GUN & KNIFE SHOW Split

Iona vs. UConn (Friday, 4:30p): If the Gael’s Walter Clayton, Jr. (17 ppg) and Nelly Junior Joseph (9.4 RPG) have big games-and Iona stays out of foul trouble--I think this team will play the Huskies evenly. Rick Pitino, Iona’s head coach, is another reason why.

Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis (Friday, 9:20p): Perhaps the most impressive mid-major team nationally, the Owls are for real. Johnell Davis is an all-everything player (13.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.5 APG and SPG), and 7” 1’ Vladislav Goldin is an inside terror. FAU deserves its #13 national ranking per the NCAA.

Kent State vs. Indiana (Friday, 9:55p): In Trayce Jackson-Davis, IU may have the best player in the tournament. He leads the Hoosiers in all three major statistical categories–20.8 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 4.1 APG. Meanwhile, Kent (like FAU) is an excellent and underrated team. The Golden Flashes have a solid player in Sincere Carry (17.6 PPG, 4.9 APG). The problem for Kent is its schedule, including no wins against either major team on its slate (Gonzaga, lost by seven, and Houston lost by five), plus KSU plays in a conference (Mid-American) with uneven competition. Still, I like this team. Don’t be surprised if IU goes down. Boise State vs. Northwestern (Thursday, 7:35p): I’ve seen BSU play (impressed), and NU seems wobbly. I pick Boise to win outright if Tyson Degenhart (54% FG%, 36% from three) wins the battle against NU’s Boo Buie (17.1 PPG, 4.5 APG).

UC Santa Barbara vs. Baylor (Friday, 1:30p): The Big 12 is too tough for this game to make my list. I pick BU to win, but UCSB has played well in past tournament games. As a 12-seed in 2021, the Gauchos lost to #5 Creighton by a single point. Montana State vs. Kansas State (Friday, 9:40p): Ditto on this one: How can I go against the mighty Big 12? In the end, I pick the Wildcats to win, and one reason is that I expect a big game from my favorite player in the tournament, 5’ 8” Markquis Nowell, an undersized guard who excels on the court (16.8 PPG, 7.6 APG, and 3.5 RPG).