NCAA Bracket 2012: 10 Teams Guaranteed to Fail

The brackets have dropped and the matchups have been decided. Now it’s time to discuss which teams are guaranteed to fail.

There isn’t a lot of confusion surrounding the long-shot chances that are present in this year’s NCAA tournament, four of them are easy to point to, the No. 16 seeds. Outside of the bottom four, who else could be guaranteed to fail?

There is sure to be some drama that surrounds the tournament as every year brings a new Cinderella to the forefront, but in the end there are sure to be guaranteed flops by tournaments end. Looking ahead to madness that is sure to come, here are the 10 teams guaranteed to fail.

South Dakota State Jack Rabbits (27-7)

The Jack Rabbits fought hard last week earning their way to a NCAA tournament bid. It took an overtime period to earn their conference title over Western Illinois.

While the Jack Rabbits have earned their bid to the dance, they will not make it past the first round. Unfortunately for the Jack Rabbits, they again fall into the “it never has happened and won’t happen now” category. The Baylor team they face on Thursday will be too powerful to overcome.

The South Dakota State team is sure to give a valiant effort in the opening stage of the tournament, but I don’t see the Jacks making it out of the first round in this year’s tourney. 

Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (21-12)

The Delta Devils will face off this Tuesday against Western Kentucky in the play-in game looking to earn a berth into the third round of the tournament against No. 1 seed Kentucky. That’s where the run will stop.

There has never been a No. 16 seed that has defeated a No. 1 seed in tournament history and that isn’t likely to start this season. The Delta Devils have battled this year to earn SWAC Championship and earn their tournament berth. Unfortunately, Kentucky happens to be the best team in the country.

Another piece of history that is sure to haunt the Delta Devils is their 0-4 all-time tournament record. 

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (15-18)

The Hilltoppers are the worst team in the NCAA tournament field this year. The Hilltoppers won the Sun Belt Championship by knocking off a better than average North Texas squad. Unfortunately for the Hilltoppers, their run will end on Tuesday in the play-in game when they face Mississippi Valley State.

Western Kentucky is the reason that locking a tournament champion into the field, play-in game or not, makes no sense. There is an outside chance that the Hilltoppers could knock off the Delta Devils on Tuesday, but once big brother Kentucky rolls onto the court, their tournament trip will be over. 

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (26-7)

The Lehigh Mountain Hawks will head into the tournament facing the No. 2 seeded Duke Blue Devils on Friday. Unfortunately for the Mountain Hawks, their dance will end there.

The Mountain Hawks are simply not to the level of the Blue Devils and an early exit has to be expected. The Mountain Hawks are currently 0-4 in total tournament appearances, with a likely 0-5 record coming by the weekend. 

USF Bulls (20-13)

The Bulls are set to take on the Cal Bears in the first round this coming Wednesday. The Bulls will extend their overall tournament record to 0-3 with the appearance against the Bears.

USF got the nod to get into the play-in first round game, but the Bears will likely have their number. Even if there was some way that the Bulls were able to make it past the Bears, No. 5 seed Temple will handle business. 

Norfolk State Spartans (25-9)

Norfolk State was able to earn its first tournament berth with a conference championship victory this past weekend. The Spartans won the MEAC tournament with a 73-70 victory over the Bethune-Cookman  Wildcats.

Norfolk State will undoubtedly be excited for the opportunity it has earned to play in the NCAA tournament, but the likelihood for success is simply not there. The Spartans are unfortunately staring at a No. 15 seed placement. Unfortunately, history is not on their side and neither is the skill level. The Spartans will face a very strong No. 2 seeded Missouri. The Tigers will be too much for the Spartans.

The Spartans pushed through the season ending with an impressive 25-9 record, but no other tournament team was on the regular season schedule for the Spartans. While their conference title is impressive, their first-round performance isn’t likely to be. 

Lamar Cardinals (23-11)

The Cardinals fought hard this season to earn a Southland Conference championship and an NCAA tournament berth. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, not only do they draw a first-round game set for Wednesday against Vermont, but the second round game will be against No. 1 seed North Carolina.

I believe the Cardinals will get past Vermont, but once they do they face the wall of talent that the Tar Heels have and lose in the second round. History isn’t likely to be rewritten anytime soon either, and that is what Lamar faces as no No. 16 seed team has defeated a No. 1 seed in the tournament.

UNC-Ashville Bulldogs (24-9)

The Bulldogs finished the season as the Big South conference champions and earned a bid to the tournament. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they landed in the No. 16 seeded spot against the No. 1 seed Syracuse Orangemen.

The Orangemen have had a very good season and enter the tournament looking to make a run at the title. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they are likely to end the tournament before it really gets started, losing to the Orangemen in the second round. 

LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds (25-8)

The Blackbirds open tournament play this Friday against the No. 1 seed Michigan State Spartans. I hate to sound like a broken record, but this game isn’t going to end well for the Blackbirds. They fought hard to earn a conference title inside the Northeast conference.

Michigan State defeated a very good Ohio State team in the Big Ten championship game finalizing it No. 1 seed placement. LIU-Brooklyn will be ready to play, but the Spartans will be too much for the Blackbirds to handle. 

Vermont Catamounts (23-11)

The Catamounts will take on Lamar in the first round of the tournament this coming Wednesday hoping to earn a berth into the second round against the No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels.

If the Catamounts are to win a game, it has to come against Lamar. If they make it to the second round and face the Tar Heels, the Catamounts will most undoubtedly lose. As valiant an effort as they will likely show, a loss appears right around the corner.

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