PITTSBURGH — If you didn’t call in sick, you’re doing this wrong.
Kansas (-13¹/₂) over Penn: The buzz about Penn possibly becoming the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed has grown a little too loud. The Quakers were badly underseeded, but lost by 28 to No. 1 Villanova earlier in the season and don’t have the depth, or the athletes, to contain Kansas for 40 minutes. Kansas has won eight of its past nine games, and has blown out numerous tournament teams this season — beating No. 12 South Dakota State by 34 points, No. 16 Texas Southern by 43 points, No. 11 Syracuse by 16 points and No. 10 Oklahoma by 30 points.
Virginia Tech (-2) over Alabama: It’s easy, and understandable, to be excited by the one-man show Collin Sexton put on at the SEC Tournament — and for much of the season — but the Crimson Tide can’t count on anyone else to score. The Hokies are one of the best-shooting teams in the country, and won’t be bothered by a strong Crimson Tide defense, following wins over even tougher defenses (Virginia and Duke) in the past few weeks.
UNC Greensboro (+12½) over Gonzaga: The Spartans’ incredibly tough defense and dreadfully slow pace should lead to a low-scoring affair. Add Greensboro’s love of the 3 (14th in the nation in attempts) and Gonzaga’s below-average perimeter defense, and Bulldogs coach Mark Few will face his latest close call as a high-seed in the first round.
Montana (+11) over Michigan: I rode Michigan to another Big Ten Tournament title, but I doubt its momentum has survived after nearly two weeks off. Even with the unusually long layoff between games, the Wolverines will leave with the win, but don’t expect them to look like a Final Four contender right out of the gate — like 70-something percent of the betting public is banking on.
This season: 15-14-1
2011-17 record: 199-155-8
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