Rumor has it that Rick Pitino won the title in a recent appearance in the Big East Tournament.
Strangely, that record is nowhere to be found.
Odds provided by FanDuel.
Big Ten Round 2: No. 9 Minnesota (+7.5) vs. No. 8 Michigan State.
(12 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
There is understandable hesitation about facing Tom Izzo in March.
But the Spartans have only made it past the Sweet 16 once since 2015.
They have lost on the opening weekend in five of the past seven NCAA tournaments.
They have lost in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament in two of the past three years, including an upset from a No. 4 seed to a No. 13 seed last season.
The quarterfinal game was held in Minneapolis, where the Gophers, who were 12-4 this season, defeated Michigan State on February 6th.
The Spartans, who have been underperforming, have been floating in the bubble all season.
If they could flip a switch, they would have done it by now.
Big 12 quarterfinals: No. 5 BYU (-2) vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
(12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN 2)
The Cougars, who have entered 18 of 25 games this season as championship favorites, have found a rhythm, scoring at least 85 points in three of their past four games and are 4-1 in their last five games. I’m raising it.
The Red Raiders needed to shoot 50 percent from three and 94 percent from free throws to earn a home win against BYU on Jan. 20.
There are no plans for a repeat performance.
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Big East Quarterfinals: No. 4 Seton Hall (+4) vs. No. 5 St. John’s.
(2:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
It’s been almost a month since Pitino blamed his players for just about everything.
Perhaps his candor helped the Red Storm return to the bubble with a five-game winning streak, but it was three games against Georgetown and DePaul that made that possible.
The Pirates had a physical advantage in the first matchup, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds and winning by 15 points.
They rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit last month to score a mental victory.
They have the best player on the floor (Kadaly Richmond).
They deserve more respect as they enter the third round.
Pac-12 Quarterfinals: No. 9 USC (+9.5) vs. No. 1 Arizona
(3 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
It took four months, but the Trojans are finally starting to resemble the team expected to compete for Pace-12 honors.
A second upset against Arizona in less than a week is unlikely, but with confidence from a 13-point win and a 6-2 record last month (both losses by one possession), A talented roster could make some noise. Trouble again for the Wildcats.
This season: 1-4
Records from 2011-23: 349-308-12
