(USA Today Sports Images)

Apparently Wichita State senior Carl Hall isn't the superstitious type.

Hall debuted a new hairdo Wednesday at a pre-NCAA tournament press conference in Salt Lake City where the Shockers are scheduled to begin play today (1:40 p.m. EST) in a Round of 64 game against Pittsburgh.

Hall had worn his hair in dreadlocks throughout his Wichita State career before his surprising decision to cut it short this week. This was no small move. The haircut became the focus of part of the press conference and was a popular subject among Shockers fans on social media. It even spawned a new Twitter account @thebestdreads.

Neither Rob nor I are ready to give up on Florida yet despite its woes in close games (USA Today Sports Images)

On the eve of the opening Thursday of the NCAA tournament, I chatted with NBCSports.com's Rob Dauster about some intriguing potential matchups, why Louisville doesn't want to see Saint Louis in the Sweet 16 and who we think should be on upset alert the next two days:

RD: The most interesting part about this year's tournament, to me, is that after spending five months talking about how wide-open the field is, 90% of the people filling out brackets are picking Louisville to win the national title. I get it. They've got a dominant defense. They've lost just once since late January. They embarrassed Syracuse in the Big East title game. I'll admit, I think the Cardinals are probably the best team in the country right now

And I also have them losing in the Sweet 16 to St. Louis. I went into detail about it already so I won't elaborate too much here, but talk me off the ledge, Jeff. Why am I wrong about the Billikens?

JE: Here's the thing: You're not wrong. Saint Louis is a terrible matchup for Louisville. The Cardinals thrive in an up-tempo game in which they can force turnovers and turn those into transition points. The Billikens play at a slow pace and feature eight seniors who rarely get frazzled or turn the ball over. The Cardinals are vulnerable in a half-court game against a team who can force them to rely on their erratic outside shooting. The Billikens are a well-schooled, defense-oriented team capable of executing that game plan.

So why am I still riding with Louisville? In spite of those advantages, Saint Louis isn't going to have an easy time scoring either. Plus, I'm willing to bet on Rick Pitino with superior talent and five days to prepare a game plan to offset some of those issues. I believe Saint Louis will be the toughest game Louisville sees in the midwest regional – yes, more challenging than Duke or Michigan State in a regional final – but I think the Cardinals will find a way.

So, Rob, I see you have Gonzaga in the title game? What has you sold on the Zags?

(Kyle Ringo via Tru TV)

Yes, that blur resembling a bird you see in the photo above is an actual bird diving into the action tonight during a First Four game between James Madison and the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds.

It happened early in the first half and must have been taken as a good omen by LIU-Brooklyn fans, but it didn't workout that way. James Madison won relatively easily 68-55, despite playing without its leading scorer for the first half because he was suspended.

Jim Boeheim (Getty Images)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The mediator at the podium had just finished saying Jim Boeheim's news conference would begin in about 10 minutes Wednesday evening when up walked the Syracuse coach himself.

It was an odd day for Boeheim to be early given the nature of the questions that awaited him, but it fit with the defiant attitude Boeheim adopted throughout his 15-minute press conference in advance of Thursday's NCAA tournament matchup with Montana.

[Also: The top 10 NBA prospects playing in the NCAA tournament]

He cracked jokes about telling his daughter who teaches at Montana not to wear an orange sweatshirt this week. He disputed the notion his team had endured a rough patch prior to the Big East tournament. And when it was time to address the elephant in the room – a CBSSports.com report alleging that Syracuse basketball has been under NCAA investigation for years for transgressions major and wide-ranging in nature – Boeheim refused to show a hint of concern.

Asked about Wednesday's report, Boeheim quipped that it was the "same story they had last year at this time," referencing a Yahoo! Sports report last March that the NCAA was investigating if Syracuse violated its team drug policy.

Asked if he was worried the report would be a distraction for his players Thursday, Boeheim said, "I doubt seriously they know about it."

Asked if it bothered him the story was published on the eve of the NCAA tournament, Boeheim said he didn't care at all.

Sim Bhullar and 6-foot-1 guard K.C. Ross-Miller (USA Today Sports Images)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The first time Daniel Mullings went to dinner with Sim Bhullar on a road trip, the New Mexico State guard realized he was eating with a tourist attraction

Complete strangers approached the 7-foot-5, 340-pound Bhullar and asked to take a picture with the freshman because they had never seen anyone of his size before.

"It's pretty much everywhere we go,"Mullings said. "Even students on campus too. They just can't get past how big he is."

[Also: The top 10 NBA prospects playing in the NCAA tournament]

Everyone from little kids in airport terminals, to waitresses at restaurants, to students in his sociology class flock to Bhullar to take pictures with him, but he has proven he's more than just a novelty act in his first season at New Mexico State. Bhullar averaged 15 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4 blocked shots in the semifinals and finals of the WAC tournament last week, leading his team to a second straight title and earning the Aggies an opening-round NCAA tournament matchup with fourth-seeded Saint Louis on Thursday.

"He's not just big -- he's good and big," Saint Louis coach Jim Crews said. "That's a real compliment to him because we saw some tape earlier in the year and how he has progressed has been really enjoyable to watch from a coaching standpoint. That's pretty neat."

When Bhullar was gasping for air after a few possessions during offseason pick-up games and lagging well behind his teammates during early-summer conditioning, it seemed unlikely he would make more than sporadic impact as a freshman. Instead he shed 30 to 40 pounds during the summer and fall by cutting candy and junk food from his diet and ramping up his conditioning work before and after practices.

Spartan fans in disguise? (AP)South Dakota State's campus is almost 1,000 miles and more than a 13-hour drive to the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan.

Despite the distance, the Jackrabbits figure to have more than a few fans on site for Thursday's game against Michigan — even if they can't find Brookings, S.D. on a map.

According to a South Dakota television station, some Michigan State fans have been ordering South Dakota State t-shirts off the school's website so they can wear them to the game. The Spartans play against Valparaiso at the Palace earlier in the day, so why not help beef up the Jackrabbits' cheering section?

Michigan, after all, will be playing near its home turf of Ann Arbor and boasts a current enrollment of over 40,000 students. South Dakota State, meanwhile, has an enrollment of about 13,000, many of which won't be able to make the trip for the second tournament trip in school history. (The Jackrabbits didn't qualify for one of our earlier Facebook data analysis posts because it didn't have enough "likes" on the social media network.)

From Keloland.com:

It's March Madness time, and that means it's time to begin scheming how to keep an eye on your bracket while working (during the day) or navigating your hundreds of channels (during the evening and weekend). Relax, we've got you covered. Here's the complete rundown of where to see the tournament.

Online: All games streaming on Yahoo! Sports right here, and also available here.

Television: Break out your channel guide, because this will be different for different cable/dish systems. All times Eastern.

First Games
12:15 (Midwest): #3 Michigan State vs. #14 Valparaiso.
TV: CBS; Announcers: Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Rachel Nichols

12:40 (East): #6 Butler vs. #11 Bucknell.
TV: truTV; Announcers: Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, Allie LaForce

1:40 (West): #8 Pitt vs. #9 Wichita State.
TV: TBS; Announcers: Spero Dedes, Doug Gottlieb, Jamie Maggio

2:10 (Midwest): #4 Saint Louis vs. #13 New Mexico State.
TV: TNT, Announcers: Brian Anderson, Dan Bonner, Marty Snider.

This will be the tournament's first

Mike Krzyzewski presents President Obama with a Duke-centric bracket in 2010. (Getty Images)Bracket Obama is back.

Continuing a tradition he's had since his first year in office, President Obama has filled out NCAA brackets for the men's and women's tournament. (If your boss gives you grief about taking company time to fill out your bracket, tell 'em you're following the example of your Commander in Chief.)

Anyway, Obama's Baracketology is sound: He picked two No. 1s, a No. 2 and a No. 3. He's got Louisville and Indiana meeting in the championship, a sound and reasonable matchup, and Florida and Ohio State rounding out the Final Four. On the women's side, he picked Baylor, Connecticut, Notre Dame and California, with the exact positioning to be revealed Friday.

[Related: What are the odds of a perfect NCAA tourney bracket?]

Obama's picks were largely — wait for it — conservative, with only a couple 10-over-7 and 11-over-6 upset picks. (Of note: Obama picked Indiana to win, even though the state flipped from his side in 2008 elections to the Republican column in 2012.)

The