HCU Huskies come up short against Eastern Michigan

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 25, 2024) The Houston Christian University Huskies men's basketball team came close to an incredible comeback but fell just short, losing 74-73 to Eastern Michigan University on Monday night at Sharp Gym.

Down by 16 points with less than nine minutes left, the Huskies caught fire. D’Aundre Samuels led the charge, hitting four three-pointers in four minutes, pulling HCU back into the game. Elijah Brooks gave the Huskies their first lead since the first half with a fast break layup and a free throw, putting them up 68-67 with two minutes left.

But EMU didn’t back down. Da’Sean Nelson and Jalen Terry helped the Eagles regain control, with Terry’s two free throws proving to be the game-winners. HCU had a chance in the final seconds, but Julian Mackey’s last-second three-pointer missed, sealing the Huskies’ fate.

HCU shot an impressive 51% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. Brooks led the Huskies with 17 points, while Samuels added a season-high 15. Bryson Dawkins and Mackey chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively.

EMU, now 4-2, was led by Nelson’s 19 points and Terry’s 18. The Eagles shot 57% overall, and their free throws made the difference.

The Huskies, now 2-4, wrap up their homestand on Wednesday night against Northern Arizona University at 7 p.m. at Sharp Gym.

UAB Blazers win American Athletic Conference title

Photo credit: American Athletic Conference, Used with permission

By Chris Price
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (March 17, 2024) In a thrilling showdown at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, the No. 4 UAB Blazers clinched their first-ever American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship with an impressive 85-69 victory over the No. 11 Temple Owls.

The Blazers' Alejandro Vasquez lit up the court with an astounding 29 points, 21 of which he scored in a jaw-dropping first half performance. Vasquez's hot hand included sinking five remarkable 3-pointers, matching the championship record for most 3's in a single half. Meanwhile, Yaxel Lendeborg's stellar play throughout the tournament earned him the title of Most Outstanding Player, sealing the deal with his third double-double, racking up 14 points and an incredible 16 rebounds in the championship game. Lendeborg's dominance on the boards set a new championship record, surpassing the previous mark set in 2018.

Despite Temple's Hysier Miller's valiant effort, pouring in an impressive 32 points, it wasn't enough to overcome UAB's commanding lead. Miller's remarkable tournament performance saw him break records left and right, amassing 96 points over five games, as well as dishing out a record-breaking six assists in the championship game.

From the opening tip-off, UAB seized control of the game, storming to a 22-12 lead and maintaining their dominance to enter halftime with a commanding 43-27 advantage. Although Temple fought back to narrow the gap in the second half, UAB's lead proved insurmountable, securing their historic victory.

With the championship celebrations still echoing, attention swiftly turned to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. UAB earned a No. 12 seed and will clash with the No. 5 seed San Diego State in Spokane, Wash., while Florida Atlantic secured a No. 8 seed and will face off against No. 9 seed Northwestern in Brooklyn, N.Y.

NCAA DI Men's Basketball Tournament: Elite 8 Predictions

Photo and story by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (March 19, 2023) The Elite 8 round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament will  take place on Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26 are listed below. My predictions are below:

Saturday, March 25 

• No. 3 Kansas State over No. 9 Florida Atlantic 
• No. 3 Gonzaga over No. 4 UConn

Sunday, March 26 

• No. 5 San Diego State over No. 6 Creighton 
• No. 2 Texas over No. 5 Miami (Fla.) 

NCAA DI Men's Basketball Tournament: March 19, 2023 Predictions

 

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (March 19, 2023) The second round of games of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament will continue at various sites around the United States. The eight games that will take place on Saturday, March 19, 2023 are listed below. My predictions, along with game times (EDT), and broadcast networks are also indicated.

No. 3 Xavier over No. 11 Pitt | 12:10 p.m. | CBS

No. 3 Kansas State over No. 6 Kentucky | 2:40 p.m. | CBS

No. 2 Marquette over No. 7 Michigan State | 5:15 p.m. | CBS

No. 4 UConn over No. 5 Saint Mary's | 6:10 p.m. | TNT

No. 3 Baylor over. No. 6 Creighton | 7:10 p.m. | TBS

No. 9 Florida Atlantic over No. 16 FDU | 7:45 p.m. | truTV

No. 4 Indiana over No. 5 Miami (Fla.) | 8:40 p.m. | TNT

No. 3 Gonzaga over No. 6 TCU | 9:40 p.m. | TBS

NCAA DI Men's Basketball Tournament: March 18, 2023 Predictions

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (March 17, 2023) The second round of games of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament will continue at various sites around the United States. The eight games that will take place on Saturday, March 18, 2023 are listed below. My predictions, along with game times (EDT), and broadcast networks are also indicated.

No. 5 San Diego State over No. 13 Furman | 12:10 p.m. | CBS

No. 5 Duke over No. 4 Tennessee  | 2:40 p.m. | CBS

No. 1 Kansas over No. 8 Arkansas |  5:15 p.m. | CBS

 No. 7 Missouri over No. 15 Princeton | 6:10 p.m. | TNT

No. 1 Houston over  No. 9 Auburn | 7:10 p.m. | TBS

No. 2 Texas over  No. 10 Penn State | 7:45 p.m. | CBS

No. 2 UCLA over No. 7 Northwestern | 8:40 p.m. | TNT

No. 1 Alabama over No. 8 Maryland | 9:40 p.m. | TBS

RESULTS: First Round, Day 2 Results from NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships.

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (March 17, 2023) The second slate of 16 games in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament on Thursday, March 17 are completed.  My predictions saw 12 correct outcomes with four of my selections fall. The results of these games are below, broken down by correct predictions and five upsets (My picks. They are underlined).

CORRECT PREDICTIONS

No. 7 Michigan State 72,  No. 10 USC 62  

No. 3 Xavier 72, No.14 Kennesaw St. 36  

No. 3 Baylor 74, No.14 UC Santa Barbara 56  

No. 5 Saint Mary's 63, No. 12 VCU 51  

No. 2 Marquette 78,  No. 15 Vermont 61  

No. 4 UConn 87,  No. 13 Iona  63  

No. 6 Kentucky 61,  over No. 11 Providence 53  

No. 5 Miami 63,  No.12 Drake 56  

No. 3 Gonzaga 82,  No. 14 Grand Canyon 70 

No. 3 Kansas St. 77,  No. 14 Montana St. 76  

No. 4 Indiana 71,  No. 13 Kent State 60  

No. 6 TCU 72, No. 11 Arizona State 70  

INCORRECT PREDICTIONS

No. 11 Pitt 59, No. 6 Iowa State 41  

No. 6 Creighton 72, No. 11 NC State 53   

No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson  63, No. 1 Purdue 58  

No. 9 Florida Atlantic 66,  No. 8 Memphis 65  

NCAA DI Men's Basketball Tournament: March 17, 2023 Predictions

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (March 17, 2023) The first round of games of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament will begin at various sites around the United States. The sixteen games that will take place on Thursday, March 17, 2023 are listed below. My predictions, along with game times (EDT), and broadcast networks are also indicated.

No. 7 Michigan State over No. 10 USC | 12:15 p.m. |CBS 

No. 3 Xavier over No. 14 Kennesaw St. | 12:40 p.m. | truTV 

No. 3 Baylor over No. 14 UC Santa Barbara  | 1:30 p.m. | TNT 

No. 5 Saint Mary's over No. 12 VCU | 2 p.m. | TBS

No. 2 Marquette over No. 15 Vermont | 2:45 p.m. | CBS 

No. 6 Iowa State  over No. 11 Pitt | 3:10 p.m. | truTV 

No. 11 NC State over.No. 6 Creighton| 4 p.m. | TNT 

No. 4 UConn over No. 13 Iona | 4:30 p.m. | TBS

No. 1 Purdue over No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson  | 6:50 p.m. | TNT 

No. 6 Kentucky over No. 11 Providence | 7:10 p.m. | CBS 

No. 12 Drake vs. No. 5 Miami | 7:25 p.m | TBS 

No. 3 Gonzaga over No. 14 Grand Canyon| 7:35 p.m. | truTV 

No. 8 Memphis over No. 9 Florida Atlantic | 9:20 p.m.| TNT

No. 3 Kansas St. over No. 14 Montana St. | 9:40 p.m. | CBS 

No. 4 Indiana over No. 13 Kent State  | 9:55 p.m. | TBS 

No. 6 TCU over No. 11 Arizona State | 10:05 p.m. | truTV

RESULTS: First Round, Day 1 Results from NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships.

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (March 16, 2023) The first slate of 16 games in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships are completed My predictions saw 11 correct outcomes with five of my selections fall. The results of these games are below, broken down by correct predictions and five upsets (By MY picks. They are underlined).

CORRECT PREDICTIONS

No. 7 Missouri 76,  No. 10 Utah State 65  

No. 1 Kansas 86,  No. 16 Howard 58 

No. 1 Alabama 96, Texas A&M Corpus Christi 74  

No. 5 San Diego State 63, No. 12 College of Charleston  57 

No. 8 Arkansas 73,  No. 9 Illinois 63  

No. 5 Duke  74, No. 12 Oral Roberts 51  

No. 2 Texas  81,  No. 15 Colgate 61  

No. 7 Northwestern 75,  No. 10 Boise State 67  

No. 1 Houston 63,  No. 16 Northern Kentucky 52  

No. 4 Tennessee 58, No. 13 Louisiana 55  

No. 2 UCLA 86, No. 15 UNC Asheville 53  

UPSETS

No. 9 West Virginia  65,  8 Maryland  67  

No. 4 Virginia 67,  No. 13 Furman 68 

No. 2 Arizona  55, No. 15 Princeton 59 

No. 8 Iowa 75,  No. 9 Auburn 83  

No. 7 Texas A&M 59,  No. 10 Penn State 76  

The biggest upset of the day was No. 15 Princeton knocking off No. 2 Arizona by the score of 68-67. The last time the Tigers won a NCAA Tournament was 1998, when they defeated UNLV 69-57 in the first round.

NCAA March Madness: First Four Results

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved 

DAYTON, OHIO (March 15, 2023) The results from the First Four (play-in games) of the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament. 

#16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 75, #16 SE Missouri State 71 (next opponent: #1 Alabama on Thursday, March 16)

#11 Pittsburgh over #11 Mississippi State (next opponent: No. 6 Iowa State on Friday, March 17)

#11 Arizona State 98, #11 Nevada 73 (next opponent: No. 6 TCU on Friday, March 17)

#16  Fairleigh Dickinson 84,  #16 Texas Southern 61 (next opponent: #1 Purdue on Friday, March 17)

NCAA March Madness First Four Picks

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (March 14, 2023) Below are my picks for the First Four games of the 2023 NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

#16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi over # 16 SE Missouri State

#11 Pittsburgh over #11 Mississippi State

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

#11 Arizona State over #11 Nevada

#16 Texas Southern over #16 Fairleigh Dickinson

Memphis Wins American Men’s Basketball Championship

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (March 12, 2023) Kendric Davis scored 31 points, including 14 in a big run before halftime, and second-seeded Memphis held on to beat No. 1 Houston 75-65 in the American Athletic Conference tournament championship game Sunday.

 

DeAndre Williams had 16 points and 13 rebounds for coach Penny Hardaway and the Tigers (26-8), who got the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid. They are going to March Madness for the second year in a row.

 

The Cougars (31-3) beat Memphis 71-53 in last year’s AAC tournament championship game, and won both regular-season matchups this season.

 

J’Wan Roberts had 12 points and 20 rebounds for Houston. Jamal Shead had 15 points on 3-of-14 shooting, and Jarace Walker had 13 points before fouling out.

 

The Cougars trailed by 18 at halftime, but got within 55-50 with 11:03 left after Shead scored eight points in a row for them in a two-minute span. His 3-pointer capped a 12-1 run, and he made another long-range shot before two free throws, but that was the closest Houston would get.

 

Memphis had taken control with a 16-2 run in the first half. Davis had all but two of those points and made two 3-pointers only 9 seconds apart.

 

That big spurt started on a fast-break layup by Davis with just under eight minutes left. Davis made a 3, and then Alex Lomax made a backcourt steal and passed to Davis at the top of the key for another 3. By time Davis made another fast-break layup with 3:36 left, the Tigers had doubled up Houston, 40-20.

 

Houston was selected as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region and will open the NCAA Tournament against No. 16 seed Northern Kentucky (22-12) in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, March 16 at 9:20 p.m. ET/8:20 p.m. CT on TNT. The Cougars are the first squad from The American to earn a No. 1 seed.

 

Memphis will be headed to Columbus, Ohio as the No. 8 seed in the East Region and will take on ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic (31-3) on Friday, March 17 at 9:20 p.m. ET/8:20 p.m. CT on TNT.

Texas Tech comes from behind to down Stephen F. Austin 70-60

Story and Photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (March 15, 2018) The No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders (25-9) started the game slowly, but came back to life in the final five minutes of the game to down the No. 14 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (28-7) by the score of 70-60 in the first round game for both schools at the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in Dallas. The near capacity crowd at the America Airlines Center saw the Lumberjacks control most of the game, but falter down the stretch. The Red Raiders trailed most of the game, but pulled ahead with 3:59 left in the game with a layup by Keenan Evans (Richardson, Texas). The two points pushed Tech into the lead 59-58 as they went on to outscore the Lumberjacks 11-2 in the final minutes of the game.

Texas Tech shot a paltry 35% (10-of-28) from the field in the first half, allowing SFA to take a 30-27 lead at half time. They improved their shooting percentage to 57% (15-of-26) in the second half while the Lumberjacks, who shot 37% (9-of-24) in the first half did not improve their shooting (9-of 23, 39%) in the second half. Evans tallied 23 points for the Red Raiders while fellow guard Zhaire Evans added 10. SFA had four players in double figures, with Ivan Canete (Lake Worth, Florida) leading the way with 17.

Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard discussed his thoughts after the game with the press.

"First of all, I just want to congratulate Stephen F. Austin for a great season. They were everything we thought they would be and more. Kyle Keller is a great coach. They've got good players. They've got a program is what they have. You go back to Danny Kaspar and certainly Brad Underwood, and now Kyle has taken it to another level. They just forced us into so many things and took away things, but I just wanted to congratulate them on a good season, and I know Kyle is just getting started building the program there. For our guys, we knew we were going to have to play great to win this game because we knew how good Stephen F. Austin was. I'm really pleased for our players that we advanced to the second round, beating a team that we had nothing but respect for."

SFA head coach Kyle Keller also talked with the press after the game.

"I wish we could have ended the game at halftime, obviously, but the game is 40 minutes. I give Texas Tech a tremendous amount of credit. Their Coach Chris Beard, his team embodies his spirit and toughness. And they imposed their will obviously the last 10 minutes or so of the game, and my guys tried. They always try, but we just didn't have enough tonight. We just -- it wasn't our night."

Next up for the Red Raiders will be a Saturday, March 17 meeting with the winner of Florida vs. St Bonaventure. The Gators come into the tournament as the No. 6 seed and a 20-12 record. The Bonnies counter with a 26-7 record and the No. 11 seed.

Last second 3-pointer lifts No. 11 Loyola Chicago over No. 8 Miami (Fla)

Story and Photos by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (March 15, 2018) With 3/10 of a second to go in the game, starting forward Donte Ingram connected from three-point range to give No. 11 Loyola Chicago a 62-60 win over No. 8 Miami (Fla.) in the second game of the first round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. With neither team able to gain an advantage after 20 minutes of play and the score tied at 28, both teams came onto the court for the second half and that told the story of the game.

Both teams shot 50% or better in the first half; (Loyola 52%, Miami 50%), however the difference in the game came down to the second half. Miami led in almost every stat, but the final three-pointer by Ingram made the difference and sent the Ramblers to the second round. Both teams led by seven points at different times in the game; Loyola at the 14:02 mark in the first half and Miami with 15:40 left in the game. Coming down the stretch, the Hurricanes were never behind until Ingram's three-pointer. With nine seconds left in the game, starting guard Ben Richardson rebounded a missed free throw by Miami's Lonnie Walker IV.  After bring the ball down the court, Marquis Townes receive the ball and quickly fed it to Townes for the score. It was Townes second credited assist of the game.

Ramblers' head coach Porter Moser talked with the press after the game and was quoted:

"You know, first of all, God is good. He blessed this group. We give the glory to him. He blessed our University, this group. He blessed me being able to coach resilient kids. The second thing with these young guys, we're in the huddle. Even when we were down seven, it was just about keep fighting, keep fighting. There's no quit in these guys. They believe. They share the ball. We had 19 assists. And a great example is that last pass to Donte with Marques to find it. They made big shots. Clay made a big shot on an action we run in the corner. Very, very blessed that we have kids that do not quit, that are resilient." 

The Rambles had four players in double figures, with Clayton Custer leading the was with 14, Ingram followed with 13, while Aundre Jackson and Cameron Krutwig coming off the bench to contribute 12 and 11, respectively. Miami had four players scoring in double figures, led by Walker IV with 12. Loyola will next face No. 3 Tennessee on Saturday, March 17. The Volunteers downed Wright State 73-47 earlier in the day.

Tennessee shuts down Wright State 73-47

Story and Photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (March 15, 2018)  After failing to score in the first three minutes of the game, the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers took a 34-23 lead into halftime and went on to down the No. 14 Wright State Raiders by the score of 73-47 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The Raiders showed little offense offense after the first few minutes of the game, shooting 31% from the field and 19% from three-point range. It was a distinct difference from the regulars season, where they shot 43% and average more than 72 points a game.

Lamonte Turner came off the bench and scored 19 points for the Volunteers and head coach Rick Barnes. The 61- sophomore guard from Florence, Alabama was 9-of-10 from the free-throw line and hit two three-pointers. Starting guard Admiral Schofield (Zion, Illinois) tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds, 10 of them on defense, for his fourth double-double of the season. Grant Williams (Charlotte, North Carolina) added 14 in the winning effort. 

Barnes stated after the game:

"Obviously we're happy with the win and the fact that we felt coming in that Wright State would be as difficult a team that we've played all year in terms of the way they move without the ball. They're really a team that, you watching them on tape, you could tell they were just a terrific team. They understood each other. They've had one of those special years, a lot like we have. So from that point, defensively we were really pretty good today against a team that's not a very easy team to guard. Offensively once we settled in, we settled in, and we missed some easy ones early, but we settled in and got our offense going."

Wright State heads home to Dayton, Ohio with a 25-10 record while Tennessee moves on to face the winner of No. 11 Loyola Chicago and No. 8 Miami on Saturday, March 17. The tip-off time yet to be determined.

2018 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament: Midwest Bracket

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (March 14, 2018) As I have done for the past five years, I am posting my picks for each round of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, right up to the final game. I will be listing the first-round games in four posts. The fourth post will be the midwest bracket. My picks are underlined.

FIRST ROUND

Midwest

No. 1 Kansas

No 16. Penn

No. 8 Seton Hall

No. 9 NC State

No. 5 Clemson

No. 12 New Mexico State

No. 4 Auburn

No. 13 Charleston

No. 6 TCU

No. 11

No. 3 Michigan State

No. 14 Bucknell

No. 7 Rhode Island

No. 10 Oklahoma

No. 2 Duke

No. 15 Iona

2018 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament: East Bracket

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (March 14, 2018) As I have done for the past five years, I am posting my picks for each round of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, right up to the final game. I will be listing the first-round games in four posts. The second post will be the east bracket. My picks are underlined.

FIRST ROUND

East

No. 1 Villanova

No. 16 Radford

No. 8 Virginia Tech

No. 9 Alabama

No. 5 West Virginia

No. 12 Murray State

No. 4 Wichita State

No. 13 Marshall

No. 6 Florida

No. 11 St. Bonaventure

No. 3 Texas Tech

No. 14 Stephen F. Austin

No. 7 Arkansas

No. 10 Butler

No. 2 Purdue

No. 15 CS Fullerton

2018 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament: West Bracket

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (March 14, 2018) As I have done for the past five years, I am posting my picks for each round of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, right up to the final game. I will be listing the first-round games in four posts. The second post will be the west bracket. My picks are underlined.

FIRST ROUND

West

No. 1 Xavier

No. 16 Texas Southern

No. 8 Missouri

No. 9 Florida State

No. 5 Ohio State

No. 12 South Dakota State

No. 4 Gonzaga

No. 13 UNC-Greenville

No. 6 Houston

No. 11 San Diego State

No. 3 Michigan

No. 14 Montana

No. 7 Texas A&M

No. 10 Providence

No. 2 North Carolina

No. 15 Lipscomb

2018 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament: South Bracket

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (March 14, 2018) As I have done for the past five years, I am posting my picks for each round of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, right up to the final two game. I will be listing the first-round games in four posts. The first post will be the south bracket. My picks are underlined.

FIRST ROUND

South

No. 1 Virginia

No. 16 UMBC

No. 8 Creighton

No. 9 Kansas State

No. 5 Kentucky

No. 12 Davidson

No. 4 Arizona

No. 13 Buffalo

No. 6 Miama (Fla.)

No. 11 Loyola-Chicago

No. 3 Tennessee

No. 14 Wright State

No. 7 Nevada

No. 10 Texas

No. 2 Cincinnati

No. 15 Georgia State

Texas Southern advances to NCAA field of 64 by downing NC-Central

Photo by
Kristina McKay and Tommy Boatman
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

DAYTON, OHIO (March 14, 2018) The No. 16 Texas Southern Tigers (16-19) defeated No. 16 North Carolina-Central Eagles (19-16) by the score of 64-46 in the third game of the "First Four" of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships. 

The win was the first-ever NCAA tournament win for Texas Southern. The Tigers now advance to the Round of 64 to face the No. 1 Xavier Musketeers (28-5). They will play Friday, March 16 inside Bridgestone Arena ion Nashville, Tennessee.

Demontrae Jefferson (number 3, shown above), who was selected the Most Valuable Player of the SWAC Tournament this past weekend, scored 25 points in the Tigers' victory; shooting 8-of-18 and pulled eight rebounds.

MARCH MADNESS 2018: First Four

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA-DEER PARK, TEXAS (March 13, 2018) The 2018 NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament will begin momentarily. The games are listed below with my picks underlined.

For Tuesday, March 13, 2018
No. 16 LIU Brooklyn vs No. 16 Radford 
No. 11 St. Bonaventure vs. No. 11 UCLA

For Wednesday, March 14, 2018
No. 16 Texas Southern vs. No. 16 NC Central 
No. 11 Syracuse vs. No. 11 Arizona