Big Names Teams Stumble

They say that March is a month of upsets and nowhere was that more evident than in Tuesday’s NIT.

Begin with California, which was a No. 1 seed in the tournament, losing to No. 8 Cal-Bakersfield. While some thought California should have made the NCAA Tournament after posting 21 wins, very few people actually thought they would. The Bears were one of them, however, and put on an uninspired loss to a Roadrunners team that has talent. Bakersfield never trailed in the game and led by as many as 20 points. Bettors weren’t surprised by Cal’s loss, as the Golden Bears opened -11 and closed as 6.5-point favorites. California attracted most of the bets in the game, but the sharps were all over Bakersfield.

Utah didn’t do much for the Pac-12, losing outright as 12-point favorites to Boise State. The Broncos trailed by five with six minutes to go, but closed the game on a 17-7 run to take the 73-68 victory.

It wasn’t just the Pac-12 that saw its teams struggle. Clemson lost outright as 10.5-point favorites to Oakland, blowing a 10-point lead with 10 minutes remaining. Oakland went on a 12-0 run to take the lead and after the Tigers tied it up, went on an 8-0 run and the Tigers couldn’t get any closer than four points.

Richmond beat Alabama as 8-point underdogs and the Spiders also closed the game on a high note. Tied at 61 with just over five minutes remaining, Richmond closed the game with a 10-3 run.

Georgia Tech was a small underdog against Indiana and took the victory. The Yellow Jackets were in control most of the game and never trailed by more than two points. Georgia Tech won going away with a 75-63 victory.

All-in-all, of the 13 various tournament games played Tuesday, the underdog won 10 of them outright. Who needs the NCAA Tournament for upsets?