The Post’s Howie Kussoy makes his picks for Thursday’s First Round games, including St. John’s vs. Omaha.
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Featured pricing is subject to change.Rick Pitino has never broken a sweat in a tournament opener as a No. 1 or 2 seed, winning by an average of more than 31 points. The Mavericks score more than 78 points per game, but this matchup is the equivalent of throwing a strong preschool swimmer into the middle of the Pacific. Omaha — which had double-digit defeats to South Dakota State, St. Thomas-Minnesota, Northern Iowa, Montana State, Alabama State and Abilene Christian — has faced one comparable opponent this season and suffered a 32-point loss to Iowa State, scoring 27 points below their season average. Yale is making its fifth tournament appearance under James Jones since 2016, previously shocking Baylor and taking a five-point loss to LSU before last year’s upset of Auburn. Yale has lost once in 2025, and the veteran roster can push another power foe, featuring top 10 3-point shooting, a top 20 turnover rate and a 21st-ranked defensive rebounding rate, needed against the nation’s best offensive rebounders. The Aggies could struggle to put away the Ivy League champs in a high-pressure environment, ranking 274th in free-throw shooting . The preseason’s top-ranked team enters the tournament with its most losses in 36 years and a 1-6 mark in its past seven games against teams in the field. Arkansas similarly hasn’t lived up to its potential much of the season, but the Hogs have beaten four tournament teams in the past month, while averaging 81.5 points in the past eight games. Arkansas has the size and athleticism to match up in the paint — demonstrated in the Hogs’ 16-point preseason win against Kansas — and will get a spark with the return of guard Boogie Fland, their second-leading scorer and the national freshman leader in assists before injuring his hand in mid-January. Less than two weeks ago, Wofford was one game over .500 and a sixth seed in the Southern Conference. The undersized, guard-heavy lineup has just two rotation players over 6-foot-6 and will struggle to get good looks against the length and aggressiveness of one of the nation’s elite defenses. Wofford averages more than 27 3-pointers per game, but the second-seeded Vols boast the nation’s best 3-point defense . The Terriers’ only similar matchup came against Duke, when they were held to 35 points and lost by 51. Last year, No. 2 seed Tennessee opened the tournament with a 34-point win over Saint Peter’s. Frustration for the Tigers — who have lost four of their past five games and are two years removed from a 15-point loss in the tournament to Princeton — will come easily against the slowest-paced team in the land. Drake , the owner of the nation’s top-scoring defense , is 6-0 against the spread as an underdog this season, earning outright wins over Vanderbilt and Kansas State. Dave Portnoy rips pizza nemesis for 'arrogant' act that has divided the internet: 'Get a grip!'NFL star meets with Jets rival in first visit of his free agencyKanye West's appalling attack on Jay-Z and Beyoncé's kids is last straw for Kim Kardashian: 'She's done trying to be reasonable'
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