2011 March Madness Staff Picks
(The Spread) – TheSpread.com staff picks are back for March Madness! Who do we think will win the tournament and what darkhorses do we favor?
View Current March Madness Tournament Odds
Based on the success of No. 1 seeds in terms of going deep in the tournament, it’s no surprise that our four staff members went with No. 1 seeds to win this year’s NCAA championship.
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bodog.com, Ohio State and Duke are both 9/2 to win the 2011 March Madness Tournament, while Kansas is 4/1 and Pittsburgh is 17/2. Below are our staff’s picks for winners and potential darkhorse sleepers.
Anthony Rome
Winner: Ohio State
Just call me Joe Public on this one: I think it’s the Buckeyes’ year. Assuming Duke makes it to the semis, the Blue Devils will give OSU all it can handle if they hit their threes. But the Buckeyes are just as capable of draining their buckets from downtown and they have the best big man in the country in Jared Sullinger. This is a team that only lost twice all year and those defeats came on the road against Wisconsin and Purdue – two tough environments. I think Kansas would give them a challenge in the championship game but again, I think this is Ohio State’s season.
Darkhorse: Washington (45/1)
Before I get into why I like the Huskies, if you’re looking for a real long-shot, try 13th-seeded Belmont. I like them to get past fourth-seeded Wisconsin in the first round and call me crazy but I also think they’ll get past Kansas State or Utah State in Round 2. But seeing as how 13 seeds fade after the first two rounds (usually the first), I’ll go with Washington. The Huskies are peaking at the right time. They limped into the Pac-10 tournament but have now won three in a row and are playing with a ton of confidence. Freshmen Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox are showing some maturity and the Huskies will get a boost with the return of guard Venoy Overton (who missed the Pac-10 tournament after being charged with providing alcohol to a minor). How far can they go? I see them disposing of Georgia in the first round and don’t be shocked if they dump two-seeded North Carolina, too. Can they get past No. 3 Syracuse in Round 3? That wouldn’t shock me either.
Drew Sharper
Winner: Duke
My pick to win the tournament is unfortunately the Dukies. I hate to admit it, because I am not a fan, but the Blue Devils are already one of the top teams in the nation coming into the tournament and they are adding Kyrie Irving to the mix. With Irving in the lineup, the Blue Devils should be too much for any other team to handle.
Darkhorse: St. John’s (60/1)
In terms of a dark horse, I like St. John’s to make a run in the tournament simply due to the way the Southeast Region shapes up. The top seeds in this region are rather weak and may be picked off by a dynamic St. John’s team that likes to attack the lane and create turnovers on defense.
Nate Steele
Winner: Duke
When beginning the process of filling out my bracket and doing as much research as possible with each and every game, I really had no idea how it would all turn out. But when everything was filled in and I had defending national champion Duke as my pick to repeat as champion, it all felt right. It starts with having two prolific senior scorers in Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler playing at an extremely high level, both carrying last year’s experience with them. Complementing them is a solid group including Seth Curry, the Plumlee brothers, and possibly sensational freshman point guard Kyrie Irving, who has been out with a toe injury since December. Add in the fact that Duke will be playing its first two games in front of what will basically be a home crowd in Charlotte, N.C., and I see no reason why the Blue Devils can’t compete for another national title. Back-to-back championships will leave Smith and Singler with an unbelievable legacy.
Darkhorse Sleeper: St. John’s (60/1)
As for a sleeper, I would have to put my faith in sixth-seeded St. John’s. Losing third-leading scorer D.J. Kennedy will be a blow, but the Red Storm are good enough to recover. Keep in mind that this team beat six squads that were ranked, which includes Duke and Pittsburgh. Head coach Steve Lavin inherited a team with nine seniors, eight of whom are healthy, and they are driven to ending their final season in storybook fashion. St. John’s has a winnable draw and I could definitely foresee a Final Four run.
Blade (TheSpread’s Forum Master)
Winner: Kansas
Kansas will be looking for its second national title in four years and should be playing with a chip on its shoulder after failing to meet expectations last March, last year’s shocking loss to Northern Iowa could serve as the driving force behind a title run. Last year’s early upset should help Kansas get out of what I think is the toughest regions, but it won’t be easy with Louisville, Purdue and Notre Dame standing in the way. With the Jayhawks balanced attack and experience I think this is the team to beat.
Darkhorse Sleeper: Gonzaga (100/1)
Gonzaga started the year with a brutal non-conference schedule, which resulted in some early season woes. But those early setbacks should pay big dividends in the tournament. Coming off a successful West Coast Conference tournament, the Zags have not dropped a game in over a month thanks to stout defense and solid contributions from all of the starters. I think Gonzaga has an easy path out of the Southeast with only number one seed Pittsburgh as its only difficult game. Gonzaga looks like a legitimatize long shot to reach the Final Four at a very nice price.
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