Tuesday night begins the 2012 NIT bracket, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are taking a look at the NIT TV schedule and where you can catch the NIT live on TV!

NIT Final Bracket: NIT Games On TV For Thursday, March 29th (3/29/12)
#6 Minnesota 51 vs. #3 Stanford 76

There was never really all that much of a doubt about who was capturing the 2012 NIT from the very start on Thursday night. Stanord came out of the blocks on fire and put the Golden Gophers behind the 8-ball early, and it never really looked back en route to one of the biggest wins that a team has had here in the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden in quite some time. The Cardinal didn’t win the Preseason NIT this year, eventually choking what would have been a big time win away against the Syracuse Orange, but they got the job done in this one and made sure to keep their foot on the gas pedal this time around to finish off the season on a high note with a postseason tournament title.

NIT Final Four Bracket: NIT Games On TV For Tuesday, March 27th (3/27/12)
#5 Massachusetts 64 vs. #3 Stanford 74
#6 Minnesota 68 vs. #1 Washington 67

We figured that we were going to see two very interesting games here in the NIT Semifinals in Madison Square Garden, and we got just that. Stanford was able to run up and down the court, especially in the second half to put away the Atlantic 10 reps from UMass. The Cardinal picked up 18 points from a largely unheralded Anthony Brown, who recorded a season high in points just at the right time. Stanford’s defense proved to be stingy for the Minutemen, especially from the outside, and in the end, shooting just 5-of-22 from beyond the arc proved to be the killer for Massachusetts.

The thought of an all Pac-12 NIT Final went down the drain in the second half of the double dip, though. Washington was the slightly favored team over Minnesota on Tuesday night, but the last top seed left standing in this tournament just never got the game up to the pace that it was hoping for. Scoring just 26 points in the first half was prohibitive to say the least, and though the Huskies were able to fight back to score 35 in the second half to force OT, getting just six points in the extra frame certainly didn’t help matters at all. Minnesota effectively got all of its best minutes out of Rodney Williams, Andre Hollins, and Austin Hollins. These three combined to play 123 out of a possible 135 minutes, and they scored 50 of the team’s 68 points.

Quarterfinal NIT Bracket: NIT Games On TV For Wednesday, March 21st (3/21/12)
#6 Minnesota 78 @ #4 Middle Tennessee State 72
#5 Nevada 56 @ #3 Stanford 84

The field for the NIT Final Four is set, and Minnesota and Stanford have both punched their tickets. The road for the Golden Gophers was quite difficult, as they had to play three road games to reach MSG. Rodney Williams’ huge NIT continued on Wednesday night when he came up with a whopping 24 points, leading the charge in the second half in Murfreesboro to take down the Blue Raiders. Nevada was a team that went on a nice little run to get to this point as well, but it was clearly overmatched by the Pac-12 reps. Stanford is proving that it has a team that should have at least been in consideration for the NCAA Tournament in spite of the fact that it was never really considered to be on the bubble in spite of all of its wins. Getting seven players with at least eight points in one game always helps, and that’s how the Cardinal rode themselves to victory in the quarters.

Quarterfinal NIT Bracket: NIT Games On TV For Tuesday, March 20th (3/20/12)
#5 Massachusetts 72 @ #3 Drexel 70
#3 Oregon 86 @ #1 Washington 90

The first two tickets have been punched to Madison Square Garden, and it is clear that the shocker of the bunch is the fact that UMass was able to take down Drexel. The Atlantic 10 has represented quite well here in the postseason with Xavier in the Sweet 16 and now the Minutemen in the NIT Final Four. It was another strong offensive effort that pushed UMass to its third upset on the road in this tourney. Oregon’s offense didn’t slow down a beat once it had to go on the road, but in the end, the Huskies just had more offense to bring to the table with a high scoring victory at the Alaska Airlines Arena. U-Dub is the only top seed to survive to make it to MSG, and it is going to be the clear cut favorite when the four teams end up getting assembled at the Mecca of basketball.

Second Round NIT Bracket: NIT Games On TV For Monday, March 19th (3/19/12)
#4 Middle Tennessee State 71 @ #1 Tennessee 64
#6 Minnesota 78 @ #2 Miami 60
#7 Illinois State 88 @ #3 Stanford 92

It was definitely a bad day to be a top seed. The three home teams went a combined 0-3 ATS on the day on Monday, and that has really set up a very ecceltic set of quarterfinal matchups to be played in the NIT for the right to go to Madison Square Garden. The Blue Raiders were able to go on the road in a huge instate battle with Tennessee, and they were able to walk away from Knoxville with a victory that was the most monumental upset that a Sun Belt team has had all season long. Meanwhile, a Minnesota team that appeared to be giving up on the season just a few weeks ago now has a second straight road win here in the NIT, this one coming over a Miami team that had played some big time games at the Bank Atlantic Center this year. Illinois State did everything that it could offensively to be able to take down the Cardinal, but it just wasn’t meant to be when push came to shove. Stanford is now one of the three teams from the Pac-12 to be in the quarterfinals of this tournament.

Second Round NIT Bracket: NIT Games On TV For Sunday, March 18th (3/18/12)
#7 Northern Iowa 63 @ #3 Drexel 65
#8 Bucknell 67 @ #5 Nevada 75
#7 Iowa 97 @ #3 Oregon 108

Home teams haven’t always been the greatest here in the NIT, but on Sunday, all of the hosts were able to get into the quarterfinals. Drexel was the team that had the toughest challenge, as it really had to fight hard to dispose of a UNI team that proved to be a nuisance here in the NIT. The Missouri Valley Conference has done well over the course of the whole postseason for sure. Oregon’s offense was really rolling against Iowa on Sunday afternoon. The Ducks came out like a house of fire and nearly shot 60 percent from the field. The Hawkeyes gave it everything they had in one of their best offensive games on the season, but it just wasn’t enough to fend off the U of O. Nevada, a team that never would have envisioned getting a home game here in the NIT, did just that and is now well on its way to the quarters and is one step from Madison Square Garden after dismissing Bucknell.

Second Round NIT Bracket: NIT Games On TV For Saturday, March 17th (3/17/12)
#5 Massachusetts 77 @ #1 Seton Hall 67

We knew that it was entirely possible that Seton Hall was going to get bounced out of the NIT on Saturday, and that’s precisely what happened. Really from start to finish, the Minutemen felt like the better team, and they just felt like they were always going to be able to move on to get the job done. There was just no answer for the UMass players on the glass. Four of them had at least seven rebounds, and the Minutemen clearly had the upper hand in terms of the quality of play and the hustle that was involved. Now, the A-10 is well represented just one step away from Madison Square Garden.

Second Round NIT Bracket: NIT Games On TV For Friday, March 16th (3/16/12)
#4 Northwestern 55 @ #1 Washington 76

The Huskies really never had troubles with the Wildcats, and now, Head Coach Lorenzo Romar and the gang are starting to save face in an otherwise utter disappointment of a season for the Pac-12. There is just one more game that awaits before a trip to Madison Square Garden, and we give credit to this team for getting on the horse and getting the job done here in the NIT even though it was one of the many teams that was brutally disappointed with the fact that it is here in the NIT and not in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats were never really in the right mindset to win this tournament, and it showed when it had to take the long roadie to Seattle on Friday night.

First Round NIT Bracket: NIT Games On TV For Wednesday, March 14th (3/14/12)
#6 Minnesota 70 @ #3 La Salle 61
#6 UCF 56 @ #3 Drexel 81
#7 Northern Iowa 67 @ #2 St. Joseph’s 65
#7 Valparaiso 50 @ #2 Miami 66
#8 Bucknell 65 @ #1 Arizona 54
#5 Nevada 68 @ #4 Oral Roberts 59
#7 Illinois State 96 @ #2 Ole Miss 93

The second night of the NIT was definitely one that was worth watching. There were definitely some upsets on tap, and the biggest of the bunch saw Bucknell go on the road and knock off an Arizona team that was right on the verge of the NCAA Tournament. It was yet another dismal day for the Pac-12, which has seen seemingly all of its teams either struggle or get bounced from their postseason conference tournaments.

It was also a great night for the Missouri Valley Conference. The NIT Selection Committee could have picked gobs of other teams for their bracket, but in the end, they decided to make the last two teams in the field Illinois State and Northern Iowa. Now, there are definitely no regrets about either one. UNI went on the road and toppled St. Joe’s by a bucket, while Illinois State outlasted Ole Miss in OT thanks to shooting 62.7 percent from the field.

There was a lot of talk that Nevada might be in bad shape on the road against Oral Roberts, but the Wolf Pack had the answer on Wednesday night. They were able to notch a big road win that spoke volumes to just how good the WAC might have been this season.

Valpo proved to be no match for a Miami team that looks like it really can be a contender in this tournament, while Drexel also held serve at home against UCF in the biggest blowout of the night. Minnesota also took care of business on the road, taking care of La Salle by nine. The “Big 5″ teams from the City of Brotherly Love ended up going just 1-2 on the evening.

First Round NIT Bracket: NIT Games On TV For Tuesday, March 13th (3/13/12)
#5 Massachusetts 101 @ #4 Mississippi State 96
#8 Stony Brook 61 @ #1 Seton Hall 63
#2 Dayton 75 @ #7 Iowa 84
#8 Savannah State 51 @ #1 Tennessee 65
#5 Akron 74 @ #4 Northwestern 76
#5 Marshall 78 @ #4 Middle Tennessee State 86
#6 LSU 76 @ #3 Oregon 96
#8 Texas Arlington 72 @ #1 Washington 82
#6 Cleveland State 65 @ #3 Stanford 76

What we saw on the first day of the NIT was a lot of home teams figure out how to get the job done. Some accomplished their missions a heck of a lot easier than others did, but in the end, most of the higher seeds advanced.

Of course, the team that we felt the most sorry for was Dayton, which ended up having to go on the road with the First Four occurring in its home building, and the end result, very predictable, was a loss to an Iowa team that has been dominating teams of late at Carver Hawkeye Arena.

Tennessee, MTSU, Washington, and Stanford made it through their first round games without all that much trouble. Oregon was the dominating team of the bunch, as it absolutely smacked LSU by 20 on that funky court in Eugene.

Northwestern was able to survive a challenge from Akron in Evanston, but the game of the night clearly was the one between UMass and Mississippi State. We give the Bulldogs all of the credit in the world for being willing to fight for two overtimes with this team out of the A-10, but in the end, it was the Minutemen that were able to prevail when push came to shove.

The 2012 CBI bracket has been set, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are taking a look at the top games on the CBI schedule, along with where you can catch the CBI live on TV!

List Of Past CBI Winners
2011 CBI Winner – Oregon Ducks
2010 CBI Winner – VCU Rams
2009 CBI Winner – Oregon State Beavers
2008 CBI Winner – Tulsa Golden Hurricane

CBI Finals Bracket: CBI Finals Series (Best of 3)
Monday, March 26th – Pittsburgh 66 @ Washington State 67
Wednesday, March 28th – Washington State 53 @ Pittsburgh 57
Friday, March 30th – Washington State 65 @ Pittsburgh 71

Tray Woodall had a last second shot blocked right at the death in Pullman on Monday night, which kept Pittsburgh from stealing Game 1 of this best-of-three series on the road. Now, the Panthers have to come back to the Steel City and take both games at the Petersen Athletic Center against Wazzu to be able to claim the CBI title. Abe Lodwick was the start for the Cougs in Game 1, knocking down four three-point baskets en route to a game-high 16 points.

Game 2 of the CBI Final went the way of the Panthers, and it was yet another very close knock down, drag out type of clash. Ashton Gibbs sat out for Pittsburgh, and it really showed in the second half when the team nearly coughed away a double digit lead. Reggie Moore was the man that brought Wazzu back into the fray, scoring 18 points. He was the only double digit scorer for the team. Talib Zanna came off of the bench to score a dozen to lead the Panthers. Without some foul trouble for some of its top players, Washington State might have been able to close out the CBI on Wednesday night.

Tray Woodall was the man that got rejected at the death in the first game of the CBI. Now, he became the hero. His 17 points led the way for the Panthers in the decisive Game 3 of the CBI. Pitt became the first team from the Big East to ever win a postseason tournament outside of the NIT and the NCAA Tournament. It was a trying year for sure for U-Pitt, a team that was once ranked as high as No. 9 in the country. However, the Panthers can now boast that they are the CBI champs. It isn’t the greatest distinction in the world, but titles are titles, and this is one that isn’t going to be forgotten even though it was a season that clearly fell short of all sorts of goals. Wazzu couldn’t become the second team from the Pac-12 to claim a postseason title, as the Cougs came up just shy of matching the Stanford Cardinal as a postseason champ.

Semifinals CBI Bracket: CBI Semifinal Games On TV For Wednesday, March 21st (3/21/12)
Pittsburgh 68 @ Butler 62
Washington State 72 @ Oregon State 55

Give a whole bunch of credit to both Pittsburgh and Wazzu for going on the road and taking down their two very capable opponents to get to the CBI Final. The Cougars were able to use a stifling defense to go into Corvallis and come away with a victory by holding a very offensive minded Oregon State team to just 55 points. Meanwhile, the Panthers, who were once a Top 10 team in the country this year, are going to at least have a little something to play for in the CBI Final after going into Hinkle Fieldhouse and disposing of the Bulldogs, who fell just short for a third straight year of going to a postseason finale.

Quarterfinals CBI Bracket: CBI QF Games On TV For Monday, March 19th (3/19/12)
Princeton 61 @ Pittsburgh 82
Butler 63 @ Penn 53
Wyoming 41 @ Washington State 61
TCU 81 @ Oregon State 101

We have seen the Pac-12 do some great things here in the postseason and Oregon State and Wazzu are no exceptions to those rules. They both did remarkable jobs at home against lesser teams on Monday night, disposing of Wyoming and TCU respectively by 20 points apiece. There is no doubt that these two are the teams to beat in this tournament, as they have both picked great times to start playing their best basketball. Pittsburgh was able to steamroll Princeton in a game that never really was all that close in the Steel City. Meanwhile, there was only one team went on the road and picked up a victory, and that was Butler in its trip to Penn. The Ivy League crashed out of the CBI with those two resounding losses on a night in which all of the teams that were beaten were clearly overmatched and were thoroughly destroyed.

First Round CBI Bracket: CBI Games On TV For Wednesday, March 14th (3/14/12)
Wofford 63 @ Pittsburgh 81
Quinnipiac 63 @ Pennsylvania 74
Delaware 58 @ Butler 75
North Dakota State 75 @ Wyoming 78
Western Illinois 59 @ Oregon State 80

It was definitely a good day to be a home team here in the CBI. The hosts went a resounding 5-for-5 on the evening, and the only game that was even remotely in doubt was the win for Wyoming over North Dakota State. The big name teams were all able to prevail and do so easily. Oregon State disposed of Western Illinois without any sort of a fight, while Pitt, a team that at times struggled against suspect teams all year long, did take care of Wofford. Penn, one of the few teams from the Ivy League still playing in the college basketball postseason, denying Quinnipiac from a spot in the quarterfinals in the CBI.

First Round CBI Bracket: CBI Games On TV For Tuesday, March 13th (3/13/12)
Princeton 95 @ Evansville 86
Milwaukee 73 @ TCU 83
Washington State 89 @ San Francisco 75

The first day of the CBI really didn’t provide all that many surprises when push came to shove. Washington State clearly should have been the better team against San Francisco in spite of the fact that the Dons were favored, and the much maligned Pac-12 was able to prevail without much incident. Milwaukee never really had all that much of a shot going into Fort Worth against a TCU team that is trying to carry some momentum into the Big XII next year. The somewhat shocking result is that Princeton was able to score a whopping 95 points against Evansville. The Tigers shot a tremendous 60.0 percent from the field in the win, and they picked a great time to come up with one of their best offensive games of the entire year.

There are a whopping 32 teams that are going to be a part of the 2012 College Insiders Tournament this year, the most that the field has ever had! Check out how the 32 teams are going to stack up, and check out our 2012 CIT bracket and the CIT schedule!

List Of Past CIT Winners
2012 CIT Winner – Mercer Bears
2011 CIT Winner – Santa Clara Broncos
2010 CIT Winner – Missouri State Bears
2009 CIT Winner – Old Dominion Monarchs

CIT Final: CIT Schedule For Wednesday, March 28th (3/28/12)
Mercer 70 @ Utah State 67

The argument could be made that Mercer’s 70-67 win on the road on Wednesday night in the CIT Final was the biggest win that any school has ever had at the Atlantic Sun. The Bears had to fly across the country to take on a Utah State team that had gone 17-4 this year at home prior to the finale, but they were able to get the job done. Mercer held off a ferocious USU rally in the second half for the victory, capped by the 17 points scored by Travis Smith. For the Aggies, there was a stark difference between this game and the game against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the semifinals in which they scored a whopping 105 points. The offense just never looked all that comfortable for major stretches of the game, and once Smith started knocking down shots from the outside, it was seemingly all but over. Every time USU made a bit of a run, someone was able to hit a big time shot for the Bears. Now, they are the 2012 CIT Champions.

CIT Final Four Bracket: CIT Schedule For Sunday, March 25th (3/25/12)
Oakland 81 @ Utah State 105

We knew that Oakland was going to try to run with the Aggies, but we really didn’t know just how unsuccessful it would be in doing so. Every time that the Golden Grizzlies made a bit of a move, Utah State just had the answer. The hosts didn’t miss all that many shots, and they connected with a whopping 12-of-16 three point shots to make sure that there was just no doubt left about which team was the superior one. The Aggies shot 64 percent from the floor in the ‘W’, as opposed to the 37 percent that the Summit League reps shot.

CIT Final Four Bracket: CIT Schedule For Saturday, March 24th (3/24/12)
Mercer 64 @ Fairfield 59

We have to give this Mercer team all of the credit in the world. This is a club that could have gone in the tank when it lost to Florida Gulf Coast in the Atlantic Sun Tournament three weeks ago, and now, it is on the verge of winning the CIT. Fairfield had a great season as well, but in the end, it was its defense that ended up costing the team. The Bears have now held seven of their last eight opponents to 61 points or fewer, and if that keeps up, they can win this tournament.

CIT Quarterfinal Bracket: CIT Schedule For Wednesday, March 21st (3/21/12)
Mercer 79 @ Old Dominion 73
Robert Morris 61 @ Fairfield 67
Loyola Marymount 69 @ Utah State 77

Once again, home court advantage held up here in the CIT, and the last three teams to punch their tickets to the Final Four have been set. It was a huge shock to see Mercer come on the road and take out an Old Dominion team that really played well at home for the mass majority of the season. That’s more or less why we aren’t all that surprised to see Utah State and Fairfield moving on. The Stags’ win over Robert Morris was really just another point of emphasis as to why it was a force in the Metro Atlantic this year. That win over Iona wasn’t a fluke in the MAAC Semifinals for sure. The Aggies were able to get rid of the Lions without much in the way of problems, but it is going to be a bit of a loner as the only team in the two Western Time Zones that will be playing in the CIT Final Four

CIT Quarterfinal Bracket: CIT Schedule For Tuesday, March 20th (3/20/12)
Rice 70 @ Oakland 77

The first ticket to the CIT Final Four has been punched, and it is Oakland that is going to be playing in it. The Golden Grizzlies jumped out to a huge lead in the first half and had to fend off a big run by the Owls in the second half to ensure their place in the Final Four here at the CIT. Reggie Hamilton put up 30 points to lead the way for the Grizz, while Rice’s season came to a close thanks to a dozen turnovers and a lot of poor shooting from the field at times during the game.

Second Round CIT Bracket: CIT Schedule For Sunday, March 18th (3/18/12)
South Carolina Upstate 56 @ Old Dominion 65
Manhattan 57 @ Fairfield 69
Weber State 78 @ Loyola Marymount 84

It was another day that home court advantage really paid off here in the CIT, and that means that there are a lot of good teams that are now out of this tourney. Weber State was the top seed in the CIT to get started, but now, its loss to Loyoya Marymount took out a squad that many thought had the ability to win the whole enchilada in this tourney when it was said and done with. Manhattan is another great team that had to come on the road for this tournament, though it wasn’t all that surprising to see it lose to Fairfield, knowing that the home team won both meetings between those teams this year in MAAC play and that it was the Stags and not the Jaspers that were in the MAAC Final this year. South Carolina Upstate’s run in the CIT also came to a close when Old Dominion notched yet another victory for the CAA in a postseason tourney. Drexel, ODU, and VCU all had great runs in their respective tournaments, proving that perhaps this conference is one that should get a heck of a lot more respect going forward than it got for the majority of this season.

Second Round CIT Bracket: CIT Schedule For Saturday, March 17th (3/17/12)
Buffalo 76 @ Oakland 84
Robert Morris 69 @ Toledo 51
Georgia State 59 @ Mercer 64
Drake 68 @ Rice 74
Idaho 56 @ Utah State 76

It was clear that being at home was what was the en vouge thing to do on Saturday night in the CIT. The only team that was hosting a game that was beaten was Toledo, and that came at the hands of a Robert Morris team that really has the ability to win this whole tournament with its up and down style of play. Oakland was a big winner over a Buffalo team that truly is as solid as it comes. Unfortunately for the MVC and the CAA, it wasn’t the greatest day in the world, as Drake and Georgia State were both bounced out of the tournament. Rice is still keeping Conference USA’s hopes alive, and that’s saying something considering how badly this conference has looked in the entire postseason regardless of what tournament we are talking about. Idaho never really had a shot against Utah State, especially in a game that was played in Logan.

First Round CIT Bracket: CIT Schedule For Thursday, March 15th (3/15/12)
Kent State 58 @ South Carolina Upstate 73

We really give it up to South Carolina Upstate, which ended up coming forward with a big time win in the first round of the CIT. There aren’t many teams that are in the postseason tournaments, regardless of what tourney we’re talking about, that are going to be more thrilled about winning games, and the Spartans are surely going to love to still be around in this tournament.

First Round CIT Bracket: CIT Schedule For Wednesday, March 14th (3/14/12)
Manhattan 89 @ Albany 79
Yale 56 @ Fairfield 68
Bowling Green 69 @ Oakland 86
Buffalo 78 @ American 61
North Dakota 64 @ Drake 70
Rice 68 @ Louisiana Lafayette 63
CSU Bakersfield 69 @ Utah State 75
UC Santa Barbara 83 @ Idaho 86
Cal State Fullerton 79 @ Loyola Marymount 88

The Metro Atlantic might have lost Iona from the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday, but at least the conference saved face here in the CIT, where both Manhattan and Fairfield were about to get through the first round of this tournament. The Missouri Valley continued its strong postseason with Drake logging a home win over North Dakota. However, the Big West really did poorly with both the Gauchos and Titans bowing out in the late games to Idaho and Loyola Marymount respectively. The other teams to advance into the second round of the CIT included Utah State, Rice, Buffalo, and Oakland.

First Round CIT Bracket: CIT Schedule For Tuesday, March 13th (3/13/12)
Robert Morris 67 @ Indiana State 60
Tennessee State 60 @ Mercer 68
Coastal Carolina 66 @ Old Dominion 68
Tennessee Tech 43 @ Georgia State 74
McNeese State 63 @ Toledo 76
Utah Valley 69 @ Weber State 72

We give Utah Valley a heck of a lot of credit for taking Weber State all the way to the brink on the first day of the CIT, as that could have been a very ugly game. Robert Morris was the only team to go on the road and come up with a victory, and it was certainly a bit of a shock against an Indiana State team from a great conference in the Valley. It was a good day for the Colonial, as both Old Dominion and Georgia State got into the second round in the CIT, while Mercer and Toledo were the other two winners in relatively comfortable fashion.

The top overall seed and the favorites on the NCAA Tournament odds, the Kentucky Wildcats, are hoping to be the only team in the land to repeat as a Final Four team this year when they take on the Baylor Bears on Sunday in the South Region finale.

2012 Elite 8 Matchup: #3 Baylor Bears vs. #1 Kentucky Wildcats
South Region Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA
Elite 8 Date/Time: Sunday, March 25th, 2:20 p.m.
Baylor vs. Kentucky Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: Baylor has to prove that its talent is as good as Kentucky’s
Normally speaking, the Wildcats run into teams that perhaps have one or two players that can keep up with some of the ridiculous talent that they have to offer. In this case though, there are a slew of players with NBA potential for Baylor, and this is a squad that really can run with the Cats for the full 40 minutes. Brady Heslip has been on fire from downtown. Pierre Jackson has been a monster of a point guard, both as a distributor and as a shoot. Both Perry Jones III and Quincy Acy can jump out of the building and get rebounds with the best in the biz as well. That being said, these Bears haven’t exactly had the roughest road to get here to the Elite 8, and the big knock against them this year is that they haven’t been able to beat the big time teams. There are two losses to the Kansas Jayhawks (though there is a win as well from the Big XII Tournament) and three to the Missouri Tigers. This Kentucky team is certainly just as good and likely better than both. It should be interesting to say the least.

Elite 8 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Baylor Bears +7.5
Kentucky Wildcats -7.5
Click Here to Bet Your Elite 8 Picks!

Key #2: Kentucky’s defense has to avoid giving up those big time runs
We saw both the Iowa State Cyclones and the Indiana Hoosiers figure out how to put up huge gobs of points on the Wildcats, and it is starting to feel like this might be the demise of this team at some point here in this tourney. The defense for UK just doesn’t seem to match the talent of the offense, and guys like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, and Terrence Jones shouldn’t be allowing nine offensive rebounds and a slew of second chance points to a team like the Hoosiers, who only have really two legitimate rebounders on their team. This is where the Bears can really capitalize, as they are a team that feeds off of momentum. We’ve seen it a lot, and we might see it again, and if that turns out to be the case, we are warning the Big Blue Nation that its team could be in a lot of trouble. Even though Baylor is a No. 3 seed, it is going to be playing this one like it is a No. 16 going against the Wildcats, and the team just is not going to give up, and it won’t stop believing during this whole 40 minutes.

Key #3: The Baylor guards have to frustrate Marquis Teague
When we did our Sweet 16 breakdown for the Wildcats, we said that Teague had to be a big time point guard and make good decisions with the basketball. Considering how many possessions there were in the game, the fact that he only coughed it up twice was definitely a good sign. That being said, this is a Baylor team that has quick hands and loves to get into passing lanes. We hate to keep dogging on Teague, but he is still the weakest link on this otherwise absolutely outstanding club. The Bears are averaging just under eight steals per game this year, and well over two thirds of those thefts are coming via the guards that are getting the opponents into trouble. Baylor can be a stingy team, and you can bet that it is going to turn up the pressure as high as it can for the No. 1 team in the country on Sunday.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Elite 8 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

Two of the most popular choices to beat the March Madness odds are going to square off on Sunday afternoon in what should be a remarkable bout on the Elite 8 odds between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Kansas Jayhawks.

2012 Elite 8 Matchup: #2 Kansas Jayhawks vs. #1 North Carolina Tar Heels
Midwest Region Location: Scottrade Arena, St. Louis, MO
Elite 8 Date/Time: Sunday, March 23rd, 5:00 p.m.
Kansas vs. North Carolina Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: UNC has to get over this certain home court disadvantage
The Tar Heels are essentially facing their worst fear in this one. They are taking on the Jayhawks in St. Louis, a city that is traditionally known for its roots in the Big XII, not the ACC. There will be plenty of Carolina Blue in the stands, but that doesn’t mean that the majority still won’t be pulling for Kansas. We have seen the Heels absolutely fall apart in a few games this year that either were true road games or were de facto road games, such as the horrible five touchdown loss to the Florida State Seminoles and the early season upset against the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. In games like those, the crowd was able to really get the best of the Heels, and without any sort of leadership with experience running the show out of the point guard spot, it is going to be up to the rest of this team to maintain its composure if it wants to go to the Bayou for the Final Four.

Elite 8 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Kansas Jayhawks -2
North Carolina Tar Heels +2
Click Here to Bet Your Elite 8 Picks!

Key #2: Tyshawn Taylor needs to get his head back in the game
Taylor has now had three straight lackluster games here in the tourney, and even though he averaged 16.8 points per game this season, he now has three straight games with just 10 points or fewer. He shot a woeful 0-of-6 from beyond the arc in the win over the NC State Wolfpack on Friday night, and he was a big part of why the team shot 1-of-14 from downtown as a unit. Needless to say, that isn’t going to cut it, and if Taylor is really going to step it up and be the man to lead this team as he was in the regular season, he has to get his stroke back. This was a 49.2 percent shooter and a 41.6 percent three-point shooter during the season, and he really has no excuse for jitters any longer after being in the dance last year as a freshman. Taylor just cannot go MIA in this one, though we know that he is going to have some pain in the neck guards that are very athletic guarding him.

Key #3: North Carolina has to get an edge on the boards and make it count
It seems likely that Kendall Marshall is going to be missing out on this one again, though obviously, you are going to want to check your injury report before betting this one if you are playing the Elite 8 odds on game day. That being said, just take a look at the rebounding numbers for North Carolina on Friday night with its win over the Ohio Bobcats. Tyler Zeller had 22 boards by himself, while the whole Ohio team only had 26 rebounds. John Henson and Reggie Bullock both ripped down 10 boards apiece, while Harrison Barnes had seven. We just don’t understand how a team this talented won the rebounding battle 56-26 and still had to play in overtime and arguably should have been beaten by a No. 13 seed that was out of one of the worst conferences in America. Jeff Withey and Thomas Robinson aren’t going to let matters be this easy for the Tar Heels on Sunday, and that might make the difference. If UNC does get the edge though, it has to take advantage of its second chance opportunities and to get the ball up the court in transition in a hurry.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Elite 8 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

Bovada Sportsbook has another great set of NCAA Tournament props available for you to bet on for all of the big games of the day! Check out some of the top props on the board, as well as a list of Elite 8 props for you to sink your teeth into!

Total Three Point Shots Made By Kenny Boynton Over 2.5
The time is here for Boynton to really step up and have a great game. He has been wildly inconsistent in this tourney, but he hasn’t been afraid to jack up the three point shot when he has the chance to either. Remember that this junior knocked down 108 triples on the season, and he shot 41.1 percent from downtown. Sure, things have been rough for the most part in the tourney, and we know that the Louisville defense is going to be stifling to say the least, but in the end, we think that all of the penetration and kicking out to the perimeter is going to give Boynton all of the opportunities in the world to get to these three made triples.

Total Points and Rebounds for Patric Young Under 16.5
In all likelihood, Young is going to draw Gorgui Dieng in this game, and if that turns out to be his defensive assignment, there had better be a heck of a lot of rebounds that this forward gets if he wants to reach this number. As it is, Young only had 10.2 points and 6.4 boards per game this year, and we have to remember that he hasn’t had the greatest games here in the dance either. Sure, he was able to go off for 21 and nine against the Kentucky Wildcats a few weeks ago, but he also has had a total of just 26 points and rebounds combined in the last two games. Dieng is going to be too tough of a draw for Young to get his stats on in this one.

Total Free Throw Shots Made By Peyton Siva Under 2.5
This is a prop that just doesn’t make all that much sense to us. Siva only averages getting to the charity stripe 3.2 times per game, and though he was a 73.0 percent foul shooter this year, that number is in the high 60s for his career. So, what needs to happen here to beat us is that Siva needs to get to the foul line a lot more often than he normally does, and he needs to hit at least one more from the line than he normally does to beat us. Laying -150 in this case just doesn’t seem like it is that unrealistic to do for a man that only made a grand total of 84 free throws on the season.

Two of the top teams in the whole NCAA Tournament are going to square off on Thursday night in Beantown, and we are set to make our Elite 8 predictions with our Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Syracuse Orange keys to the game.

2012 Elite 8 Matchup: #2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #1 Syracuse Orange
East Region Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Elite 8 Date/Time: Saturday, March 24th, 7:05 p.m.
Ohio State vs. Syracuse Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: Someone is going to have to take over the role of Fab Melo in the middle
Syracuse has been able to use a strong enough defense to get the job done against some of the other teams in this tournament, knowing that none of the three opponents that the team has faced has scored more than 65 points. That being said, there really hasn’t been that dominating big man that would be able to penetrate into the teeth of that 2-3 zone like Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas will likely be able to. It is hard to see how anyone else is going to be able to anchor the middle of this defense for a lineup that is suddenly quite small, and if no one can take to the task at hand, the big boys for the Buckeyes are going to have a field day assuming that the guards take care of the basketball and can work it inside.

Elite 8 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Ohio State Buckeyes -3
Syracuse Orange +3
Over/Under 135.5
Click Here to Bet Your Elite 8 Picks!

Key #2: Aaron Craft has to make sure the OSU offense keeps up at a good clip
It’s hard to always identify which one of the Ohio State guards is truly the point guard, but Craft is the man that has to make a lot of the big time passes to get the ball inside in the post. He did a remarkable job of this against the Cincinnati Bearcats, another team from the Big East, and another team that plays a heck of a lot like these Orange do. We know when Sullinger and Thomas get the ball in their hands, they know what they are doing with it. They shot a combined 17-of-30 from the floor and had 49 points between them, and they also had 18 boards. The key is going to be keeping them involved and getting the ball to them in the post as early as possible. If that’s the case, not only will the inside game be working, but the outside game is going to likely get involved as well when the others in the Syracuse backcourt are crashing down to help out and double team.

Key #3: Kris Joseph has to kick his game into gear
Joseph is a man that averaged shooting the ball over 10 times per game in the regular season, and he shot 42.2 percent from the floor and 34.9 percent from downtown. He is the man that is almost certainly going to have to step up and hit the big time shot down the stretch. However, the problem is that he has now had six straight games with 12 points or fewer, and all of those games are below his scoring average, which currently sits at 13.5 points per game. It is going to take senior leadership to get the job done in this one against an Ohio State team that is likely a heck of a lot more talented than the Syracuse team that is going to be on the court.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Elite 8 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

Either the Florida Gators or the Louisville Cardinals are going to claim the first spot in the Final Four on Saturday, and we are going to try to nail down the winner of this one with our Elite 8 picks to start the weekend.

2012 Elite 8 Matchup: #7 Florida Gators vs. #4 Louisville Cardinals
West Region Location: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
Elite 8 Date/Time: Saturday, March 24th, 4:30 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. Louisville Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: It’s all about the intensity
You aren’t going to find two teams that go at it on either side of the floor with the intensity that the Gators and the Cardinals bring to the table. This is the exact matchup that we were hoping to see, because Head Coaches Billy Donovan and Rick Pitino both get the most out of their players. Are these two teams amongst the most talented eight in the land? Probably not. However, there is no reason to think that either of these teams are going to back down right now. The pressure that is going to be put on both of these teams with full court pressure and the offenses that try to get up and go, and the team that wins this one very well could be the one that has the more intense runs of the two.

Elite 8 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Florida Gators -1.5
Louisville Cardinals +1.5
Over/Under 131.5
Click Here to Bet Your Elite 8 Picks!

Key #2: Gorgui Dieng has to have a huge game
What really made the difference in Florida’s win over the Marquette Golden Eagles is that the team found a way to take the Marquette big men out of the equation. It goes without saying that the Gators are a group that love to run and do so with at least three, and usually four guards on the court. Dieng is the big man that can really do a lot on both sides of the court. You might look at the five points that Dieng had against the Michigan State Spartans and think that he had a bad game. Then look closer at the box score. He had nine boards, seven blocks, and three steals and altered a slew of what MSU tried to get done. We know what Florida does; this is a team that loves to drive the ball and kick it out to the perimeter and take three point shots if the layup or short jumper isn’t open. Dieng can change all of that when push comes to shove, and he should be able to throw his body around. If he does that and stays out of foul trouble, UF had better hope that it is hitting its outside shots without all that many difficulties, or it will be in a lot of trouble.

Key #3: It’s time for Kenny Boynton to play like a veteran
Boynton only had 11 points in the Sweet 16 against Marquette, and he has been wildly inconsistent in the postseason. He only had two points against the Kentucky Wildcats in the SEC Tournament Final, and he had just eight against the Virginia Cavaliers. That being said, he also had 20 against the Norfolk State Spartans. This is a man that averages 16.0 points per game and shoots 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. There is a lot of pressure on Boynton, though there has been a heck of a lot of production from Bradley Beal and the others. We just don’t know if that’s going to be able to keep up in the rest of this tournament. The Gators really need their leader to play like one.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Elite 8 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.