No Villanova. No Duke. So how’s your East Region bracket looking? If it’s anything like mine, there’s red slashes all over it, and honestly, you’re only a die-hard fan of the four teams that actually made it to the Sweet 16 out of this region if it remains intact. It’s nothing more than a coin flip now with the Florida Gators, Wisconsin Badgers, Baylor Bears and South Carolina Gamecocks each having as good a shot as any to advance to the Final Four. The odds to win the region reflect just that with only the Cocks offering up more than a 3-1 return. Whatever you do, don’t tell that to Frank Martin!
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ODDS TO WIN EAST REGION
Florida +214
Baylor +228
Wisconsin +231
South Carolina +437
Florida Gators +213
The only other No. 4 seed or higher that might have been more impressive than the Gators this past week was Midwest Region top seeded Kansas. Like the Jayhawks, Florida bowed out in its conference tournament immediately. The time off allowed for KU to regroup and take it to each of its first two opponents. That’s exactly what Mike White’s kids did as well in taking it to the trash talking ETSU Buccaneers and following it up by handing the Virginia Cavaliers one of the program’s worst-ever defeats. The 65-39 final doesn’t even justify how dominating Florida truly was. The Gators suffocated the Cavs with their relentless defensive pressure, and then got out in transition and converted. If they move forward with that recipe, the Gator Chomp will be back in the Final Four for the first time since 2014.
Baylor Bears +226
Baylor continued to do Baylor things in its first round matchup against the New Mexico State Aggies. Scott Drew’s squad went off the board favored to win that game by 12 points, yet found themselves down a bucket at the break. Thankfully for those that bet the Bears, the switch flipped and Baylor went on to dominate the second half outscoring NMST by 20 to log the 18 point win and cover. It then survived a major battle against a USC team playing its third game in five days outlasting the Trojans 82-78 but failed to cover the 5.5 point spread due to a last second tip in that was huge for those booking bets. The problem with Baylor is that it normally plays two games in one just about every time it plays in a big game. It’s way too hot and cold for my likes, and the fact that Manu Lecomte still isn’t 100 percent is bothersome.
Wisconsin Badgers +231
Consistent. If ever there was a word to describe the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball program, that would be it. After knocking out the defending champion Villanova Wildcats in a major coup for sportsbooks, Wiscy finds itself in the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight time. This year’s squad will be looking to get back into the Elite 8 after a year hiatus, and if Nigel Hayes continues to do work down low and the 3-ball continues to hit its mark for Bronson Koenig, the Badgers could very well do just that. If not for mysteriously dropping five of six games at the tail end of the regular season, Wisconsin would have likely been a No. 2 seed instead of the No. 8. Maybe it ends up being a blessing in disguise with Wisconsin matching up terrifically against every team in this region.
South Carolina Gamecocks +439
I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out if what went down in Greenville over the weekend actually occurred, or if it was just some sinister joke played in my mind and I’m about to wake up. Seriously, how the heck did South Carolina drop 65 on the Dookies in the second half after scrambling to put a measly 23 on the board over the first 20 minutes? March, that pretty much sums it up. The Cocks bring with them the longest odds to win this region of the four entrants, but don’t for one second dismiss what Sindarius Thornwell and company bring to MSG. This is a team that locks down the perimeter and plays an in your face brand of defense. The team knows how to get under its opponent’s skin, and that goes a long way this time of the season.
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