The NCAA tournament is underway, with the First Four matchups having already taken place. It is estimated that $3.3 billion will be wagered on March Madness. The tournament continues with first-round games.
Cal Baptist’s Reliance on Daniels Jr.
Cal Baptist will face Kansas in the first round. Cal Baptist has been one of the more entertaining mid-majors this season. This is largely thanks to star point guard Dominique Daniels Jr., who has posted some video-game numbers all year, including a 47-point explosion in conference play.
The Lancers’ offense often runs entirely through his ability to create off the dribble. Kansas can throw multiple long, switchable guards at Daniels Jr., starting with Melvin Council Jr., which makes life much harder in the pick-and-roll game that Cal Baptist relies on. When you combine that with Kansas’ size advantage across the rest of the floor, it becomes difficult to see the Lancers generating efficient looks consistently.
Kansas Seeking a Reset
After a disappointing showing in the Big 12 tournament, Kansas feels like a team in need of a reset. First-round tournament games often become statement spots for power programs looking to regain rhythm. This sets up as a potential get-right opportunity for Kansas.
If Daniels Jr. gets bottled up even moderately, Cal Baptist’s offense doesn’t have many secondary paths. Kansas are motivated and possess the defensive personnel to neutralise the Lancers’ engine.
Other First Round Matchups
UConn looked like a title contender for the first half of the season. It’s hard to figure out what happened when it lost four of its last 11, including bad defeats to Creighton and Marquette and a 20-point loss to St. John’s in the Big East title game. They face Furman in the first round.
Furman isn’t great, but it has rare size for a small-conference team. Furman doesn’t shoot 3s well, which isn’t great when taking a big underdog, but we’re just hoping the Paladins can keep it within 20.
Iowa face Clemson. Iowa really needed to see someone other than a Big Ten opponent. The Hawkeyes were a very disappointing 3-7 down the stretch.
With 16 first-round games to study, there are plenty of wagering opportunities available.