March Madness Round 2-2

Picks for Second Round, Day Two. Higher Seeds listed first.

Syracuse/Arizona State - Syracuse

Syracuse 78, Arizona State 67. 1-0 for Round 2 Day 2. Syracuse had too much on both the inside and the outside for Arizona State. The Sun Devils were superb this season from beyond the arc - but couldn't seem to find the range. Losing your star inside presence to fouls at the 10-minute mark of the second half also didn't help.

Xavier/Wisconsin - Xavier

Xavier 60, Wisconsin 49. 2-0 Round 2 Day 2. I didn't originally select Xavier to win this game on my bracket - as I had Florida State defeating Wisconsin in the first round, and also being able to move past Xavier - got that one wrong.

Kansas/Dayton - Kansas

Kansas 60, Dayton 43. 3-0 Round 2 Day 2. The defending champs appear to be hitting their stride - it also helps to have one of the few triple-doubles ever in the history of the NCAA Tournament to propel you into the round of 16.

Arizona/Cleveland State - Arizona

Arizona 71, Cleveland State 57. 4-0 Round 2 Day 2. I had this one selected another way as well, as I had Wake Forest beating Arizona in my original bracket. Arizona probably shouldn't even have made the tournament, but a nice draw in round one and Cleveland State's upset of Wake Forest has them moving on.

Pittsburgh/Oklahoma State - Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh 84, Oklahoma State 76. 5-0 Round 2 Day 2. I don't think Pittsburgh has played to its full capability yet in this tournament - so if they do they could be a major factor. Oklahoma State was unconscious from 3-point land in the first half, but only managed to be tied a 49 at halftime. The Panthers showed their true grit in the final moments - and Sam Young tallied 32 points.

Missouri/Marquette - Missouri

Missouri 83, Marquette 79. 6-0 Round 2 Day 2. I have to admit I got scared when I noticed Dominic James was cleared to play Marquette after being thought to be lost for the season - not from a playing standpoint, but for an emotional boost. But, huge foul shooting in the final moments helped Missouri sneak past Marquette.

Michigan State/USC - USC

Michigan State 74, USC 69. 6-1 Round 2 Day 2. I have not been very high on Michigan State all season long, and after seeing USC finally come together as a team I thought for sure they would get by the Spartans. But, a late missed layup knocked the Trojans out and completely messed up that side of my bracket.

Louisville/Siena - Louisville

Louisville 79, Siena 72. Round Two: 14-2. Siena was almost this year's Davidson, and how great it would have been. Siena is only 2 1/2 hours from me, so it would have been nice to see them make a run in the tournament. They played against the best very well, even holding a lead with seven minutes remaining. And - this would have messed up everyone's bracket in the Midwest - which would have put me back in the mix.

NOTE: In my original selections I had teams that had already lost moving on here as well, I make those in my notes as the games conclude.