College Basketball Anti-Picks, Round 5

Record, Round 4 (Sunday): 1-0
Total Outlay, Round 4 (Sunday): $100.00
Total Winnings, Round 4 (Sunday): $190.91
Gain: $90.91

Overall Record: 26-32
Overall Gain: $23.98

With Villanova now banishing their demons (at least for one year), does the mantle for Most Underachieving Basketball Team go to Virginia?  This is the second time that the Cavaliers were a 1-seed, and just like that other team (don't remember the year) they failed to play to seed and reach the Final Four (I think that last time they lose in the Sweet Sixteen).  Then again, the Cavs really weren't a stellar program at all until Tony Bennett came; getting 1-seeds should be considered a milestone.  So maybe that mantle should go to Kansas, who has lost before the Final Four five times as a 1-seed under Head Coach Bill Self, this year to Villanova beating the latest.  Of course, getting a #1 seed five times should be a feat in and of itself.  So maybe we shouldn't be naming a Most Disappointing Program at all.

Syracuse +8, considering the hot streak they've been on, was wide enough for me to take a shot on.  I had two major drawbacks: Virginia is a pretty balanced team that is able to work its way to make and defend shots, and the Orange only had to beat the 7-, 15- and 11-seeds to get to that point.  So the fact that they were able to beat the top seed is a massive accomplishment that came out of nowhere.  Add on top of that the fact that they were down by double digits halfway through the second half and were absolute shit before then, the way they roared back to take the regional final seems just as uncharacteristic.  Nevertheless I won and was able to go into the black.

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I should call it a day.  But I have never sat out two consecutive rounds when doing these Anti-Picks, so I'll risk being under going into Monday's title if there's the possibility I can win my beat on Saturday and thus enjoy it without any hypothetical money.

But honestly, which one should I pick?

1) North Carolina -9 1/2 (I am guessing this is where the Orange's magical run ends.  Syracuse's zone is susceptible to offensive rebounds, which the Tar Heels are very good at.  The zone also allows open looks from the three-point line, and Carolina has upgraded its percentage of shots and its percentage of makes from out there for March Madness, in particular Marcus Paige.  There are too many strengths for me to believe that Syracuse can win, so I'm fading the Orange in case the whole roof caves in on them.  The only trepidation I have: North Carolina has beaten Syracuse twice already, and I fear the adage that it's very hard to beat a team three times in the same season.  So I'll bet small on this one) $50

If I win this I can sit out the title game.  Good luck!