March Madness 2012 Picks: Predictions for Every First Four and Second Round Game

It's time for the Madness.

The 2012 NCAA Tournament field has been unveiled and the excitement of March is only days away from beginning.

As expected, the Kentucky Wildcats are the overall No. 1 seed.

Also as expected, Syracuse, North Carolina and Michigan State also received No. 1 seeds.

To reach the championship game, the South Region champion will face the West Region champ and the East Region and Midwest Region champions will do the same.

The NCAA Tournament kicks off on Tuesday with the first four first-round games in Dayton, OH.

Unlike a season ago when the tournament was filled with upsets—including two non-power conference teams in VCU and Butler reaching the Final Four—this season may not see that many cinderellas.

That said, let's predict the results of the tournament.

*** Advancing team in bold

First Four

Lamar (23-11) vs. Vermont (23-11)

Vermont comes out of the America East and has pulled off a tournament upset before. But they run into a tough Lamar team that features a quality talent in Mike James, who averaged 17.2 PPG on the season.

The Cardinals will earn the right to get run over by North Carolina.

Mississippi Valley State (21-12) vs. Western Kentucky (15-18)

The Hilltoppers snuck in despite being under .500 by winning the Sun Belt Conference but their stay will be short. Paul Crosby and Terrence Joyner lead a solid Delta Devils attack and an ultimate matchup with Kentucky.

BYU (25-8) vs Iona (25-7)

VCU made a run from the first four all the way to the Final Four last season after many complained about them getting into the field.

Talented as they are, people are doubting Iona. Scott Machado has NBA-type talent and the Gaels have the talent to pull an upset or two.

South Florida (20-13) vs. California (24-9)

The Golden Bears were the preseason pick to win the Pac-12 Conference and they are seeded way too low. There's no real reason they should be playing in a first-round game.

They have the talent to put things together and maybe win a game or two.

South Region

No. 1 Kentucky (32-2) vs. No. 16 Mississippi Valley State (21-12)

Just the first of many possible tourney wins for John Calipari's Wildcats. Following the loss in the SEC Tournament to Vanderbilt, Kentucky now gets to step back and refocus on the task at hand.

A Kentucky team with a chip on their shoulder is going to be a tough team to deal with for the rest of the field.

No. 8 Iowa State (22-10) vs. No. 9 Connecticut (20-13)

Fred Hoiberg's Cyclones have had a very good year and they can really shoot the ball from the perimeter. Defending the three is the Huskies' weakness, but UConn's size and athleticism should win out here.

Iowa State's Royce White is going to be a handful for Connecticut to deal with down low, but with likely a pair of Top 10 picks in the upcoming NBA Draft in Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond, the Huskies will be tough to beat.

Keep an eye on Huskies guard Shabazz Napier, who could be the X-factor. Napier picked his game up during the Big East Tournament and if he continues to play at a high level, Connecticut could be a tough out.

No. 5 Wichita State (27-5) vs. No. 12 VCU (28-6)

The Rams come in as a No. 12 seed after their miracle run to the Final Four a season ago. Everyone loves the No. 12 over No. 5 upset, but the Shockers are very talented and realistically could be seeded too low.

These two teams let last season in the tournament, but this year the results should be different.

VCU isn't as good as a three-point shooting team as we saw a year ago and it won't carry them this season

Garrett Stultz (13.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG) and Joe Ragland (13.4 PPG) will lead Wichita State to not only this victory but a run to the Sweet 16.

No. 4 Indiana (25-8) vs. No. 13 New Mexico State (26-9)

The Aggies are a very athletic team led by a double-double machine in Wendall McKines (18.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG), one of the best players in the country that no one knows about.

New Mexico State will pressure the Hoosiers' guards and feast off turnovers. Overall, Indiana has struggled away from Assembly Hall and they won't have that advantage here.

This is exactly the type of team that give the Hoosiers fits. First upset of the tournament.

No. 6 UNLV (26-8) vs. No. 11 Colorado (23-11)

The Mountain West Conference is very good and the Rebels are one of four MWC members to make the field.

Colorado likely doesn't get in without winning the Pac-12 Tournament and will have their hands full with two very good players in Mike Moser and Chace Stanback.

The Buffaloes will be able to slow the game down on the defensive end, but the Rebels, who beat North Carolina this year, are very solid at both ends of the floor and it will be enough to advance.

No. 3 Baylor (27-7) vs. No. 14 South Dakota State (27-7)

Which Perry Jones III will show up for the Bears? You never know, which is the problem.

The Bears are the more talented team, but remember the name Nate Wolters, who averages 21.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 6.0 APG for South Dakota State.

The Jackrabbits will pressure the Bears from the outset and look to keep it an up-and-down game, which is right up Baylor's alley.

But if Baylor doesn't cut down on turnovers, they're going to lose this game. If they get past the Jackrabbits though, they are talented enough to make a run.

No. 7 Notre Dame (22-12) vs. No. 10 Xavier (21-12)

Notre Dame will make the Musketeers shoot it from the outside and that's something Xavier doesn't do very well. The Irish move on after a good game.

Mike Brey will prefer the Irish to slow this game down and make every possession matter. Notre Dame will look to win with defense and rebounding.

While Tim Abromaitis (14.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG) and Jack Cooley (12.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG) will be tough for Xavier to stop, don't forget about Musketeers guard Tu Holloway (17.0 PPG, 5.1 APG), who has the ability to carry Xavier to a couple of wins.

The Irish will manage to squeak out a close one though.

No. 2 Duke (27-6) vs. N0. 15 Lehigh (26-7)

Not much of a challenge for the Blue Devils as their depth and overall talent will be too much to handle for the Mountain Hawks.

If there is a bright spot for Lehigh though, it's that the nation gets a chance to see C.J. McCollum, who's a very nice guard, averaging 21.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.5 APG and 2.6 SPG on the season.

West Region

No. 1 Michigan State (27-7) vs. No. 16 LIU Brooklyn (25-8)

One and done for the Blackbirds as Draymond Green (16.1 PPG, 10.4 RPG) and company march on.

If this is close though, keep your eyes on LIU's Jullian Boyd (17.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG) and Jamal Olasewere (16.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG). Both are very good players and capable of doing something big.

Every time Tom Izzo's Michigan State team has received a No. 1 seed, they've advanced to the Final Four and their depth and toughness will send them on the right path with a second-round win

No. 8 Memphis (26-8) vs. No. 9 Saint Louis (25-7)

Memphis is under-seeded and is playing very well entering the tournament. Will Barton (18.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG) will be big for Memphis and lead them into what could be a good third round matchup against Michigan State.

But Rick Majerus' Billikens can shoot it and can slow the game down.

Led by leading scorer Brian Conklin (13.9 PPG), Saint Louis is a tough first-round opponent for Memphis, but I like the Tigers to advance.

No. 5 New Mexico (27-6) vs. No. 12 Long Beach State (25-8)

This is a great game on paper and Long Beach State is a tested team that will pressure the Lobos. But Steve Alford has a very good defensive team that crashes the glass.

Long Beach State's Casper Ware (17.4 PPG) is a talent, but the 49ers could be without second leading scorer Larry Anderson (14.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG).

The Lobos Drew Gordon (13.4 PPG, 10.9 RPG ) is a double-double machine and New Mexico's effort on the defensive end will carry them to victory.

New Mexico will be a Sweet 16 team.

No. 4 Louisville (26-9) vs. No. 13 Davidson (25-7)

Fresh off a Big East title, Louisville will survive. But Peton Siva (9.1 PPG, 5.5 APG) and company will be tested.

Louisville has made great strides the second half of the season on the defensive end of the floor and they will need to bring that type of effort and commitment to getting stops in order to make a run.

There's no Stephen Curry anymore, but the Wildcats are a very deep team that has five guys in double-figures, led by De'Mon Brooks (16.0 PPG).

No. 6 Murray State (30-1) vs. No. 11 Colorado State (20-11)

Murray State will apply pressure and Isaiah Canaan (19.2 PPG) is a baller.

As long as Murray State contains the production of Wes Eikmeier (15.6 PPG) and Dorian Green (13.5 PPG), the Racers will advance.

No. 3 Marquette (25-7) vs. No. 14 Iona (25-7)

If the Golden Eagles don't take care of the ball and get crushed on the boards the way they did in the Big East Tournament, they are going home quickly.

Iona's Machado is a guard capable of carrying the Gaels on a mini-run, but Marquette is too talented and could make a run at New Orleans.

Jae Crowder (17.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG) and Darius Johnson-Odom (18.5 PPG) should be too much for Iona to handle.

No. 7 Florida (23-10) vs. No. 10 Virginia (22-9)

The Gators' pressure and outside shooting should be enough to get them out of the second round.

Brad Beal (14.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG) and Kenny Boynton (16.3 PPG) lead a deep Gators team that has five guys averaging double-figures on the season.

To advance though the Gators will have to contain Virginia's Mike Scott (18.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG), but they should be fine in this one.

No. 2 Missouri (30-4) vs. Norfolk State (25-9)

The Tigers have a good chance to come out of this bracket after a 30-win season and an impressive run o win the Big 12 Tournament.

They play four guards and are small, but the Tigers are a very explosive offensive team.

Norfolk State's Kyle O'Quinn (15.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG) is a nice player, but Frank Haith's Missouri Tigers should have no problem here.

East Region

No. 1 Syracuse (31-2) vs. No. 16 UNC Ashville (24-9)

Jim Boeheim's Syracuse squads have fell victim to early upsets before, but it won't happen this season.

Syracuse is playing their worst basketball of the season, but they've only lost twice on the season and are possibly the deepest team in the field.

They will be tested though by the Bulldogs, who are the fifth highest scoring team in the nation at 81.2 PPG, led by leading scorer Matt Dickey (16.5 PPG).

No. 8 Kansas State (21-10) vs. No. 9 Southern Miss (25-8)

Kansas State beat Missouri twice and they can crash the glass. Rodney McGruder (15.4, PPG 5.3 RPG ) is a very nice player and the Wildcats will advance, potentially causing Syracuse some problems.

Their defense and rebounding should be enough to get by the Golden Eagles as offense isn't their strong point. Southern Miss ranks 88th in the nation in scoring (71.6 PPG) and 263rd in field goal percentage (.416).

No. 5 Vanderbilt (24-10) vs. No. 12 Harvard (26-4)

The Commodores are a sleeper Final Four team. Led by John Jenkins (19.9 PPG) and Jeffrey Taylor (16.4 PPG), the Commodores can stretch the defense with their outstanding shooting.

Tommy Amaker's Crimson will put up a fight, but not even Jeremy Lin can't help them here.

No. 4 Wisconsin (24-9) vs, No. 13 Montana (25-6)

The Badgers live and die by the three and if they aren't knocking them down, the Grizzlies can upset them.

Montana is a good team and hasn't lost since January 14, winning 14 consecutive games, led by leading scorer Will Cherry (16.0 PPG).

Wisconsin is the more talented team, but Bo Ryan's squad is prone to scoring droughts and the Grizzlies will exploit that and pull the upset.

No.6 Cincinnati (24-10) vs No. 11 Texas (20-13)

The Longhorns have been tested all season and have come up short in a lot of close games.

It could come down to who's best player can carry the team, the Bearcats' Yancy Gates (12.4 PPG, 9.2 RPG) or the Longhorns' J'Covan Brown (20.1 PPG).

I'm giving the nod to the Longhorns.

No. 3 Florida State (24-9) vs. No. 14 St. Bonaventure (20-11)

The Seminoles' defense should carry them to a first-round win, but they've been know to disappear on the offensive end at times which could open the door for the Bonnies.

St. Bonaventure has an NBA-type talent in Andrew Nicholson (18.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG) and he can lead the Bonnies to a first-round upset.

I like the overall talent and the hot streak of the Seminoles though as it should be enough for them to make a deep run.

No. 7 Gonzaga (25-6) vs. No. 10 West Virginia (19-13)

West Virginia has the toughness to pull the upset, but where are they going to get the offense? Bob Huggins' team hasn't played very well the past few weeks.

But they do have the talent of Kevin Jones (20.1 PPG, 11.1 RPG) to lean on as well as the experience of Truck Bryant (17.2 PPG).

The Bulldogs' balanced attack that has four guys averaging double-figures, led by Kevin Pangos (13.8 PPG) should be enough to get them into the third round.

No. 2 Ohio State (27-7) vs No. 15 Loyola, MD (24-8)

The Greyhounds are very good for a No. 15 seed and will pressure the Buckeyes guards throughout. But Ohio State has too much talent.

Jared Sullinger (17.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG) and William Buford (14.7 PPG) will be too much for Loyola to deal with.

But if this game is somehow close, expect the Greyhounds to lean on Erik Etherly, who put together a good season (13.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG).

Midwest Region

No. 1 North Carolina (29-5)  vs. Lamar (23-11)

Easy win for the Tar Heels and Roy Williams may be able to get John Henson a couple days of extra rest.

Lamar head coach Pat Knight challenged his seniors a few weeks ago and it got them to the tournament. While James is a nice player for the Cardinals, they don't matchup well against the likes of Kendall Marshall, Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes.

No. 8 Creighton (28-5) vs. No 9. Alabama (21-11)

Doug McDermott (23.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG) is an outstanding player, who will be a lottery pick if he comes back to school next season. He will lead the Bluejays into the next round.

Creighton ranks seventh in the nation in scoring (80.0 PPG), second in assists (17.9 APG) and first in field goal percentage (.509).

The Crimson Tide's JaMychal Green (14.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG) is a  quality player, but the Tide really doesn't stack up well against Creighton

McDermott was a high school teammate of North Carolina's Barnes, who Creighton will see next round.

No. 5 Temple (24-7) vs. No. 12 California (24-9)

The Owls are led by a pair of dynamic scorers in Ramone Moore (17.7 PPG) and Khalif Wyatt (17.1 PPG) and are deep enough to get past the Golden Bears.

Temple can score (76.0 PPG) and shoots it well (.472), but so does Cal (.479) as this promises to be a good matchup.

The Owls defense will get them enough sops as Temple advances.

No. 4 Michigan (24-9) vs. No. 13 Ohio (27-7)

The Bobcats' D.J. Cooper (14.6 PPG, 5.7 APG) is a player, but Michigan is too much for Ohio.

While good guard play can keep the underdog in the game, the talent of Michigans's Trey Burke (14.8 PPG) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (14.6 PPG) could be tough for the Bobcats to stop.

This has close game written all over it, but give the Wolverines a slight edge.

No. 6 San Diego State (26-7) vs. No. 11 North Carolina State (23-12)

Steve Fischer's Aztecs lost four starters from last season's team, but still put together a very good season, but the Wolfpack is a team playing well down the stretch and will advance.

North Carolina State shares the ball very well, evident by having five guys averaging over 10.6 PPG, led by leading scorer C.J. Leslie (14.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG).

Jamaal Franklin (17.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG) and Chase Tapley (15.7 PPG) have the talent to carry San Diego State though.

This also promises to be a close game as well, but look for the Wolfpack to prevail.

No. 3 Georgetown (23-8) vs. No. 14 Belmont (27-7)

Watch out for Kerron Johnson (14.1 PPG, 5.2 APG)and the Belmont Bruins. It's their seventh trip to the dance and they will shock the young Hoyas.

Belmont was a sexy pick a season ago, but this year with a little less attention being paid to them they are ready for an upset.

Their up-and-down fast-paced attack saw them score 81.5 PPG (fourth in nation) and if they get going they will be tough to stop.

Georgetown has a trio of guys in Jason Clark (13.9 PPG), Hollis Thompson (12.7 PPG) and Henry Sims (11.7 PPG) that can carry them to victory, but their stay in the dance could be a short one.

No. 7 Saint Mary's (27-5) vs. No. 10 Purdue (21-12)

The Gaels have been here before and have the talent to win, led by outstanding talents Matthew Dellavedova (15.6 PPG) and Rob Jones (14.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG).

They are a team that scores the ball pretty well (74.9 PPG) and plays pretty good defense.

Purdue has a star in Robbie Hummel (16.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG) though and if he's hot it could be a long day for the Gaels.

I like St. Mary's here though in another close game.

No. 2 Kansas (27-6) vs. No. 15 Detroit (22-13)

The Jayhawks draw the toughest No. 15 seed in Detroit, who have five players averaging double-figures, led by Ray McCallum's 15.6 PPG..

Even though Kansas has been prone to the upset in the past, they come out on top here.

Thomas Robinson (17.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG) and Tyshawn Taylor (17.3 PPG, 4.8 APG) are just going to be too tough for the Titans to matchup against.

As we push through the tournament, we will see Kentucky against Missouri in one national semifinal and Syracuse play Kansas in the other.

At the end of the day it will be Syracuse cutting down the nets by defeating Kentucky. The Orangemen's depth will prevail and John Calipari will be denied his first championship once again.

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