Note: This post is from 2009. To view our 2010 March Madness coverage, use the following links:
- 2010 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament Bracket Breakdown
- March Madness 2010 Schedule, Sites, and Tickets
- MSF Bracket Challenge
- Mens NCAA Tournament Bracket, TV Schedule, Announcers, Spreads
- Midwest Region Bracket Picks, Predictions, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
- East Region Bracket Picks, Predictions, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
- South Region Bracket Picks, Predictions, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
- West Region Bracket Picks, Predictions, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
- History of Final Four in Indianapolis
- Women’s NCAA Tournament Schedule, Sites, Tickets
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(Note 3/16, 1:12 pm: March Madness is here! Each of of these regional primers will be constantly updated with the official brackets and TV schedules, my predictions, ticket resources, game point spreads and odds, plus the results as they pour in over the next two weeks. Just as we did with out conference tournament posts, this series of posts is designed for you to bookmark and come back to anytime you need information on one of the regions in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.)
2009 NCAA Tournament: East Region
Here is the pertinent meta information for the East Region of the 2009 NCAA Tournament:
- Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Location: TD Banknorth Garden — Boston, MA
- Top 4 Seeds: #1 Pittsburgh, #2 Duke, #3 Villanova, #4 Xavier
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- Ticket Information for First and Second Round Sites: first round locations are based on pod system. Find the location for each game below, and then follow the links to get ticket information for all first and second round sites in the 2009 NCAA Tournament:
StubHub: 2009 NCAA Tournament First and Second Tickets
RazorGator: 2009 NCAA Tournament First and Second Round Tickets—————
- Ticket Information for Regional Semifinal and Regional Final Rounds in Boston:
StubHub: 2009 East Regional Final and Semifinal Tickets – Boston
RazorGator: 2009 East Regional Final and Semifinal Tickets – Boston
Now, let’s break down the bracket for the East Region of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. First, a few quick notes:
- This should go without saying, but for any March Madness first-timers: all games are on CBS. You’ll have to check your local listings to find out which games are on in your area. But all games can be viewed live online for free at the following link:
Watch NCAA Tournament Games Online at March Madness On Demand - If you want to view the schedule in actual bracket form, there is a link underneath the table.
- The table below provides the following details on a game-by-game basis: date, time, location, announcers, and the point spread.
- I will add/update the information as it becomes available. If any piece of information is missing and you know it, or know where it is, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I’ll appreciate it. I promise.
- All spreads are as of 3/16 and provided by Sportsbook.com via DocSports. Follow the links for the most current spread info. Announcer schedules courtesy of Awful Announcing.
And now, here is the schedule breakdown for the 2009 NCAA Tournament East Region:
East Regional Bracket, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
| Game | Matchup | Date | Time | Location | Announcers | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST ROUND | ||||||
| 1 | #1 Pittsburgh def. #16 E. Tenn. St. 72-62 | Fri, 3/20 | 2:55 PM | Dayton | Lundquist-Raftery | PIT -20 |
| 2 | #8 Oklahoma St. def. #9 Tennessee 77-75 | Fri, 3/20 | 12:25 PM | Dayton | Lundquist-Raftery | TENN -2 |
| 3 | #4 Xavier def. #13 Portland St. 77-59 | Fri, 3/20 | 7:25 PM | Boise | Bolerjack-Wenzel | XU -11 |
| 4 | #12 Wisconsin def. #5 Florida State 61-59 | Fri, 3/20 | 9:55 PM | Boise | Bolerjack-Wenzel | FSU -3 |
| 5 | #2 Duke def. #15 Binghamton 86-62 | Thu, 3/19 | 9:40 PM | Greensboro | Nantz-Kellogg | DUKE -21.5 |
| 6 | #7 Texas def. #10 Minnesota 76-62 | Thu, 3/19 | 7:10 PM | Greensboro | Nantz-Kellogg | UT -4 |
| 7 | #3 Villanova def. #14 American U. 80-67 | Thu, 3/19 | 7:20 PM | Philadelphia | Enberg/Blackburn-Bilas | VU -17 |
| 8 | #6 UCLA def. #11 VCU 65-64 | Thu, 3/19 | 9:50 PM | Philadelphia | Enberg/Blackburn-Bilas | UCLA -7 |
| SECOND ROUND | ||||||
| 9 | #1 Pittsburgh def. #8 Oklahoma State 84-76 | Sun, 3/22 | 2:50 PM | Dayton | Lundquist-Raftery | PITT -8 1/2 |
| 10 | #4 Xavier def. #12 Wisconsin 60-49 | Sun, 3/22 | 2:20 PM | Boise | Bolerjack-Wenzel | XAV -3 1/2 |
| 11 | #2 Duke def. #7 Texas 74-69 | Sat, 3/21 | 8:15 PM | Greensboro | Nantz-Kellogg | DUKE -7 1/2 |
| 12 | #3 Villanova def. #6 UCLA 89-69 | Sat, 3/21 | 1:05 PM | Philadelphia | Enberg/Blackburn-Bilas | NOVA -2 1/2 |
| SWEET 16 | ||||||
| 13 | #1 Pittsburgh def. #4 Xavier 60-55 | March 26 | 7:27 PM | Boston | Lundquist-Raftery | PITT -7 1/2 |
| 14 | #3 Villanova def. #2 Duke 77-54 | March 26 | 9:57 PM | Boston | Lundquist-Raftery | DUKE -2 1/2 |
| ELITE 8 - REGIONAL FINAL | ||||||
| 15 | #3 Villanova def. #1 Pittsburgh 78-76 | March 28 | 7:05 PM | Boston | Lundquist-Raftery | PITT -2 |
Follow the link for a PDF of a printable 2009 NCAA Tournament Bracket, delivered by CollegeHoopsNet.com.
FYI, the in-studio hosts for CBS’ coverage of the 2009 NCAA Tournament this year will be Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony, and Seth Davis. Here are the 8 announcer pairings for the first and second round games:
- Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg (will handle Final Four)
- Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
- Dick Enberg or Carter Blackburn and Jay Bilas
- GUS JOHNSON!!! and Len Elmore
- Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner
- Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel
- Craig Bolerjack and Bob Wenzel
- Tim Brando and Mike Gminski
If there is anything specific you’d like to know but don’t feel like looking up for yourself, just ask in the comments. We’re all about on-demand information here at MSF.
UPDATE 3/17: It’s time for some predictions.
Earlier today, I posted my official one-and-only NCAA Tournament bracket predictions. I actually devised what I call a subjective-objective metric-based approach to my predictions this year. For a complete explanation of the metrics I used and how the system worked, read the complete Mens Tournament Bracket Prediction post. (FYI: Some of the analysis-based verbiage below may not make complete sense without reading the explanation in the bracket prediction post.)
Here is the section specific to the Easst region:
East Region Predictions
First Round Picks – East Region
- #1 Pittsburgh
- #8 Oklahoma State over #9 Tennessee
- #12 Wisconsin over #5 Florida State
- #4 Xavier over #13 Portland State
- #6 UCLA over #11 Virginia Commonwealth
- #3 Villanova over #14 American U.
- #7 Texas over #10 Minnesota
- #2 Duke over #15 Binghamton
Oklahoma State-Tennessee was a 3-3 tie. However, one of the categories Tennessee “won” was being a 9 seed over an 8 seed. Considering the fact that OSU has more experienced guards, turns the ball over less, and shoots better from the line, I like them to win. And for goodness sakes, 9 seeds only win 3% mo
re than 8 seeds, so it’s not like the 9 over 8 advantage should determine every one of these matchups.
Wisconsin is my #12 seed that pulls the upset. The Badgers burned me in the Big Ten Tournament (I picked them to win it) and this pick scares me a little bit considering how well Florida State played in the ACC Tournament. However, Wisconsin has more experienced guards (by class anyway) and turns the ball over a staggering 5.6 times less per game. I actually look at this game as a toss-up, but I feel comfortable going with the Badgers in the upset.
Interesting note: VCU over UCLA is a trendy first round upset pick. Led by former tournament star Eric Maynor (remember VCU’s upset of Duke a couple years ago?) a lot of people, including Jay Bilas, think VCU could/will beat UCLA. However, this was the only first round game (minus the 1/16 battles, which I did not analyze) in which one team won all six categories — and it was UCLA doing the winning. I had actually anticipated picking VCU, but based on the analysis, I now feel pretty good picking the Bruins.
Which, of course, means that VCU will still probably win. Oh well. Such is March Madness.
Second Round Picks – East Region
- #1 Pittsburgh over #8 Oklahoma State
- #12 Wisconsin over #4 Xavier
- #3 Villanova over #6 UCLA
- #2 Duke over #7 Texas
Well, here I go again banking my credibility on Bo Ryan and the Badgers. Their experience, protection of the ball, FT%, and SOS all trump Xavier. This worries me a bit because Wisconsin has been so up and down this year, but they do play the kind of basketball I respect, and have made noise in the tournament before. By no means would I be shocked to see Wisconsin lose here (or in the first round for that matter), but I’m sticking with the Badgers to move onto the Sweet 16 and help restore some cred to the Big Ten.
Sweet 16 Picks – East Region
- #1 Pittsburgh over #12 Wisconsin
- #3 Villanova over #2 Duke
Halelujah, Pittsburgh beats Wisconsin. I was really worried that I might have devised a system that would choose this game in a way I would have a really hard time justifying. But Pitt was better on the road and has more experience in the backcourt. It ended up a 3-3 tie, with Pitt’s tremendous seed advantage tipping the scales.
The Villanova-Duke matchup was 3-3, which should go to the higher seed. However, because it’s a 2-3 matchup, I gave myself the wiggle room to be subjective in my choice. Duke is playing well, but I love ‘Nova’s backcourt and I just don’t see this Duke team as being built for a long tourney run. ‘Nova moves on for another all Big East Regional Final.
Elite 8 Pick – East Region
- #1 Pittsburgh over #3 Villanova
As you can tell, my subjective choices of metrics obviously prove that I am a fan of the Big East’s brand of basketball. Through three regions, I have chosen five Big East schools to make the Elite 8. Villanova is far superior at the line, but Pittsburgh faced a tougher schedule and has more experience guards that turn the ball over less. Jamie Dixon and the Panthers move on to Detroit.
About Jerod Morris
