Things get started with the breaking news (at the time of recording) that the FBI has charged 10 individuals in money funneling allegations. Is this a big surprise to anyone? The bigger surprise is that it dropped without anyone knowing. Should college players be paid like professionals? If so, how?
After some minor MLB discussion, the guys discuss their NFL gameday experiences at the MIAvsNYJ and ATLvsDET games before diving in to another crazy week of the NFL. Are the Lions the poster child for bad officiating in the NFL or is it just bad rules?
Who is for real thus far this season? Atlanta, who could very well be 1-2? NE, who was a 30 yard TD catch from also being 1-2? Or is there a 1-2 team that will make a push? The Jekyll and Hyde factor is even more prevalent this week. We wrap up with some fantasy talk before getting into the Week 5 picks.
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
Welcome back to Binge Sports and our coverage of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. What a first week we had. Thursday was one of the greatest days of basketball I’ve ever watched in my life. Upsets. One-point games. High drama. A coach falling out of his chair after his son hits the game-winner. Awesome.
After the first week, 52 teams have gone home and we’re left with one of my favorite fields in sports. The Sweet 16. I’ll give you a preview of each of the games on Thursday and Friday, and then give you the chance to vote on who you think will survive not just the Sweet 16 on Thursday and Friday, but the Elite Eight on Saturday and Sunday as well. The road to Indianapolis starts on Thursday. Let’s take a drive.
MIDWEST REGION (CLEVELAND)
(7)WICHITA STATE v. (3)NOTRE DAME
Thursday, March 26, 2015
7:15 p.m. Eastern/6:15 p.m. Central
CBS
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Wichita State (30-4)-def. (10)Indiana 81-76, def. (2)Kansas 78-65
I still think Wichita State has a chip on their shoulder. After a questionable draw last year as an undefeated number one seed, and a perhaps lower than they what they expected seed this year, the Shockers dismantled two good teams on their way to Cleveland. After beating the Indiana Hoosiers by five, they took it to their in-state (or who they’ve been trying to make) rival, the Kansas Jayhawks. With a rematch against a Kentucky team that killed their dreams last year a very real possibility, they’re in for a fight against Notre Dame, a team that has been pushed to the brink in their first two games. Winning by a combined seven points, the luck of the Irish has shown through thus far. But the great teams always find a way to win in this tournament, and Notre Dame will be relying on their excellent perimeter play to move them through to the Elite Eight. I look for another close game for the Irish on Thursday night.
(5)WEST VIRGINIA v. (1)KENTUCKY
Thursday, March 26, 2015
9:45 p.m. Eastern/8:45 p.m. Central
CBS
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
West Virginia (29-6)-def. (12)Buffalo 68-62, def. (4)Maryland 69-59
Nobody has ever started a season 36-0 except these Kentucky Wildcats. The march towards becoming the first men’s team to finish at 40-0 continues on Thursday night against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Can Bob Huggins be the man to take down John Calipari’s juggernaut? Actually, maybe. He took down Kentucky in the Elite 8 five years ago, and that was a team that had John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. And this West Virginia team has size. They’ve got athleticism. That press is aggressive. They can really put pressure on the Kentucky guards. They have depth. They may actually be able to wear Kentucky out. Or Kentucky could just win by 25. They’re 36-0, you know.
[yop_poll id=”199″]
WEST REGION (LOS ANGELES)
(4)NORTH CAROLINA v. (1)WISCONSIN
Thursday, March 26, 2015
7:47 p.m. Eastern/6:47 p.m Central
TBS
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
North Carolina (26-11)-def. (13)Harvard 67-65, def. (5)Arkansas 87-78
As good as the Wisconsin Badgers are, I don’t think they’ve played up to their potential just yet. Granted, their first game was against a number sixteen seed in Coastal Carolina, so you don’t necessarily need your best, but then they got a battle against Oregon, ultimately winning by seven. As I said earlier, the great teams find a way to win, and I think the Badgers’ best basketball is still ahead of them. I do look for them to beat North Carolina on Thursday, but it might not be as easy as they want it to be. This isn’t the best squad that Roy Williams has ever brought to this tournament, but they’re still North Carolina. There’s a certain swagger that comes with wearing that jersey, and the current crop can get physical. As I said, I do expect Wisconsin to win, but it certainly wouldn’t shock me to see North Carolina playing on Saturday.
(6)XAVIER v. (2)ARIZONA
Thursday, March 26, 2015
9:17 p.m. Eastern/8:17 p.m. Central
TBS
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Xavier (23-13)-def. (11)Ole Miss 76-57, def. (14)Georgia State 75-67
Arizona (33-3)-def. (15)Texas Southern, def. (10)Ohio State 73-58
PREVIEW:
The fun story in this game actually has to do with the coaches. Allow me to give you a quick rundown of the situation. Sean Miller is the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats. This past Sunday, they defeated Ohio State, whose head coach is Thad Matta. For three years, Miller worked under Matta at….Xavier. When Matta moved on in 2004, Miller became the new head coach at Xavier, taking the Musketeers to four NCAA tournaments. When he decided to leave for the desert, he was replaced by…current Xavier head coach, Chris Mack, who had come to Xavier as an assistant the same year Miller started his tenure there. So now we get one of those wacky NCAA Tournament stories that the committee loves so much. It’s Sean Miller against his old assistant and program, which translates to the fact that there’s a basketball game between Arizona and Xavier late Thursday night. Since that took up so much time, I’ll just tell you that Arizona is better, and should win handily. It’s not that Xavier isn’t good, but they haven’t been tested yet. I’ve been saying the entire tournament that I think Arizona is one of maybe two teams that can beat Kentucky, so I’ve got to stick with them here.
Gonzaga (34-2)-def. (15)North Dakota St. 86-76, def. (7)Iowa 87-68
PREVIEW:
So even when UCLA isn’t supposed to be here, one of the biggest programs in NCAA history finds its way into the Sweet Sixteen. Go ahead and start your rant about the SMU game and the goaltending call. I’ll wait……………are you done? The fact remains that the Bruins are here, and one of the reasons for that is Bryce Alford, son of head coach and legendary Hoosier, Steve Alford. Admittedly not having watched much UCLA basketball this year, this kid is really impressive. Unfortunately for him and his teammates, I think the clock is about to strike midnight on their Cinderella story. Who would have ever thought we’d talk about UCLA that way. But the fact remains that they are an eleven seed, and this is the best team that Mark Few has ever had at Gonzaga. It’s almost funny to see the role reversal here. For years, Gonzaga played the role of spoiler. In 2015, they’re matching up against UCLA as the favorite.
(5)UTAH v. (1)DUKE
Friday, March 27, 2015
9:45 p.m. Eastern/8:45 p.m. Central
CBS
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Utah (26-8)-def. (12)Stephen F. Austin 57-50, def. (4)Georgetown 75-64
Duke (31-4)-def. (16)Robert Morris 85-56, def. (8)San Diego St. 68-49
PREVIEW:
No matter what happens on Friday night, Duke fans can take joy in the fact that they didn’t suffer an embarrassing loss in the first week of the tournament. Remember earlier when I talked about Arizona being one of two teams that I thought could beat Kentucky. Duke is the other. Jahlil Okafor will more than likely be the number one overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, and I just don’t think Utah has anyone that can stop him. The best they can do is try to move him outside, but that’s been no easy task this season. I’ve liked Utah from the start of this tournament, but I think they’ve just run into a team that’s simply better than they are. I picked Duke to go to the title game in every single bracket that I filled out, so I won’t give up on them now.
[yop_poll id=”201″]
EAST REGION
(8)NC STATE v. (4)LOUISVILLE
Friday, March 27, 2015
7:37 p.m. Eastern/6:37 p.m. Central
TBS
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
NC State (22-13)-def. (9)LSU 66-65, def. (1)Villanova 71-68
Well, this has become anybody’s bracket. NC State took down the number one seed in Villanova, and have certainly had some tough games. They’ve won two games by a total of four points, including a very good 8-9 game in the first round (yes, I’m still calling it the first round) against LSU, pulling out a 66-65 victory. Not to be outdone, Louisville survived UC Irvine in the first round, winning 57-55. While NC State may have more overall talent, the obvious edge for Louisville here is Rick Pitino. He’s been in this spot over and over again and knows how to win in this tournament. But hey, the East region has been anything but conventional thus far. Maybe a triple overtime game between two good teams is in order.
(7)MICHIGAN STATE v. (3)OKLAHOMA
Friday, March 27, 2015
10:07 p.m Eastern/9:07 p.m. Central
TBS
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Michigan State (25-11)-def. (10)Georgia 70-63, def. (2)Virginia 60-54
Speaking of guys who have been here before, Tom Izzo has the Michigan State Spartans in yet another Sweet 16. Time and time again, this guy finds a way to win in this tournament, and they got here by beating a very good Virginia team. He knew Virginia’s weakness and exploited it. He got the ball out in transition and barely ever gave the Cavaliers a chance to set up that stifling half-court defense. On the other side of the ball, we really haven’t seen Oklahoma get tested yet. While the stories were fun, the Sooners beat a fourteen seed in Albany and Dayton, an eleven seed that had played two games already, albeit one at home. The fact is that this has the chance to be a very good basketball game between two teams that we thought might be here. We’ll find out what happens on Friday night.
[yop_poll id=”202″]
I’m sure we’re in for another great four days of basketball. The road to Indianapolis runs out on Sunday night. Who’d you pick for the Final Four? Justify your vote below or as always, follow me and tweet @BingeSportsand/or @THElukenorris. I’ll continue my NCAA Tournament coverage next week, but stay tuned for more Binge Sports coming at you later this week. See you soon.
