First Four

Manhattan Jaspers vs. Hampton Pirates: Hampton is not even an NCAA Tournament Team. They own a 16-17 record (8-8 in their own conference!!). Thanks to an automatic bid for winning four in a row (for the first time all year!) in their conference tournament, they will have the pleasure of getting slaughtered by a good Manhattan team, who many predicted to be seeded much higher. Manhattan comes in statistically better than three of the 15 seeds this year, according to the Pomeroy Rankings, playing an extended bench and a tough full-court press. This should not be a hard one.

Result: Manhattan beats Hampton

Ole Miss Rebels vs. BYU Cougars: BYU’s inclusion in the play in round is upsetting, but it shows how much injuries have affected their season. That being said, the Cougars have a really smooth offensive attack and take care of the ball with guard Tyler Hawes and forward Kyle Collinsworth. Ole Miss relies on the streaky scoring of their two guards, Stefan Moody and Jarvis Summers, but they just are not a good defensive team, and if you need evidence, they just lost their last game because they fouled a three-point shooter at the end of regulation.

Result: BYU beats Ole Miss

North Florida Ospreys vs. Robert Morris Colonials: The only thing that Robert Morris is known for these days is knocking off Kentucky Two years ago in the NIT, but both teams struggled to even compete against tournament teams this year. I like North Florida because they shoot the ball better, had a brutal non-conference schedule for a mid-major team this year (Northern Iowa, Iowa), and Robert Morris is inexperienced (they have no senior in the starting lineup) and cannot crash the boards. It will not be a good game, at least not by tournament standards.

Result: North Florida beats Robert Morris

Dayton Flyers vs. Boise State Broncos: This has the makings of a good game, because both teams were in and out of the AP Top 25 this year. I give Dayton the edge for two reasons: one, they are playing on their home court, and that is always an advantage; two, they play good perimeter defense, which will come in handy in this matchup. Both teams are very similar, shooting and making a high volume of three-pointers, and struggling to protect the rim because of undersized lineups. But Dayton’s ball movement is much better than Boise State’s, and I think that their trip to the Elite Eight last year will help them in terms of experience.

Result: Dayton beats Boise State