Second Round Saturday Predictions: Can Butler Knock Off Pitt?

Yes, this is technically the “third round” in this year’s NCAA Tournament, but it still feels like the traditional second round that we’ve come to love over the years before the expansion to 68 teams. So it’s just hard to call it the third round.

But we’ve got some great second round matchups throughout the country today, and college hoops fans everywhere are frantically trying to salvage what is left of their bracket.

Let’s take a look at today’s games and make some predictions:

4 Kentucky vs. 5 West Virginia – 12:15 PM ET, CBS

We thought that the Mountaineers would have more trouble with their first round matchup than Kentucky would, but that wasn’t the case. Princeton took UK to the limit, while West Virginia rebounded from a slow start to take care of business against Clemson. This is a rematch of last year’s Elite Eight game that saw Bob Huggins really utilize the zone and make Kentucky try to beat them from outside. They didn’t, and we could see the same formula today. I do think the Wildcats are a better shooting team this year though, so it’s going to be tough for them to rely entirely on the zone to stop this team. This is a much better matchup for Kentucky than the Princeton game was, and West Virginia just doesn’t have the firepower on offense to beat the Wildcats for a second year in a row.

Prediction: Kentucky 70, West Virginia 63

2 Florida vs. 7 UCLA – 2:45 PM ET, CBS

Although it was a 2/15 matchup, most people were still surprised at how well Florida played against UCSB on Thursday. In the other matchup, UCLA almost squandered a huge lead to Michigan State, but managed to hang on in the end to advance. The Gators are still being overlooked as a potential Final Four team in my opinion, as they are really talented at every position on the floor. The quickness of Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker could be the difference here. I was impressed at the way the Bruins handled Tom Izzo‘s squad for most of the game, but I just like Florida in this particular matchup. I would expect this to be a low scoring game, and defense will determine who comes out on top. But again, Florida’s just the better team.

Prediction: Florida 68, UCLA 58

12 Richmond vs. 13 Morehead State – 5:15 PM ET, CBS

As a Vandy fan, you could probably imagine my reaction to the loss on Thursday. But, Richmond simply outplayed the Commodores, and deserve to move on to the second round. On the other side, no one expected Morehead State to knock off Louisville (although I have to say, I kinda thought it was a good possibility), however, if you had seen Kenneth Faried play at all this year, you knew just how big of an impact he could have on this game. So now one of these teams is heading to the Sweet 16, and this is a tough call. Although I’d rather see Morehead State move on, I just feel like Richmond’s style will be tough to handle. Kevin Anderson was a beast against Vandy, and if they are shooting the ball like they did a few days ago, it will be tough for Morehead State to win this one.

Prediction: Richmond 65, Morehead State 56

2 San Diego State vs. 7 Temple – 6:10 PM ET, TNT

This matchup could be pretty intriguing. San Diego State struggled for a little while against Northern Colorado before clamping down and winning easily, while Temple made some great plays down the stretch to take down Penn State. A lot of people still aren’t sure how good this Aztec team is, but trust me, they’re good. The balance they have on offense will likely be the key here, and if San Diego State can make this an up-tempo game, they should be able to walk away with a double-digit victory. However, I think Temple could control the pace of the game early, and make this a game right down to the very end.

Prediction: San Diego State 71, Temple 68

1 Pittsburgh vs. 8 Butler – 7:10 PM ET, TBS

Probably the most intriguing matchup of the day right here, as you’ve got the defending national runner-up taking on one of the best teams in the country in a second round game. Butler went right down to the wire against Old Dominion, but you just felt like the experience of last season would win out in the end, and it did. So now Butler gets a team in Pittsburgh that has become known for their struggles in this tournament. Pitt was the best team in the best conference this season, so if there’s a year that they will quiet the critics, it’s this season. Is this Butler team better overall than Pitt? No, they’re not. However, we know that doesn’t always matter when it comes to March Madness. Anything can happen. Just ask Butler. Oh, wait…..

Prediction: Butler 69, Pittsburgh 67

3 BYU vs. 11 Gonzaga – 7:45 PM ET, CBS

I called Gonzaga over BYU before the tournament began, but now that pretty much everyone and their mother is picking Gonzaga over BYU, it worries me a little bit. If there’s a player in this tournament that I would not want to bet against, it’s Jimmer Fredette. They’ve obviously lost a big piece of the puzzle in Brandon Davies, but this is still a good basketball team. However, Gonzaga has much more balance on the offensive end, and I would expect Mark Few‘s team to be very physical with Jimmer on the offensive end in this one. The Zags are simply playing better basketball right now, and they’ll find a way to win this game.

Prediction: Gonzaga 78, BYU 72

4 Wisconsin vs. 5 Kansas State – 8:40 PM ET, TNT

I thought the region that would get messed up due to lower seeds would be the Southwest Region, and I thought Utah State and Belmont would be prime for a Sweet 16 run. But both Wisconsin and Kansas State took care of business rather comfortably, and now face off today in what should be a great game. This really is a toss-up, with both teams having stars that could lead their team to the next round. I got off the K State bandwagon after I picked them to win the Big 12 tournament, and then they proceeded to lose to Colorado in the quarterfinals. Well, clear some room, because I’m back on the bandwagon now. Jacob Pullen leads his team to victory in this one.

Prediction: Kansas State 73, Wisconsin 69

3 UConn vs. 6 Cincinnati – 9:40 PM ET, TBS

I predicted a UConn-Missouri matchup, but Cincy took care of the Tigers rather easily on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Huskies completely shellacked Bucknell in the 3/14 game, which caught me by surprise. But nothing should surprise us these days when Kemba Walker is on the floor, as it is clear that this guy is on a mission to lead his team to a national championship. Of course, they have to get by their Big East counterpart for that to continue, and this won’t be an easy matchup. Cincy is great on defense, and they’ll be looking to avenge their regular season loss to the Huskies. Still though, UConn is simply too hot right now to pick against them.

Prediction: UConn 76, Cincinnati 65

Who are you picking in today’s games? Can Butler upset Pittsburgh?

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