“If There is a Brunch, Why Isn’t There a Linner?”

Here is the Rundown on Today’s Lupper-Time Games

#7 Butler vs. #10 South Alabama
Friday at 2:45 PM EST in Birmingham, AL
Vegas: Butler (-4.5)
Storming the Floor: Butler
Joe Lunardi: South Alabama
WWOD?: Location. Location. Location. This game is in Birmingham, Alabama. And, I’m hoping that USA fans will be out in force because I’m picking them to upset Butler, who everyone thinks deserved a higher seed. So, in other words I’m picking this game based on where it is being played rather than based on who is actually playing. Smart. Also, I bet on Butler in their home loss to Drake earlier in the year. They shrank from that moment, which was the biggest game that they had played yet. So, I’d like to think (not for their sakes though) that they could possibly shrink from this moment too? It’s all sort of plausible. Or, at least if it’s not plausible then it has a certain overwrought logic to it.

*Reality Check: If I wasn’t part real estate agent (not actually true) I would probably take Butler to cover this spread. They did go 29-3 this year while USA lost to Middle Tennessee State not too long ago.

#2 Georgetown vs. #15 Maryland, Balitmore County
Friday at 2:55 PM EST in Raleigh, NC
Vegas: Georgetown (-17.5)
Storming the Floor: Georgetown
Joe Lunardi: Georgetown
WWOD?: The Hoyas were the first college team I ever liked. Thank you Patrick Ewing. And, they're from the Big East, which gets my pen moving (on my bracket). While I love the local angle of this game (little known fact: DC and Baltimore are close to each other) I just don’t see how UMBC, who I know zero about, could possibly hang with 7 feet and 2 inches of Roy Hibbert. And, even if they manage to get the big guy in foul trouble I think Patrick Ewing, Jr. would probably just take the game over. Well, probably not that last part, but I think the Hoyas just have too much for most teams to handle over forty minutes.

#2 Texas vs. #15 Austin Peay
Friday at 3:00 PM EST in Little Rock, AR
Vegas: Texas (-15)
Storming the Floor: Texas
Joe Lunardi: Texas
WWOD?: Sometimes you just gotta go Peay. But I didn’t do it. I couldn’t go Peay. Too many people were looking at my bracket. I got stage fright.*

#4 UConn vs. #13 San Diego
Friday at 3:00 PM EST in Tampa, FL
Vegas: UConn (-12)
Storming the Floor: UConn
Joe Lunardi: UConn
WWOD?: I may disklike Jim Calhoun strongly. I may dislike UConn and become slightly irritated whenever I’m driving North on 84 and pass by Storrs, CT. Those things may all be true, but I can’t go against a solid coach like this on Day One. Calhoun is like Tom Izzo for me. They both will get a Day One win on my bracket whether the have the players for it or not.

*I had to get one pee joke in there. I feel pretty good about it.