733/734 Mississippi State & Washington

The Huskies have a distinct site advantage by playing this game in Portland, Oregon. They along with Gonzaga should own the majority of the fans and that semi home court edge could be a big bonus. Many pundits have talked about the PAC 10 being down this year but in reality this is a conference with only two teams not ranked in the Top 50. Sure there may not be a dominant team like a typical UCLA squad but the day to day struggles of competing in this conference is especially daunting. The Huskies bring a 25-8 record into play today and all eight defeats came against teams playing in the postseason. The last five against teams in the NCAA Tournament. That tells us that this club doesn't take games off, they give a complete effort against everyone they play and that kind of play can go a long way in not only winning today but doing so by a margin. Washington is known to have an excellent offense but this run and gun club ranks 11th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency. They pound the offensive boards and get to the line. This is a well coached team that does everything right. By losing in the second round of the PAC 10 Tournament they are not only rested but hungry to get that losing taste out of their mouths. And it should be noted that the Huskies haven't lost back to back games since facing Kansas and Florida way back in November.

Mississippi State is 23-13 on the season after winning the SEC Tournament. Even with that surprise victory this conference has just three teams making the Big Dance. That tells you all you need to know about the strength of the SEC which was very much down this year. Even tourney given Kentucky was left out in the cold. The Bulldogs simply do not belong in this tournament but a late season hot streak saved their season. With home losses to San Diego and Mississippi and road or neutral site loses to Texas Tech, Charlotte, Cincinnati and Alabama the Bulldogs are in over their head here. And the location can't be any worse for this southern team to travel as far to the northwest as possible. Mississippi State's strength is defending inside but the pace of this game will negate that advantage. Washington wants to get out and run and that should really frustrate this underdog.

PLAY WASHINGTON