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As we were last year, MSF will be your home for comprehensive NCAA Tournament information, commentary, and bracket advice.
This post will break down the bracket for the South Region, with Elite 8 and Sweet 16 games to be played in Houston, Texas at Reliant Stadium on March 26th and 28th.
You can also view our St. Louis Midwest Regional Bracket Breakdown, Syracuse East Regional Bracket Breakdown, Salt Lake City West Regional Bracket Breakdown, or the full 2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown.
Houston South Region Bracket
Before we get to the bracket, here is some quick meta and ticket info for the 2010 South Regional:
- South Regional Venue: Reliant Stadium
- Top 4 seeds: TBA
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 below to find great deals on tickets for all first and second round sites in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
- StubHub: Tickets to South Region First and Second Round Games
- RazorGator: Tickets to South Region First and Second Round Games
Ticket Information for Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Regional Final Games in Salt Lake City:
- StubHub: Tickets to South Region Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Regional Final Games in Houston
- RazorGator: Tickets to South Region Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Regional Final Games in Houston
Now, let’s break down the bracket for the South Region of the 2010 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.
- All games can be viewed live online for free at the following link:
Watch NCAA Tournament Games Online at March Madness On Demand - The table below provides the following details on a game-by-game basis: date, time, location, announcers, and the point spread. It is updated as the information becomes available. If any piece of information is missing or wrong, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I’ll appreciate it. I promise.
- All NCAA Tournament announcer assignment information is courtesy of Fang’s Bites.
Here is the schedule breakdown for the 2010 Houston South Region:
South Region Bracket, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
| Game | Matchup | Date | Time | Location | Announcers | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST ROUND | ||||||
| 1 | #1 Duke 73 def #16 Arkansas Pine-Bluff 44 | Fri, 3/19 | 7:10 ET | Jacksonville | Nantz-Kellogg | Duke -a lot |
| 2 | #8 California 77 def #9 Louisville 62 | Fri, 3/19 | 9:35 ET | Jacksonville | Nantz-Kellogg | Pick 'em |
| 3 | #4 Purdue 72 def #13 Siena 64 | Fri, 3/19 | 2:30 ET | Spokane | Brando-Gminski | PU -3.5 |
| 4 | #5 Texas A&M 69 def #12 Utah State 53 | Fri, 3/19 | 4:45 ET | Spokane | Brando-Gminski | TAM -2.5 |
| 5 | #2 Villanova 73 def #15 Robert Morris 70 | Thu, 3/18 | 12:30 ET | Providence | Lundquist-Raftery | NOVA -19 |
| 6 | #10 Saint Mary's 80 def #7 Richmond 71 | Thu, 3/18 | 2:50 ET | Providence | Lundquist-Raftery | RICH -1.5 |
| 7 | #3 Baylor 68 def #14 Sam Houston St. 59 | Thu, 3/18 | 2:45 ET | New Orleans | Enberg-Bilas | BAY -12 |
| 8 | #11 Old Dominion 51 def #6 Notre Dame 50 | Thu, 3/18 | 12:25 | New Orleans | Enberg-Bilas | ND -2 |
| SECOND ROUND | ||||||
| 9 | #1 Duke 68 def #8 California 53 | Sun, 3/21 | 5:15 ET | Jacksonville | Nantz-Kellogg | DUKE -6 |
| 10 | #4 Purdue 63 def #5 Texas A&M 61 | Sun, 3/21 | 5:00 ET | Spokane | Brando-Gminski | TAM -1.5 |
| 11 | #10 St. Mary's 75 def #2 Villanova 68 | Sat, 3/20 | 1:05 ET | Providence | Lundquist-Raftery | NOVA -4.5 |
| 12 | #3 Baylor 78 def #11 Old Dominion 68 | Sat, 3/20 | 5:45 ET | New Orleans | Enberg-Bilas | BAY -4 |
| SWEET 16 | ||||||
| 13 | #1 Duke 70 def #4 Purdue 57 | 3/26 | 9:57 ET | Houston | Nantz-Kellogg | DUKE -8 |
| 14 | #3 Baylor 72 def #10 St. Mary's 49 | 3/26 | 7:27 ET | Houston | Nantz-Kellogg | BAY -3.5 |
| ELITE 8 - REGIONAL FINAL | ||||||
| 15 | #1 Duke v #3 Baylor | Sun, 3/28 | 5:05 ET | Houston | Nantz-Kellogg | DUKE -4.5 |
If you want to view an actual bracket, here you go.
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South Region Picks & Predictions
First Round Picks
- #1 Duke over Arkansas Pine-Bluff/Winthrop winner
- #8 California over #9 Louisville
- #12 Utah State over #5 Texas A&M
- #4 Purdue over #13 Siena
- #11 Old Dominion over #6 Notre Dame
- #3 Baylor over #14 Sam Houston State
- #7 Richmond over #10 Saint Mary’s
- #2 Villanova over #15 Robert Morris
Every year there is a #12 seed that defeats a #5 seed; here in the South my system predicted Utah State to knock of Texas A&M. I know that the Aggies from the Lone Star state have been playing well, but the Aggies from Utah are a very good rebounding team that protects the ball well, so I have no issues with this selection.
We also usually see at least one #11 beat a #6, and Old Dominion over Notre Dame is a great place for it to happen. ODU rebounds very well, plays well in close games, and does a good job defending shooters. The Irish obviously have the Big East pedigree, but this is not a great #6 seed. They are ripe for the picking.
Otherwise, it was all chalk. Many people will pick Louisville over California, but the Bears are an experienced team with a solid backcourt and a very experienced coach in Mike Montgomery. Another trendy pick will be Siena over Purdue because of the loss of Robbie Hummel and Purdue’s terrible showing against Minnesota, but the Boilermakers still protect the ball well, have a solid inside presence in JaJuan Johnson, and have experience across the board. I have enough faith in Matt Painter to think he’ll get them ready to play…and win.
Second Round Picks
- #1 Duke over #8 California
- #4 Purdue over #12 Utah State
- #11 Old Dominion over #3 Baylor
- #7 Richmond over #2 Villanova
This is easily the craziest portion of my entire bracket.
Duke will beat California. They are simply the better team all around. And I do like Purdue to beat the 12th seeded Aggies of Utah State and surprise a lot of people by reaching the Sweet 16 without Robbie Hummel.
The picks of ODU over Baylor and Richmond over Villanova will surely raise some eyebrows. Am I totally on board with these picks? No, of course not. There is a lot of risk here have two low seeds make the Sweet 16 in one bracket, but I said I’d go with the system, so I have to be consistent.
Old Dominion gets the advantage over Baylor because of the superior rebounding and ability to take better care of the ball than the Bears. The truth is that all of the stats are very even, and my gut tells me Baylor, but we do usually have at least one double-digit seed in the Sweet 16…so here is that team.
As for Richmond over Villanova, the Spiders are an underrated team that plays good defense and takes care of the ball, despite being a pretty poor rebounding team. Seeing as how Villanova is guard dominated, I don’t see Richmond’s rebounding problems being quite as big a deal in this matchup. Richmond has done a terrific job this season winning close games, in large part because of their experienced background. When the ball is handled mostly by juniors and seniors, you can have tourney success, and Villanova has not been playing its best basketball lately. I’m fine with this upset pick.
Sweet 16 Picks
- #1 Duke over #4 Purdue
- #7 Richmond over #11 Old Dominion
Purdue can beat a #13 seed and a #12 seed without Robbie Hummel, but they aren’t getting past Duke. The Blue Devils are too experienced and too good. And in the Cinderella battle of the Sweet 16, Richmond beats ODU because of their experience and ability to defend.
Elite 8 Pick
- #1 Duke over #7 Richmond
If my bracket comes to fruition, Duke will have to beat a #16 seed, a #8 seed that many people felt should be a bubble team, a #4 seed playing without its best player, and an unheralded #7 seed to make the Final Four. I certainly think that the Blue Devils, who are just as experienced as Richmond, would win this matchup and make another Final Four, where they will face much stiffer competition.
To view my Final Four picks, follow the link to my 2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Predictions.
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About Jerod Morris
