The greatest few days in American sports continues today.
Here's a prediction for every 2019 NCAA tournament first-round game.
East Region
(1) Duke vs. (16) North Dakota State
No need to get cute here. Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish and the crew should roll with ease.
Winner: Duke
(8) VCU vs. (9) UCF
The Rams' defense is the best unit in this game by far, but this is a fantastic 8-9 matchup. VCU ranks seventh in the country in defense, per KenPom. UCF's offense is hit-or-miss, and it will struggle putting up points in this pressure-packed environment.
Winner: VCU
(5) Mississippi State vs. (12) Liberty
This will be a good one, but the Mississippi State backcourt of Lamar Peters and Quinndary Weatherspoon could overwhelm Liberty. The Flames' stoppers are in the frontcourt, and that duo has the potential to run wild.
Winner: Mississippi State
(4) Virginia Tech vs. (13) Saint Louis
Justin Robinson is back, and this is a fascinating clash of styles. The Hokies love to bomb 3s. Saint Louis loves to slow the game down. Virginia Tech has far more firepower, though, and has been playing well after some turbulence about a month ago.
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Winner: Virginia Tech
(6) Maryland vs. (11) Belmont
We initially made this pick before Belmont defeated Temple and we're sticking with it. The Bruins are outstanding offensively, and have only lost once since Jan. 17. Belmont makes 59.5 percent of its 2s, good for second in the country. Look for the Bruins to make Bruno Fernando come outside of the paint and guard ball screen after ball screen.
Winner: Belmont
(3) LSU vs. (14) Yale
This is probably the most likely 14-over-3 upset candidate, but we're still going with LSU. The Tigers went 16-2 in one of the best conferences in America. That said, this could come down to the wire, and Yale's Miye Oni is one of the most well-rounded players in the field.
Winner: LSU
(7) Louisville vs. (10) Minnesota
Richard Pitino takes on his dad's former school, and the Cardinals are vulnerable right now, having lost eight of their last 12. The Amir Coffey-Jordan Murphy pair can be dominant for Minnesota. The Gophers have beaten 3 seed Purdue twice this March, which is awfully impressive.
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Winner: Minnesota
(2) Michigan State vs. (15) Bradley
Sparty should roll here. Tom Izzo has arguably done his best coaching job ever with this group, and Bradley doesn't have the guys to hang.
Winner: Michigan State
West Region
(1) Gonzaga vs. (16) Fairleigh Dickinson
This is a really strong group of 1 seeds, and Gonzaga arguably has the best starting five in the country. Should be a blowout.
Winner: Gonzaga
(8) Syracuse vs. (9) Baylor
Hard to pick against Syracuse in the NCAA tournament these days, right? The Orange have won seven games in their last two tourney appearances, and they have a higher seed in 2019 than they did in 2016 or 2018.
Winner: Syracuse
(5) Marquette vs. (12) Murray State
The best individual matchup of the first round: Ja Morant vs. Markus Howard. Give us Morant, who more or less single-handedly beat Belmont in the OVC title game. Marquette has struggled lately, having lost five of its last six.
Winner: Murray State
(4) Florida State vs. (13) Vermont
The Seminoles have crazy depth. They have eight guys who average at least six points per game. FSU looks primed for a deep run — it's only lost two games since Jan. 20. The opponents? North Carolina and Duke. The Seminoles have dominated lesser competition along the way.
Winner: Florida State
(6) Buffalo vs. (11) Arizona State
Buffalo upset Arizona last year, and this year's crew is even better. C.J. Massinburg is a stud, and while Arizona St. could present challenges, the Bulls are far more consistent.
Winner: Buffalo
(3) Texas Tech vs. (14) Northern Kentucky
Texas Tech suffered a surprising loss in the Big 12 tournament, but it was on fire before that, having won nine in a row. It's hard to pick against Jarrett Culver and the No. 1 defense in the land.
Winner: Texas Tech
(7) Nevada vs. (10) Florida
Nevada is the oldest team in the field, made it to the Sweet 16 last year, and has two guys who average at least 17 points per game. Florida has athletes, but its offense is maddeningly inconsistent.
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Winner: Nevada
(2) Michigan vs. (15) Montana
Michigan has zero sub-40 KenPom losses this year. The Wolverines beat the teams they are supposed to beat, and it should handle Montana just fine.
Winner: Michigan
South Region
(1) Virginia vs. (16) Gardner-Webb
No repeat of last year, but this will be one to watch. We can't overstate how important it is that De'Andre Hunter is healthy for the Cavaliers.
Winner: Virginia
(8) Ole Miss vs. (9) Oklahoma
Ole Miss has really fallen lately, having lost five of seven. Christian James and Brady Manek are big wings who can guard, shoot and penetrate. They are inherently valuable because of how many boxes they check. Look for both guys to make a big impact in this one.
Winner: Oklahoma
(5) Wisconsin vs. (12) Oregon
Oregon is the trendy upset pick, and it's easy to see why. The game is in San Jose and the Ducks are on fire. But Ethan Happ is a top 10 (or higher) player, and the Badgers have the No. 3 defense and a recently successful NCAA tournament track record.
Winner: Wisconsin
(4) Kansas State vs. (13) UC Irvine
Dean Wade's status is unclear for Kansas State, and Russell Turner can flat out coach. The Anteaters haven't lost since Jan. 16 and have the best 2-point defense in the country. The Wildcats only rank 102nd in offense, and that number factors in Wade. Give us UC Irvine in an upset.
Winner: UC Irvine
(6) Villanova vs. (11) Saint Mary's
Villanova gets more than half of its offense from behind the 3-point line, and Saint Mary's only allows foes to make 31.8 percent of its 3s. Granted, the Wildcats can light up anyone on the right night. But the Gaels are fresh off a win over Gonzaga, and are equipped to handle the Villanova perimeter attack.
Winner: Saint Mary's
(3) Purdue vs. (14) Old Dominion
Carsen Edwards will easily be the best player on the floor, and Purdue surrounds him with shooting. Old Dominion ranks 216th in offense and probably isn't the team that can exploit the Boilermakers' weaknesses on that end.
Winner: Purdue
(7) Cincinnati vs. (10) Iowa
Cincinnati looks better than a 7 seed right now; it just beat Houston easily in the AAC final, and the Cougars are good enough to make the Final Four. Tyler Cook and Luka Garza won't overpower the Bearcats' front line like they do to so many others.
Winner: Cincinnati
(2) Tennessee vs. (15) Colgate
Colgate likely won't have an answer for Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield, and on the off chance it does, the Volunteers have another dimension this year with point guard Jordan Bone's rapid emergence.
Winner: Tennessee
Midwest
(1) North Carolina vs. (16) Iona
Tar Heels should have no issue here. They are a legit national title contender, and while Iona is a nice story, it doesn't match up guy for guy.
Winner: North Carolina
We checked to see if 16 vs. 1 games have been getting closer.
(8) Utah State vs. (9) Washington
Washington is excellent at taking the ball away from foes, and Utah State coughs it up on almost 18 percent of its possessions, which ranks 126th. Teams seem to have trouble navigating zones during tournament play. Just ask Syracuse.
Winner: Washington
(5) Auburn vs. (12) New Mexico State
A fascinating 5-12 matchup, but Auburn has elite guard play and momentum on its side. The Tigers just rolled Tennessee, and Jared Harper and Bryce Brown thrive in big games.
Winner: Auburn
(4) Kansas vs. (13) Northeastern
Dedric Lawson should be able to overpower perimeter-oriented Northeastern. Bill Coen's team can really shoot it, but it will need to get crazy hot from 3-point land to top the Jayhawks.
Winner: Kansas
(6) Iowa State vs. (11) Ohio State
Ohio State has really scuffled in the second half of the season, and the Cyclones are playing some of their best ball of the year. Marial Shayok will be the best player on the floor, and ISU simply has a higher overall skill level.
Winner: Iowa State
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(3) Houston vs. (14) Georgia State
The Cougars stumbled against the Bearcats, but they are 31-3 for a reason and have a top 15 defense. Georgia State is outside of the top 100 on both ends of the floor.
Winner: Houston
(7) Wofford vs. (10) Seton Hall
Wofford shoots 41.6 percent from 3-point range, which ranks second in the country. Seton Hall ranks 129th in 3-point defense. America will know Fletcher Magee's name by the end of this one.
Winner: Wofford
(2) Kentucky vs. (15) Abilene Christian
John Calipari-coached Kentucky teams don't get upset in the first round. P.J. Washington and Reid Travis will be too much for the undersized Wildcats to stop.
Winner: Kentucky
