Happy Friday everyone! I don’t know about you, but I’m
pumped for this weekend.
We have Top 25 matchups everywhere in college basketball,
the Olympic hockey medal round and the NFL Combine begins.
Let’s get started with those college basketball predictions
though.
Marquee Matchup:
No. 1 Syracuse @ No. 5 Duke, Saturday, 6 p.m., ESPN: The
rankings won’t be the same after the weekend but this is still a huge game. Syracuse lost its first game of the season to Boston College Wednesday. Then the Blue Devils lost last night to North
Carolina. Nonetheless, this game has the makings of a classic, if you recall
the last time these squads faced each other. Duke gives the Orangemen all kinds
of problems because everyone on the floor can shoot. The Cuse are so tough
defensively because of their length, and Tyler Ennis makes them special on
offense when he’s playing well. I like Duke in this one. Syracuse hasn’t been
playing well lately, but got away with it until Wednesday’s loss. Blue Devils
hit 10 threes and play just well enough defensively to get the win. Duke 75
Syracuse 71.
Second Tier:
No. 11 Louisville @ No. 7 Cincinnati, Saturday, 11 a.m.,
CBS: Cincinnati is quietly having one of the better seasons in college
basketball. The Bearcats play fantastic defense and their frontcourt can play
with anyone in the country. Speaking of quiet seasons though, how about the
defending national champs? I’ve heard very little about the Cardinals this
season. But Rick Pitino is flying under the radar, and his bunch is playing
well, winning nine of their last 10. Two very different styles of play will
clash in this won. Louisville boasts one of the best offenses in the country,
while Cincinnati only allows 57 points a game. The Bearcats took the first one
at Louisville and I think they protect home court here. Cincinnati 70
Louisville 67.
Might Get Interesting:
No. 6 San Diego State @ New Mexico, Saturday, 9 p.m., ESPN
2: This game might be the best of the day. Of course, these teams aren’t the
most well known, but both can play. San Diego State can only improve its
already impressive resume with a win at New Mexico. On the other side, the
Lobos need this one. They are currently an 8 seed in Joe Lunardi’s
bracketology, but with bad losses to New Mexico St. and UNLV, a top 10 win
would help them out greatly. Because of that, I like New Mexico in this one.
Too much at stake for the Lobos, while not much will change for SDSU whether it
wins or loses. New Mexico 72 SDSU 68.
Other Top 25 Matchups:
-No. 19 Texas @ No. 8 Kansas, Saturday, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU
-No. 16 Wisconsin @ No. 15 Iowa, Saturday, 11 a.m., ESPN 2
-No. 13 Michigan State @ No. 20 Michigan, Sunday, 11 a.m.,
CBS
Things I Missed:
-Nebraska won its fourth straight last night. Check out Nedu Izu’s game story.
-North Carolina fans stormed the court after beating Duke last
night. Why would Carolina fans ever need to storm the court?
-USA takes on Canada in the Olympic semifinals today at 11
a.m. Watch here.
-LeBron James made a statement last night.
-Here's a preview for the NFL Combine.
Thanks for reading! Enjoy a great weekend of sports!
Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward
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