CBS released the announcer pairings last night and the Gus Johnson Region has been set.

 

Gus is being sent to…. (pause for suspense) Lexington, Kentucky, where he and Dan Bonner will call one or more of the following “shockers” on Thursday afternoon and/or evening. 

 

Gus’ Thursday Games:

 

Game 1 - #6 Louisville vs. #11 Stanford, 12:40 tip.  Cardinals vs. the Cardinal.  Problem is the Cardinals are playing 20 minutes from home.  It’ll be tough, but I have faith (in Gus).  The pick: Stanford +5.5

 

Game 2 - #3 Texas A&M vs. #14 Penn, 3:00 tip.  Wow, back to back shockers?  Why not?  The pick: Penn +13.5

 

Game 3 - #16 Central Connecticut vs. #1 Ohio State, 7:10 tip.  If there were EVER a time for a 16 to take down a 1, you just know Gus would be the one to call it.  Could it be???  The pick: Central Connecticut +22

 

Game 4 - #9 Xavier vs. #8 BYU, 9:30 tip.  Knowing Gus, this game will be a blowout.  A 9 over an 8 is chicken shit.  It’s almost “beneath” Gus for that to happen on his watch.   The pick: BYU +1.5

 

And then of course Saturday he has the winners of these games. 

 

Good luck in your pools.  You may adjust your brackets… now.

 

(Note: For non-historians in the crowd – Gus’ first tournament upset was Princeton over defending National Champs UCLA in 1996, and ever since has been known as “Mr. Shocker” throughout the world of college basketball.  In ’05 he called Vermont over Syracuse and last year he propelled George Mason to the Final 4 with opening round upsets over both Michigan State and North Carolina.  Gus’ last game was Memphis -15 vs. Houston in the C-USA Championship Game on Saturday afternoon.  Memphis won, by 12.)

 

-manzo