Howard vs. UMBC

Howard is taking on UMBC in the early "First Four" matchup in Dayton. The winner gets a chance to take on No. 1 seed Michigan in the opening round of the Midwest. Howard is 11-1 SU in its past 12 games, but the Retreivers have won 12 in a row straight-up, including five games away from home. UMBC sat down Vermont 74-59 to clinch the America East tournament over the weekend, and they dominated in the second-half. They aren't going to be intimidated by this matchup, and from what I've seen, UMBC has the offensive efficiency to handle Howard's defensive front. If the Bison do push the pace and create turnovers, UMBC has the long ball to even things out, shooting 32 of 74 (43.2%) from beyond the arc on its way to the AEC title. In what should be a close game, I'm on UMBC to cover.