If we’re heading towards the end of the football season, that means that it is time to start talking about the 2012 brackets! Here at Bankroll Sports, we are discussing our current 2012 Bracketology picks and trying to figure out which teams are going to be on which lines for the 2012 NCAA Tournament if it were to start right now!

Note: Italic represent projected conference winner, automatic bid

1 Seeds – Kentucky Wildcats, Syracuse Orange, Duke Blue Devils, Ohio State Buckeyes

There is very little debate right now about Syracuse and Kentucky as top seeds. There are any combination of teams that could be on the No. 1 line right now as well. We still tend to think that even with three losses, the Selection Committee would see the Buckeyes in great shape thanks to having a tremendously talented team and one that could go a long way once again in the NCAA Tournament. Don’t be shocked if this is actually what ends up happening come Selection Sunday.

2 Seeds – Baylor Bears, Missouri Tigers, Kansas Jayhawks, North Carolina Tar Heels

Carolina is the team that is sliding after getting just absolutely trounced by Florida State last weekend. Baylor just suffered its first loss, which in our eyes, takes it off of the No. 1 line considering how weak the schedule really has been for the Bears. However, Kansas moves up onto the 2 line after winning that game against Baylor, though we think that it has to be careful this weekend against Texas. Missouri has a great record, but we still aren’t all that sure that the Tigers are going to be strong enough to hang in the Top 10 in the country for the rest of the Big XII campaign.

3 Seeds – Michigan State Spartans, Connecticut Huskies, Georgetown Hoyas, Florida Gators

The debate here would be whether the Gators would be worthy of being this high in the bracket or not. Right now, we tend to think that, in spite of the fact that their losses are a bit ugly, that they would get the nod. UConn and Georgetown, of course get higher bids because of the fact that they are from the Big East, while Michigan State has just been rolling every since suffering two losses early in the season to UNC and Duke. Even with the loss to Michigan this week, we still think that Sparty would be on the 3 line if the dance started today.

4 Seeds – UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, San Diego State Aztecs, Creighton Blue Jays, Indiana Hoosiers

Holy mid-majors, Batman! UNLV and San Diego State are definitely worthy of being called majors at this point though, as they have been stalwarts in the Mountain West for a number of years. These two programs are just fantastic, and with as strong as their RPIs and SOSs are, they are both deserving of good seeds in the dance. We think that Creighton will be rewarded for its rich history and the fact that the Valley is as strong as it has been in years. Indiana is sliding, and keeping it as a No. 4 seed might be a tad high, but we do think that wins over teams like Ohio State and Kentucky are worthy of keeping the Hoosiers right here on the 4 line.

5 Seeds – Murray State Racers, Michigan Wolverines, Seton Hall Pirates, Vanderbilt Commodores

Michigan’s win over Michigan State this week was huge, and it helps remove most of the doubts as to whether the Wolverines will be in good shape for the dance this year or not. Murray State is the team that no one wants to put on their bracket. We think that they are worthy of a Top 5 seed, but most don’t, and that will probably include the Selection Committee. Vandy gets the benefit of the doubt of playing in the rough SEC East, while the same could be said for a Seton Hall team that we are puzzled as to why it isn’t ranked in the Top 25 in the country.

6 Seeds – Gonzaga Bulldogs, St. Mary’s Gaels, Virginia Cavaliers, West Virginia Mountaineers

It’s not often that you can say that a loss helps out a team, but the way that UVA lost at Duke might go a long way towards proving that this team is legitimate. Gonzaga and St. Mary’s basically have the exact same resumes right now, and this year, with good victories out of conference for both and the addition of the normally highly ranked BYU Cougars to the WCC, both should have no problems dancing this year.

7 Seeds – Louisville Cardinals, Illinois Fighting Illini, Marquette Golden Eagles, Harvard Crimson

It is going to be very hard to justify putting Harvard in the top half of the bracket this year, knowing that any losses in the Ivy League are going to be damning, but this is a team that does have some big time ‘W’s this year to fall back on. Louisville and Marquette are both starting to fall victim to the Big East blues, and conference problems are starting to plague the Illini as well. All three teams really need to get back in shape in a hurry.

8 Seeds – Mississippi State Bulldogs, Xavier Musketeers, Wisconsin Badgers, Purdue Boilermakers

Do we have the X-Men rated too highly in this field at this point? Many would argue that they maybe shouldn’t even deserve to be in the dance right now. Still, we believe in the Musketeers when they are at full strength, something that they haven’t always been this year due to suspensions. Purdue and Wisconsin are basically the same team at this point, and Mississippi State is definitely reeling after losing to Ole Miss on Wednesday.

9 Seeds – Wichita State Shockers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Stanford Cardinal, Florida State Seminoles

The Pac-12 really might be a one-bid league this year, and if that’s the case, the Cardinal, in spite of their 15-3 record, had better make sure that they build upon this resume in a big time way before the Pac-12 Tournament. Alabama was a bubble team last year that probably got hosed, but this year, at least for the time being, it is okay. Florida State seems to be on the bubble every year, but the win over North Carolina in such convincing fashion might go a long way towards keeping the Noles safe. Wichita State should be fine as long as it doesn’t lose too many conference games this year as the second team out of the Valley.

10 Seeds – Kansas State Wildcats, Texas Longhorns, Dayton Flyers, California Golden Bears

Richard Solomon being ruled academically ineligible isn’t good for the Golden Bears, who could have a tough time justifying a spot on the dance floor without the Pac-12′s automatic bid. Texas can’t win a big time game, but it gets another chance this week at home against Kansas. Dayton might be one of the teams that ends up in bad shape because the A-10 beats itself up this year.

11 Seeds – Iona Gaels, Northwestern Wildcats, St. Louis Billikens, New Mexico Lobos

We’ve hit the mid-major line, and that means that there are a lot of teams from this point on down that are really hoping that these teams make the NCAA Tournament. Iona has a great resume to date and some solid wins, and Davidson has a rare upset at Kansas to its resume. St. Louis was once a Top 25 team in the nation. Northwestern hasn’t been dancing in ages, but a solid year in the Big 10 will change all of that. New Mexico’s loss to San Diego State on Wednesday didn’t help matters, and now, it is back firmly on the bubble once again in our eyes.

12 Seeds – BYU Cougars, Temple Owls, Cincinnati Bearcats, Iowa State Cyclones, Memphis Tigers, Minnesota Golden Gophers

Any of these six teams could be play-in game material right now, as we really don’t think any of them have that great of a resume. Cincinnati’s win against UConn probably makes it the best of the bunch, while Memphis’ loss to UCF probably puts it in the worst shape. Minnesota’s ugly 2-4 record in the Big Ten had better improve, as it won’t be dancing if it finishes up with a losing record in conference play and an early exit in the conference tournament. Temple is riding right now on the back of its one major win over the Dookies.

Southern Miss might have the best resume right now in Conference USA, which is saying something with four teams that hope to go dancing. At just 12-6, there isn’t much margin for error for the Tigers, who badly need to win some more games. They would be lucky to be in one of the play-in games right now.

14 Seeds: Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, Cleveland State Vikings, George Mason Patriots, Long Beach State 49ers

At some point, all four of these teams either have thought or will think that they have a shot at going dancing. Long Beach State played an absolute horror of a schedule to start off the season, and it gets a major pass for some of its defeats. George Mason was the first of these Cinderella sweethearts to make it in the dance, and Head Coach Paul Hewitt has experience in the Final Four as well with Georgia Tech from back in the day. This is a formidable set of foes foe certain.

15 Seeds: LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, Nevada Wolf Pack, Bucknell Bison, Weber State Wildcats

Some nice records here, but aside from that, there isn’t a heck of a lot to look forward to in terms of upset picks. LIU Brooklyn at least tried to run like the dickens against North Carolina last year, but it just didn’t work out all that well. Perhaps that tourney experience can help the Blackbirds this year against the right matchup.

16 Seeds: Stony Brook Seawolves, UNC Asheville Bulldogs, Akron Zips, Norfolk State Spartans, Texas-Arlington Mavericks, Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils

Mississippi Valley State is almost sure to finish with a below-.500 record, but so is everyone else in the MEAC… Texas-Arlington would be dancing for the first time, while other teams like Stony Brook and UNC Asheville would just be happy to stay out of the play-in games. None of these teams are serious contenders to beat the top seeds, as the bottom of the dance right now looks to be as weak as ever.

First Four Out – NC State Wolfpack, Notre Dame Fighting, Marshall Thundering Herd, Colorado State Rams

The truth of the matter is with as many mid-majors as there are that could steal bids, all of these teams are in some trouble right now. Marshall and Colorado State will have their chances in their conference tournaments, while both NC State and Notre Dame both could become those teams that play their way into the field of 68 due to their conference opponents, or they can just continue to lose the important games and drift into oblivion and fall straight into the NIT.

Handicapping the teams that are going to get into the NCAA Tournament is tough as it is, but here at Bankroll Sports, we are taking aim at some NIT Bracketology as well. Check out the teams that could be in the NIT and get a 2012 NIT Tournament preview with our March Madness picks!

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Before we begin, here’s how the NIT works. There are 32 teams that make it into the field, and before there are any other teams that are put into place, any team that won its conference regular season crown but didn’t make it into the NCAA Tournament gets an automatic spot. That’s what makes NIT Bracketology so tricky, is that we never know who is really going to be in the field of 65 in terms of the bubble, and we don’t know how many spots are going to be available for the tournament. Top seeds in conference tournaments didn’t fare all that well last year, and as a result, there were only about half the spots in the NIT to fill with other teams.

In order to do NIT Bracketology, we have to assume that we are going to see the top seeds in each of the conference tournaments earn bids to the NCAA Tournament, leaving all 36 slots open, though we know in actuality, that won’t be the case.

Last Six Teams In NCAA Tournament
BYU Cougars
Temple Owls
Cincinnati Bearcats
Iowa State Cyclones
Memphis Tigers
Minnesota Golden Gophers

Note: These are the last eight teams that we have in the NCAA Tournament, and we figure if they are bounced out of the dance that they will automatically drop into the NIT

And now, we will go by conference to show who is on the bubble and who is in good shape right now in each of the conferences. We are also skipping leagues that won’t have a team make it to the NIT unless there is a regular season conference winner that fails to make the NCAA Tournament.

Atlantic 10
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Massachusetts Minutemen, La Salle Explorers
NIT Bubble: Duquesne Dukes, Richmond Spiders, St. Joseph’s Hawks
La Salle has an NCAA Tournament type of resume this year, which should at least put the Explorers in the postseason. We’re not all that sure about the rest of this conference beyond UMass though, and even the Minutemen could find themselves on the wrong side of the NIT bubble if things don’t improve and if the bubble shrinks. That 11-0 home record speaks volumes, though. Richmond and St. Joe’s really need to get a move on to get back into the NIT discussion.

ACC
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: NC State Wolfpack, Maryland Terrapins, Miami Hurricanes, Virginia Tech Hokies
NIT Bubble: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
We’re still trying to figure out how Maryland got left home from the NIT last season… This year, the Terps will be just fine. Virginia Tech and NC State are going to bounce back and forth all season long between the NCAAs and the NIT, but they’ll both be in one of these two tournments. Wake Forest needs to finish above .500 and needs probably a total of seven conference wins to be in NIT consideration.

Big 12
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies
NIT Bubble: Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma and A&M would almost certainly be in the NIT right now if the tournament was selected today. Okie State would need to get above the .500 barrier to avoid the drop into either the CBI or the CIT. Iowa State could drop into the NIT with some more bad form as well, as could Texas, but aside from that, the Big XII looks pretty darn cut and dry.

Big East
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: South Florida Bulls, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Pittsburgh Panthers
NIT Bubble: Providence Friars
The argument could be made that every team that finishes at least .500 in the Big East should be in the NIT, but save for South Florida and Notre Dame, there really aren’t any teams that are in good shape right now. Even Pitt might fall clear out of the NIT if it doesn’t get its act in gear, though we still think that this team will get its act together at some point and move on from this 0-6 start to the season. Rutgers has played some darn good basketball of late, and it has the potential to win this tournament from a middling seed if given the chance.

Big 10
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: None
NIT Bubble: Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa Hawkeyes
We think that the Big 10 is in good shape right now in terms of dancing, as we hink that the biggest bubble teams, Northwestern and Minnesota are both getting into the field. That really isn’t going to leave much in terms of teams for the pickings for the NIT, because we really don’t think that Iowa or Nebraska, in spite of the fact that both beat Top 25 teams in the last week, are really NIT material yet.

Colonial
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Drexel Dragons, VCU Rams
NIT Bubble: Georgia State Panthers, Old Dominion Monarchs
Though VCU’s resume isn’t nearly as good as it was a season ago, we do think that the Rams are going to comfortably be in the postseason of some sort. Drexel is a team that is seemingly in this tournament as a middling seed every year. Of course, ODU feels like a team that should be in the NIT with a 6-1 start to the conference slate as well. George Mason which is currently the top seed in the league, would drop into the NIT as a lock as well if it didn’t win the regular season conference title.

Conference USA
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Marshall Thundering Herd, UCF Knights
NIT Bubble: None
UCF probably moved itself off of the bubble and put itself into the NIT by beating Memphis on Wednesday night. Marshall, though leads Conference USA right now, we are assuming will not end up that way, which would leave either Southern Miss or Memphis, both of which we have in the dance if it started today, winning the regular season conference crown.

Horizon League
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: None
NIT Bubble: UW-Milwaukee Panthers OR Cleveland State Vikings
We really don’t like the chances for the Horizon League this year in the NIT if whichever one of these teams ends up as the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament wins the auto bid to the NCAAs. Cleveland State has the better resume right now than Milwaukee does, but neither one is really all that great. The winner of this conference will go dancing, and it seems as though no one else will be here in the NIT unless it is the No. 1 seed and doesn’t mak the tourney.

Missouri Valley Conference
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Northern Iowa Panthers
NIT Bubble: Drake Bulldogs, Illinois State Redbirds, Missouri State Bears
We see all of this talk that Lunardi has about Missouri State being a potential tourney team in spite of an 11-9 record, and we just don’t buy it. Teams like that don’t often even get into the NITs, as they get overlooked for teams that just have more wins. NIU is in fine shape for the NIT, and it should be a lock for the postseason in some respect. We think that at least one of Drake, ISU, or SMS will come to the field of 32 when it is said and done as long as the field doesn’t shrink that much.

Mountain West
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Wyoming Cowboys
NIT Bubble: None
If you’re going under the assumption that four teams are going dancing from the MWC (and right now, we are), there might not be a lot more for the NIT to decide upon. Wyoming will win 22 or 23 games this year, and that will be good enough to get it into the NIT in all likelihood, and though everyone in this conference might finish above .500 when it is said and done, without a team like Air Force really going on a run, this is, at best, a one bid league to the NIT.

Pac-12
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Washington Huskies, Oregon Ducks, Arizona Wildcats
NIT Bubble: UCLA Bruins, Colorado Buffaloes, Oregon State Beavers
With the Pac-12 likely only guaranteeing itself one bid to the dance and probably getting no more than two, the question is raised whether there could be six or seven teams in the NIT. We tend to think that the prospects of UCLA if available are good, and after they played so well in this tournament last year, the Buffaloes have to be considered as an NIT candidate as well even though both resumes are lacking. Oregon and U-Dub have good histories, as does Arizona, which is why we think that all three teams are in right now.

SEC
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: Arkansas Razorbacks, LSU Tigers
NIT Bubble: Ole Miss Rebels, Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs
Unless the SEC really beats itself up this year, LSU and Arkansas seem like the two best candidates for the NIT. Georgia and the two other teams from the SEC West just don’t strike us as postseason contenders this year, but again, after watching Alabama do so well in this tournament last year, perhaps the NIT voters will be more inclined to welcome more teams to the SEC this year to the NIT than ever before.

Southern Conference
Likely NIT Bound Right Now: None
NIT Bubble: Davidson Wildcats OR Charleston Cougars
Davidson looks like a postseason team regardless of what goes down over the course of the next few weeks. It has a two game lead in the SoCon right now, and that would be good enough to give it the automatic bid here. If Charleston and Davidson both play well enough this year to finish with 20+ wins, both could head to the NIT, though any chances of an at-large bid from this conference really only seem to rest with Davidson.

The Kentucky Wildcats and Connecticut Huskies met earlier this season at the Maui Invitational, and little did we know that this team that would go on to have a horrible record on the road and the other, which was unranked at the time, would be playing for the right to go to the National Championship Game. Check out how the Final Four odds stack up in this one!

Trends Of Note
Considering the fact that both of these teams ended up winning their conference tournaments this year, it’s no wonder why both have a heck of a lot of March Madness trends on their side in this one.

Kentucky has gone 5-1 ATS over the course of its last six games overall, and its only ATS loss in there was that escape from the Princeton Tigers in the first round of the tourney. UK is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 NCAA Tournament games as favorites. It is also 16-5-1 ATS in its last 22 games against Big East teams.

Connecticut has played six neutral site games in which it has been the underdog since the Big East Tournament, and it is a perfect 6-0 in those games. The Huskies are also 8-1 ATS since that magical run in the Big East Tournament started, and the lone failed attempt at a cover came against the Arizona Wildcats in the Elite 8. UConn is 7-2 ATS in its last nine NCAA Tournament odds battles and is 23-8 ATS in its last 31 games as an underdog. Head Coach Jim Calhoun and company are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 neutral site games overall and are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 against the SEC.

We’ve already mentioned the 84-67 win for UConn in this series at the Maui Invitational earlier this year, but there are also two other meetings that these teams have had since 2006. Kentucky won 64-61 at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic last season at Madison Square Garden, while the Huskies pulled out an 87-83 win in the NCAA Tournament when these teams met in 2006.

Players To Watch
For Connecticut, this is a simple game plan. Get the ball in Kemba Walker’s hands and let him do his thing. Walker can really do anything and everything that is asked of him. He has averaged 23.9 points, 5.3 boards, and 4.5 assists per game this year, and he already has 74 swipes of the rock as well on the defensive end of the court. This is the leading scorer amongst players left standing in this tournament, and save for perhaps BYU Cougars’ Jimmer Fredette, there is no man in this entire tournament that is more feared than Walker. He also has played all but six minutes during the dance for Calhoun and company.

There are really only six men in the rotation for the Wildcats this season, and though men like Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb tend to get all of the accolades, Josh Harrellson is really the difference maker this year on this team. For a man that, for all intents and purposes, was nothing more than a stiff at the outset of the season, Harrellson has come on strong and averaged 14.8 points and 9.0 boards per game in the dance. He’s coming up with the big plays in the paint over and over again, and Calipari knows that his team would be forgotten if not for the play of Harrellson.

Keys to the Game
Connecticut has to find some players to step up aside from Walker. Jeremy Lamb, just a freshman, has really matured beyond his years in the postseason this year. He carried the team in the win against the DePaul Blue Demons, and since that point, he has had nine straight double digit scoring games. Lamb is a heck of a shooter, and he is likely going to end up being the man that has to take this team over after Walker is gone, and whether it is him or Alex Oriakhi that is picking up the slack, one of them just has to help out Walker.

For Kentucky, the trick is going to be staying out of foul trouble. When Walker is cutting to the basket on a regular basis, he tends to be able to lure some fouls out of some of the most disciplined teams in the nation. The Wildcats just cannot afford to do stupid things, because the team just isn’t deep enough. Calipari complained about turnovers and dumb fouls about this team all season long, and if those issues rear their ugly heads again in this one like they were at times this year, the Cats are in a ton of trouble.

The Butler Bulldogs and the VCU Rams are arguably two of the most unlikely teams to ever make it to the Final Four. Here at Bankroll Sports, we have all of the ins and outs that you need to know about the first of the two national semifinals in Houston, TX.

Trends Of Note
The Rams have absolutely stormed through five games in the NCAA Tournament this year, accounting for five covers on the March Madness odds and five outright victories as underdogs, something that is just unprecedented by any standards in most any sport. They are now 9-0 ATS over the course of their last nine NCAA Tournament games overall, though they have never been in this type of a spotlight before in school history. However, if there is one bugaboo surrounding this team, it is that it is just 1-4 ATS over the course of its last five games played on Saturdays.

Butler has had a remarkable run as well, and it has some significantly more important NCAA basketball trends on its side. Sure, the Dogs are 4-0 SU and ATS as well in this tournament, something that is absolutely remarkable, but more importantly, they are 17-5 ATS over the course of their last 22 games played in the dance, many of which have come under Head Coach Brad Stevens. The Bulldogs are a whopping 21-4-2 ATS in their last 27 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600, and they are 40-16-2 ATS in their last 58 games played outside of the Horizon League. Butler is also 15-2 ATS in its last 17 neutral site games, which includes some great duels against fantastic teams both in and out of conference.

Players To Watch
For VCU, the men to really watch out for are Jamie Skeen and Bradford Burgess. These two make the perfect inside, outside combination, and they can both do a ton of damage from all over the course. Burgess actually had his quietest game against the Kansas Jayhawks over the weekend, as he only scored nine points. However, just like we saw against the Florida State Seminoles, he can be unconscious from beyond the arc and just knock down triples like it’s nothing. Skeen, a transfer from the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, stood toe to toe with Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris on Sunday, and the end result was one of his best games of the year with 26 points and 10 boards. He rarely takes time off in games, and he can stretch the entire court as well.

Of course, Butler has its own version of a dynamic inside, outside twosome with Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack. These two were key in the run to the finale last year in the dance, and they are both doing it once again. Howard is the gritty player that really probably doesn’t have all that much talent, but can really get the job done just through hard work. He’s always getting those tough boards, and he’s got a great shot from the outside as well. Howard has six straight games with at least 14 points scored, something that is really key for his team. Mack can just go off as he did against the Florida Gators, scoring 27 points on Saturday in the Elite 8. He also had 30 against the Pitt Panthers. The better the foe, the better this man plays, and this should be his time to shine now that he doesn’t have to split outside shots with the departed Gordon Hayward.

Keys to the Game
The trick for VCU is going to be three point shooting. March Madness betting fans know that this is the key to these mid major teams equalizing against the big boys, and the Rams have taken full advantage of it. Just listen to these three point stats from the games in this tournament… 12-of-25 against Kansas, 12-of-26 against Florida State, 8-of-21 against Purdue, 12-of-25 against Georgetown, 9-of-24 against USC… and all of this comes for a team that was shooting less than 36 percent from beyond the arc at the start of this tournament!

For Butler, obviously, defending the triple is going to be of paramount importance, but it seems like keeping Howard on the court is the bigger key. Howard is really the grit of this club, and if he isn’t in the fold, Butler is hard pressed to find a replacement for him. Over the course of the last two seasons in the dance, the Bulldogs were just significantly better with Howard out there than with him on the bench, and if he can stay out there, he should be able to provide Skeen with a heck of a battle in the paint. It’s not about the numbers. It’s just about keeping him and his presence out there on the court at all times.

The NCAA Tournament continues into its second weekend starting on Thursday, and before you make your Sweet 16 picks, be sure to check out this March Madness trends and picks sheet to help you out through the big weekend on the collegiate hardwood.

Thursday, March 24th, 7:15 ET: #3 Connecticut Huskies vs. #2 San Diego State Aztecs
March Madness Odds: Connecticut -1
March Madness Trends of Note
The Huskies have covered four straight games as favorites
Connecticut is 6-0 ATS in its last six against teams with a winning percentage above .600
The Aztecs are 21-8-1 ATS in their last 30 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600

NCAA Tournament Notes
The Huskies are putting on one of the more remarkable runs that we have ever seen a team go on in the postseason, as they won seven games and covered seven spreads in a span of just 12 days against some of the best teams in the land. Kemba Walker just seems to be unconscious right now, and the argument could be made that he is the most important player left in this tournament. The Aztecs have only won two NCAA Tournament games in their history, both of which happened to be here in this tournament. SDSU will have the decided home court advantage playing in Anaheim. These two teams have never met before on the hardwood.

Thursday, March 24th, 7:27 ET: #3 BYU Cougars vs. #2 Florida Gators
March Madness Odds: Florida -3
March Madness Trends of Note
BYU is just 30-62-2 ATS in its last 94 games as an underdog
The Gators are 6-0 ATS in their last six NCAA Tournament games as favorites
Florida is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven games following an SU victory

NCAA Tournament Notes
Could it be sweet revenge in the Sweet 16 for the Gators? Head Coach Billy Donovan hopes so, as these Cougars knocked the Gators out of the dance last season the first round in a 99-92 game that was decided in overtime. Both of these teams look remarkably similar to their forms from last season, as the only real absence from last year is Brandon Davies, who was kicked off of the BYU roster a few weeks ago. Still, the Gators have a great history here in the Sweet 16, and they are trying to make it back to their fourth Final Four in the Donovan era. BYU is just trying to prove that it belongs and that it should have been the No. 2 seed of these two teams in this region.

Thursday, March 24th, 9:45 ET: #5 Arizona Wildcats vs. #1 Duke Blue Devils
March Madness Odds: Duke -8.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Wildcats are just 1-5 ATS in their last six games against the ACC
Duke has covered five in a row against the Pac-10
The Blue Devils are 6-2 ATS in their last eight NCAA Tournament games

NCAA Tournament Notes
The Blue Devils have all to play for right now, as they are just four steps away from retaining their National Championship, something that many didn’t give them that great of a chance to do just last week. The trick is going to be coping with the long trip out to Anaheim, as Arizona will have a decided home court edge, just as SDSU will against UConn earlier in the night. The Wildcats have now won two games thanks to the prowess of Derrick Williams in the post, and he is going to be the key, while the Dookies are going to hope that the good health of Kyrie Irving can set them apart in this one. These two last met in 2001 in the National Championship Game, and Duke knocked off the Wildcats 82-72 as short four point underdogs.

Thursday, March 24th, 9:57 ET: #8 Butler Bulldogs vs. #4 Wisconsin Badgers
March Madness Odds: Wisconsin -4.5
March Madness Trends of Note
Butler has covered six straight March Madness betting battles
Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS in its last six games played outside of the Big Ten
The Bulldogs are 21-5-2 ATS in their last 28 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600

NCAA Tournament Notes
Butler really has a great chance of pulling off the upset in this one if it can shoot the ball as well as it has in its first two games in this tournament against the Old Dominion Monarchs and Pittsburgh Panthers, especially late in games from long range. This is largely the same team that was in the finale last season that lost by a whisker, save for the fact that sharpshooter Gordon Hayward is now in the NBA. The Badgers haven’t had a great history once they reach this point in the dance, but they do have a tremendous defensive team and one that can really shoot free throws in clutch spots. If it’s a close game, Wisconsin will have the huge upper hand. Back in January 2001, Butler went into the Kohl Center and knocked off the Badgers 58-44 in the most recent meeting of these two Midwest schools.

Friday, March 25th, 7:15 ET: #11 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. #2 North Carolina Tar Heels
March Madness Odds: North Carolina -4.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Golden Eagles are 23-11 ATS in their last 34 games against teams with a winning percentage greater than .600.
North Carolina is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games in the NCAA Tournament
The Tar Heels are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games overall

NCAA Tournament Notes
UNC really has had the look of an incredibly dominating team of late, as it really hasn’t played a truly remarkable game since the regular season finale against the Duke Blue Devils. Still, the Heels have a great set of bigs to work with that can get the job done on the inside (John Henson and Tyler Zeller) and on the outside (Harrison Barnes). Marquette is quickly developing into the sweetheart of this tournament, especially knowing that it has 14 losses to its credit already this season. Still, of all of the Big East teams that were in this field, this is clearly the least likely one to do any further damage and would be the most surprising team to reach the Final Four.

Friday, March 25th, 7:27 ET: #12 Richmond Spiders vs. #1 Kansas Jayhawks
March Madness Odds: Kansas -10.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Spiders are 10-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall
Kansas is 4-0 ATS in its last four games against the Atlantic 10
The Jayhawks are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 NCAA Tournament tussles as favorites of 7.0-12.5 points

NCAA Tournament Notes
These two teams do have a history with one another, and you can bet that the Spiders will not be intimidated by going against the No. 1 seed in the Southwest Bracket. Richmond won at Allen Fieldhouse back in 2004, scoring a 69-68 triumph. Little did we know that Kansas was going to eventually roll off 69 straight wins there through this season. Still, these two teams are built totally differently, as the Spiders really need to play this game in the 60s to have success, while the Jayhawks are content to run and gun into the 70s or even into the 80s. Kansas, of course, is still working to try to erase the memory of that brutal loss in the second round last year to the Northern Iowa Panthers, and you can bet that Head Coach Bill Self will have this team ready even though Richmond is another “mid major” team.

Friday, March 25th, 9:45 ET: #4 Kentucky Wildcats vs. #1 Ohio State Buckeyes
March Madness Odds: Ohio State -5.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Big Ten
Ohio State is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games following an SU win of 20 or more points
The Buckeyes are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 March Madness matches as favorites

NCAA Tournament Notes
This is one of the most intriguing games of the entire tournament to date, as this one pits one of the No. 1 seeds from last year’s tournament in Kentucky, against the No. 1 overall seed in the dance in Ohio State. The talent is there for these two to really put on a tremendous show, as both teams definitely have the full complement of big guys and sharpshooters. Either one could win a game in the 50s just as easily as it could win one in the 90s. One thing is for sure, and that’s that there certainly will be no lack of talent on display. Both of these teams have played some absolutely fantastic basketball to reach this point, and you can bet that both will want to put their best foot forward to get into the Elite 8.

Friday, March 25th, 9:57 ET: #11 VCU Rams vs. #10 Florida State Seminoles
March Madness Odds: Florida State -3.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Rams are a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven games in the NCAA Tournament
VCU is 5-1 ATS in its last six games against ACC opponents
Florida State is 2-6 ATS in its last eight neutral site games as a favorite

NCAA Tournament Notes
This is certainly the most unlikely of the eight matchups in the Sweet 16, as it isn’t all that often that we see a pair of double digit seeds pitted against each other, especially this late on. The Rams are the Cinderella stories for sure, as they had to come out of the First Four to reach this point. They’ve done so with great shooting from the outside and a tenacious full court defense, and the Georgetown Hoyas and Purdue Boilermakers haven’t even stayed remotely close to them. As a result, Head Coach Shaka Smart, who is suddenly the hottest young coaching commodity out there, has his team in the Sweet 16 for the first time Florida State had never won an NCAA Tournament game under Head Coach Leonard Hamilton before this year. This is its first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1998 when it was ironically also a double digit seed. Chris Singleton is hoping to be able to make full contributions for the Seminoles this week after playing limited minutes in the first two rounds of the dance. FSU’s defense has been second to none in this tournament, as the Texas A&M Aggies and Notre Dame Fighting Irish just had no chance of getting around this very athletic team.

Every single year in the NCAA Tournament, there are teams that come out of absolutely nowhere to pull off a huge upset or that unexpectedly end up in the Sweet 16 or even the Elite 8. Here are the Top 10 March Madness sleeper teams that are flying under the radar that you might need to be paying attention to once the dance gets started.

Wofford Terriers: The Southern Conference champs gained a lot of experience from last year in the NCAA Tournament, as they nearly took down the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the dance. Noah Dahlman was fantastic last season, but this year, he is doing even better, averaging right at 20 points per game. There are a ton of big guys on the inside for the Terriers to rely on, but they can really get up the court and scoot as well. Don’t be shocked if the BYU Cougars end up having their work cut out for them.

Oakland Golden Grizzlies: Depending on the matchup, the Golden Grizzlies could prove to be a real nightmare for a solid club as well. Oakland can shoot the daylights out of the building when given the chance, and it absolutely runs up and down the court for the full 40 minutes without any real exceptions. This is a team that is averaging 85.6 points per game this season, second in the nation. If big man Keith Benson gets off and running, the Grizz are hard to stop. Don’t believe us? Just ask the Tennessee Volunteers, who were beaten by these guys at home earlier this season.

Washington Huskies: Okay, so the Huskies really aren’t a “shocking” team to pull off a first round victory, but this is definitely a club that can make some real noise and come out of a No. 8 seed or so to do some tremendous damage. U-Dub underachieved all season long, and it really has to come to life in the Pac-10 Tournament the rest of the way to instill some more confidence in us, but Isaiah Thomas is fantastic, and Matthew Bryan-Amaning is certainly a force on the inside. Head Coach Lorenzo Romar’s team has a sneakily solid defense in spite of some shoddy numbers, and it all could equal another nice run in the dance.

Old Dominion Monarchs: Defense, defense, defense. That’s the motto for an ODU team that snared the automatic bid from the Colonial League. We have to remember that the CAA has produced a Final Four team before when the George Mason Patriots got the job done a few years ago, so this definitely wouldn’t be unprecedented. The only problem that this mid major has is that it has already proven to some of the best teams in the land that it can play at a very high level, and it isn’t sneaking up on anyone.

VCU Rams: Sometimes, teams that really don’t expect to get into the NCAA Tournament end up making some real magic happen. VCU was the third team out of the Colonial League this year, and it might really make some teams nervous. Does this sound familiar? Remember the George Mason Patriots from a few years ago? That was a team that many thought didn’t belong in this field out of the CAA, and they ended up in the Final Four.

Long Beach State 49ers: The 49ers are a No. 15 seed, but they are for real and have some legitimate sharpshooters on this team. All five starters are back from last year’s team that was considered an up and coming team that lost in the Big West Final to UC Santa Barbara, and now, all five are averaging double digits in scoring. This is a team that can rebound, can shoot, can slash, and can defend. Sure, the level of competition hasn’t been great, but if there’s a team that can come out of absolutely nowhere to pull off a shocker, this is the one.

Belmont Bruins: You don’t win 30 games on accident. The Bruins did just that this season in an Atlantic Sun conference that proved to be a lot better than people really though. Sure, the bottom of this conference stunk, but when you looked at the teams that were in this tournament, squads like Jacksonville, East Tennessee State, and Lipscomb were at least serviceable teams. The Bruins averaged 80.4 points per game this season, and they shot 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. When everyone on your team can shoot, you’ve got a really great thing going, and that’s exactly what Belmont will bring to the table as a No. 13 seed or so.

Missouri Tigers: Just like Washington, Mizzou isn’t the team that you think about when you’re thinking of a sleeper team, but one look at the projected March Madness brackets show that the Tigers are probably going to be one of these pain in the butt seven or eight seeds that could wreck your entire bracket. It’s really, really hard to prepare for the full court press that this team brings to the table in such a short period of time, and especially if a No. 1 or No. 2 doesn’t have fantastic ball handlers or a heck of a lot of experience, there is a real chance at this team to go far. Head Coach Mike Anderson knows what it takes to go far in this tournament, as this has been a Sweet 16 team a number of times in the past. Don’t be shocked if it happens again.

Butler Bulldogs: Why can’t last year’s Cinderella be this year’s Cinderella? Butler has really proven to be a great story over the course of the last two years. This is a program that is rich with history and tradition in this tournament, and now it has a Final Four run on its resume as well. Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack know what they’re doing, and though the Dogs aren’t sneaking up on anyone this year, this team knows exactly what it coming. The Horizon League was very, very tough this season, and Butler did very well just to survive.

Bucknell Bison: If you want your team that is going to really have the chance to do some major damage for a long time in this tournament, Bucknell is your squad. Look no further than this stat: The Bison shoot 40.6 percent from long range. Bryson Johnson and Bryan Cohen will shoot it from anywhere on the court, and GW Boon can knock down a ton of long balls as well. The Bison still have some work to do to win the Patriot League, but if they do, they are going to provide a tremendous fight for at least one, and maybe several teams along the way, just like the Cornell Big Red did last season.

March Madness betting action commences this coming week, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’ve got all of the best tips for filling out brackets on the internet! Today, we’ve got our picks for all of the regions and all of the best potential upsets, all the way through the NCAA Tournament!

We’ll start in the East Region, where the Ohio State Buckeyes really shouldn’t have all that many problems. This isn’t the year that a No. 16 seed is beating a No. 1, especially not in this region. The George Mason Patriots might be a bit tough, but when push comes to shove, but the Pats and the Villanova Wildcats shouldn’t be able to hold a candle to this team.

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A prospective second round match between the Kentucky Wildcats and West Virginia Mountaineers should be relatively interesting, but this looks like a draw that is very, very favorable for the Cats. Don’t be shocked though, to see Ohio State just bull over all of these teams to get into the Elite 8 with no hassles.

On the other side of the bracket, the upstart team might be the Xavier Musketeers. Thinking that the X-Men could upset the Syracuse Orange in the second round of the dance would be an option, but we also wouldn’t be all that surprised if the ‘Cuse got downed by a rock solid Indiana State Sycamores team. The Washington Huskies can run with anyone in the country, and that includes the North Carolina Tar Heels. We like Xavier and North Carolina in this bracket, but UNC getting through to face Ohio State in the regional finals. From there, you probably would have a great argument either way, but we’ll take the Buckeyes to advance into the Final Four.

The Duke Blue Devils are the kings of the West region this year, which is great from the standpoint that their tournament starts in Charlotte, but terrible that it has to go on to Anaheim the very next week. No one is knocking off Duke before heading West, but at that point, you’d better look out! The Arizona Wildcats are really the team that we think could shine in this bracket. Derrick Williams is the real deal, and if this team’s guards can keep up at a high level, everyone in this bracket might be in some real trouble. The Cats are the only team from West of the Mississippi in this half of the draw, and we think that they’ll get into the Elite 8 with this home court advantage.

On the bottom half, the only team that is basically playing at home the whole way are the San Diego State Aztecs. The Aztecs have never won a game in the NCAA Tournament before, but they really shouldn’t have too many problems unless all of a sudden, the Penn State Nittany Lions keep this tear up from the start of the Big Ten Tournament. Kemba Walker is a stud and could put a lot of a teams in a lot of trouble, but the Missouri Tigers could make things really, really interesting if they can get past the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first round. Don’t be surprised to see SDSU and Mizzou battling it out in Anaheim, and at that point, the ‘Zou could be the team that comes out.

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Still, this is a bracket that is set up perfectly for Arizona. Go with the Cats as the upset winner in the West, but when push comes to shove, Ohio State will be the team in the NCAA Tournament final of these two.

On the other half of the draw, the Kansas Jayhawks are the No. 1 seed in the Southwest, a bracket that really sets up quite well for them. The first round draw between the Illinois Fighting Illini and UNLV Runnin’ Rebels is interesting because it is UNLV Head Coach Lon Kruger going against his old team. Neither should be able to tame the Jayhawks, though. The 5/12 and 4/13 games could both be rather interesting in this bracket, as the Richmond Spiders and Morehead State Eagles both have the ability to pull upsets. Still, with an intense defense and some budding stars, we tend to think that Louisville is the team that ultimately heads to San Antonio of this bunch. Louisville might stick around in that game against the Jayhawks, but the determined KU side should get into the Elite 8.

On the bottom half of the draw, the Texas A&M Aggies have to like their chances. They’ve got a first round 7/10 game against the Florida State Seminoles, another very defensive minded team, and then a Notre Dame Fighting Irish squad that has been overrated all season long. The Purdue Boilermakers are going to try to avoid a very bad upset against a stingy bunch of St. Peter’s Peacocks, and if they get the job done there, they could end up getting the winner of the USC Trojans/VCU Rams battle from Dayton on Tuesday. The Georgetown Hoyas look like paper tigers to us as a No. 6 seed. It’ll be Purdue against Texas A&M in this Sweet 16 showdown, with the nod going to the Boilers, who really need to get back in the saddle after those back to back losses to end their season.

Again, this is Kansas’ draw though, as the Jayhawks just have too much depth for a Purdue team that is just not all that great.

If Cinderella is wearing a glass slipper, it is in this bracket. The Old Dominion Monarchs will surely be in for a fight against the Butler Bulldogs, last year’s Cinderella, but they really could be the team that bounces the No. 1 seed prior to the Sweet 16. This isn’t the only place that upsets could lie in this bracket though, as the Utah State Aggies and Belmont Bruins could both be heading into the second round as well. Belmont stayed very, very competitive this season in games against Tennessee and Vandy, and it could very well spring a couple of upsets in a row. Could it be Belmont and ODU meeting in the Sweet 16? You betcha. Go with the Monarchs at that point.

The bottom half of the draw might be upset plentiful as well. The whole country knows about Jimmer Fredette, but they don’t know about Noah Dahlman and the Wofford Terriers. These dogs have some massive bite, and they nearly took out the Wisconsin Badgers in last year’s tourney. Don’t be shocked if it’s No. 11 against No. 14 in the Round of 32, as the St. John’s Red Storm have to be running out of gas, while the Gonzaga Bulldogs are playing their best ball of the year. Could Wofford become a No. 14 in the Sweet 16? Don’t be all that surprised.

Assuming that the Florida Gators can take out the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in the first round of the tournament, they’ll have to face either a team they once beat for a National Championship (the UCLA Bruins) or one in which they lost to for a title (the Michigan State Spartans). The Spartans are a dangerous, dangerous team, and they might push UF for quite awhile. But we have to remember that this regional is played in Tampa Bay, FL, right in the Gators’ backyard. UF should not only romp into the Sweet 16, but into the Final Four with ease as well. Wofford and ODU aren’t stopping this team.

The finale will ultimately be between Ohio State and Kansas though, as these have been the top two teams in the nation all season long. This is a season that is about redemption for the Jayhawks after last year’s dud. The team is playing really well right now, and it is just finding ways to win games that are close late on. Head Coach Bill Self will be cutting down the nets in Houston with a slight home court advantage over Ohio State to win the National Championship.

The NCAA Tournament Brackets were just released, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are complaining about the teams that were left out of the field as opposed to those that are in.

The biggest complaint that we have is the fact that the Alabama Crimson Tide are out of this field. Actually, it’s not that the Tide aren’t in, but that the Georgia Bulldogs are in — and in comfortably at that.

Sure, we know that Georgia had a great body of work on this season. A win over the Tennessee Volunteers on the road was great, as was one at home against the Kentucky Wildcats, and there were also wins against one of the last teams in the field, the UAB Blazers, and one over one of the first teams left out, the Colorado Buffaloes. Alabama though, had two wins over Georgia in the last eight days, and it has the same win at Tennessee and a home win against Kentucky. Sure, there was a downfall for the lack of a non-conference schedule for the Crimson Tide, but geez… how can you say that the Tide are out and the Bulldogs are a No. 10 seed!?!?!?!

We’ve already mentioned Colorado, and we’re trying to figure out what in the heck the Buffs are doing out of the field of 68. Okay, sure, there were losses to Iowa State, Oklahoma, and San Francisco, but aside from that, all of the other losses for this team were very acceptable. On top of that, there were wins against NCAA Tournament teams like Missouri, and oh yeah… three wins against Kansas State. You beat a No. 6 seed three times and win 23 games, and you don’t end up going dancing? There’s definitely something wrong with this system.

The biggest snub for a mid major was the St. Mary’s Gaels. The Gaels won the regular season title in the West Coast Conference thanks to a road victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They also had a win against St. John’s, a win against Mississippi State, and a credible loss against BYU by just one point. For a team that had just one bad loss over the course of the season, this just doesn’t make any sense, especially since the Gaels were in the NCAA Tournament last season… and in the Sweet 16 for good measure…

Head Coach Seth Greenberg and his Virginia Tech Hokies were left home once again this season from the NCAA Tournament, and it feels like just an annual trip into the NIT is awaiting again. There were 21 total wins, 11 of which came in conference play. There was a win over the Duke Blue Devils, as well as two against the Florida State Seminoles and one against the Maryland Terrapins. The win against the Penn State Nittany Lions also looks better and better by the day. We know that the Clemson Tigers got in, something that we think was deserving, but the Tigers only had one RPI Top 50 win for the year, and that came against… yep… These Hokies…

We’re not complaining about the Boston College Eagles being left behind, as they just really didn’t deserve it in the whole grand scheme of things. Nor are we really all that concerned about the fact that the Missouri State Bears being left home, as they really shot themselves in the foot at the end of the MVC Tournament. Same with the Harvard Crimson with the Ivy League.

So who should have been left home? Geez, what gives with the VCU Rams? Don’t get us wrong. We loved the Colonial League this year. Finishing fourth in the CAA was nothing to write home about, though, especially with 11 total losses. This team lost four teams in its last five games of the season, and the only win in there was a BracketBusters showdown against Wichita State. Losses to Northeastern, Georgia State, South Florida… But that wasn’t the worst, though.

The Rams also had a loss to the UAB Blazers this season. Now, that’s a great win for the Blazers, right? Sure. Of course, we’re not so sure about UAB’s resume. This was the biggest WTF moment for us in the entire bracket revealing. The Blazers might have won the Conference USA regular season title, but losses against ECU, Southern Miss, Tulsa, twice to Memphis, Georgia, and Arizona State are certainly nothing to be proud of. The best win of the bunch here was probably the one against VCU, unfortunately. Kent State… Arkansas… Whatever.