NCAA Bracket 2012: 8 Dark-Horse Picks for the Final Four

Now that the field has been set in the NCAA tournament, it is prediction time across the country. There are still 68 teams, but in less than two weeks, there will be just four remaining.

The goal of each program right now is to make that Final Four field. While it is nice to be a part of the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight, winning your region speaks volumes to the college basketball world.

Regardless of how you make it there, a berth in the national semifinal puts your team just two victories from a championship.

No. 1 and No. 2 seeds are often believed to be the front-runners for the Final Four, but here are eight teams, two from each region, who have chances to make a splash and squeeze themselves into the Final Four, and maybe even the title game.

South Region: Indiana

It's feeling like the old days of Bob Knight for the Hoosiers.

A 25-8 record and a No. 4 seed in the South has Indiana in a pretty nice position heading into the tournament.

If seeding holds up throughout, the team needs to win two games against lower seeds before they would potentially meet Kentucky in the Sweet 16. Indiana has the talent to do just that, especially because Kentucky has had one of their two losses come at the hands of the Hoosiers.

If Indiana can put a run together like they did in the beginning of the season, they will be dancing to the Final Four out of a region that has Kentucky and Duke.

South Region: Connecticut

As a No. 9 seed in the South, it would take something special for Connecticut to win the South region and make the Final Four.

And they are capable of just that.

If they can get past Iowa State, UConn has a chance against Kentucky and could slay the top overall seed before the Sweet 16 even happens.

If UConn seals Kentucky's fate, the defending champions could be a tough out going forward.

West Region: Murray State

All year long, Murray State has been that team that has been hard to get behind and really take seriously. Any truly successful mid-major team is always taken with a grain of salt in the regular season.

Come tournament time, it's more of a level playing field. Win your games, advance in the tournament and nobody really questions any of it.

The selection committee didn't do any favors to the Racers, giving them the No. 6 seed in the West region. However, that makes them all the more dangerous, as they will now play in their home state all the way through to the Sweet 16. 

However, assuming higher seeds move on in the first round, the Racers will need a victory over mighty Marquette. Another Big East opponent, Louisville, could be waiting in the regional final, unless top seed Michigan State holds on to their spot.

West Region: Long Beach State

I believe in the Long Beach State 49ers. 

The No. 12 seed in the West region is the perfect team to rest your hopes of upsets upon. They are 25-8 this season, only lost one game in the Big West Conference and have only dropped two games since the calendars started saying 2012 on them.

Casper Ware has been an offensive force for Long Beach State this season as the team's leading scorer (17.4 ppg), and assist-man (3.3 apg) with lethal shooting from behind the arc (92 made three-pointers).

Even the losses this team has aren't terrible. They lost by two to Creighton less than a month ago. They also lost by eight to Kansas, by six to North Carolina, by two to Montana and by four in overtime against San Diego State. Rarely have they lost badly, so at the very least they aren't going quietly.

Their matchup with New Mexico is an enticing one, especially as a five vs. 12 showdown. That could bump the 49ers to the Round of 32 against a Louisville team they lost to in late November by 13. The two teams were a little bit different then. Long Beach State was a 3-3 basketball team, while Louisville was the sixth-ranked team in the country.

Midwest Region: Michigan

Who cares if Ohio State and Michigan State are the teams being talked about the most from the Big Ten Conference? The Wolverines are also a very dangerous team poised for a potential Final Four run.

Their side of the bracket is very beatable, especially if they start shooting well from beyond the arc.

Over 40 percent of their shots come from beyond the three-point line, making them the most three-happy team in the tournament. Their three-point attack helps to counteract their lack of size.

Assuming that Michigan keeps their game outside of the paint, Big Blue can upset a few teams and make it to the Final Four this season.

Midwest Region: Creighton

It sounds crazy, but Creighton could be a good dark-horse team for the Final Four.

The Jays shoot it better than anyone else in the country. They lead the nation in shooting percentage and three-point shooting, so how can you argue with that?

An upset over North Carolina in their second game would be difficult, but a victory could vault them directly to New Orleans.

East Region: Cincinnati

Can the Bearcats, as a No. 6 seed, make it to the Final Four?

It's possible.

They've just recently defeated Syracuse, who is the top seed in their East region.

A potential regional final rematch between those two gives the early advantage to Cincy. Their hot play of late could mean great things for Cincinnati, who would have had a more favorable seed if they had won the Big East tournament.

They could be facing Florida State in their second game, who won the ACC tournament and is enjoying those benefits with a generous No. 3 seed.

Ohio State poses a great challenge in the Sweet 16, but it could be all about Cincinnati this time around if they can take out basketball powerhouses like Ohio State, Syracuse and their first opponent, Texas, on their way to the Final Four.

East Region: Wisconsin

Wisconsin hasn't exactly snuck up on people this year.

Twenty-four victories this season is one less than Montana, who will try to upset them this week.

They could run into an upstart Harvard team in their second game, assuming the Crimson can pull off an upset. That Ivy League team has two more wins on the season than the Badgers do.

Wins aside, it has been the quality of Wisconsin's play all season long that merits a Final Four run.

Being one of the three No. 4 seeds from the Big Ten in this tournament, it looks like they are on the same level as Indiana and Michigan. However, the Badgers could be staying longer than their conference counterparts.

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