5 Teams Michigan Doesn't Want to See in Its Region in NCAA Tournament

The NCAA tournament committee will be gathering this weekend to assemble the brackets for 2013, and there are five teams the Michigan Wolverines don't want anywhere near them on Sunday.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi currently has the Wolverines, who finished the regular season with a 25-6 record, filling the No. 3 seed in the west region. If Michigan is unable to improve its seeding in the Big Ten Conference tournament, there are some potential No. 6 and No. 11 seeds that could give the Wolverines all kinds of problems.

Their main weaknesses this season have been interior defense and defensive rebounding. Teams that are strong in these areas will have a great chance to take down the Maize and Blue.

If Michigan fans see the following teams in their quarter of the bracket this weekend, they should start to be a little worried about the Wolverines' Final Four chances.

Georgetown Hoyas

Although the No. 5 Georgetown Hoyas are far from an offensive juggernaut, the Michigan Wolverines would have a hard time scoring enough points to take down this team.

Georgetown holds its opponents to 37.7 percent from the field, which ranks No. 7 in the country.

In their most recent outing, the Hoyas only allowed the Syracuse Orange to convert 31 percent of their shots. The Orange only managed to score 39 points in the blowout loss last Saturday, an all-time low in the Jim Boeheim era.

One of Michigan's greatest weaknesses would be exploited in this matchup as well. Talented forwards Otto Porter Jr. and Nate Lubick pull down a combined 12.6 rebounds per game and would be tough to keep off the glass.

The two combine to score 23.7 points per contest and shoot 54 percent from the field.

Veteran guard Markel Starks and freshman D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera are perfect fits for Thompson's Princeton offense as well. 

Bracket guru Joe Lunardi projects the Hoyas as a No. 2 seed, which means the Wolverines could meet up with them in the Sweet 16 if the chalk holds.

Even if Georgetown wins the Big East tournament and takes a top seed, Michigan would be hard-pressed to top the Hoyas in the Elite Eight.

Davidson Wildcats

Many remember the Davidson Wildcats from their Elite Eight run in 2008, and the Southern Conference champions will be out attempting to bust everyone's brackets again this year. 

The Wildcats would be a tough test for the Michigan Wolverines' somewhat sluggish defense. Davidson ranks in the top 50 nationally in points per game (73.7) and field-goal percentage (46.0). 

In addition to their offensive prowess, the Wildcats are a veteran team that will not be intimidated by anyone or wilt under the pressure of the NCAA tournament.

All five of Davidson's top scorers are upperclassmen. Head coach Bob McKillop and the Wildcats will be making their second straight appearance in the Big Dance, which will only help them handle the most critical junctures of close games.

Senior forward Jake Cohen would give Michigan's interior defense some problems. If junior small forward De'Mon Brooks gets going along with Cohen, the Wolverines would be in big trouble.

Davidson struggles defensively, but if the Maize and Blue cannot come up with any stops it will not mean much.

Joe Lunardi has the Wildcats occupying one of the No. 12 seeds. However, if they move up to a No. 11, or down to a No. 14, Michigan could meet up with this bracket-buster during the opening weekend of March Madness.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Do not let anyone tell you otherwise: The No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs are for real, and the Michigan Wolverines would have a tough time keeping them out of the paint in a head-to-head clash.

Not only are the Bulldogs one of the top offensive teams in college basketball, they play tenacious defense as well. Gonzaga only allows its opponents to shoot 38 percent from the field, while it knocks down better than 50 percent of its attempts.

Player of the year candidate Kelly Olynyk is piling up 17.5 points per game, many of which come in the paint. The junior center is making 65 percent of his shots.

Jordan Morgan and Mitch McGary would be hard-pressed to slow down Olynyk.

Senior small forward Elias Harris brings a veteran presence to the Bulldogs. The Speyer, Germany native is Gonzaga's second-leading scorer at 14.9 points per game and is a force on the boards. Harris grabs 7.2 rebounds per contest.

As if those two were not enough to handle, Canadian sharp-shooter Kevin Pangos can stretch defenses out with his three-point shooting. The junior shooting guard is hitting 42 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.

The West Coast Conference champions are projected to earn a No. 1 seed by Joe Lunardi. Michigan would not want to wind up in Gonzaga's region.

Creighton Bluejays

One of the most dangerous and underrated mid-major programs lurking in the NCAA tournament field this season will be the Creighton Bluejays.

Junior forward Doug McDermott carries the load for the Bluejays and is undoubtedly one of the best players in all of college basketball. McDermott averages 23.1 points and snags 7.5 rebounds per contest. The Ames, Iowa product converts 56 percent of his field-goal attempts.

Three-point specialist Ethan Wragge is an important role player for the Bluejays. In just 16.2 minutes, Wragge manages to score 7.7 points per game.

Senior center Gregory Echenique is ultra-efficient in the paint for Creighton's explosive offense. The 6'9", 260-pounder scores 9.6 points on average and would be a tough matchup inside for the Michigan Wolverines' big men.

The Bluejays rely heavily on the three-point shot to do most of their damage, which makes them all the more dangerous if those attempts are falling. Creighton has attempted 708 three-balls this season.

McDermott's scoring abilities and the inside-outside action the Bluejays bring to the table make them a serious threat to the Wolverines.

If Michigan moves up to a No. 2 seed, it could meet Creighton in the round of 32. Even if the Wolverines earn a No. 3 seed, there is a good chance it they could meet the Bluejays, who are projected to be a No. 7 seed, in the Sweet 16. 

Virginia Commonwealth Rams

The Virginia Commonwealth Rams could either run the Michigan Wolverines off the floor in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, or be stifled completely and bow out without much resistance. Still, with the ferocious defense the Rams play, Michigan should not want to find out.

VCU ranks below No. 123 in the country in both opponent field-goal percentage and points per game. It relies on turnovers to get the job done defensively.

Head coach Shaka Smart loves to full-court press, which can take opposing offenses out of rhythm and speed up the tempo. The Rams forced a turnover on 28 percent of their opponents' possessions in Atlantic 10 conference games.

Guards Darius Theus and Briante Weber rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the country in steal percentage. 

In half of Michigan's losses this season, it turned the ball over at least 13 times. Sophomore point guard Trey Burke will have to be at his best in order for the Wolverines to take down VCU.

Even if Michigan is able to solve the Rams' defense, it will have to find a way to slow down their offense. VCU boasts the nation's No. 13 ranked scoring offense (78.1 points per game). 

Joe Lunardi currently projects the Rams to be a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament, which means the Wolverines could meet them as early as the round of 32. Michigan does not want to see VCU in its region when the brackets are unveiled this Sunday.