| Home | Visitor | Spread |
| Texas A&M-CC | SE Missouri St. | 4.3 |
| Michigan | Toledo | 7.2 |
| Rutgers | Hofstra | 9.1 |
| UAB | Southern Miss. | 7.9 |
| Liberty | Villanova | 1.8 |
| Vanderbilt | Yale | 2.9 |
| Mississippi St. | Pittsburgh | 1.8 |
| Wisconsin | Bradley | 4.5 |
| Colorado | Seton Hall | 3.3 |
| Washington St. | Eastern Washington | 9.7 |
March 14, 2023
PiRate Ratings College Basketball — Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Comments Off on PiRate Ratings College Basketball — Tuesday, March 14, 2023
March 7, 2023
PiRate Ratings College Basketball — Wednesday, March 8, 2023
| Home | Visitor | Spread |
| Alcorn St. | Texas Southern | 2.9 |
| Arizona St. | Oregon St. | 11.3 |
| Colgate | Lafayette | 9.4 |
| Colorado St. | Fresno St. | 2.2 |
| Davidson | St. Bonaventure | 2.7 |
| Duquesne | La Salle | 6.6 |
| Florida Intl. | Louisiana Tech | -3.7 |
| George Mason | Richmond | 1.6 |
| George Washington | Saint Joseph’s | -0.8 |
| Georgia | LSU | -0.7 |
| Grambling | Bethune Cookman | 11.2 |
| Howard | South Carolina St. | 8.2 |
| Iona | Mount St. Mary’s | 13.8 |
| Montana St. | Northern Arizona | 6.7 |
| Nebraska | Minnesota | 7.3 |
| New Mexico | Wyoming | 8.1 |
| North Carolina | Boston College | 10.9 |
| North Carolina Central | Delaware St. | 12.9 |
| North Carolina St. | Virginia Tech | 1.8 |
| Oklahoma St. | Oklahoma | 1.3 |
| Pittsburgh | Georgia Tech | 7.5 |
| Rice | UTSA | 5.6 |
| Rider | Marist | 6.5 |
| Seton Hall | DePaul | 7.5 |
| South Carolina | Mississippi | -6.4 |
| St. John’s | Butler | 3.2 |
| Syracuse | Wake Forest | -2.4 |
| Texas A&M-CC | Northwestern St. | 1.3 |
| UNLV | Air Force | 5.3 |
| Utah | Stanford | 1.8 |
| Villanova | Georgetown | 10.7 |
| Washington | Colorado | -4.7 |
| Washington St. | California | 13.6 |
| West Virginia | Texas Tech | 2.9 |
| Western Kentucky | UTEP | 1.0 |
| Wisconsin | Ohio St. | -1.4 |
Coming Later Today: Conference Tournament Schedules with TV & Updated Bracketology
Comments Off on PiRate Ratings College Basketball — Wednesday, March 8, 2023
January 29, 2023
PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Sunday, January 29, 2023
| Home | Visitor | Spread |
| Belmont | Drake | -0.2 |
| Canisius | Manhattan | 5.1 |
| Cleveland St. | IUPUI | 19.8 |
| East Carolina | Wichita St. | -1.8 |
| Fairfield | Rider | 1.6 |
| George Mason | Saint Joseph’s | 6.6 |
| Illinois Chicago | Bradley | 9.8 |
| Illinois St. | Southern Illinois | -5.3 |
| Iona | Quinnipiac | 7.7 |
| Iowa | Rutgers | 1.2 |
| Lehigh | Boston U. | 1.9 |
| Marist | Siena | -4.5 |
| Penn St. | Michigan | 3.6 |
| Purdue | Michigan St. | 8.7 |
| Robert Morris | Oakland | 2.8 |
| SMU | South Florida | 1.1 |
| St. John’s | Georgetown | 13.2 |
| Tulsa | Memphis | -13.1 |
| UNC Greensboro | Furman | 0.4 |
| Villanova | Providence | -0.6 |
| Youngstown St. | Detroit | 8.3 |
Comments Off on PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Sunday, January 29, 2023
January 20, 2023
April 1, 2022
March 26, 2022
PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Saturday, March 26, 2022
| Saturday, March 26, 2022 | ||
| Team | Team | Spread |
| Villanova | Houston | -2.1 |
| Duke | Arkansas | 3.7 |
| Southern Utah | Portland | 3.7 |
Elite 8 Bracketnomics Analysis
| Team | O-Eff | D-Eff | SOS | 37+ 3pt | OReb% | -45% vs. 2pt | FT Rate 37 | R + T New Rate | Old R+T |
| Villanova | 8 | 30 | 60.8 | 0.360 | 31.2 | 48.6 | 0.30 | 6.5 | 11.6 |
| Houston | 10 | 10 | 56.5 | 0.345 | 37.7 | 44.0 | 0.29 | 14.1 | 22.0 |
| Duke | 4 | 43 | 58.2 | 0.370 | 31.9 | 46.4 | 0.29 | 3.9 | 12.3 |
| Arkansas | 54 | 14 | 58.2 | 0.304 | 29.9 | 46.5 | 0.38 | 6.9 | 12.7 |
| North Carolina | 20 | 42 | 59.0 | 0.364 | 30.7 | 48.0 | 0.30 | 9.6 | 16.0 |
| Saint Peter’s | 225 | 28 | 49.5 | 0.355 | 32.1 | 43.5 | 0.38 | 4.6 | 8.9 |
| Kansas | 6 | 26 | 61.8 | 0.360 | 33.5 | 47.1 | 0.32 | 6.2 | 13.3 |
| Miami (Fla.) | 18 | 121 | 57.9 | 0.344 | 22.7 | 53.2 | 0.29 | -5.4 | -3.0 |
Villanova vs. Houston: Houston has a more perfect Final Four Bracketnomics resume, but there is a caveat. The Cougars accumulated some of this resume with two former starters that were both lost for the season due to injuries.
Villanova has a better schedule strength and a better three-point shooting percentage, while Houston holds the R+T edge. It is so close to call, but the general rule of thumb is to go with the better R+T rating in tossup games. By a thin hair, the pick is Houston to repeat as a Final Four team.
Duke vs. Arkansas: It appears as if the Atlantic Coast Conference was quite underrated this year. Three of the Elite 8 are ACC teams. Duke showed a lot of toughness beating the number one defensive team in the nation Thursday night. Of course, Arkansas beat the number one team overall, and it did not look like a fluke.
Duke is close to having an ideal Final Four resume. The key here is that the Blue Devils have a considerably better Final Four resume than Arkansas, and they add two intangibles. First, they are playing for Coach K to go out a champion like John Wooden. Second, the ACC may need a few extra points in schedule strength. Duke is the choice.
North Carolina vs. Saint Peter’s: What we have here is a total monkey wrench in the Bracketnomics system. Saint Peter’s is not supposed to be here. I am not saying that no mid-major team should ever be in the Elite 8. It’s just that the Peacocks, with this resume, do not fit like past mid-major teams like George Mason, Wichita State, Virginia Commonwealth, and Butler. If Saint Peter’s makes the Final Four, the Bracketnomics System will be a total failure, because there isn’t any justification that says the Peacocks should make the Final Four.
How did this tiny commuter school located on both sides of what was once the Lincoln Highway in Jersey City get to the Elite 8? Beating Kentucky was “The Mouse That Roared.” This was not one of those all freshmen teams with no tournament experience. Beating Murray State wasn’t as surprising as we thought the Racers had failed to beat a really quality team. Beating Purdue was almost as shocking as beating Kentucky, but we have noted that Gene Keady and his disciples have never had great success in the NCAA Tournamnent, as Steve Lavin and Kevin Stallings also had issues with teams trying to win half-court possessions at the expense of forcing the issue and accumulating great R+T rating scores.
Now comes a North Carolina team that at one point this year lost to Kentucky by more than 30 points and looked like an NIT team but all of a sudden caught fire and slaughtered Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Coach K’s final home game. North Carolina looked like a national championship team in the Sweet 16, and Hubert Davis must be given all kinds of credit for guiding the Tar Heels from probable NIT to probable Final Four. I am going with the Tar Heels to set up the incredible top rivalry game in the Final Four. Saint Peter’s has a slightly better defensive efficiency, and their guards are incredibly deceptively better than a Metro Atlantic team, but the Peacocks’ schedule strength does not measure up to Final Four standards. What we’re looking at is an allowance horse champion trying to beat a Grade 1 Stakes winner in the Florida Derby with a trip to Churchill Downs on the line. For the sake of this system, the pick is North Carolina.
Kansas vs. Miami (Fla): After Selection Sunday, when we presented our massive Bracketnomics release, Kansas was our choice to go all the way and win the National Championship. The Jayhawks are halfway to the prize, but KU hasn’t won their games as convincingly as I hoped. Now the Jayhawks face a team that can attack them in a different way with Larranaga’s Runts. Miami is another team that the Bracketnomics say should not be here. Their R+T rating is the absolute lowest in R+T history of any Elite 8 team. In fact, they were not supposed to make it past the Round of 32 with this R+T rating.
In every facet that matters, KU has the advantage. This game should be a double-digit win for the Jayhawks, but with KU not clicking on all cylinders and Miami playing at its peak in the obviously underrated ACC, this game looks painfully closer than it should be. The pick is Kansas, but it may be one of those ugly wins.
Comments Off on PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Saturday, March 26, 2022
March 24, 2022
PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Thursday, March 24, 2022
| Thursday, March 24, 2022 | ||
| Team | Team | Spread |
| Gonzaga | Arkansas | 10.2 |
| Villanova | Michigan | 4.0 |
| Duke | Texas Tech | -0.2 |
| Arizona | Houston | 1.3 |
Comments Off on PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Thursday, March 24, 2022
March 23, 2022
PiRate Ratings Bracketnomics For Sweet 16
The 2022 edition of the PiRate Bracketnomics fared rather well compared to a large number of other options when looking for bracket-filling strategies. Obviously, neither our system nor any others pick perfect brackets or even ones where we pick 15 of the 16 teams in the Sweet 16.
We still have three of our Final Four and five of our Elite 8 still alive, as well as our picks for the National Championship Game.
We did not pick Saint Peter’s to be the real shocker, so our system missed that one entirely this year. Kentucky’s numbers were just incredibly better than the Peacocks, but the Wildcats looked like deer in the headlights all night in that game. St. Peter’s looked like a clearly superior team when they dismissed Murray State two days later.
Miami of Florida and Iowa State were somewhat of a surprise to us as well, but the Hurricanes’ ball-hawking defense countered being outrebounded by 10 and nine in their two wins. Iowa State relied on excellent half-court defense to get to this round.
The Sweet 16 is like the advances round of TV game shows. You know the type. In the first round, the questions are a little easier, but after the commercial break, the next round brings more difficult questions, and the strong separate themselves from the weak. In the Sweet 16, usually seven of the eight winners will be clearly superior to their victims, while there will be one new surprise making the Elite 8. We previously pointed out that one team that does not have our acceptable national championship resume will sneak into the Final Four. It doesn’t always happen, but like UCLA last year, usually one team will win games three and four in their tournament to make it to the third weekend in the big dome stadium.
Let’s take a look at the most important Bracketnomics numbers for each of the 16 teams.
| Team | O-Eff | D-Eff | SOS | 37+ 3pt | OReb% | -45% vs. 2pt | FT Rate 37 | R + T New Rate | Old R+T |
| Arizona | 7 | 19 | 58.1 | 35.3 | 34.5 | 41.7 | 0.35 | 6.6 | 17.6 |
| Arkansas | 54 | 14 | 58.2 | 30.5 | 29.9 | 46.5 | 0.38 | 6.9 | 12.7 |
| Duke | 4 | 43 | 58.2 | 37.0 | 31.9 | 46.4 | 0.29 | 3.9 | 12.3 |
| Gonzaga | 1 | 9 | 57.2 | 37.4 | 29.2 | 41.6 | 0.31 | 7.0 | 21.2 |
| Houston | 10 | 10 | 56.5 | 34.2 | 37.7 | 44.0 | 0.29 | 14.1 | 22.0 |
| Iowa St. | 160 | 5 | 60.3 | 31.9 | 28.1 | 50.6 | 0.28 | 1.3 | 3.9 |
| Kansas | 6 | 26 | 61.8 | 36.0 | 33.5 | 47.1 | 0.32 | 6.2 | 13.3 |
| Miami (Fla.) | 18 | 121 | 57.9 | 34.4 | 22.7 | 53.2 | 0.29 | -5.4 | -3.0 |
| Michigan | 19 | 77 | 61.8 | 33.9 | 30.9 | 50.5 | 0.30 | 7.1 | 12.3 |
| North Carolina | 20 | 42 | 59.0 | 36.4 | 30.7 | 48.0 | 0.30 | 9.6 | 16.0 |
| Providence | 32 | 58 | 57.6 | 35.0 | 30.4 | 47.0 | 0.38 | 2.7 | 8.4 |
| Purdue | 2 | 89 | 60.1 | 38.8 | 35.1 | 48.7 | 0.39 | 11.8 | 19.3 |
| Saint Peter’s | 225 | 28 | 49.5 | 35.5 | 32.1 | 43.5 | 0.38 | 4.6 | 8.9 |
| Texas Tech | 46 | 1 | 61.0 | 32.2 | 33.2 | 44.0 | 0.36 | 6.3 | 18.1 |
| UCLA | 12 | 13 | 59.4 | 35.3 | 31.7 | 47.3 | 0.30 | 10.5 | 16.9 |
| Villanova | 8 | 30 | 60.8 | 36.2 | 31.2 | 48.6 | 0.30 | 6.5 | 11.6 |
To briefly summarize what this data above means: O-Eff and D-Eff are the schedule strength-adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency ratings. The fat numbers are to have an O-Eff in the top 10 and a D-Eff in the top 20.
SOS is our own PiRate Ratings strength of schedule. A SOS of 55.0 is the minimum number to be considered a real national title contender. Going back to the beginning of the then 64-team tournament format, no team with an SOS below 55.0 has won the title.
37+3pt is the threshold for three-point shooting percentage. If it is north of 37%, the team with this big number will force defenses to spread out and open up the middle for easy two-point shots. Overall 3-point percentages have dropped a little in the last few years since the stripe was moved back a few inches.
OReb% is the percentage of missed shots rebounded by the offense. 37% is also the beginning point of excellence. If a team rebounds three out of every eight shots they miss, they can shoot 40% from the field and still win. If this same team shoots 45%, they can cut down the nets after the final game.
-45% vs.2pt is the defensive field goal percentage inside the 3-point line. If a defense allows less than 45% of the 2-point shots to be made, they have a championship-level defense.
FT Rate37 is the free throw ratio. If a team takes 3 foul shot attempts for every 8 field goal attempts, this team has an offense that forces defenses to grab because the offense is too potent.
The last two columns are our own unique R+T ratings. The new one is rate based on Four Factors data, while the old one is a counting stat. We don’t yet have a threshold for the new R+T, but the old R+T has been helping us pick winners in the Big Dance for two decades. If the R+T is 15 or better, this is a team that consistently goes on big scoring spurts, the type that frequently puts games away. 12.5 to 15 is really good. 8 to 12.5 is fairly good. 5-8 is so-so. Under 5 is not good, and below 0 is a 100% no go for the Final Four.
Let’s take a look at the eight Sweet 16 games
Gonzaga vs. Arkansas: Gonzaga has the best overall Bracketnomics resume, as they did last year. Their schedule strength is a mild issue but well within the bounds of a potential national champion. Yet, the Bulldogs have not looked their best in either NCAA Tournament win. Arkansas coach Eric Musselman is worth about 7-10 more points for his team than Penny Hardaway is for Memphis, and if that’s the case, The Razorbacks are good enough to pull off the big upset–if Gonzaga continues to play at a subpar level. There’s the rub. I don’t see Gonzaga coming out flat in this game. Their narrow escape in the Round of 32 should wake the Bulldogs up. Gonzaga’s numbers are clearly superior to Arkansas. Go with the Zags in a potential double digit win.
Villanova vs. Michigan: There is an interesting set of data for this game, where both teams have advantages and disadvantages. Michigan has a better inside presence, and the Wolverines figure to capitalize inside with a few extra baskets in their offensive halfcourt. Villanova’s overall offense is a bit too strong for Michigan’s defense, so the Wildcats’ perimeter is going to penetrate Michigan’s defense for easier shots than Michigan figures to take. Overall, Villanova has a slight advantage in the Bracketnomics data, but the advantage is slim. Let’s go with the Wildcats in a close one.
Duke vs. Texas Tech: Duke’s excellent offense faces Texas Tech’s number one defense–this should make for an exciting game. Usually, when a superior offense plays a superior defense, if all else is equal the superior offense wins more often than not. All else is not equal. If not for this being Coach K’s final year, and it looks like Duke has been benefiting from more than 50% of the 50-50 calls, this would be an easy selection, as the Red Raiders have a better overall team. On a Sweet 16 stage, maybe the referees will be more likely to get calls made correctly with hopes of being chosen for the Final Four, so Duke won’t get that benefit. If so, this might be the finale for Coach K. Texas Tech is just a bit better.
Arizona vs. Houston: What we have here is a failure to see a decisive favorite. Both teams have Final Four resumes and are clearly better than most of the other teams left in the Big Dance. The only issue in this game is the fact that a portion of Houston’s great numbers came with the addition of two former key starters that were lost to season-ending injuries earlier in the season. With their roster intact, this might have been the Houston team to do what Elvin Hayes and Don Chaney couldn’t do in the late 1960’s or what Phi Slama Jama couldn’t do in the mid 1980’s. Arizona doesn’t have the same amount of tournament experience that Houston has, as the Cougars made the Final Four last year. That’s the one thing that concerns us. Kelvin Sampson knows how to prepare a team to pay on the big stage. Arizona is the better team, but Sampson is worth a few extra points–just enough to have a 50-50 shot at the mild upset. I have to pick somebody here, but honestly, it can only be a hunch, as the Bracketnomics show this game as dead even. I’ll go with Sampson to defeat the Pac-12 Goliath by one or two points or in overtime.
Purdue vs. Saint Peter’s: Saint Peter’s has played incredible defense in their two wins, and if they could stop Oscar Tshiebwe and company, they have a chance to limit Zach Edey and Trevion Williams. But, doing so might allow Jaden Ivey to showcase his exceptional talents on the big stage. Purdue has not made the Final Four during the Gene Keady-Matt Painter era. The Boilermakers in the past had issues with R+T Ratings. This Purdue team does not have that issue, and they might run over the Peacocks like a runaway train. I think Cinderella experiences Midnight in this round, and Purdue wins by double digits.
Kansas vs. Providence: Ed Cooley has done an incredible job at Providence, but he is facing a team coming to its peak in efficiency, and Kansas is clearly the superior team across the board. With Remy Martin at full strength, the Jayhawks are better than their Bracketnomics Data indicates. Martin makes KU the best team in the Dance, and I expect Rock Chalk Jayhawk to keep advancing.
UCLA vs. North Carolina: College basketball royalty clashes in this one, and I don’t see this game being a mismatch like the 1968 National Championship Game. Looking at the Bracketnomics data, the two teams are evenly matched. There are secondary and tertiary data in this science, including tournament experience by players and coach. In all but one respect, the Bruins have the advantage in these extras.
Carolina’s one advantage is having an inside force that can dominate in the paint. Mick Cronin is coaching in his 13th NCAA Tournament and coming off a Final Four appearance with most of his key contributors returning. Hubert Davis is coaching in his first NCAA Tournament. That’s enough to pick UCLA to return to the Elite 8.
Miami (Fla.) vs. Iowa St.: This is the unique game in this round, as neither team has an acceptable Final Four Bracketnomics Resume. As previously mentioned, usually one of the four teams in the Final Four does not have the blueprint we use to pick our brackets. At least one team will make the Elite 8.
Iowa State has struggled to generate offense for long stretches of games, and they have had to rely on their defense to keep games close until the offense got on track. Miami’s small but very quick roster might be able to force the Cyclones into playing a style of ball they are not equipped to play. Let’s go with the U to become Elite. Jim Larranaga took George Mason to a Final Four.
March 19, 2022
PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Sunday, March 20, 2022
Sunday’s Games
| Sunday, March 20, 2022 | ||
| Team | Team | Spread |
| Illinois | Houston | -3.3 |
| Villanova | Ohio St. | 4.4 |
| Duke | Michigan St. | 6.5 |
| Wisconsin | Iowa St. | 3.8 |
| Texas Tech | Notre Dame | 7.3 |
| Auburn | Miami (Fla.) | 8.9 |
| Purdue | Texas | 2.6 |
| Arizona | TCU | 10.3 |
| Xavier | Florida | 2.6 |
| SMU | Washington St. | 2.7 |
| Vanderbilt | Dayton | 2.3 |
| North Texas | Virginia | 3.2 |
| Oklahoma | St. Bonaventure | 6.7 |
| VMI | UNC Wilmington | 0.7 |
| Florida Atlantic | Northern Colorado | 5.7 |
| UNC Greensboro | Boston | 1.3 |
| Abilene Christian | Troy | 3.9 |
Sunday’s Bracketnomics Data
| Team | O-Eff | D-Eff | SOS | 37+ 3pt | OReb% | -45% vs. 2pt | FT Rate 37 | R + T New Rate | R+T Old Rate |
| Illinois | 23 | 30 | 60.7 | 36.7 | 33.4 | 45.4 | 31.7 | 7.7 | 12.8 |
| Houston | 10 | 11 | 56.0 | 34.1 | 37.8 | 43.5 | 28.7 | 14.3 | 22.2 |
| Villanova | 8 | 28 | 61.0 | 35.9 | 30.9 | 48.2 | 30.5 | 4.8 | 11.5 |
| Ohio St. | 13 | 131 | 60.0 | 37.3 | 28.8 | 46.2 | 33.5 | -1.0 | 6.0 |
| Duke | 7 | 44 | 57.6 | 36.8 | 31.8 | 46.9 | 28.6 | 4.1 | 12.7 |
| Michigan St. | 38 | 53 | 60.8 | 37.8 | 30.7 | 47.9 | 30.4 | 3.0 | 8.5 |
| Wisconsin | 49 | 38 | 60.1 | 31.2 | 25.9 | 49.9 | 32.3 | 3.4 | 7.3 |
| Iowa St. | 151 | 10 | 59.7 | 36.8 | 28.2 | 50.7 | 28.1 | 1.2 | 3.8 |
| Texas Tech | 65 | 1 | 60.8 | 31.4 | 33.3 | 44.3 | 36.1 | 9.6 | 17.5 |
| Notre Dame | 29 | 84 | 56.8 | 38.0 | 22.5 | 49.3 | 27.0 | -2.5 | 3.8 |
| Auburn | 24 | 8 | 59.2 | 32.0 | 33.1 | 42.6 | 31.6 | 5.9 | 12.5 |
| Miami (Fla.) | 17 | 157 | 57.0 | 35.3 | 23.4 | 53.9 | 28.8 | -5.0 | 1.3 |
| Purdue | 3 | 100 | 60.0 | 39.1 | 35.2 | 49.2 | 36.3 | 12.1 | 19.2 |
| Texas | 32 | 13 | 60.2 | 32.3 | 31.8 | 46.1 | 32.3 | 7.2 | 10.1 |
| Arizona | 5 | 20 | 58.2 | 35.4 | 34.5 | 41.9 | 35.1 | 7.0 | 17.9 |
| TCU | 80 | 24 | 60.3 | 30.4 | 37.8 | 47.9 | 31.2 | 12.5 | 16.9 |
Sunday’s Bracketnomics Game Analysis
Illinois vs. Houston
This is a close matchup. Both teams have areas where they can exploit the other. I have looked at this game different ways, and in most ways Illinois is a little better. However, overall, Houston has a Final Four resume, while Illinois has a Sweet 16/Elite 8 resume. Only for that reason, do I slightly favor Houston. The feeling is that the Cougars’ interior defense will be just strong enough to limit Kofi Cockburn inside (not stop him but maybe make him miss a couple shots he normally would make).
Villanova vs. Ohio St.
This is a game where the Bracketnomics cannot properly analyze the game. Ohio State’s statistical resume does not reflect the current team. Numerous injuries greatly affected their resume, so the key thing to do is to look at the Buckeyes’ numbers when they were healthy, as they are now.
This game could go down to the final minute as so many others in this incredible tournament have done so far. I have to go to the minor extras to come up with a decisive winner, and Villanova gets the edge due to Jay Wright’s experience on the bench.
Duke vs. Michigan St.
Duke has two added bonuses in their favor in this game. They receive a minor home court advantage as their fans have bought a lot of losing teams’ tickets. And, of course, the players know what happens if Duke loses. They don’t want to make history as the team that sent Coach K out on an early loss.
The teams are fairly evenly matched, which is becoming a theme in this tournament. If Coach Izzo were to announce his retirement before the tip, this would be an epic game for the ages. Instead, it will just be a really good game. We’ll go with Duke to win by beating the Spartans as their own game–on the offensive glass.
Wisconsin vs. Iowa St.
This game is just what the Badgers wanted. Iowa State has issues stopping a quick-penetrating offense, and the Cyclones like to force bad outside shots and then rebound the ball with players that have sunk into the lane. Wisconsin has a quick-penetrating offense, and the Badgers rarely take a bad shot. Playing in their backyard just 80 miles away from Madison, UW receives bonus points as a quasi-home team. Look for Wisconsin to pull away in the second half and win by 7 to 12 points.
Texas Tech vs. Notre Dame
If you have followed the Bracketnomics reports, you know that one team usually makes the Final Four without having the perfect Bracketnomic resume that a Final Four team possesses. It usually happens when a team has four (or five) dream matchups, where the team keeps getting opponents that are weak where they are strong. Texas Tech had an easy opponent in their first game with Montana State. Notre Dame is better than the Bobcats, but the Irish are going to get drilled in Spurtability points. The Red Raiders should enjoy at least two big runs if not more in this game, and once this team has a lead of eight points, their nation’s best defense can tighten the screws and close games out. Tech will win, and they have a chance to make this game a second laugher if they simply play their average game.
Auburn vs. Miami (Fla.)
Auburn should win this game, and it shouldn’t be close. The Tigers enjoy a huge R+T advantage, and Miami’s is low enough that they almost qualify for automatic Bracketnomics loss with their R+T rating. Auburn has a huge advantage inside the paint in this game, and Miami doesn’t have a fantastic three-point shooting presence.
Purdue vs. Texas
This one should be interesting. Purdue’s exceptional offensive efficiency faces Texas’s exceptional defensive efficiency, making it a wash. Purdue has a better three-point shooting game and has the tendency to get their opponents’ key players in foul trouble. Texas has enough inside muscle to limit the Boilermakers’ double-headed inside monster. In the end, Purdue gets the slight advantage due to superior R+T rating.
Arizona vs. TCU
One number one seed fell yesterday. This could be the second one, because it is a tossup game. TCU has enough talent to make this a 50-50 game. The Pac-12 schedule strength is just a tad off the other Power Conferences, and the Wildcats’ numbers have been slightly skewed. UA is still strong enough to go to the Final Four, but it isn’t going to come easy, and TCU has just enough of a Bracketnomics positive resume to make this game a 40-minute challenge. Arizona is still the pick here, but I expect this game to be much closer and for Wildcat fans to chew their nails before the final horn.
Comments Off on PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Sunday, March 20, 2022
March 17, 2022
PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Friday, March 18, 2022
| Friday, March 18, 2022 | ||
| Team | Team | Spread |
| Ohio St. | Loyola (Chi.) | 0.4 |
| Auburn | Jacksonville St. | 16.4 |
| Texas Tech | Montana St. | 15.0 |
| Purdue | Yale | 15.1 |
| Villanova | Delaware | 15.5 |
| USC | Miami (Fla.) | 2.1 |
| Alabama | Notre Dame | 3.4 |
| Texas | Virginia Tech | 1.6 |
| Illinois | Chattanooga | 8.3 |
| Duke | Cal St. Fullerton | 18.1 |
| LSU | Iowa St. | 3.6 |
| Arizona | Wright St. | 20.4 |
| Houston | UAB | 8.1 |
| Michigan St. | Davidson | 1.0 |
| Wisconsin | Colgate | 9.6 |
| Seton Hall | TCU | 1.3 |
Comments Off on PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Friday, March 18, 2022
The Pi-Rate Ratings 