Torii Hunter has huge rooting interest in NCAA basketball tournament

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Torii Hunter has Arkansas-Pine Bluff beating No. 1 seed Duke and advancing to the third round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament on one of the brackets he has submitted for the Angels’ clubhouse tournament pool.

OK, the center fielder admits, he’s betting with his heart.

Hunter grew up in Pine Bluff and has a sister-in-law whose boyfriend is Arkansas-Pine Bluff guard Allen Smith, who scored a team-leading 14 points to help the Golden Lions to a 61-44 victory over Winthrop in Tuesday’s play-in game to the 64-team field.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff will play Duke, the No. 1 seed in the South Regional, in a first-round game on Friday, but in a 30-minute telephone conversation with Allen on Tuesday night, Hunter said the Golden Lions should not be intimidated.

‘I told him not to get caught up in the hype and history of Duke, in ESPN, the fans and the tournament,’ Hunter said. ‘Just keep it simple. Act like you’re playing basketball in your backyard.’

Hunter watched the entire Arkansas-Pine Bluff-Winthrop game Tuesday night, ‘every timeout, every three-pointer, every free throw missed,’ he said. ‘I’m excited, because it’s the first time the school has ever been in the NCAA tournament. I know Pine Bluff needs something exciting to happen in that city.’

-- Mike DiGiovanna in Tempe, Ariz.