ORLANDO, Fla. — This is going to be a really bad case of the Mondays.
Wichita State (-3 ½) over Kentucky
The Shockers were the only No. 1 seed to play well from start to finish in their first game, the only top seed to look like a top seed should. The best thing about the inexperienced Wildcats losing to the most cohesive team in the country on Sunday — after which undefeated Wichita State will be two wins away from its second straight Final Four — is we no longer will have to hear how the Shockers haven’t played anyone yet. That is until the “Wait till they play Louisville” crowd chimes in.
Mercer (+8) over Tennessee
Maybe the line is this high because everyone had so much fun watching the Bears beat Duke, and even Vegas doesn’t want the senior-laden squad to lose any support. As for the Volunteers, don’t be fooled by their smackdown of UMass, which may be one of the worst six seeds in NCAA history.
Creighton (-3) over Baylor
The Bears have been impressive all month, but their 2-3 zone is going to be picked apart by the Bluejays’ precision passing and sweet shooting. Besides, there is no way Doug McDermott’s amazing career will end on the first weekend of the tournament on truTV.
Stephen F. Austin (+8 ½) over UCLA
Forget the four-point play. The Lumberjacks looked as terrified as any team ever has been while VCU blitzed them with “Havoc” on Thursday, but somehow Stephen F. Austin battled back to get a shot at the miracle shot. Another win may be too much to expect, but it’s certainly a possibility. Remember, the Lumberjacks haven’t lost since November.
2014 record
24-13-1
2011-13 record
72-47-2
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