Madness Sunday Picks
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their College Basketball picks and predictions for Sunday, March 29.
Michigan State at Louisville, 2:20PM ET
Terrence Williams spent part of Saturday restating the lessons Louisville learned from its last regional final.
Play harder. Be yourselves. Play like a team devoted to winning the national title, and accept nothing less.
On Sunday, Williams and his teammates will finally get a chance to exorcise those demons from last year and deliver on a pact they made to themselves by claiming the school’s first Final Four bid since 2005.
“Losing last year, we kind of know what it takes to lose. Meaning that, last year we didn’t play 40 minutes,” Williams said. “This year, we know that coming out, to get to the Final Four, you have to play all 40 minutes. You have to play your game.”
Clearly, these aren’t the same Cardinals that ran out of steam against top-seeded North Carolina in Charlotte.
NCAA Free Pick: Michigan State – View Game Matchup | Best Line: +7 SPORTSBETTING.COM
Oklahoma at North Carolina, 5:05PM ET
One big man was last year’s national player of the year. The other appears poised to take his place.
Now, Tyler Hansbrough and Blake Griffin will go head-to-head with a lot more at stake than any individual honor.
Hansbrough has led top-seeded North Carolina to within a victory of a second straight Final Four. But to get there the Tar Heels will have to go through Griffin and Oklahoma on Sunday in a clash of low post stars.
“You have everything that’s right about college basketball with these two kids,” Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said. “Tyler staying in school for four years and breaking every record at North Carolina and in the ACC. And then Blake, you know, turning down the money last year and coming back. Both of them have been great ambassadors for college basketball.”
NCAA Free Pick: North Carolina – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -7 SPORTSBETTING.COM
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Posted: 3/29/09 11:08AM ET