CBS’ narrative stays very much the same (except we get Gus Johnson in the second weekend again!) for this year’s Tournament. Obviously, all 2/9:40 tips are approximations. Here’s what you build your Thursday and Friday around:
Thursday:
12:20 - (12) Temple vs. (5) Michigan State (Gus Johnson and Len Elmore)
12:20 – (14) Georgia vs. (3) Xavier (Craig Bolerjack and Bob Wenzel)
12:25 – (16) Portland State vs. (1) Kansas (Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner)
2:30 – (11) Kentucky vs. (6) Marquette (Dick Enberg, Carter Blackburn, Jay Bilas)
2:50 – (11) Baylor vs. (6) Purdue (Craig Bolerjack and Bob Wenzel)
2:55 – (9) Kent State vs. (8) UNLV (Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner)
3:00 - (13) Oral Roberts vs. (4) Pittsburgh (Gus Johnson and Len Elmore)
4:55 PM – (14) Cornell vs. (3) Stanford (Dick Enberg, Carter Blackburn, Jay Bilas)
7:10 – (11) Kansas State vs. (6) USC (Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner)
7:10 – (15) Belmont vs. (2) Duke (Craig Bolerjack and Bob Wenzel)
7:20 – (13) Winthrop vs. (4) Washington State (Gus Johnson and Len Elmore)
7:25 – (9) Texas A&M vs. (8) BYU (Dick Enberg/Carter Blackburn, Jay Bilas)
9:40 – (14) Cal State Fullerton vs. (3) Wisconsin (Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner)
9:50 – (12) George Mason vs. (5) Notre Dame (Gus Johnson and Len Elmore)
9:50 – (16) Mississippi Valley State vs. (1) UCLA (Dick Enberg, Carter Blackburn, Jay Bilas)
9:50 – (10) Arizona vs. (7) West Virginia (Craig Bolerjack and Bob Wenzel
Friday:
12:15 – (15) American vs. (2) Tennessee (Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery)
12:25 – (10) Davidson vs. (7) Gonzaga (Jim Nantz and Billy Packer)
12:30 – (10) St. Mary’s vs. (7) Miami (Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel)
12:30 – (12) Western Kentucky vs. (5) Drake (Tim Brando and Mike Gminski)
2:45 – (10) South Alabama vs. (7) Butler (Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery)
2:55 – (15) UMBC vs. (2) Georgetown (Jim Nantz and Billy Packer)
3:00 – (13) San Diego vs. (4) UConn (Tim Brando and Mike Gminski)
5:00 – (15) Austin Peay vs. (2) Texas (Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel)
7:10 – (16) Play-In Winner vs. (1) North Carolina (Jim Nantz and Billy Packer)
7:10 – (11) St. Joseph’s vs. (6) Oklahoma (Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery)
7:20 – (13) Siena vs. (4) Vanderbilt (Tim Brando and Mike Gminski)
7:25 – (9) Oregon vs. (8) Mississippi State (Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel)
9:50 – (9) Arkansas vs. (8) Indiana (Jim Nantz and Billy Packer)
9:50 – (14) Boise State vs. (3) Louisville (Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery)
9:50 – (12) Villanova vs. (5) Clemson (Tim Brando and Mike Gminski)
9:55 – (16) UT Arlington vs. (1) Memphis (Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel)












Well, I have to change my picks. Gus Johnson will call upsets by Temple, Oral Roberts, Winthrop and George Mason. Well, maybe not all four, but we know two of them will be upsets and all four of them will go down to the wire if not overtime. Gus Johnson, you are the man!
It’s perfectly logical to alter your picks based upon the Gus Johnson Karma Factor.