March Madness is finally upon us, and we here at RTC are here to make everything a little bit easier for you. From the First Four until One Shining Moment, we’ll be dropping daily tidbits of knowledge regarding the teams in each region.

South Region

• Even though the SEC had an awful year, Florida has emerged as the NCAA Tournament favorite.
• Both Colorado and Pittsburgh have had to overcome injuries to key contributors to find themselves back in the Tournament.
• In just his first season, Stephen F. Austin coach Brad Underwood has taken the Lumberjacks to “new heights.”
• After Coach K criticized the A-10, VCU coach Shaka Smart fired back saying that Krzyzewski’s were “low level.”
• UCLA is known for its outstanding guard play, but watch out if they’re bigs get going.
• Ohio State’s opening game against Dayton has brought attention to the Buckeyes’ non-conference scheduling, particularly against other teams from the state of Ohio. According to Bill Livingston, the Buckeyes have no excuse to “duck” their in-state rivals.
• Syracuse dominated during non-conference play, but struggled to five losses in the ACC. However, coach Jim Boeheim isn’t all that concerned. “I don’t think we played any differently at the end of the year than we played all year,” Boeheim commented on Wednesday.
• Instead of Selection Sunday festivities at The Pit, New Mexico decided to take an easier, more business-like approach to the NCAA Tournament.
• Stanford reserve Robbie Lemons is temporarily stepping away from his academic pursuits after the season in hopes that international basketball can take him on an incredible experience throughout the world.
• He’s not the first option on his team. Or the second or the third and maybe even not the fourth, but forward Perry Ellis is developing into a key, consistent player for Kansas.

West Region

• The Arizona Wildcats can make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament, and their road begins with taking care of the Wildcats of Weber State.
• Oklahoma State has Marcus Smart, Markel Brown, and Le’Bryan Nash, but could the Cowboys’ X-factor prove to be their little 5’11” guard Phil Forte?
• He reached the 1994 Final Four at Florida, but Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger hasn’t come close since. Kruger looks to project his experience on his players in hopes that they can win their first Tournament game since 2009.
• According to the experts’ predictions, North Dakota State is looking like the overwhelming favorite to be the trendy 5/12 upset this year.
• New Mexico State has a tough test ahead of them in San Diego State, but 7’5” giant Sim Bhullar could give the Aztecs some trouble.
• Baylor point guard Kenny Chery has been paramount to the Bears’ success, especially with the loss of Pierre Jackson to graduation.
• For Creighton guard Grant Gibbs‘ relationship with superstar Doug McDermott goes beyond their chemistry on the court. McDermott gave Gibbs his scholarship after Gibbs was given a surprising sixth year of eligibility.
• You may not believe it, given their history as a football school, but Oregon actually won the first ever national championship in basketball in 1939.
• Junior point guard Matt Carlino needs to step up if BYU is going to have a shot at Oregon.
• Wisconsin has a reputation for early exits from the Big Dance. For the Badgers, 2014 is the year that they change their reputation.

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And so it begins. Today at exactly 12:15 PM in Buffalo, New York, the 2014 NCAA Tournament as we all know it will officially tip off, setting in motion a chain of events that will undoubtedly bust most people’s brackets by mid-afternoon. Nevertheless, the anticipation for the best two weekdays in all of sports is over. Savor it. Embrace it. Respect it. Let’s get things started with an analysis of all of today’s games, beginning with the afternoon slate of eight contests.

#6 Ohio State vs. #11 Dayton — South Region Second Round (at Buffalo, NY) — 12:15 PM ET on CBS.

Aaron Craft And The Buckeyes Have Had A Difficult Time Putting The Ball Through The Hoop This Season; Can They Score Often Enough To Knock Off In-State Foe Dayton On Thursday? (AP)

You could ignore the fact that Dayton and Ohio State are separated by 70 miles of Ohio interstate, that the Flyer’s leading scorer is an Ohio State transfer, that Thad Matta has never had any interest in scheduling a regular season game with UD, and this game would still be one of the most intriguing matchups of the first round. Or you could, of course, take account of all those things and declare this the game to watch in the round of 64. Former Buckeye Jordan Sibert will be a marked man on Thursday afternoon, and not just because he used to don the scarlet and gray. Sibert (43% 3PT) leads a proficient Flyer offense that excels beyond the arc; Dayton has made 38% of their three-point attempts this season. Aaron Craft receives plenty of recognition for his defensive abilities on the perimeter, but Shannon Scott is nearly Craft’s equal when it comes to on-ball defense, and both will strive to make Sibert and the rest of the Flyers’ life difficult. Similar resistance is unlikely to be provided by a Dayton defense that is less than elite, but can the Buckeyes take advantage? Ohio State’s scoring struggles this season have been well documented, but look for LaQuinton Ross and Lenzelle Smith to get just enough done offensively for the Buckeyes to seize this battle for Ohio. Either way though, subplots abound.

The RTC Certified Pick: Ohio State

#2 Wisconsin vs #15 American – West Regional Second Round (at Milwaukee, WI) – 12:40 PM ET on truTV

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We know you’ve been anxiously awaiting it, so here goes. The RTC Podblast is back, just in time for you to fill out your final bracket — the one that you’ve been secretly stashing away all week for the cool billion — with predictions about which teams are heading to the Elite Eight and beyond. Go ahead and pick your own upsets in the first three rounds — the real points are earned in the latter stages of the Tournament, and we’ve got you covered there. This season’s theme — believe in the teams you’ve always believed in, reject those that you don’t. We’ll find out how that works very soon. Enjoy the holidays, everyone! The full rundown is below.

• 0:00-2:40 – Lessons From Regional Previews
• 2:40-7:14 – Still Think the Bracket Is Wide Open?
• 7:14-8:22 – UCLA: The “Should Have Seen It Coming Team”
• 8:22-11:43 – South Region Predictions
• 11:43-17:04 – East Region Predictions
• 17:04-19:27 – West Region Predictions
• 19:27-22:05 – Midwest Region Predictions
• 22:05-26:00 – Picking a National Champion
• 26:00-28:13 – Dark Horse Picks
• 28:13-31:17 – What We Are Most Excited For in Round of 64/Wrap

In prepping for Thursday’s #7/#10 matchup between Texas and Arizona State, Big 12 microsite writer Brian Goodman (@bsgoodman) and Pac-12 correspondent Andrew Murawa (@AMurawa) had a little Q&A session about both of these teams.

Andrew Murawa: Arizona State’s offense is dictated by the play of speedy point guard Jahii Carson. What can Texas do to slow him down?

Texas Has Struggled With Speedy Guards Like Jahii Carson This Season (Joe Nicholson, USA Today Sports)

Brian Goodman:  This season to date, Texas has faced its fair share of dynamic scoring point guards in Juwan Staten, Marcus Foster, Marcus Smart and Marcus Paige, and more often than not, their defense struggled to contain these players. Based on that track record, I’m not confident Isaiah Taylor and Javan Felix will be able to check Carson. The bigger question to me is how many of Carson’s shots will come at the basket and how many will come as the result of creating space farther away from the hoop. Joel Embiid and Isaiah Austin have been the Big 12’s best rim protectors, but Ridley is right there behind them. If he can alter Carson’s angles when he attacks, there’s a chance Texas comes out ahead; but if he can’t, it’s going to be a long day for the Longhorns.

BG: We know all about Carson. After the Sun Devils missed last year’s Tournament, it’s a decent bet that he’s going to look to put on a show, but Jermaine Marshall enters Thursday’s game in a funk over his last three outings. Specifically, what’s been different for him lately and how important is it for him to return to form in Milwaukee?

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The NCAA Tournament has officially started, believe it or not, and that means that two schools fell off the Circle of March last night. With defeats to #16 Albany and #12 NC State, respectively, #16 Mount St. Mary’s and #12 Xavier have now joined the 274 other poor souls that are no longer in contention for the National Championship. A couple more will drop off tonight — among Tennessee, Iowa, Cal Poly, or Texas Southern — before the bloodbath starts all over again Thursday afternoon.

Teams Eliminated From National Title Contention (03.18.14)

• Mount St. Mary’s
• Xavier

The First Round/Opening Round/Play-In Games/Mild Annoyance of the NCAA Tournament continues tonight, getting under way at 6:40 PM tonight on truTV (go ahead, try to remember where that channel is again). From 68 to 16 in the next six days… let’s analyze the next two games this evening.

#16 Cal Poly vs. #16 Texas Southern — Midwest Region First Round (at Dayton, OH) — 6:40 pm ET on truTV.

Losing Record, No Problem: Cal Poly is Dancing

Battling for the right to face one-seed Wichita State in St. Louis on Friday are Big West Tournament champion, Cal Poly, and SWAC Tournament champion, Texas Southern. Cal Poly enters Wednesday evening’s action with an uninspiring 13-19 record, but it should be noted that five of those 19 setbacks came on the road against fellow NCAA Tournament teams (at Arizona, at Oregon, at Pittsburgh, at Stanford, and at Delaware). The team caught fire in the Big West Tournament and won three games in three days to punch its ticket to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament. The Mustangs are led by senior forward Chris Eversley, who averages a team-best 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. While the Mustangs are 327th in the country in scoring average, their defense is fairly stout, as the opposition only averages 63.4 points per contest – good for 36th nationally. Texas Southern is nearly the polar opposite of Cal Poly, as it has scored well all season but has failed to defend with any regularity. The well-traveled Aaric Murray (formerly of La Salle and West Virginia) leads the way for the similarly well-traveled Mike Davis (formerly of Indiana and UAB) and the Tigers. Murray averages 21.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and will create a significant match-up problem for the Mustangs on the interior. Look for Murray to lead the way for Texas Southern, as it will advance to battle #1 seed Wichita State on Friday.

The RTC Certified Pick: Texas Southern

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March Madness is finally upon us, and we here at RTC are here to make everything a little bit easier for you. From the First Four until One Shining Moment, we’ll be dropping daily tidbits of knowledge regarding the teams in each region.

South Region

• Florida has made three straight Elite Eights, but that’s not going to cut it this year. The Gators are taking an “all or nothing” approach to the NCAA Tournament.
• Coming into its first round game, Colorado is focused on breaking down Pittsburgh’s post defense and double-teams.
• Talib Zanna, Pittsburgh’s much improved senior big man, and his leadership will be “vital” to his team’s postseason success.
• On Selection Sunday, the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks gathered at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. On Friday, they will begin their quest to go from Fuzzy’s to Cinderella against a similar VCU team.
• VCU’s Melvin Johnson is looking doubtful for Friday’s first round match-up against Stephen F. Austin. Johnson is averaging 10.6 points per game and shoots 39 percent from three-point range.
• Nicknamed “Slo-Mo,” 6’9” UCLA point guard Kyle Anderson is a “nightmare” match-up for opposing guards.
• Dayton head coach Archie Miller and Ohio State coach Thad Matta go way back, and even after asking Matta for desperate advice earlier this season, Miller finds his team going up against his “mentor’s” on Thursday.
• Syracuse fans may be tempted to predict a deep NCAA Tournament run, but advanced metrics only give the Orange “between a 1 and 2 percent chance” of going the distance.
• Stanford must stop New Mexico’s offensive firepower if it is going to have a chance on Friday.
• Joel Embiid won’t be suiting up for at least the first weekend, but Kansas’ small lineup could present other problems for opponents.

West Region

• Losing Brandon Ashley was tough, but Arizona has moved past his injury and looks poised to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
• Gonzaga may be the #8 seed, but seemingly no one is giving the Bulldogs a chance against Oklahoma State. Star Canadian guard Kevin Pangos is embracing the Zags’ “underdog status.”
• The Sooners began the season somewhat up and down, but it was a come-from-behind victory against rival Oklahoma State that sparked Oklahoma’s run to a #5 seed.
• North Dakota State’s senior leader Taylor Braun was rejected by Pac-12 schools, but he has since used it motivation to lead the Bison into the NCAA Tournament. Braun has the last laugh, as he will fulfill his dream of competing in the NCAAs while “Oregon State is sitting home.”
• Nebraska is returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998, but the Cornhuskers hope to remove their label as one of the two Power Six Conference schools without an NCAA Tournament victory.
• Creighton’s Canadian guard Jaheens Manigat is living his dream of playing for the Bluejays with a potential NBA star.
• The BYU Cougars look to “reinvent themselves” as second-leading scorer Kyle Collinsworth is injured. However, behind their leader Tyler Haws, it may not be as difficult as some think.
• Oregon is certainly looking forward to the NCAA Tournament, but its players have just as tough of a task looming ahead of them. Time to hit the books, it’s finals week in Eugene!
• Wisconsin has a lot of productive guys, but freshman Nigel Hayes is looking to give the Badgers a spark off the bench.

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Rush the Court will be providing wall-to-wall coverage of each of the NCAA Tournament from each of the 13 sites this year. Follow our NCAA Tourney specific Twitter accounts at @RTCeastregion, @RTCMWregion, @RTCsouthregion and @RTCwestregion.

Three Key Takeaways in NC State’s First Four win.

TJ Warren Started Slowly But Came On Strong When It Mattered Most (credit: RNO)

1. A balanced attack without T.J. Warren stealing the show. NC State was in control for seemingly the entire game, even when Xavier went on a several runs that threatened to challenge them. Once again, Ralston Turner, who finished the night with 17 points, stepped up when TJ Warren struggled early. And Tyler Lewis did his part to fill in for an ailing Anthony Barber, who played only eight first half minutes due to a fever and stomach illness. Lewis contributed seven points and eight assists, the final of which capped off the evening with a lob to Jordan Vandenburg for a dunk.
2. NC State is not the same team without T.J. Warren on the floor. Even though several others stepped up for Mark Gottfried tonight, the team really struggled when Warren went out early in the first half with two fouls. After his return, NC State went on a quick 10-2 run to widen the lead to 22-14. When he was out again in the second half, Xavier went on another run, but upon his return he quickly scored on a fadeaway runner and on an emphatic one-handed dunk within the first minute. NC State’s fortunes for the rest of this NCAA Tournament will completely depend on how far Warren carries it — he’s that good.
3. Xavier shot 14 percent from three-point range. Xavier came into this game shooting 35 percent from distance on the year as a team, but they missed several key open looks down the stretch that could have kept them afloat. With Warren doing his thing on the other end, the Musketeers needed to keep pace and all of the bricked threes simply wouldn’t allow for it. A reasonable nine-point margin quickly shot up to an unmanageable 17-point difference as a result of all those missed threes down the stretch.

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Rush the Court will be providing wall-to-wall coverage of each of the NCAA Tournament from each of the 13 sites this year. Follow our NCAA Tourney specific Twitter accounts at @RTCeastregion, @RTCMWregion, @RTCsouthregion and @RTCwestregion.

Three Key Takeaways.

Albany is All Smiles as the Danes Advance to the Round of 64 (AP/Skip Peterson)

1. Back to back 21-2 runs don’t happen that often… Albany opened the game by going on a 21-2 tear, and it appeared as if they were about to put the game completely out of reach early. Mount St. Mary’s roared back with an equally impressive 21-2 run of their own to even things up, and the rest of the evening settled into a close back-and-forth contest the rest of the way.
2. The difference in the game: tempo. Albany’s bench is shallow and only played 16 total minutes beyond the starters. Mount St. Mary’s likes to play a fast-paced game, but they were atrocious from the field in the first 10 minutes. They did a great job forcing Albany to pick up the tempo by pressing in the second half, and when they did, Albany made too many mistakes. Mount St. Mary’s seemed to go away from what got them there in the last 10 minutes, purposely slowing things down, which allowed Albany not only to stay fresh, but to take the advantage down the stretch.
3. First round jitters. Both teams looked very sloppy at times, and this allowed for some streaky runs from both in the first half. Mount St. Mary’s started the game 0-of-11 from the field, including an ice-cold 0-of-6 from beyond the arc. Albany had 14 turnovers, but Mount St. Mary’s failed to capitalize on enough of those opportunities. Ultimately the poor three-point shooting in the first half by Mount St. Mary’s led to their demise. One bright light was Will Miller, who was 7-of-12 from three-point range and seemed to knock down shot after critical shot to change momentum when they needed it most.

Star of the Game. D.J. Evans, Albany – Evans set the stage in the opening minutes with several key baskets and assists, and he always seemed to be there when Albany needed him the most. He had nine rebounds to go along with his team-leading 22 points, despite being just 5’9”. His ball-handling was instrumental to the Danes’ victory, as Mount St. Mary’s caused most of their turnovers when he was off the floor. He also had a critical rebound off a Mount St. Mary’s miss with 12 seconds remaining, and hit both free throws to ice the game.

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Sing it with me: It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The Big Dance is finally upon us. After a terrific regular season, we finally have the bracket in our hands. Before the inexorable slide into ripping them up in exasperation, we are left with hope for a couple more days — hope that we can pick the right Final Four and National Champion. Hope that we can suss out the nearly impossible task of selecting which upsets will actually come to fruition. Will there be another Dunk City-esque run in 2014? Which Other 26 conference team will become America’s next darling? Well, we here at the O26 microsite will try to help you out. Let’s take a look at the O26 teams — starting with the Midwest and South Regions — and discuss the likelihood that each has to advance this week.

MIDWEST

Regional Threats. These are the teams that could be second- and third-weekend squads.

Wichita State, despite a tough road, could make another Final Four. (AP/Peter Aiken)

• Wichita State (#1 seed) — The Shockers might be the most polarizing team in the nation. Some people love ’em and want to see a repeat Final Four run, and others want to see them fall flat on their faces, validating their loud group of detractors. The fact is Wichita State is 34-0 and the first team since UNLV in 1991 to enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated. Well, if the Wheatshockers can return to the Final Four, they’ll shut those detractors up. They have arguably the toughest path to the Final Four out of all the #1 seeds. Preseason #1 Kentucky in the round of 32, a criminally underseeded #4 Louisville team in the Sweet Sixteen, and then either #2 seed Michigan or #3 seed Duke in the Elite Eight. Woof. This is Wichita State’s opportunity to show the nation just how good it is. And the Shockers are plenty good. They boast a top-10 ranking in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per Ken Pomeroy. Star power forward Cleanthony Early also ranked seventh in KenPom’s player of the year rankings. With additional prospects in guard Ron Baker and point guard Fred VanVleet, the Shockers could find themselves in Arlington, Texas, in early April.

One and Done. These teams have a solid shot at winning their round of 64 game, but are unlikely to reach the second weekend.

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