I can't NOT pick the first game of the Dance, although I don't honestly have a strong opinion here -- getting one full possession was the difference to me between evenly matched teams. The SL Model has Maryland winning by 3. ESPN BPI has the Terps 0.2 points better. Massey has WVU by a point. Yeah, Maryland was quite bad away from home but so was WVU. It could be that I just don't like Bob Huggins all that much; with Jim Boeheim retiring, Huggy Bear is now the winningest active men's coach. You generally think defense when you think West Virginia, but Maryland has been way better on that end in allowing 63.2 ppg.

The senior-laden Mountaineers put it together down the stretch, winning four of their last six (5-1 ATS) with both losses coming to Kansas. Point guard Kedrian Johnson (23 steals in his last eight games) is a defensive menace who can bother Maryland leading scorer Jahmir Young (16.1 ppg). West Virginia senior guard Erik Stevenson has poured in 154 points over his last seven games. Away from home, the Terps have only beaten Minnesota and Louisville. Look for Bob Huggins to continue his first-round success as West VIrginia covers.

Maryland has won exactly two games away from home since November and both were over Big 10 bottom-feeder Minnesota (9-22). The Terps were excellent at home but last time I checked, this game is in Birmingham, not College Park. It's not as if the Mountaineers have been that much better away from Morgantown, but wins over Iowa State and Texas Tech (x2) away from home since January are more impressive. It also doesn't help that Maryland coach Kevin Willard is 1-5 in his NCAA Tournament career while WVU's Bob Huggins is 4-1 in first round games as Mountaineers coach. In a close game, I'll take the Mountaineers by at least two possessions.