Here are my first-round NCAA Tournament predictions for Big Ten teams:
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No. 8 Ohio State over No. 9 TCU
Ohio State can score with the best of them, and on any given day in a winner-go-home matchup, give me Bruce Thornton and John Mobley to lead the Buckeyes to victory. Both teams are evenly matched, but the Buckeyes have a more explosive offense and I think that will be the key.
No. 13 Troy over No. 4 Nebraska
Of all the teams that could suffer an upset in the Big Ten, one of the favorites would be Nebraska. This equipment has not been battle tested and in games where the lights are bright, they do not appear. Troy can shoot at a high level from 3 and they are healthy. I think they have what it takes to get angry.
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No. 5 Wisconsin over No. 12 High Point
High Point plays fast and they fit the mold of a fun March Madness team. Wisconsin’s offense will be good enough to silence the Cinderella noise in High Point. I expect a great match from John Blackwell and Nick Boyd.
The #3 state of Michigan over the #14 state of North Dakota
Michigan State will return to its dominant play and edge out North Dakota with a huge lopsided victory. Jeremy Fears Jr. will have a double-double in this one, being a great facilitator and shot taker. I think the Spartans’ defense will be the big key in this case.
No. 1 Michigan over No. 16 Howard
Michigan is a team that should be headed to the final 4 and maybe even the title game. They have to bounce back from the title loss to Purdue, I think they will do so with a convincing victory against Howard.
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No. 3 Illinois over No. 14 Pennsylvania
This is a good matchup for Illinois, and they should be ready to make it to the sweet 16 with Caleb Wilson injured at North Carolina. Illinois should take care of business against Penn, and the difference makers will take a big step forward.
Here are my picks for Friday’s games:
No. 8 Clemson over No. 9 Iowa
Iowa had the toughest matchup in the conference, and Iowa doesn’t come into this game with a lot of confidence. Clemson has size, they take care of the basketball and they have a deep bench. It will take a stellar performance from Bennett Stirtz, but I see the Hawkeyes getting eliminated in the first round.
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No. 10 UCF over No. 7 UCLA
This could be one of the most exciting matchups of Round 1. UCLA’s top 2 scorers, Donovan Dent and Tyler Biladeau, are banged up, but both are still expected to play. UCF has a trio of scorers who could outlast an even healthier Bruins team. I think UCF will dominate the cup and win this game thanks to second chances and their better scorers.
No. 2 Purdue over No. 15 Queens University
Purdue is coming off a title in the Big Ten tournament, and I don’t think their recent success will come to an end in Round 1. This is a dominant team that is finally playing the way it was expected to play, and I think Queens University will be its next victim.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Micah Huff’s play-by-play picks for the Big Ten in the NCAA Tournament