NCAA Bracket 2012: Predicting the Winner of Each Round of 64 Game

The NCAA tournament brackets have been the focus of the sportsworld for the last three days, and the first round of the Big Dance starts on Thursday. These are my predictions for every game in the round of 64.

The first round is the best in the tournament, as we watch 32 games in two days. The potential for upsets is endless, and we will certainly see a few this year.

Syracuse recently lost Fab Melo for the NCAA tournament, but they will still win their first round game without him.

Which other teams will be joining the Orange in the round of 32? Stick around to find out.

South- No. 1 Kentucky over No. 16 Western Kentucky

The No. 1 overall Kentucky Wildcats start their run for a championship against Western Kentucky, who won their game last night over Mississippi Valley State.

The Wildcats have a roster with no less than seven future NBA players, including future No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis at center. Davis is a shot-blocking monster, who can also go for 20 points on any given night.

John Calipari brings together his most talented team, and arguably one of the most talented teams in history. If every player on this team stayed all four years we could guarantee a few championships, but as it stands, this will probably be a one and done type team.

This will be the only easy game for the Wildcats, as they take on a Western Kentucky team that went 5-14 before firing their head coach earlier in the season. While the team has been doing well as of late, they don't stand a chance against Kentucky.

South- No. 9 Connecticut over No. 8 Iowa State

The UConn Huskies lost Kemba Walker last year, but are still the reigning champs.

Jim Calhoun brings together an immensely talented team that has not lived up to expectations this season. They are seeded much lower than their potential, as this team could pose a significant threat to No. 1 over all Kentucky.

Andre Drummond needs to motivate himself for the team to win, and I don't think he will have a problem doing so, knowing that he will be trying to stop do-everything forward Royce White. Drummond should be able to pick up his game, and he is dangerous when he does so.

Connecticut will then utilize guards Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier, while Alex Oriakhi can help Drummond down-low.

Iowa State should be able to keep this game very close, but taking away White is the way to beat this team, and the Huskies have the ability to do so.

South- No. 12 VCU over Wichita State

After making a magical run to the Final Four last year, Shaka Smart and VCU look to pull off one more upset.

Most people don't know much about the Shockers of Wichita State, but they are a good team led by big man Garrett Stutz.

The Rams of VCU will need big man Juvonte Reddic to step up on Stutz and try to limit the damage. The team will then needs guards like Bradford Burgess and Troy Daniels to score the majority of their points in the game.

The Rams are going to have their hands full with the Shockers' inside-outside combination of Stutz and Joe Ragland, but they definitely have the coaching and experience needed for another upset.

I think that Reddic will be able to limit the damage of Stutz enough to give the Rams a chance, and having a college basketball stud like Burgess will give this team plenty of opportunities to win their first game.

South- No. 4 Indiana over No. 13 New Mexico State

Indiana is known best for beating Kentucky when no one else could, but having Vanderbilt beat Kentucky in the SEC tournament actually hurt the Hoosiers. They are now one of two teams to beat Kentucky, and that appears to be making many fans lose respect for the team.

Let me reassure you that Tom Crean's Indiana team is still dangerous, and they will have no problems beating New Mexico State.

Freshman Cody Zeller is dominant in the post, and fellow forward Christian Watford can help him inside when he is not knocking down threes (like he did to beat Kentucky). Jordan Hulls and Victor Oladipo both kick in over 10 points per game as well.

Perhaps the reason a surprising number of people have New Mexico State upsetting Indiana is because they have Wendell McKines, who averages 18.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. This double-double machine is a good player, but he only does that well because he can make up for his 6'6" stature against bad teams.

Zeller has a good five inches on McKines, which he will use to take McKines out of the game and dominate inside. This, in turn, will allow the Hoosiers to avoid the upset.

South- No. 6 UNLV over No. 11 Colorado

Colorado looks hot on paper, winning four games in a row to win the Pac-12 tournament. However, the team is not actually that good, as they were only beating up on weak Pac-12 teams.

These two teams play similar styles, but UNLV is easily the better team in this matchup.

The stars for these teams are Andre Roberson of Colorado and Mike Moser of UNLV. Both average a double-double per game, but Moser's 14.1 points and 10.6 rebounds against good teams like San Diego State, New Mexico, North Carolina, Wichita State and Wisconsin are much more impressive than Roberson's 11.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game against weak teams.

UNLV also has much better guards than Colorado, and they will be able to beat the Buffaloes in the first round without a problem.

South- No. 3 Baylor over No. 14 South Dakota State

Despite the great play of Nate Wolters, who averages over 20 points per game for South Dakota State, Baylor will blow SDSU out.

Baylor's Pierre Jackson should be able to contain Wolters, while Baylor's terrific frontcourt will dominate.

Perry Jones III, Quincy Miller and Quincy Acy will dominate inside, as the Jackrabbits will have no one to contain them. These three will all have huge games, which will lead to an inevitable blowout.

South- No. 10 Xavier over No. 7 Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame lost Tim Abromaitis early in the year, and without him the team will not beat Xavier in their first round game.

Notre Dame has point guard Jerian Grant and big man Jack Cooley, but they will not be enough for a win. Xavier matches up well against them, and it would be only if they had another great inside player like Abromaitis that they could have won.

Tu Holloway is the best scoring point guard in the nation. He can cancel out Grant by either playing tight defense on him or making up for every point he lets up on the offensive end. Seven-footer Kenny Frease will be able to stop Cooley inside, due to his intimidating presence in the paint.

The biggest difference in this game will be guard Mark Lyons of Xavier. Lyons averages over 15 points per game, and the margin of victory for Xavier should be pretty similar to the number of points Lyons puts up, as the team are comparable apart from him.

South- No. 2 Duke over No. 15 Lehigh

The Duke Blue Devils were given a relatively easy game against No. 15 Lehigh.

While Lehigh does have C.J. McCollum, who averages almost 22 points per game, they do not have the size or depth to beat Duke.

Duke's frontcourt of Miles and Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly (who appears to be healthy) will be able to bully the smaller players of Lehigh, only one of whom is as tall as anyone in Duke's frontcourt.

Duke typically relies on the three-ball, but against Lehigh they won't even have to do that to win.

East- No. 1 Syracuse over UNC Asheville

Despite losing Fab Melo, Syracuse is still a good team, and they will not be the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed.

The Orange have many stars, including Scoop Jardine, Dion Waiters, Brandon Triche and Kris Joseph.

They should have absolutely no problem sending UNC Asheville home, which does not have the height to matchup with Syracuse inside, or the skill to beat the Orange in the backcourt.

East- No. 8 Kansas State over No. 9 Southern Miss

Kansas State has the size to make a deep run in this year's tournament, and having Syracuse lose Fab Melo won't hurt them in that aspect at all.

With Rodney McGruder and Jamar Samuels inside, combining to give K-State a great frontcourt, they have the ability to blow Southern Miss out.

Southern Miss may have slightly better guards than the Wildcats, but their frontcourt is much, much worse than that of the Wildcats.

I see Kansas State dominating this game inside, and unless Southern Miss is draining their threes, the Wildcats will be walking away with a victory.

East- No. 5 Vanderbilt over No. 12 Harvard

Vanderbilt's high-powered offense is about to lead them to a victory over No. 12 Harvard. The Crimson haven't made it to the NCAA tournament since the mid-1940's, and have never won a game in the Big Dance, but this won't the year they finally win.

John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor give Vandy a great combination of guards, combining for 36.3 points per game. They are two of the best scorers in the nation, with Jenkins ranking in the top 20 for points per game in D-I.

Festus Ezeli gives this team an inside presence and anchors them defensively.

Vanderbilt is a very talented team, and not even a great Harvard team can stop the Commodores when they are hot enough to beat No. 1 Kentucky.

East- No. 4 Wisconsin over No. 13 Montana

No. 4 Wisconsin is looking to knock off No. 13 Montana before trying to make it to the Sweet 16 by beating Vanderbilt.

Wisconsin is a defensive-oriented team that can shut down even the best teams in the nation. They have the potential to hold Montana to 40 points in their game, which will make it easy for them to win.

Point guard Jordan Taylor is the key for this team on offense, leading them in both points and assists per game with 14.7 and 4.0 per game respectively.

Montana's offense will not be able to score against Wisconsin, and it should be no problem for the Badgers to beat Montana.

East- No. 6 Cincinnati over No. 11 Texas

This is one of the most interesting games of the first round, pitting two great teams against each other.

Texas is a bubble team that clinched one of the final at-large bids. They are led by J'Covan Brown, who scores over 20 points per game. Brown is an absolute force on offense, but their X-factor is freshman Myck Kabongo.

Cincinnati is a hot team that made a deep run in the Big East tounament, upsetting Syracuse in the process. Led by Yancy Gates, this team has the potential to make it to the Sweet 16.

This game will come down to the play of Kabongo, and whether he is having a good game or a bad game. He is very streaky, but I see Cincinnati shutting him down and winning the game by a few points.

East- No. 3 Florida State over No. 14 Saint Bonaventure

In a game between two conference tournament champions, Florida State and Saint Bonaventure will face off in the first round.

Florida State is very hot at the moment, knocking off Duke and North Carolina en route to the school's first ACC tournament championship, and becoming the fifth team to beat both Duke and UNC twice in one year.

The Seminoles have a lot of great players, including Michael Snaer, Bernard James, Ian Miller and Luke Loucks. They have the talent to make a very deep run again this year, and will start against the Bonnies.

Saint Bonaventure doesn't stand much of a chance against a scorching hot team like Florida State, and I see them going down in a blowout.

East- No. 10 West Virginia over No. 7 Gonzaga

West Virginia will be able to pull off the upset of No. 7 Gonzaga because of their size. The Mountaineers have one of the best big men in the nation, while Gonzaga has no one who can stop him.

Kevin Jones is an animal inside, averaging over 20 points and 11 rebounds per game in the tough Big East. He has played against some of the best big men in the country, and he is succeeding.

Jones is going to be the key in this game, as Gonzaga doesn't have anyone big enough to stop Jones apart from seven-footer Robert Sacre, who is too soft to stop Jones from bullying him.

The difference in this game will be whether Jones scores 10, 20, or even 30 points in this game. If he scores 18 or more I give West Virginia the victory.

East- No. 2 Ohio State over No. 15 Loyola (MD)

Ohio State is angry heading into the tournament, losing to Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament finals, and losing a No. 1 seed in the process.

The Buckeyes have all the makings of a Final Four team, and they will have no problem beating Loyola (MD) in their first round matchup.

Jared Sullinger is a man among boys in the paint, and he is incredibly dominant. He has even stepped out to hit jumpers in the Big Ten tournament, and if he continues that trend he will be next to unstoppable.

With William Buford, DeShaun Thomas and Aaron Craft stepping out to knock down threes, this team is looking to do damage both inside and out.

This team is a matchup nightmare because it takes a certain group of players who can play well inside and out to stop them and Loyola does not have that.

Midwest- No. 1 North Carolina over No. 16 Lamar/Vermont

North Carolina was pegged as the No. 1 team in the country in the preseason poll, and were given 3-1 odds of winning it all by Vegas.

The Tar Heels find themselves as a No. 1 seed, but they have been far from the unbeatable team we expected them to be.

Tyler Zeller a healthy John Henson and Harrison Barnes make up the best frontcourt in the nation, while Kendall Marshall is arguably the best pure-point guard in the power conferences. This team has what takes to make a deep run, or even win it all this year.

North Carolina should win easily against Lamar. I see Lamar continuing their unbeaten stretch since Pat Knight called out their seniors by beating Vermont, but it will end at the hands of North Carolina.

Midwest- No. 9 Alabama over No. 8 Creighton

The Crimson Tide of Alabama and Bluejays of Creighton will put on a show in their first round games.

The Tide should have no problem with the Bluejays, however, as their team in focused on forward Doug McDermott.

McDermott is the nation's third-leading scorer at 23.2 points per game, but McDermott has not faced many opponents like JaMychal Green, who will be guarding him in this game. McDermott's only comparable defender was Garrett Stutz of Wichita State, who held the 6'7" power forward to 12 and 13 points in their two games respectively.

Once McDermott's impact is reduced, this Creighton team is not nearly as intimidating.

If the Bluejays have to rely on their guards they are in trouble. Grant Gibbs is mainly a point guard, as he is not a very big scoring threat. While he can make shots Alabama can stick one of their longer, quicker guards on him to take him out of the game.

The same philosophy holds true for Antoine Young, the team's second-leading scorer, who is only 6'0". Alabama can put Trevor Lacey, Trevor Releford or Levi Randolph on Young to take him out of the equation.

Alabama should have no problems eliminating Creighton. Roll Tide.

Midwest- No. 5 Temple over No. 12 California/South Florida

In the twelve-versus-five matchup in the Midwest, Temple will try to avoid an upset against either California or South Florida.

I see Cal winning the play-in game behind the play of Jorge Gutierrez, and the fact that USF doesn't have a single player scoring in double-digits per game this season.

Cal will then have to take on a streaky Temple team. Temple has been bad enough to lose to Grambling State, but good enough to beat Duke. They are a relative unknown, but I think that they will be able to beat a Cal team that is undeserving of their bid in my mind.

Look for the Owls to advance.

Midwest- No. 4 Michigan over No. 13 Ohio

Michigan is looking to rid themselves of Ohio before turning their sights to Temple for a trip to the Sweet 16.

Michigan is led by their dynamic-duo of Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., who combine for 29.4 points per game. These two both have the potential to drop 20 or 30 points on any given night, and it is next to impossible to stop both of them.

I can't see Ohio completely shutting down either of these guys when they play, and that will lead to a Michigan victory.

Midwest- No. 11 North Carolina State over No. 6 San Diego State

The North Carolina State Wolfpack comes into the Big Dance hot, knocking off Virginia and losing to North Carolina on a few questionable calls in the ACC tournament.

The Wolfpack have come close to beating some of the best teams in the country, and they know that they can hang with anyone. They will not fear No. 6 San Diego State in the first round, and they stand a great chance of pulling off the upset.

Sophomore C.J. Leslie leads this team, and he will be the best player on the floor in their game against the Aztecs. While Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapley should not be taken lightly, Leslie is better than both of them, and Richard Howell and Lorenzo Brown will help the 'Pack beat the Aztecs.

The Wolfpack has five players averaging double-digit points per game, and all five can have a big game on any given night. The Aztecs cannot shut down all five players, and they will probably end up having two or three burn them in their game.

North Carolina State is hot enough to continue their success against San Diego State. I have the Wolfpack upsetting San Diego State and Georgetown en route to the Sweet Sixteen in my bracket. That's how good this team is.

Midwest- No. 3 Georgetown over No. 14 Belmont

This game has the potential for a huge upset, as Georgetown has lost their last three games in the Big Dance, including first round losses to Ohio and VCU in the last two years.

Belmont is a good team that is dangerously hot, winning 14 straight games to end the season.

Belmont is one of the hottest teams in the country on the back of their four players who average more than 10 points per game: Kerron Johnson, Ian Clark, Drew Hanlen and Scott Saunders.

While Belmont has the potential to pull off the upset, I don't think that they will be able to stop Jason Clark and Henry Sims from bringing Georgetown to the round of 32.

This will certainly be a close game, however, and I will be sure to tune in.

Midwest- No. 10 Purdue over No. 7 Saint Mary's

I have Purdue pulling off the upset of No. 7 Saint Mary's on the back of Robbie Hummel.

Hummel is one of the most beloved players in the game, and this could be his last game in a Purdue uniform. After overcoming a torn ACL that sidelines him for all of last season, Hummel now leads the Boilermakers in points and rebounds per game.

This is sure to be a very close game, features stars like Hummel and Matthew Dellavedova. This one will surely come down to the wire, but I give the edge to Purdue because the game will be played in the Midwest, which favors them greatly.

Never underestimate the power of playing close to home.

Midwest- No. 2 Kansas over No. 15 Detroit

Experts pegged Kansas as the most likely No. 2 seed to go down in the first round this year, but I can't figure out why they would bet against the Jayhawks.

Kansas is led by National Player of the Year candidate Thomas Robinson, who averages 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

Robinson is one of the best players in the tournament, but combining him with point guard Tyshawn Taylor gives Kansas a great inside-outside combination.

Detroit does not have the skill they need to upset Bill Self's crew, and there is next to no chance at all that they will do so.

West- No. 1 Michigan State over No. 16 LIU Brooklyn

Michigan State is one of the best teams in the tournament. After knocking off Ohio State en route to a Big Ten tournament championship, they secured a No. 1 seed and are looking to make it to their seventh Final Four in 13 years.

The team is led by senior Draymond Green, who is an absolute beast in the paint, leading the team in points, rebounds and blocks per game, not to mention being second in assists.

Keith Appling gives the Spartans a great guard on whom they can rely, and he loves feeding it to Green.

Sparty is in for an easy game against LIU Brooklyn, in which they will win in a blowout.

West- No. 8 Memphis over No. 9 Saint Louis

This is a very interesting game. Will Barton looks to help his draft stock, while Saint Louis looks to honor their coach.

Will Barton is a special player who is incredibly athletic, and can take over a game. He scores in bunches, rebounds well and is an excellent passer.

The Billikens of Saint Louis, however, look to honor the memory of their coach, who passed away earlier this season due to a lung affliction.

I personally am rooting for Saint Louis, but as they don't have anyone to stop Barton, I can't truthfully say that I expect them to win.

West- No. 12 Long Beach State over No. 5 New Mexico

After pulling off an upset over Pittsburgh (who was ranked No. 11 in the country at the time) and Xavier (who was ranked No. 15 in the country at the time) in the beginning of the season, Long Beach State was pegged as a Cinderella team.

The 49ers stacked their schedule with difficult games, including those against Pittsburgh, Xavier, Louisville, Kansas State, North Carolina and Kansas. This has prepared them for the Big Dance, which is why they are a popular pick over No. 5 New Mexico.

We all love to pick No. 12 seeds over No. 5 seeds, and because New Mexico is not one of the most publicized teams in the country, we have them falling to a team that we have expected to make a run in the tournament since November.

Casper Ware, Larry Anderson and double-double machine T.J. Robinson will be key for this team, as they have the power to take over against the Lobos.

Look for this to be one of just two twelve-over-five upsets this year.

West- No. 4 Louisville over No. 13 Davidson

Louisville suffered a first round upset at the hands of Morehead State last year, but they will look to avoid another upset this year.

Louisville is riding high since winning the Big East tournament, and they look to make a run like UConn did last year.

Rick Pitino's squad looks good, led by point guard Peyton Siva. They now face Davidson, who stands almost no chance of beating such a hot team.

Louisville's momentum will carry them to the Sweet 16 this year, and they will have no problems with Davidson.

West- No. 6 Murray State over No. 11 Colorado State

Murray State captured the attention of the college basketball world by going 30-1 this season, just missing out on perfection.

Now the Racers have their first game of the Big Dance, and they are looking to capitalize on this opportunity.

Colorado State is a good team led by Wes Eikmeier, but they will not be able to stop Murray State's inside-outside attack of Ivan Aska and Isaiah Canaan.

Look for Murray State to win this game, avoiding an upset and beginning their quest to be this year's Cinderella.

West- No. 3 Marquette over No. 14 BYU

Marquette took a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament this year, and they will play BYU, who knocked off Iona last night.

Marquette is a great team, led by Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder. These two combine for 35.9 points per game, and they are both incredibly athletic.

It is next to impossible to stop both DJO and Crowder, and the only way to beat this team is to completely take out one while minimizing the damage from the other.

BYU will not be able to beat Marquette, despite proving their resilience by coming back from a 25-point deficit. This game goes to Marquette.

West- No. 7 Florida over No. 10 Virginia

In an intriguing matchup, No. 7 Florida will stave off an upset against No. 10 Virginia.

Florida's biggest weakness is their lack of size, while Virginia's focal point is big man Mike Scott. However, they do not have a second elite big man to help carry them to victory.

Florida, however, has Patric Young, who can hold Scott to minimal damage. The Gators will then use their quartet of guards to win the game.

Erving Walker, Mike Rosario, Brad Beal and Kenny Boynton are all elite guards, and they comprise the best backcourt in the nation. They will be the difference-makers in this game, and will carry the Gators to a victory.

West- No. 2 Missouri over No. 15 Norfolk State

Missouri won the Big 12 tournament and looked to clinch a No. 1 seed in the process, but were snubbed. Now they face Norfolk State in the first round.

The Tigers rely on depth, and coach Frank Haith is a genius who, in his first year, brought this team to prosperity. With the type of talent he didn't get at Miami, he has brought the Tigers far.

Marcus Denmon is the team's best player, but Phil "Flip" Pressey is their point guard. The most important player is Kim English, however, as he led the team through the Big 12 tournament by averaging 23 points per game and shooting 26-of-33 from the floor.

Missouri will easily beat Norfolk State, but it will be worth watching to see if English is still hot.

For your printable bracket for the 2012 NCAA tournament, click here

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