SB Nation’s Chris Dobbertean, editor of Blogging The Bracket, has your rundown of Sunday’s Second Round NCAA Tournament action, including announcer pairings and picks.
2010 NCAA Tournament: Sunday Schedule, Previews And Predictions
Friday’s First Round winners will try to equal Saturday’s Second Round excitement during today’s tripleheader. Duke and Syracuse will try to avoid Kansas’ fate, while Cornell and Texas A&M will attempt to book spots at local regionals. Yesterday, Baylor was able to get to Houston, while BYU couldn’t reach Salt Lake City.
All games are on CBS, check your local listings to see your affiliate’s choices. You can watch all 63 games of the event through NCAA® March Madness on Demand®.
The Sunday National Game
Just like on Saturday, Sunday’s Second Round action begins with a single game.
12:10 p.m. ET (West: Buffalo) No. 8 Gonzaga (23-6) vs. No. 1 Syracuse (29-4) (Gus Johnson/Len Elmore): The still Arinze Onuaku-less Orange will try to confuse the upset-minded Bulldogs with their 2-3 zone. Syracuse will need to be more consistent than they were against Vermont on Friday night to advance. My pick: Syracuse
Mid-Afternoon
This window sees action at all four sites.
2:20 p.m. ET (Midwest: Milwaukee) No. 10 Georgia Tech (23-12) vs. No. 2 Ohio State (28-7) (Ian Eagle/ Jim Spanarkel): The Yellow Jackets played relatively smart ball and hit their free throws to beat Oklahoma State Friday. They have the interior players to topple the Buckeyes, but Ohio State has Evan Turner and a better backcourt. My pick: Ohio State
2:30 p.m. ET (South: Spokane) No. 5 Michigan State (24-8) vs. No. 4 Maryland (24-8) (Tim Brando/Mike Gminski): The Spartans struggled mightily Friday night, while the Terrapins romped. Expect this to continue this afternoon. My pick: Maryland
2:40 p.m. ET approx. (East: Buffalo) No. 10 Missouri (23-10) vs. No. 2 West Virginia (28-6) (Johnson/Elmore): This should be an interesting one, as both squads rank highly in Ken Pomeroy's offensive and defensive efficiency rankings. The Mountaineers may have a bit more offense than the Tigers, however. My pick: West Virginia
2:50 p.m. ET (East: Jacksonville) No. 12 Cornell (28-4) vs. No. 4 Wisconsin (24-8) (Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg): The Big Red can reach a semi-home regional in Syracuse with a win, but expect the Badgers to try to lock them down. My pick: Cornell
Early Evening
The first weekend concludes with games at three sites.
4:50 p.m. ET approx. (West: Milwaukee) No. 6 Xavier (25-8) vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh (24-8) (Eagle/Spanarkel): Two tough, gritty teams meet up for a spot opposite Kansas State in Salt Lake City. Jordan Crawford and the Musketeers will look to end the surprisingly good season Jermaine Dixon and the Panthers put together. My pick: Xavier
5:00 p.m. ET approx. (South: Spokane) No. 5 Texas A&M (24-9) No. 4 Purdue (28-5) (Brando/Gminski): The Boilermakers proved quite a few wrong with their resounding win over Siena Friday. Donald Sloan, Dash Harris and Bryan Davis will attempt to send them back down to earth and earn a trip to Houston. My pick: Texas A&M
5:20 p.m. ET approx. (South: Jacksonville) No. 8 California (24-10) vs. No. 1 Duke (30-5) (Nantz/Kellogg): Expect this one to be more entertaining than you'd expect, as the Golden Bears rank third in offensive efficiency, while the Blue Devils are second. Duke may have just a bit more defense though, which should keep the Pac-10 from claiming two Sweet 16 teams in a down year. My pick: Duke
Follow Chris on Twitter, @BracketDobber, for his thoughts and reactions throughout the day and evening.
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