Day Three Picks

#2 Villanova vs. #10 St. Mary's (South)

Bracket: Villanova (over Richmond) | Pick: Villanova

Comment: Fortunate to have survived their first-round matchup with Robert Morris, the Wildcats shake it off and cruise. They've got no real answer to Omar Samhan inside, but Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher will overwhelm Mickey McConnell.

#5 Butler vs. #13 Murray State (West)

Bracket: Butler | Pick: Butler

Comment: Both clubs notched impressive first-round victories, though both opponents were probably over-rated. Edge goes to the Bulldogs, because they're the better team.

#6 Tennessee vs. #14 Ohio (Midwest)

Bracket: Georgetown (over San Diego State) | Pick: Tennessee

Comment: Look, if the Bobcats shoot as well as they did against the Hoyas, they can beat nearly anybody. But they were a middling shooting team this season, and it's difficult to catch lightning in a bottle more than once. Armon Bassett could carry them, but I think Tennessee's a bit better than they're being given credit for.

#1 Kansas vs. #9 Northern Iowa (Midwest)

Bracket: Kansas (over UNLV) | Pick: Kansas

Comment: I don't really need to explain why I think the Jayhawks will win, do I?

#3 Baylor vs. #11 Old Dominion (South)

Bracket: Old Dominion | Pick: Old Dominion

Comment: The Bears have plenty of offensive firepower, but haven't impressed me defensively and struggled against Sam Houston State in round one. The Monarchs take a close one.

#3 New Mexico vs. #11 Washington (East)

Bracket: Washington | Pick: Washington

Comment: At the start of the year, you might have expected these two teams' seeds to be swapped. The Huskies are finally playing up to their potential, while the Lobos struggled to beat Montana in round one.

#2 Kansas State vs. #7 BYU (West)

Bracket: Kansas State | Pick: Kansas State

Comment: I'm not ready to say that Jimmer Fredette can't score on the K-State's defenders, who are quicker and more athletic than he's used to. But I will say that it will be hard enough that the Cougars won't win.

#1 Kentucky vs. #9 Wake Forest (East)

Bracket: Texas (over Kentucky) | Pick: Kentucky

Comment: I thought the Wildcats might be vulnerable, though that was before they came out as one of the few top seeds on Thursday not to struggle. Expect this one to be sloppy, but the more talented team should win.