Overall Record: 20-17

Tournament Record: 10-4

Frank Kaminsky hit two free throws last night to get us the cover and another perfect, 2-0 day. Notre Dame ran away from Wichita State late and I look to keep the action rolling here today. There are some very favorable match ups tonight:

Gonzaga (-9) vs. UCLA: I believe that this is Gonzaga’s year. At least to make it to the Elite Eight, where I presume they will lose to Duke. However, the Bulldog’s offense has been unstoppable in the first two games, and with a very weak UCLA defense challenging them tonight, I think they have the potential to blow this game open. Neither of these teams play very good defense, I’ll admit, but Gonzaga is one of the most dynamic offenses in the NCAA, with Kyle Wiltjer, Kevin Pangos, and Gary Bell Jr. all very capable of scoring 20 points on any occasion. They’ve got size and depth, with Przemek Karnowski and Domantas Sabonis in the paint, and they shoot the ball well from everywhere on the floor, especially 3-point range. Bryce Alford has been having an impressive tournament thus far, but he just doesn’t have the experience and composure that Pangos has, and I think he will be limited in his production tonight. Expect Gonzaga to attack Tony Parker and Kevan Looney to get them into foul trouble and make a living at the free throw line. I really see no reason why Gonzaga can’t win this game in double digits. And, as always, I look for a late game ball handler and free throw shooter, and Kevin Pangos is a senior point guard who shoots 83%.

Michigan State (-2.5) vs. Oklahoma: I have been riding the Spartans in every round of this tournament. I believe they have what it takes to make it to the Final Four, especially after the way they played against Virginia. Oklahoma has had a respectable couple of games, winning by 9 against Albany and 6 against Dayton, but they had so much more size than those two teams and couldn’t really dominate. MSU will be much different for them, with Gavin Schilling and Matt Costello standing at 6 foot 9 and playing solid post defense. Branden Dawson is one of the better rebounders in the country. I think 2.5 points is a gift considering the way Michigan State has played recently, and I believe that their team defense will be enough to shut down Buddy Hield. I also think that Denzel Valentine is due for a big game, and if he starts knocking down some of his shots it will make things a lot easier for Bryn Forbes and Travis Trice from 3-point range, and that makes this team very dangerous. When they can spread the floor and work the ball inside to Dawson, they are one of the better offensive teams in the country. With Coach Izzo, anything is possible, and if they can keep the Sooners’ big men off the offensive glass and control the tempo of this game, I think the Spartans will win easily and advance to the Elite Eight.