WINFO Issue #29

KYLE’S PICKS
KENTUCKY GETS ANOTHER
SHOT AT UCLA
by Kyle Clifton
West Virginia vs. Gonzaga
The Bulldogs of Gonzaga take on
West Virginia in a 1 versus 4 seed
showdown in San Jose. Gonzaga has
had their struggles in their first two
games, while West Virginia struggled
vs. Bucknell but dominated Notre
Dame. Everyone in the country by
now knows what you are getting into
when you play West Virginia; that is
pressure defense, full length of the
court. Despite being experienced and
having solid guards, Notre Dame
couldn’t handle the pressure and had
14 turnovers.
Gonzaga is immensely talented
despite their struggles so far in the
tournament. They are led by stud
guard, Nigel Williams-Goss, and have
five players that average 10 or more
points. They average more than 83
points per game, and are 6th in the
nation with 40.6 rebounds per game.
I believe the big problem for Notre
Dame was that they had just one day
to prepare for the Musketeers. Gonzaga
has had all week, and they have
a great coach. I think they are able
to handle the press at a decent rate.
West Virginia is not a good shooting
team and it they don’t turn you over it
is likely they lose. I’ll take the Zags!
Kyle’s Pick: Gonzaga -2.5
Kentucky vs. UCLA
In a rematch of a game played way
back in early December, Kentucky
takes on UCLA. Kentucky has had a
couple close games this tournament,
while UCLA has won both games
pretty comfortably. The first matchup
between these two teams was an exciting
shootout won by the Bruins, 97
to 92. UCLA made 53% of their shots,
including 10 three pointers. Kentucky
shot rather poorly in the game shooting
just 41% but forced UCLA into
committing 18 turnovers.
This one is a showdown of the freshman
on both sides. Both teams are a
pathetic 1-4 against the spread in their
last five games. Malik Monk hasn’t
even played a decent game on offense
so far this tournament, yet they
are in the Sweet 16. UCLA needs Ball
and Leaf to bring their A game to win.
I think Kentucky limits one of them. I
will take the Wildcats in a thriller.
Kyle’s Pick: Kentucky +1
Butler vs. North Carolina
The Butler Bulldogs are tied for the
biggest underdog of the Sweet 16
slate, as they take on North Carolina
on Friday. The spread is currently
UNC -7.5. Butler has only lost one
game by more than 6 points since
January 14th. North Carolina was
down 5 with about four minutes left
against Arkansas and seemed like
they were going down until they went
on a 12-0 run to finish the game.
UNC definitely has the athleticism
advantage in this game, but Butler
is their classic gritty, tough team that
just doesn’t beat themselves. Butler is
a solid 19-12 ATS this season while
UNC is just 17-16-2. I think the Bulldogs
are very competitive all game
and could even pull off the upset.
Butler and the points!
Kyle’s Pick: Butler +7.5
Aside from being a diehard fan of the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Cubs, Duke Blue
Devils, Green Bay Packers and FC Dallas – Kyle is also a college basketball
handicapper with a proven record of success. You can get more of Kyle’s picks
daily by following him on Twitter @KyleCliffy and checking out his blog
http://kylecliftonsports.weebly.com/
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