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EAST
Hottest Players (from left): Ebi Ere (Oklahoma), Josh Powell
(NC State), Luke Whitehead (Louisville)
Seeds:
1. Oklahoma ; 2. Wake Forest; 3. Syracuse; 4. Louisville;
5. Mississippi State; 6. Oklahoma State; 7. St. Joseph’s; 8.
California; 9. NC State; 10. Auburn; 11. Penn;
12. Butler; 13. Austin Peay; 14. Manhattan;
15. East Tennessee; 16. SC State
Favorite: Oklahoma is playing strong, but it could face
trouble in the form of Mississippi State. If these two teams meet
in the third round, look for the winner to keep going. Don’t get
me wrong, I have a lot of respect for the Sooners; I just have a
little more for a tough Bulldog team.
The
Contenders: Mississippi State, which is playing strong against
great teams. Syracuse, whose star Carmelo Anthony could get hot
and shake things up.
The
Pretenders: Louisville. Ffor some reason I can’t fully
explain, I have lost faith in Rick Pitino’s boys. St. Joseph’s. A
first-round win will be all they can get.
Dark
Horse: Penn .Every once in a while we get a surprise from the
Ivey League and the time is right.
Upset Special in Round 1: Penn over Oklahoma State. Not a big
shocker, but an upset nonetheless.
Who
Will Win the Region: Mississippi State over Syracuse |
SOUTH
Hottest Players (from left): Matt Bonner (Florida); Matt
Lottich (Stanford); Ryan Randle (Maryland)
Seeds:
1. Texas; 2. Florida; 3. Xavier; 4. Stanford;
5. Connecticut; 6. Maryland; 7. Michigan State;
8. LSU; 9. Purdue; 10. Colorado; 11. North Carolina-Wilmington;
12. BYU; 13. San Diego; 14. Troy State;
15. Sam Houston St.; 16. Texas Southern or North
Carolina-Asheville
Favorite: This is one of the hardest brackets to predict.
Nearly all of the top teams have stumbled a bit in the past few
weeks but that seems to have been ignored by the selection
committee. Texas, UConn, LSU, Maryland, Xavier and Florida all
have the potential to make a deep run.
The
Contenders: Maryland. Seniors and tourney experience could
make a difference. UConn. Never discount a strong Big East team.
The
Pretenders: Michigan State. Too late to live up to potential.
Florida. Should win first two games in Tampa--big deal.
Dark
Horse: LSU. Playing tough and loaded with seniors.
Upset Special in Round 1: San Diego over Stanford. Looks like
Stanford is a little overrated and the Toreros have some big game
experience.
Who
Will Win the Region: Maryland beats UConn to go to the Final
Four. |
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MIDWEST
Hottest Players (from left): Ricky Clemmons (Missouri), Sean
Finn (Dayton), Kirk Penney (Wisconsin)
Seeds:
1. Kentucky; 2. Pittsburgh; 3. Marquette; 4. Dayton;
5. Wisconsin; 6. Missouri; 7. Indiana; 8. Oregon;
9. Utah; 10. Alabama; 11. Southern Illinois;
12. Weber State; 13. Tulsa; 14. Holy Cross;
15. Wagner; 16. Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Favorite: Kentucky should be considered one of the biggest
favorites of all time. Any team that can waltz through an entire
SEC season and conference tournament has something special going
on in both the head and the heart.
The
Contenders: Pittsburgh. Trying to prove they deserved a top
seed. Missouri. Put together some good games leading into the
dance.
The
Pretenders: Wisconsin. Looked flat in the Big Ten Tournament.
Alabama. Put me on the side of those who think the Tide don’t
belong in the tournament.
Dark
Horse: Southern Illinois. Last year’s Cinderella is no longer
a virgin.
Upset Special in Round 1: Holy Cross over Marquette. One of
the three seeded teams has to fall and the Crusaders have a
history of scaring the higher teams.
Who
Will Win the Region: Kentucky might not even break much of a
sweat until it reaches the Final Four. |
WEST
Hottest Players (from left): James Augustine (Illinois),
Jason Gardner (Arizona), Kyle Korver (Creighton)
Seeds:
1.
Arizona; 2. Kansas; 3. Duke; 4. Illinois;
5. Notre Dame; 6. Creighton; 7. Memphis;
8. Cincinnati; 9. Gonzaga; 10. Arizona State;
11. Central Michigan; 12. Wisconsin-Milwaukee;
13. Western Kentucky; 14. Colorado State;
15. Utah State; 16. Vermont.
Favorite: This is by far the toughest regional with any one of
the top four seeds a legitimate member of the Final Four. My pick
is going to be anyone but Arizona. As amazing as the Wildcats have
played this year, I have a bad feeling about how they will face a
challenge from a well-motivated team.
The
Contenders: Illinois. Fearless, on a hot streak and balance
could make for a great run. Memphis. Quality wins and talented
players who can put things together when they need it.
The
Pretenders: Duke. Poor road record will mean trouble.
Creighton. Proved it is beatable, which is not a good quality
against the big boys.
Dark
Horse: Memphis. Only in the super-deep West Region could a
seven seed be considered a Dark Horse.
Upset Special in Round 1: Wisconsin Milwaukee over Notre Dame.
No. 5 seeds are always vulnerable even if the Irish are playing in
Indianapolis.
Who
Will Win the Region: I’ll take Kansas in a revenge game over
Arizona. |
