooner guards. Evan Singletary is a very solid point guard who can make plays in the clutch, and the Great Danes shoot the ball well from the line and get there often. I strongly believe that this game will be just as close as the other matchups, and I would not be remotely surprised if there were three #14-seeds playing in the Round of 32.