Weber State vs Arizona CBB Picks
The No. 1 Arizona Wildcats have drawn the No. 16 Weber State Wildcats in their first matchup of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, and while there’s no guarantees in college basketball, you can be 100 percent confident that the Wildcats walk away victorious in this one. [ad-4468020]
2014 NCAA Tournament Free Picks
16 Weber State (19-11, 14-6 Big Sky) @ 1 Arizona (30-4, 15-3 Pac-12)
Friday, March 21 2:10 PM ET TNT
West Region – Second Round
Spread: Arizona -19.5
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Weber State
All jokes aside, this one will be an uphill battle for Weber State. The Arizona Wildcats have incredible size and athleticism down on the block, and they also have an X-factor from the outside in Nick Johnson.
The good news here is that Arizona did not finish out the year the way it hoped, and now Weber State will look to pounce on an opponent that doesn’t have the same kind of momentum it had when it started the season 21-0.
Weber State had a bit of a roller coaster of a season, but it closed out the year with three straight wins, including a victory in the Big Sky championship. The team is led by Davion Berry, who averaged 19.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest this season, and the team’s 48.1 percent field-goal shooting was good enough for 20th in all of college basketball.
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Weber State should come out strong, seeing as it is as hungry as anyone to get into the Tournament. The team hasn’t been to the Big Dance since 2007, meaning it will be a question of nerves versus excitement and which has a bigger impact when the game finally tips off.
Arizona
As mentioned once already, Nick Johnson is an X-factor. We know that the bigs in the frontcourt will find ways to be productive all tournament—especially against smaller, less athletic competition—but Johnson’s consistency with his shot will be what plays the biggest difference.
Luckily for Arizona, Johnson’s consistency should make the difference between a close win and a blowout—not a win and a loss. Arizona is too good to let one go this early; although spotty shooting could be a bigger difference maker as the tournament progresses.
Arizona faltered a bit down the stretch of the regular season, but there’s a reason it went 21 games to start the year without losing a single contest. Defense is where this team makes its name, and that won’t change in the second round of the tournament.
Expect Weber State to come out with a ton of energy, but look for Arizona to walk away with win No. 1 when the clock strikes zero.
Prediction: Arizona 67 – Weber State 53
