C. Mack is a slow learner. Now up three games on Uncle Joey (14-12), C. Mack (17-9) is celebrating a little early. Apparently, he didn't learn anything from MSU's premature celebration preparations Tuesday.
Uncle Joey said he plans to make up ground during March Madness.
"C. Mack ain't (expletive)," he said. "I'll see him when it's time to fill out the NCAA brackets. Plus, he looks ridiculous in that Ohio State sweatshirt."
C. Mack, who claims wearing his Ohio State sweatshirt is "just a coincidence," made some bold predictions this week.
"Red is C. Mack's favorite color and that's all C. Mack has to say about that," he said. "And about C. Mack's 'bold' picks - it's March, and March is filled with upsets. Let the madness begin."
No. 17 Wisconsin (20-6 overall, 11-4 Big Ten) at Indiana (13-13, 7-8)
Uncle Joey - The Hoosiers got their act together with a win against Michigan on Wednesday, but they won't be much of challenge for Wisconsin, which crushed MSU's title hopes earlier this week.
Badgers guard Devin Harris is the truth. Indiana guard Bracey Wright is not. Harris and Wright both overflow with confidence on the court, and both hit tough shots. But Harris is the player who is able to carry his team to a win. He did it against the Spartans and he'll do it against Indiana.
Wisconsin 61, Indiana 49
C. Mack - Wow. That's the one word I can use to describe Wisconsin this season. Oh, that "wow" is bittersweet.
The Badgers are great. Any other description of a 20-win team in a major conference would be ridiculous. But I can't understand their ups and downs.
They play at Michigan and get spanked. Their offense is inept at Northwestern. They go to Purdue and whip the Boilermakers with a leather belt, and then they come into East Lansing and spoil the Spartans' party.
One thing is for sure: Wisconsin finds a way to win when it needs to.
But even though I haven't mentioned a single thing about the most underachieving team in the Big Ten, Indiana, I'm going to stick with what I said midway through the conference season - the Hoosiers would beat the Badgers to end the Big Ten season. I'm sticking with that pick, meaning no third-straight Big Ten Championship for Wisconsin.
Indiana 66, Wisconsin 61
No. 18 Illinois (21-5, 12-3) at Ohio State (14-14, 6-9)
C. Mack - Go Buckeyes! Well, that is the most popular phrase lingering in the East Lansing air as you read this. The Buckeyes are MSU's only chance to get a piece of a fifth Big Ten Championship in seven years.
Illinois is a team on a mission. The Fighting Illini have reeled off nine wins in a row and are showing no signs of losing soon.
I know the Spartans won by 14 points in Columbus and that was on a 73.3-percent shooting afternoon. Maybe I'm being brainwashed by the Spartan airwaves, or maybe I'm still thinking MSU head coach Tom Izzo knew what he was talking about when he said Ohio State was his sleeper team in the Big Ten. But I'm going with the Buckeyes in this game. Of course, a cold shooting night from Illinois will help.
Ohio State 79, Illinois 73
Uncle Joey - According to C. Mack, MSU will be the outright Big Ten champions. It's a nice thought, but the Spartans lost the Big Ten title when they lost to Wisconsin. Illinois will not be sharing this championship, and they deserve to have it all to their own. The Fighting Illini split with Wisconsin and destroyed MSU. The Spartans, on the other hand, lost all three games they played against Wisconsin and Illinois.
As for the game, Ohio State stinks and Illinois is on a roll. This one won't be close.
Illinois 76, Ohio State 60
No. 14 North Carolina (18-8 overall, 8-7 ACC) at No. 3 Duke (24-4, 12-3)
C. Mack - Since I seem so good at jinxing teams this year, I should keep my feelings toward Duke somewhat hidden. Screw that.
The Blue Devils are the best team in America, despite Wednesday night's fluke loss to Georgia Tech. They would beat St. Joe's easily and a game against Stanford would end with a 20-point victory. The ACC is Duke's conference and no one, especially not the most overrated team in the country not named Arizona, is going to challenge that dominance. The Tar Heels have big wins, but they also have poor losses, and a large number of them.
Duke beat North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Beating the same, young Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium will be easier. Much easier. If only the NCAA Tournament selection committee would realize this loss should put UNC on the bubble. If only…
Duke 91, North Carolina 72
Uncle Joey - The Dukies looked a little less invincible at home in their loss to Georgia Tech on Wednesday. I just don't like the Blue Devils on offense. Chris Duhon can't score with the game on the line, and freshman Luol Deng is beginning to slump. Duke does have a lights-out shooter in J.J. Redick, but he is too streaky and can't dominate a game from start to finish. All this means is that Duke might have trouble reaching the Final Four; it doesn't mean the Blue Devils will have trouble with North Carolina.
The Tar Heels have won two straight, but they haven't been able to win three-straight conference games once this season. It's not going to happen against Duke.
Duke 85, North Carolina 78
No. 21 Kansas (19-7 overall, 11-4 Big 12) at Missouri (15-11, 9-6)
Uncle Joey - Detroit is in the house. Seniors Arthur Johnson and Rickey Paulding, both Detroit-area natives, are leading the Tigers toward an NCAA Tournament berth. Missouri, along with MSU, was among college basketball's most disappointing teams earlier this season. But a recent six-game winning streak - which Texas Tech ended Wednesday - has the Tigers back in the running for a tournament bid. A win over Kansas this weekend will cement it.
Missouri 73, Kansas 67
C. Mack - Isn't it funny how things pan out in early November and December compared to late February and early March? One preseason Final Four group was Duke, Connecticut, MSU and Missouri. Well, Duke has been on top all year. Connecticut has been up and down, but it looks like the Huskies are primed for at least a pair of NCAA Tournament wins. MSU sputtered out of the gates before winning 12 of 14 games from early January to the end of February. Missouri, much like the Spartans, began resembling the preseason hyped team in February.
The Tigers are for real, and with a couple wins, they are a decent seed in the tourney.
Then there is Kansas, a team playing dominantly at home, but thinks losing by 20 points on the road is the norm. Kansas head coach Bill Self is feeling the heat for lowering the level of basketball in Kansas, and a victory late in the year against a talented Missouri would help get people off his case.
I'm not a Self fan, and I think the Jayhawks are too inconsistent at the moment, but I'll take my chances for a Kansas victory.
Kansas 88, Missouri 85 (OT)
