With the USC Trojans defeating the Providence Friars in the last play-in game on Wednesday and the Bracket now being complete, we can now continue our Regional NCAA bracket preview of all the First round matchups.
Here are all 8 First Round Matchups from the East Region:
# 1 Villanova Wildcats vs. # 16 Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers
Line: Villanova Wildcats -27 (-101)
Total: 131 points (-108 over; -102 under)
Quick Matchup Preview:
The #1 Villanova Wildcats (31-3) will start their 2016 NCCA title defense on Thursday when they go against the #16 Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers. Now, the history shows that the #16 has failed to take down the #1 in the previous 126 meetings, and that is a good thing for the Wildcats fans. However, the worrying stat is that the only two top ranked teams ended up raising the Championship Trophy in the end. The Wildcats will go into the tournament as the BIG East Conference tournament champions after defeating Creighton in the conference title game with 74-60.
The #16 Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers (20-15) punched their NCAA tournament first four round ticket after claiming the NCC Conference title with a 71-61 win over the Saint Francis University. In the NCAA first four round, the Mountaineers survived the late push from New Orleans Privateers to win their NCAA Round 64 berth with a 67-66 win on Tuesday night. Their chances against the Wildcats are slim, but there is no doubt that the Mountaineers will leave it all on the floor to make a solid impression.
# 8 Wisconsin Badgers vs. # 9 Virginia Tech Hokies
Line: Wisconsin Badgers -5.5 (-103)
Total: 137 points (-108 over; -105 under)
Quick Matchup Preview:
The #8 Wisconsin Badgers (25-9) are getting ready to start their 19th consecutive NCAA final Tournament on Thursday night when they take on the Virginia Tech Hokies. The Badgers came short of winning the Big Ten Conference after suffering a 56-71 blow to Michigan Wolverines in the Championship game. The Badgers have seen a whole lot of success in their previous NCAA feats, winning 9 of the last 10 opening round games. The Badgers have been struggling with shooting throughout the season.
The #9 Virginia Tech Hokies (22-10), on the other side, are coming into the tournament after dropping a game in the quarterfinals of the ACC Conference Tournament to the Florida State Seminoles with 68-74. The Hokies last NCAA Big Dance appearance dates back to 2007 when they made it to the second round, eventually losing to the Southern Illinois. The Hokies has a solid defense and will look to exploit it against the poor shooting Badgers.
# 5 Virginia Cavaliers vs. # 12 UNC Wilmington Seahawks
Line: Virginia Cavaliers -7.5 (-102)
Total: 135 points (-105 over; -106 under)
Quick Matchup Preview:
The #5 Virginia Cavaliers (22-10) will look to gain some momentum in the opening round of the NCAA tournament when they take on the UNC Wilmington Seahawks. The Cavaliers most recently suffered a 58-71 loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the quarterfinals of the ACC Conference tournament. This will be the Cavaliers 21st Big Dance appearance and in their previous couple of appearances, the Cavaliers have seen quite of success, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2014, the Third round in 2015 and the Midwest Regional final game last year.
The #12 UNC Wilmington Seahawks (29-5) enter the tournament for the 6th time in school history. The Seahawks have most recently won the CAA Conference title game, defeating the College of Charleston with 78-69 in the Championship game. The Seahawks will rely on its great offensive strength as they are averaging 85.2 points per game.
# 4 Florida Gators vs. # 13 East Tennessee State Buccaneers
Line: Florida Gators -10 (-110)
Total: 145 points (-101 over; -105 under)
Quick Matchup Preview:
The #4 Florida Gators (24-8) are not going to have an easy task against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers on Thursday afternoon. The Gators were on a 9 game winning streak prior to dropping three of its last 4 games, including the SEC quarterfinal matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores with 62-72. Despite their recent hiccups, the Gators still got a #4 seed in the East Regional side of the bracket. This will be the 18th NCAA final tournament appearance for the Gators.
The #13 East Tennessee State Buccaneers (25-7) will make their 10th NCAA final tournament appearance when they step onto the Amway Center court in Orlando on Thursday. Their last visit to the Big Dance dates back to 2010. This season, the Buccaneers mostly relied on their senior class starting lineup to lead the way, which for the most of the season proved to be the right formula for success. This will be the first time the Buccaneers meet the Gators in school history.
# 6 SMU Mustangs vs. # 11 USC
Line: The Lines are not up yet so please check back later!!!
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Quick Matchup Preview:
The #6 SMU Mustangs (30-4) will face the USC Trojans in the first round of the NCAA final tournament. The Mustangs are entering this game after going on 16-game winning streak that includes the three AAC tournament games. The Mustang dominated the conference tournament taking down the East Carolina, UCF and Cincinnati in the title game. The Mustangs have not seen a whole lot of success against the Trojans who hold a 5-1 edge in all-time series. The most recent loss to the Trojans came in November of last year, when the Trojans celebrated a 78-73 win. The Mustangs will have a great chance to avenge that loss when they tip-off their 12th All-time Big Dance appearance.
The #11 USC Trojans (25-9) have taken down the Providence Friars with 75-71 on Wednesday night in one of the four play-in games and will advance to the Round of 64 where they will face the Mustangs. The Trojans are going into this game with a shaky form having lost 5 of their last 9 games. The latest loss came in the Pac-12 Semifinals when the UCLA Bruins celebrated a 76-74 victory over the Trojans. However, after defeating the Friars in the First Four Round, the Trojans now hope to catch some momentum and advance into the 2nd round of the Tournament.
# 3 Baylor Bears vs. # 14 New Mexico State Aggies
Line: Baylor Bears -12.5 (-103)
Total: 134.5 points (-105 over; -110 under)
Quick Matchup Preview:
The #3 Baylor Bears (25-7) are hoping to have a huge fan base on Friday when they take on the Aggies at the Pan American Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Considering the driving distance (352 miles) the Bears are pumped to know that their fans will have it much easier to drive to Tulsa, as opposed their last two trips to the NCAA tournament when they played in Providence and Jacksonville. The Bears have a very stable senior unit that knows how to dig themselves out of the holes, considering that they were able to fight their way back and win in 11 games after being behind after the first half.
The #14 New Mexico State Aggies (28-5) have captured the WAC Conference title with a 70-60 win over the CSU-Bakersfield in the Championship game and punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament for the 20th time in the school history. The Aggies hope to continue the Baylor Bears tradition over their last two NCAA tournament appearances, in which the Bears lost in the first round to the under-seeded teams. The Aggies are small in size, but quick in transition defense, which could be their biggest strength going against the Bears.
# 7 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. # 10 Marquette Golden Eagles
Line: South Carolina Gamecocks -1.5 (-103)
Total: 148 points (-106)
Quick Matchup Preview:
The #7 South Carolina Gamecocks (22-10) failed to pass the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC quarterfinals game, but still got a high #7 seed in the final NCAA tournament, where they will take on the Marquette Golden Eagles on Friday in Greenville, SC. This will be the Gamecocks 9th All-time NCAA tournament appearance with the last one dating back to 2004.
The #10 Marquette Golden Eagles (19-12) have also suffered a quarterfinals loss in their BIG East Conference with 76-82 to the Seton Hall Pirates. This will be the Golden Eagles 32nd NCAA tournament appearance, with the last one dating back to 2013 when they made it to the Elite Eight Round. Their trip to the Big Dance could not have come in a better time, considering that Marquette is celebrating 100 years of the program history.
# 2 Duke Blue Devils vs. # 15 Troy Trojans
Line: Duke Blue Devils -19 (-102)
Total: 153 points (-106 over/under)
Quick Matchup Preview:
The #2 Duke Blue Devils (27-8) have topped the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the ACC Championship game with 75-69. The entire season has been marked with a lot of ups and downs for the Blue Devils who were probably the most talked about team in the nation, especially when Grayson Allen hit the spotlights showing his villain side of nature. The Blue Devils will make its 33rd All-time NCAA tournament appearance and 22nd consecutive. When starting off the tournament from the East Region, Duke holds a winning record of 54-12, while winning the ’92 and ’01 NCAA titles coming from the East Region side of the bracket.
The #15 Troy Trojans (22-14) will enter the March Madness only for the 2nd time in the school history. The Trojans have most recently topped the Texas State Bobcats with 59-53 in the Sun Belt Conference Championship game. Their first ever NCAA tournament appearance dates back to 2003.
