Still looking for tips to fill out your bracket? Here are some last-minute reminders.
• A 16th seed has not defeated a No. 1 seed since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. No. 15 seeds have defeated No. 2 seeds four times, No. 14s have won 16 times against No. 3s, and No. 13s have ousted No. 4s 22 times.
Then we come to 12s beating 5s. It’s happened 35 times! Feel very comfortable taking a No. 12 against a No. 5.
• Looking for a 12-against-5 upset special in this bracket? No. 12 Richmond over No. 5 Vanderbilt is the one to keep an eye on today at the Pepsi Center. Richmond probably deserved a higher seed after defeating Temple for the tournament championship in an underrated Atlantic-10. The Spiders (27-7) defeated No. 3 seed Purdue in nonconference play.
“(The Spiders) have very good players and they know how to run that Princeton system,” Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. “We got an extremely tough (draw), in my opinion.”
Richmond can really shoot (40 percent from 3-point range) and has a potent inside-outside game with senior guard Kevin Anderson (16 points per game) and 6-foot-10 junior forward Justin Harper (18.0). That spells danger.
• Another 12-against-5 to watch: Utah State against Kansas State. Utah State is sound fundamentally and shoots the 3 well.
Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
