Yesterday on Steve Believes, I made predictions for the second half of the First Four matchups. And as to how I did with those predictions, well I once again went 1-1, with a correct prediction for Arizona State and an incorrect prediction for North Carolina Central. And now that they’re settled, it’s time to make my predictions for Day 1 of the First Round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The matchups are listed via the bullet points below and are each accompanied by a brief yet detailed description:
- #10 Minnesota Gophers Vs. #7 Louisville Cardinals-I like Minnesota because it’s hard to go against Big 10 toughness.
- #14 Yale Bulldogs Vs. #3 LSU Tigers-My biggest upset in my bracket comes out of this game, as I feel Yale will take advantage of LSU’s shakiness coming into this tournament.
- #12 New Mexico State Aggies Vs. #5 Auburn Tigers-I like New Mexico State, as I feel they are due for a tournament win.
- #13 Vermont Catamounts Vs. #4 Florida State Seminoles-Florida State is usually a tough out this time of year and because of that, I have them winning this game.
- #15 Bradley Braves Vs. #2 Michigan State Spartans-Michigan State will follow up their Big 10 Conference Tournament Championship win with an emphatic win in this one.
- #11 Belmont Bruins Vs. #6 Maryland Terrapins-The fact that Maryland is one of the younger teams in the nation will be their undoing against Belmont
- #13 Northeastern Huskies Vs. #4 Kansas Jayhawks-Kansas will win a hard-fought game against Northeastern.
- #12 Murray State Racers Vs. #5 Marquette Golden Eagles-There won’t be a second Ohio Valley Conference team advancing to the Second Round, as Big East toughness will prevail here.
- #10 Florida Gators Vs. #7 Nevada Wolf Pack-Just like Yale Vs. LSU, I think Florida will take advantage of Nevada’s shakiness to advance to the Second Round.
- #15 Abilene Christian Wildcats Vs. #2 Kentucky Wildcats-Another SEC team will advance, as the (Kentucky) Wildcats will beat the (Abilene Christian) Wildcats.
- #11 Saint Mary’s Gaels Vs. #6 Villanova Wildcats-The defending champs are peaking at the right time and because of that, I can’t go against them.
- #16 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights Vs. #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs-Fairleigh Dickinson busted my bracket a bit, as they beat Prairie View A&M to get here. However, this is as far as they go, because I have Gonzaga winning in this round, regardless.
- #15 Montana Grizzlies Vs. #2 Michigan Wolverines-Michigan will use their Big 10 Conference Tournament Championship loss as fuel in this one.
- #10 Seton Hall Pirates Vs. #7 Wofford Terriers-Seton Hall will test Wofford, but the Southern Conference champions will find a way to prevail.
- #14 Old Dominion Monarchs Vs. #3 Purdue Boilermakers-Just like Florida State, Purdue is usually a tough out this time of the year. And just like Florida State, I’m picking them to win.
- #9 Baylor Bears Vs. #8 Syracuse Orange-A Clockwork Orange isn’t just a movie title, as it’s also a term that describes Syracuse playing their best ball at this time of year. And because of that, I got them winning this game.
Well, that’s it for today’s edition of Steve Believes: The 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Tune in tomorrow, as I will make my predictions for Day 2 of the First Round matchups. So until then, so long everybody!