March Madness Buzz - First-Round Action for 3/16/07 Get ready for the NCAA Tournament with each day’s info worth betting

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Midwest - #7 UNLV vs. #10 Georgia Tech (12:25 PM ET)

• The Rebels have an assortment of scoring options - so early foul trouble doesn't hinder this team as much as others. Senior point-guard Kevin Kruger led the Mountain West Conference in assists and is the teams most dangerous shooter. EDGE: UNLV
• Being away from home is certainly a concern for Georgia Tech, as the Yellow Jackets were a dismal 1-8 in true road games this year, which will still be a factor even on a neutral court. EDGE: UNLV
• UNLV advanced to four Final Fours and won the 1990 national title under Jerry Tarkanian but hasn’t wont a single NCAA tournament game since they ran him out after the 1991-92 season. SLIGHT EDGE: GEORGIA TECH
• The Yellow Jackets are 4-1 ATS in their last five neutral site games as favorites.
• The Rebels are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games underdogs.
• The UNDER is 9-1-1 in the Runnin' Rebels' last 11 games as underdogs.

Midwest - #2 Wisconsin vs. #15 Texas A&M-CC (2:55 PM ET)

• With two-year starter Brian Butch out for at least the first two weekends with a dislocated right elbow, Wisconsin is still adjusting. The Badgers are far from automatic on the free-throw line and behind the arc. EDGE: TEXAS A&M-CC
• Texas A&M-CC center Chris Daniels averaged 15.3 points and 6.7 rebounds to become the Southland Conference Player of the Year award.  He's a 7-footer with an outside touch and opposing teams must design a defense to stop him. EDGE: TEXAS A&M-CC
• The Badgers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games after scoring less than 50 points in their previous game.
• The UNDER is 5-1 in the Badgers' last six games as favorites of 13 points or greater.

West - #1 Kansas vs. #16 Niagara (7:10 PM ET)

• The Kansas Jayhawks certainly look formidable as a No. 1 seed in the West region, but any team can claim as many wins as the Jayhawks in the past two NCAA tournaments. The Jayhawks were bounced by Bucknell and Bradley the last two years. EDGE: NIAGARA
• Niagara got a surprise performance from Clif Brown in Tuesday's play-in game, as he connected on a career-high six 3-pointers en route to 32 points in a 77-69 win over Florida A&M. Brown stepped up with 24 points in the second half alone after scoring 18 or less in his previous 11 games while leading scorer Charron Fisher battled foul trouble and totaled just 13 points. EDGE: NIAGARA

West - #8 Kentucky vs. #9 Villanova (9:40 PM ET)

• If Villanova leads late in games, it's hard to beat them. The Wildcats shoot 78.1 percent from the free-throw line, better than any team in the country. BIG EDGE: VILLANOVA
• Kentucky has lost only one first round game with Tubby Smith as head coach – versus Georgia in 1998. EDGE: KENTUCKY
• Villanova is 0-4 ATS in its last four NCAA Tournament games.
• Kentucky is 8-0-1 ATS in its last nine games versus the Big East.

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West - #5 Virginia Tech vs. #12 Illinois (7:10 PM ET)

• The Hokies have great depth with nine players averaging at least 10 minutes per game, led by senior guards Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon. EDGE: VIRGINIA TECH
• Illinois has just nine scholarship players at their disposal and only eight that actually play. The Fighting Illini lack depth and the ability to mix-and-match with versatile opponents
• The Fighting Illini are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games.
• The UNDER is 11-0 in the Fighting Illini's last 11 Friday games.

West - #4 Southern Illinois vs. #13 Holy Cross (9:40 PM ET)

• Holy Cross head coach Ralph Willard's coaching style gives the Crusaders a chance to win any game. The Crusaders force 16.9 turnovers per game and knock down free throws, which has led them to 18 of 20 games to capture a fourth Patriot League title in seven years. EDGE: HOLY CROSS
• The Patriot League champion (Bucknell) has won first-round games over Kansas and Arkansas each of the last two years. EDGE: HOLY CROSS
• The best way to beat Southern Illinois’ man-to-man halfcourt defense is to run against them. However, Holy Cross puts a lot of emphasis on slowing the game down, ranking seventh in the country in team defense with 57.4 points allowed per game. EDGE: UNDER
• The Patriot League champion has won first-round games each of the last two years. EDGE: HOLY CROSS
• The Crusaders are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games as underdogs.
• The Salukis are 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 games as favorites.

South - #4 Virginia vs. #13 Albany (12:15 PM ET)

• Virginia has a great backcourt with guards Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds but could have big problems matching up with an opponent with any kind of size. Fortunately for the Cavs in this round, Albany doesn't have much size. EDGE: VIRGINIA
• The Great Danes are 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.
• The Cavaliers are 0-11 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games as a favorite.

South - #5 Tennessee vs. #12 Long Beach State (2:45 PM ET)

• Long Beach State coach Larry Reynolds is in a unique situation, as he doesn’t have a contract beyond this season and could be out as head coach. His team won the Big West though and could be a dangerous No. 12 seed. SLIGHT EDGE: LONG BEACH STATE
  The 49ers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
• The Volunteers are 1-7 ATS in their last eight neutral site games as a favorite.

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Midwest - #8 Arizona vs. #9 Purdue (7:20 PM ET)

• Arizona thrives in a fast-paced game with three go-to guys in Ivan Radenovic, Marcus Williams and Chase Budinger. The Wildcats also have a very capable point guard in senior Mustafa Shakur. EDGE: ARIZONA
• More than most Big Ten teams, the Boilermakers had a huge split between their home and away performances. Purdue went almost three years without a victory on an opponent's court before beating Penn State 69-59 on February 3rd. EDGE: ARIZONA
• Arizona seemed to lack interest in the Pac-10 Tournament, but this team has what experts believe to be four future NBA players on its roster. EDGE: ARIZONA
• The Boilermakers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games versus the Pac-10.
• The Wildcats are 6-0 ATS in their last six NCAA Tournament games.
• The OVER is 4-0 in the Wildcats' last four NCAA Tournament games.

Midwest - #1 Florida vs. #16 Jackson State (9:50 PM ET)

• With all five starters plus two key reserves back from last year's NCAA championship team, the Gators have plenty of tournament experience. They shoot better than 50 percent from the field overall and 40 percent on threes. EDGE: FLORIDA
• The biggest obstacle for Florida is falling behind early or coming out flat, which is definitely a possibility during six possible games in the tournament. The Gators averaged two more turnovers a game more than their 16 SEC opponents. EDGE: JACKSON STATE
• Jackson State will go only as far as Trey Johnson wants to take them, as he averages 27.1 points per game - making him the second-leading scorer in the country. EDGE: JACKSON STATE
• The Gators are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games as favorites.
• The UNDER is 9-2 in the Gators' last 11 NCAA Tournament games as favorites.

South - #2 Memphis vs. #15 North Texas (12:30 PM ET)

• Memphis is riding a 22-game winning streak - the longest in the nation - but lacks respect as a member of Conference USA. The Tigers have just three victories against the tourney field (Kentucky, Gonzaga and Jackson State). SLIGHT EDGE: MEMPHIS
• The Mean Green Eagles are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 neutral site games.
• The Tigers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games as favorites of 13 points or greater.

South - #7 Nevada vs. #10 Creighton (3 PM ET)

• The Blue Jays are 21-7 ATS in their last 28 games as underdogs.
• The OVER is 18-4 in the Wolf Pack's last 22 games as favorites of 0.5-6.5 points.

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