Put your future grandchild's college fund on Virginia -22*

If the NCAA tournament was picked the same way as ESPN’s Bowl Pick ‘Em confidence, this would probably be the bet I am most confident with. Throw everything you have on this game, then ask your friends and family for some more money.

People really tend to forget that the University of Maryland Baltimore County Golden Terriers were a 16 seed in the tournament last year and upset the number one overall seed Virginia Cavaliers. In case you actually somehow missed that game, watch UMBC not only beat, but destroy the best team in the country.

UVA is going to come out and take this game like it is the National Championship. They have been and will be the laughing stock of college basketball for years to come. They now know, better than anybody, to not take their opponent lightly. An opportunity to halt that conversation has arised for the Cavaliers.

You almost have to feel bad for Gardner-Webb. The Runnin’ Bulldogs finished fourth in the Big South and had to overcome the one seed Campbell and two seed Radford just to get into the tournament. Now, they get the most pissed off team in the country. GWU and Virginia have a common opponent in Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech beat GWU by 28 and UVA has beaten Virginia Tech by an average of 14 points over two games.

I really cannot stress enough about how big of a blowout this game will be. Virginia is only allowing 58 points a game this year and they play in the ACC. The difference from last year’s team? The Cavs can actually score the ball this year. 40 percent from three this year is fourth in the nation. They are going to score nearly a hundred on the poor Gardner Webb defense.

Ah, yes. The asterisk in the title. It is all personal bias. Braxton Key transferred from Alabama to Virginia after last season. I fully believe that Bama hoops is a curse that can KILL people’s moral and winning spirit. It does not seem as if has affected the Virginia basketball team. Yet… If Virginia does not cover, blame Alabama basketball, not me.