MistaFlava's 2014 NCAA Tournament Record: 0-0 ATS (+0.00 Units)
Haven't been around in quite some time but going to start posting picks and opinions on NCAA Tournament Games. Not so much the smaller tournaments like the NIT because I don't find much value in programs that got snubbed and/or don't care about playing ball anymore.
Going to post a pick and opinion for each and every tournament game playing small units to see what I can come out with. Previous tournaments I've sometimes managed a 60% clip and in the end that's the goal right?
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE and nice to see most of you!
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Tuesday, March 18
ROUND 1
Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers +2.5 (1 Unit)
I think the majority are going to be on Albany because of their experienced core and their appearance in the Big Dance in 2013 (loss to Duke in the 2nd Round) but Mount St. Mary's is not a team to mess around with. The consensus around these boards is that the Mountaineers can't play D and they do have a pretty bad defensive FG% on the season but they make up for it at the offensive end of things scoring 4.8 more points per game than Albany their last five games. Also, Albany's three point shooting has been scorching hot the last week or so but Mount St. Mary's have allowed their last five opponents to shoot only 25.8% from beyond the arc. Other than that these two teams match up very well and it should be a back and forth game that is very close. Having said that, Mount St. Mary's swarms opponents and they have 8 steals per game in their last five and have forced 12.8 turnovers per game in those games and allowed only 9.0 assists per game. Albany has allowed 12.0 assists per game their last five games and for me that could be the difference. Late turnovers and turnovers in key moments. I'm taking the underdog.
NC State Wolfpack +2.5 (1 Unit)
This is a bit mind baffling and hopefully I'm not missing the obvious boat but isn't the wrong team favoured apart from proximity to home? The guard play for NC State has been outstanding in their last five games where they have record a crazy 14.8 assists per game (Xavier only 11.6) and have turned the ball over only 7.0 times in those games (Xavier turned it over 9.8 times per game). Xavier's success has been on forcing turnovers and playing aggressive defense with their 13.8 turnovers forced per game the last five but against a good ball handling team like the Wolfpack it doesn't really matter. Anyone backing the Musketeers here are backing a squad that in their last five games have allowed opponents to shoot a whopping 48.6% from the field which can't bode well against an NC State team that is averaging 47.4% shooting from the field in their last five. I rank the Wolfpack as the better rebounding team on the offensive glass which should lead to some second chance points. As long as NC State can continue to handle the ball the way they have been handling it to end their season they are going to be just fine and they'll avoid some of the Xavier defensive onslaughts we know are coming. At the end of the day NC State will probably play better down the stretch and start pulling away late.
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!
:toast:
Haven't been around in quite some time but going to start posting picks and opinions on NCAA Tournament Games. Not so much the smaller tournaments like the NIT because I don't find much value in programs that got snubbed and/or don't care about playing ball anymore.
Going to post a pick and opinion for each and every tournament game playing small units to see what I can come out with. Previous tournaments I've sometimes managed a 60% clip and in the end that's the goal right?
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE and nice to see most of you!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, March 18
ROUND 1
Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers +2.5 (1 Unit)
I think the majority are going to be on Albany because of their experienced core and their appearance in the Big Dance in 2013 (loss to Duke in the 2nd Round) but Mount St. Mary's is not a team to mess around with. The consensus around these boards is that the Mountaineers can't play D and they do have a pretty bad defensive FG% on the season but they make up for it at the offensive end of things scoring 4.8 more points per game than Albany their last five games. Also, Albany's three point shooting has been scorching hot the last week or so but Mount St. Mary's have allowed their last five opponents to shoot only 25.8% from beyond the arc. Other than that these two teams match up very well and it should be a back and forth game that is very close. Having said that, Mount St. Mary's swarms opponents and they have 8 steals per game in their last five and have forced 12.8 turnovers per game in those games and allowed only 9.0 assists per game. Albany has allowed 12.0 assists per game their last five games and for me that could be the difference. Late turnovers and turnovers in key moments. I'm taking the underdog.
NC State Wolfpack +2.5 (1 Unit)
This is a bit mind baffling and hopefully I'm not missing the obvious boat but isn't the wrong team favoured apart from proximity to home? The guard play for NC State has been outstanding in their last five games where they have record a crazy 14.8 assists per game (Xavier only 11.6) and have turned the ball over only 7.0 times in those games (Xavier turned it over 9.8 times per game). Xavier's success has been on forcing turnovers and playing aggressive defense with their 13.8 turnovers forced per game the last five but against a good ball handling team like the Wolfpack it doesn't really matter. Anyone backing the Musketeers here are backing a squad that in their last five games have allowed opponents to shoot a whopping 48.6% from the field which can't bode well against an NC State team that is averaging 47.4% shooting from the field in their last five. I rank the Wolfpack as the better rebounding team on the offensive glass which should lead to some second chance points. As long as NC State can continue to handle the ball the way they have been handling it to end their season they are going to be just fine and they'll avoid some of the Xavier defensive onslaughts we know are coming. At the end of the day NC State will probably play better down the stretch and start pulling away late.
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!
:toast:
