The NCAA Tournament continues on Sunday with the second day of the Round of 32. One of the best ways to get in on the action this March is with a survivor pool.
The $1 Million Men’s College Basketball Tournament Survivor pool is live on DraftKings. You can join plenty of other pools for the tournament on DraftKings as well.
Read my piece on NCAA Tournament survivor pool strategy here.
Here are my best picks and teams to avoid for the second day of the Round of 32.
NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool Second Round Strategy
My First Round survivor pool picks were Arkansas and Kansas. My pick for the first day of the Round of 32 was Illinois over VCU. Illinois scored a super favorable matchup due to VCU upsetting UNC. This Sunday slate is much tougher, however, due to the fact that every favorite won in the Round of 64 on Friday. There are no double-digit seeds playing today, so some bigger risks need to be taken. The ideal choice for this slate could be a 1-seed or 2-seed that potentially has a really tough matchup in the next round if they advance.
Second Round Survivor Best Pick for Sunday 3/22
Florida over Iowa
Do you want to save up the best teams to use in late rounds to win survivor pools? Yes. However, the goal is to survive at the end of the day. This is a really tough slate to pick, and it could be one where a lot of entries go out. This is a day where survival is the name of the game for me, and I’ll be happy with making it to the next round still intact. That is why I am using a 1-seed for the first time in this tournament.
Florida steamrolled Prairie View A&M in the Round of 64, more than doubling the score, 114-55. The Gators should be fresh and ready for this game. Meanwhile, Iowa played a tight game that went down to the wire against Clemson. Florida should have fresher legs here, and the Gators are much more talented. Bennett Stirtz is a fantastic player for Iowa, but Florida has the guys to slow him down. The Gators rank sixth in the nation in defensive rating and should make life hard on Stirtz. If Florida slows him down, everything else should fall into place.
Looking ahead to the next round, Florida will have to face the winner of Vanderbilt and Nebraska. That is a Vanderbilt team that just beat Florida by double-digits in the SEC Tournament semifinals. Nebraska is also a dangerous team that can score in bunches. Florida is not a team I would be looking to use in survivor pools against either of those opponents. That makes the Gators an ideal choice to use on this second day of the Round of 32.
Second Round Survivor Favorite to Avoid
Iowa State over Kentucky
One favorite I’m avoiding for this slate is Iowa State. The primary issue is the injury to the Cyclones’ star forward Joshua Jefferson. Jefferson is averaging over 16 points per game and is the team’s leading rebounder. He sprained his ankle early in the Round of 64 and was seen on crutches after the game. While nothing is confirmed, it’s highly unlikely Jefferson will be ready to go for this game. While Iowa State didn’t need him against Tennessee State, Kentucky is a different animal.
The Wildcats won in unbelievable fashion against Santa Clara on Friday. Kentucky now has tons of positive momentum coming into this game and will believe it can win, especially if Jefferson is out. While the Wildcats were quite inconsistent this season, they have the talent to beat anyone in the country. Otega Oweh is the type of player who can carry a team through the NCAA Tournament, and he will be the best player on the floor. That is why I am staying away from Iowa State in this Second Round slate.
