NCAA Tournament 2012: 5 Pretenders and 5 Contenders

March is nearly upon us, and that means it is almost time for the NCAA Tournament.

There is a lot of speculation going on right now about which teams will make it in to the tournament, and while that is all interesting, many people want to know who is going to win the tournament.

Here is a list of five top ranked teams who will make strong runs at the Final Four, and five others who will get high seeds in the tournament and find themselves out early.

Pretender: Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears have benefited largely from an extremely weak schedule this season. The team really only has three quality wins on the season against Saint Mary's, Kansas State and Mississippi State, and the quality of those three teams are slightly in question.

The Big 12 conference has also proven to be extremely weak this year. Outside of the top three which, along with Baylor includes Missouri and Kansas, the conference is mediocre to say the least.

Baylor is likely to end up with a No. 3 seed or a No. 4 seed in the tournament this year. If they find themselves playing against a strong mid-major squad, they could find themselves out of March Madness very quickly.

Contender: Michigan Wolverines

With their win over Ohio State on Saturday, the Wolverines showed that they are a team to be feared once March comes around.

The Wolverines are likely to be a No. 2 or a No. 3 seed come Selection Sunday. But if they can steal at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title and then win the Big Ten tournament, they could sneak in as a potential No. 1 seed.

My guess is that Michigan will end up with a No. 3 seed when the season ends, but that does not mean they are not dangerous. The guards for Michigan are some of the most talented in the country, and this is a team that you do not want to come across in March.

Pretender: Florida Gators

The Florida Gators have continued to be unimpressive in big games this season. The Gators are extremely talented all over the court, but they have constantly been hurt because of a lack of physicality on the boards.

The Gators still have another game against Kentucky to end the season, and they could play them again in the SEC tournament, but likely both games will end up in blowouts like the first matchup did.

Florida will likely end up as a No. 4 seed in the tournament, but it is highly unlikely that they will make it to the second week. Maybe not one-and-done, but two-and-done is very likely.

Contender: Florida State Seminoles

Unlike the Gators, the Florida State Seminoles are the real deal. Currently half a game back of ACC-leading North Carolina, the Seminoles could find themselves as high as a No. 2 seed in the tournament this year.

I expect Florida State to win at home against Duke this Thursday, which will be a huge resume booster for them. Another big win over North Carolina in the ACC tournament would also help the Seminoles show that their first victory over the Tar Heels was not just a fluke.

Florida State is a very dangerous and well balanced basketball team. They will provide a very difficult matchup for any team come March.

Pretender: Georgetown Hoyas

In my opinion there is not a more overrated team in college basketball than the Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas currently find themselves ranked fourth in what has suprisingly been a very mediocre Big East conference.

Georgetown has managed to sneak by a few teams that were extremely hyped up at the beginning of the season, most notably Alabama, and these wins have really strengthened their resume. The Hoyas will likely get a No. 3 or a No. 4 seed in the tournament, when in reality they should probably get around a sixth seed.

In 2010 the Hoyas were given a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and found themselves quickly run out of the tournament by fourteenth seeded Ohio. Look for this to likely be the end to the Georgetown season this year as well, except Belmont is a likely candidate to send them packing this year.

Contender: Marquette Golden Eagles

Last year I caught Kemba Walker fever when Walker hit a buzzer-beater to beat Pittsburgh in the Big East tournament. From that moment on, I vowed that the UConn Huskies would win the national championship, and they did.

This year one of the top candidates to put up a Kemba Walker-like performance is Darius Johnson-Odom of Marquette.

Although the Big East has been down this year, the Golden Eagles have been up. Marquette is likely to come in second in the Big East conference, but is a strong favorite to win the Big East tournament in two weeks.

Although I do not see them winning a title like UConn did, I believe an Elite Eight or even a Final Four is in the near future for Marquette.

Pretender: Michigan State Spartans

I do not know what it is about Michigan State, but every time I watch them I am just not sold that this is a team that can contend for a title. They just seem very shaky at times to me.

When the Spartans have everything going right, they are an extremely dangerous team that can compete with anyone in the country. But the problem is that everything is rarely ever going right at the same time for any sports team.

Many projections have Michigan State as a No. 1 seed in the tournament, but I just think that the Spartans are going to find someway to screw things up and then get upset in March. They need to win out down the stretch and then have a strong showing in the Big Ten tournament before I will be sold on them as a legitimate title contender.

Contender: North Carolina Tar Heels

If North Carolina can defeat Duke on March 3rd and clinch the ACC title, I believe they have a legitimate case for a No. 1 seed come March.

The Tar Heels are possibly the most talented team in all of college basketball. With names like Kendall Marshall, Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller in the starting lineup, teams know that North Carolina can cause matchup problems all over the court.

Although the Heels have come up one point short in their new biggest games of the season, Kentucky and Duke, they have shown in those games that they have an ability to compete with the best. The Tar Heels are one of the best teams college basketball has to offer, and they will be extremely competitive in March.

Pretender: Louisville Cardinals

Just like many of the teams in the Big East, I have not been very impressed with Louisville. A 9-5 record in the Big East just does not mean the same thing that it did last year.

The Cardinals have struggled a lot with their offense this season. Currently they are ranked 168th in the nation in field goal percentage and ranked 90th in points per game. The points per game does not bother me that much because they play good defense, but being ranked 168th in shooting is not going to win you a title.

Louisville has also not shown an ability to beat tough competition this year. For instance the Cardinals best win this year is against Vanderbilt, while they have lost to teams such as Kentucky, Syracuse, Georgetown, Marquette and Notre Dame.

Louisville needs to show an ability to beat some of these teams in the Big East tournament if they want to be considered a serious title threat in March.

Contender: Missouri Tigers

Although Missouri lost to Kansas State last night, they are still a very dangerous basketball team, and a team I believe will clinch a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Saturday's game against Kansas could go a long way in helping the Tigers clinch this No. 1 seed. The main question I have about the Tigers, though, is how do they keep winning?

This is still the same team that was an eleventh seed in the NCAA tournament last year and quickly found themselves dismissed by Cincinnati in their first game.

Mizzou completely defies convention. They are undersized, out-manned and not nearly as talented as many college teams, yet they continue to win. With this being said, I believe the Missouri Tigers are the biggest NCAA title threat in March.

Therefore I will predict right now that the Tigers will be crowned national champions on April 2nd.