NCAA Tournament Betting Matchups: #8s vs. #9s

UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
(25-8, #8 Midwest Region)

How They Got Here: The Runnin’ Rebels were consistently the third best team in the Mountain West this year. Because New Mexico and BYU were so strong, there was never a doubt about a third team getting into the field from the MWC. UNLV marched to the conference final before losing to San Diego State.
Player to Watch: G Tre’Von Willis is a true scoring who can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. He led the Rebels at 17.3 points per game this season, but he may struggle against the UNI inside defense when he tries to slash into the lane.
Expectations: UNLV was hoping for a better seed and an easier road into the second round, but it also drew a very dangerous #9 in the Missouri Valley champs. There aren’t many expectations for a team that should be bounced in Round 1.

Northern Iowa Panthers
(28-4, #9 Midwest Region)

How They Got Here: There wasn’t much more than the Panthers could do than win BracketBusters and dominated the MVC, but based on this seeding, it’s a good thing that UNI won the conference. An at-large bid may not have been a given.
Player to Watch: Senior F Adam Koch was shut out in the Valley Final against Wichita State, which was very uncharacteristic for a player that has always come up big in big games for the Panthers. He should do better against UNLV this week.
Expectations: The Panthers have a chip on their shoulder for being a #9 seed. Expect to see them march right through their Mountain West foes in Round 1 before giving the Jayhawks everything that they can handle in Round 2.

Gonzaga Bulldogs
(26-6, #8 West Region)

How They Got Here: To be frank, the Zags got here by coasting their way into the tournament as an at-large when they could’ve nailed down the West Coast Conference’s automatic bid if they wanted it. HC Mark Few hopes a 19-point loss to St. Mary’s isn’t a sign of things to come on Friday.
Player to Watch: G Matt Bouldin, 16.0 points per game, loves to slash into the paint and try to score easy buckets. He won’t find any of that against Florida State, so he’ll have to be more creative to get his points.
Expectations: It feels like forever since the Zags have really made an impact on this tournament. They’re a toss-up to get through Round 1, but even if they survive Florida State, there really aren’t any expectations against Syracuse.

Florida State Seminoles
(22-9, #9 West Region)

How They Got Here: FSU had to be wincing just a little bit after losing to NC State in its first game in the ACC Tournament. Still, the Noles put together a great body of work this year, including ten wins in the tough ACC to lock up an at-large bid weeks ago.
Player to Watch: F Chris Singleton could be ready to make his jump to the NBA. He’s going to want to put together a big tournament to do so. Singleton was the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year, and he’ll be expected to put the Noles on his back to lead them into the second round.
Expectations: HC Leonard Hamilton has a bad coaching history in this tournament, especially last season against Wisconsin. The Florida State faithful want to see the team fight hard and get through Round 1, but anything beyond that is gravy.

Texas Longhorns
(24-9, #8 East Region)

How They Got Here: We’re not so sure how the Longhorns really got here. They started off 17-0 before falling apart down the stretch, so the correct answer to how Texas made it to the NCAA Tournament is, “Very tenuously.”
Player to Watch: F Damion James could go off for a double-double on any team in the country. He’s going to have a great post matchup against the horses for the Deacs on the inside in what should be a very fun battle to watch.
Expectations: If HC Rick Barnes doesn’t get his Longhorns out of the first round of the tournament after being projected as a #1 seed just two months ago, he’s going to have a lot of questions to answer in Austin when his team gets home.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons
(19-10, #9 East Region)

How They Got Here: Many wonder if Wake Forest really deserved a nod to the dance over Virginia Tech in the ACC, particularly after the Demon Deacons laid a total egg in the conference tournament, but thanks to a solid OOC slate, HC Dino Gaudio’s team finds itself in March Madness once again.
Player to Watch: We mentioned the bigs for Wake Forest that are going to have to body up with James for Texas, and the man that will be tabbed with that job is F Aminu Al-Farouq. He’s another player that averaged a double-double this year that can have a fantastic game at the drop of a hat.
Expectations: Wake fans know that this isn’t the best set of Demon Deacons ever. Just getting out of the first round would be good enough, but even the likely early exit to the Longhorns will be acceptable so long as it’s not embarrassing.

California Golden Bears
(23-10, #8 South Region)

How They Got Here: Many will tell you that the Bears got here because someone had to win all of those games in Pac-10 play this year! Truth be told, Cal played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, which is why it was rewarded with a decent seed in the field of 65.
Player to Watch: G Jerome Randle had a bad Pac-10 final against Washington, scoring just 12 points, but his previous two games (both 20+ point efforts) showed how dangerous he can be. Randle is the key to stopping Louisville’s pressure defense.
Expectations: Pac-10 backers will hope that this league proves that it is good enough to play with the big boys, but the truth of the matter is that it just isn’t. The Bears should go bye-bye in round 1.

Louisville Cardinals
(20-12, #9 South Region)

How They Got Here: The Cardinals got here so easily because they took a chunk out of the Orange not just once, but twice this season. Those two wins paired with a decent showing against the rest of the Big East was more than enough to send HC Rick Pitino’s team dancing.
Player to Watch: The best scoring option that this team has is F Samardo Samuels. He’s got a ton of tournament experience as a key cog in last year’s run, and he’ll be expected to be the man once again that carries the Birds into March.
Expectations: Expectations may not be through the roof for this team in the media, but Pitino will tell you that this is a team that can win the whole enchilada. We’re not one to bet against him either, especially against a bunch of Dookies that look vulnerable in Round 2.