NCAA Tournament best bets: Dana Altman’s first-round perfection on the line with Oregon in underdog role

One of the most impressive coaching streaks on the West Coast, if not across the entirety of Division I, is on the line Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Dana Altman has not lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in his 14 years as Oregon’s head coach.

Seven NCAA appearances. Seven first-round wins.

We expect Altman to be eight-for-eight by the time the final buzzer sounds Thursday afternoon.

The Ducks are merely the No. 11 seed in the Midwest, facing a No. 6 seed, South Carolina, that finished one game out in the mighty SEC.

But that’s amateur hour for Altman’s March Madness magic. Twice, he has survived first-round showdowns as a No. 12 seed.

South Carolina’s coach, Lamont Paris, took a team picked dead last in the SEC and squeezed 26 wins out of the Gamecocks. They walloped Kentucky. They won at Tennessee. By any measure, Paris should be on the short list for national Coach of the Year honors.

But here are the numbers that matter:

March Madness appearances for Paris prior to this week: 1

Appearances for Altman: 15

March Madness victories for Paris: 0

Victories for Altman: 16

If the Gamecocks possessed a significant edge in personnel, we would expect Altman’s first-round perfection to end.

But that’s not the case. If anything, the Ducks have better players.

Add their advantage at the head of the bench, and victory should follow.

To the picks …

(Odds from BetMGM. All times Pacific.)

No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oregon (Midwest)
Tipoff: Thursday at 1 p.m. (TNT)
Line: Oregon +1.5
Comment: The Gamecocks love to slow the tempo and grind in first-team-to-50-wins fashion. That style shouldn’t bother the Ducks, whose big man, N’Faly Dante, will do as he pleases against South Carolina’s small frontline. Oregon guard Jermaine Couisnard played for the Gamecocks for three years but left for Eugene before coach Lamont Paris’ first season. We expect a big game from Couisnard against his former team.
Pick: Oregon

No. 5 Gonzaga vs. No. 12 McNeese State (Midwest)
Tipoff: Thursday at 4:25 p.m. (TBS)
Line: McNeese State +6.5
Comment: No. 12 seeds usually blow up the brackets, but our fondness for McNeese State has no connection to history or tendencies. Instead, our faith is rooted in the Cowboys’ 30 victories, strong guard play, relentless attack and fearless approach. The Zags have advanced to the second weekend of the tournament every year since 2014. That streak could end this year.
Pick: McNeese State

No. 6 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 N.C. State (South)
Tipoff: Thursday at 6:40 p.m. on CBS
Line: N.C. State +4.5
Comment: The location (Pittsburgh) isn’t a trek from N.C. State’s campus, but it might feel like a haul for a team that had to win five games in five days in the ACC tournament to reach the Madness — a taxing process mentally and physically. We suspect the Wolfpack will experience a letdown against the Red Raiders.
Pick: Texas Tech

No. 7 Washington State vs. No. 10 Drake (East)
Tipoff: Thursday at 7:05 p.m. (TruTV)
Line: WSU +1.5
Comment: The Hotline is wary of teams with no NCAA Tournament experience on the roster or in the program’s culture. It has been so long since WSU went dancing (16 years) that it’s worth wondering how the Cougars and the campus community have handled the celebratory moment. (The players don’t live in a bubble; they interact with other students.) Meanwhile, Drake participated last year and lost a close first-round game to Miami. Also working against WSU: The best player on the court plays for the Bulldogs (guard Tucker DeVries).
Pick: Drake

No. 8 Utah State vs. No. 9 TCU (Midwest)
Tipoff: Friday at 6:55 p.m. (TBS)
Odds: Utah State +3.5
Comment: Among the teams from multi-bid conferences, Utah State might be the most unlikely tournament participant: First-year coach Danny Sprinkle took the job last spring with no returning points or rebounds and built his 27-game winner from scratch (through the transfer portal). But are the Aggies equipped to handle a rugged, defensive-minded foe steeled by Big 12 competition? The stage might be a tad too big for USU.
Pick: TCU

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