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The Elite Eight is almost over. That means college basketball is almost over. Today is bittersweet. Here are the games:
| Game | Region | Scheduled Tip | TV | Location |
|
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 4 Louisville |
West | 2:20 P.M. EST | CBS | Carrier Dome (Syracuse, NY) |
| No. 2 Gonzaga vs. No. 1 Duke | South | 5:05 P.M. EST | CBS | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
And now, my flawless picks for both games:
- Sparty and Louisville are pretty similar in that they're two squads that got hot at the right time and are incredibly well-coached. I've gone back and forth on this about 100 times, but ultimately, give me Michigan State. I think Tom Izzo's a better coach than Rick Pitino (and everyone else in college basketball), and I like the trio of Travis Trice, Denzel Valentine and Branden Dawson a little more than I like the trio of Terry Rozier, Montrezl Harrell and Wayne Blackshear. Sparty 61, Cardinals 57.
- Duke sucks. Now that that's out of the way, this is the most lovable Duke team of all time. Same, in a way, with this Gonzaga squad. While I want the Bulldogs to win due to being a normal, sane human being who loathes Duke, I'm going with the Blue Devils. Duke is more talented, even though Gonzaga may be a bit of a matchup issue with its size up front (this, by the way, is a great way for Duke to get ready for a title game matchup with Kentucky, fwiw). Also: the difference between Coach K and Mark Few is like the difference between a panzer and a Prius. Duke 84, Gonzaga 77.
Per usual, if you can't watch the games on the television for whatever reason, you can check out the official NCAA March Madness Live app on your mobile device or your computer.
Here's your open thread for tonight's action. Follow all the usual open thread rules and feel free to talk hoops this evening.