NCAA Bracket 2012: Predictions for All 68 Teams

The abundance of mid-majors in this year’s NCAA tournament field means there are more than a few chances to pick the 2012 Cinderella story. But will there be one, or will all of the powerhouse-conference top dogs reign supreme?

Can Kentucky rebound from a heartbreaking loss in the SEC championship to win it all? Is there anyone that can stop Syracuse and North Carolina from making a trip to New Orleans for the Final Four? And did Michigan State really deserve that No. 1 seed?

Here are predictions for how everything will go down in the Big Dance for each of this year’s 68 teams.

No. 1 Seeds

Michigan State — The Spartans could be the first No. 1 seed to go down after facing Missouri in the Elite 8.

North Carolina — The Jayhawks may be the only team in the Midwest region capable of knocking off the Tar Heels in the Elite 8.

Syracuse — The Orangemen could be the second No. 1 seed to fall to Kansas, this time in the Final Four.

Kentucky — Far and away the best team in the field, the Wildcats have what it takes to win it all.

No. 2 Seeds

Duke — The Blue Devils will be the first No. 2 seed to bow out, and it could happen in the second round against a tough Fighting Irish squad.

Ohio State — The Buckeyes should beware if they have to face hot FSU in the Sweet 16—the Seminoles could be too much to handle.

Missouri — If the Big 12 tournament champs make it to the Final Four, they will fall short against Kentucky.

Kansas — The Jayhawks can make it all the way to the finals but won't be able to overcome Kentucky.

No. 3 Seeds

Georgetown — The Hoyas struggled down the stretch, and that could continue against NC State in the second round.

Marquette — The Golden Eagles could be in trouble if they have to face hot-shooting Missouri in the Sweet 16.

Baylor — The Bears could make it all the way to the Elite 8 but will fall just short of the Final Four with Kentucky in their way.

Florida State — One of the hottest teams in the field, the Seminoles' road may reach an impasse against mighty Syracuse in the Elite 8.

No. 4 Seeds

Michigan — The Wolverines could run into trouble in the second round against Temple.

Indiana — The Hoosiers can make it to the Sweet 16 but will fall at the hands of No. 1 overall seed Kentucky.

Louisville — The Cardinals could hang in there with Michigan State in the Sweet 16, but they've struggled against too many ranked teams this season to prevail.

Wisconsin — The Badgers' journey could come to an end against Syracuse in the Sweet 16.

No. 5 Seeds

New Mexico — Bold pick: Long Beach, which has only lost two games since early January, could knock off this No. 5-seed in the first round.

Vanderbilt — Bold pick 2.0: The Commodores could exit in the first round after facing a dangerously underrated Harvard team.

Wichita State — Facing Indiana in the second round could spell doom for the Shockers.

Temple — The Tar Heels could end Temple's dreams in the Sweet 16.

No. 6 Seeds

Murray State — Colorado State, which upset UNLV in the final weeks of the season, is capable of knocking off Murray State in the first round.

San Diego State — NC State tends to play its best basketball at the end of the season, and San Diego State will learn that the hard way in the first round.

UNLV — The Rebels were undefeated at home this year, but unfortunately, when they face Baylor in Round No. 2, that's not where they'll be.

Cincinnati — Florida State will be too hot for the Bearcats to handle in the second round.

No. 7 Seeds

Florida — After losing three of their last four, the Gators have no momentum going into the tournament and will be vulnerable against Virginia in the first round.

St. Mary's — They finally knocked off Gonzaga to win the conference championship, but the Gaels will run out of steam against Purdue in the first round.

Gonzaga — The Zags might be able to make it close against Ohio State in the second round but will ultimately fall.

Notre Dame — The Irish could be the last No. 7 seed remaining, but they won't get out of the Sweet 16 alive.

No. 8 Seeds

Iowa State — The Cyclones scored big wins this season against Kansas State and Baylor, but they'll have no such luck facing UConn, which has had plenty of time to toughen up in a stacked Big East.

Memphis — The Tigers' dreams will fall short one win shy of the Sweet 16 when they face Michigan State.

Kansas State — Syracuse will end the Wildcats' tournament hopes in the second round.

Creighton — The Tar Heels will take care of Creighton in the round of 32.

No. 9 Seeds

St. Louis — Facing Memphis in the first round spells doom for the Billikens.

Southern Mississippi — Both the Golden Eagles and Kansas State struggled down the stretch, but Southern Mississippi won't come out on top in this first-round matchup.

Alabama — The Crimson Tide will bow out in the first round against Creighton, the nation's hottest-shooting team.

Connecticut — The defending champions struggled by their own standards this season and will be no match for Kentucky in the second round.

10 Seeds

Xavier — It seems like Xavier is always a threat to bust some brackets, but after dropping the Atlantic 10 championship to St. Bonaventure, the Musketeers won't rebound fast enough to knock off Notre Dame.

West Virginia — The Mountaineers have lost five of their last eight and the struggles will continue in the first round against Gonzaga.

Virginia — The Cavs have beaten just one ranked team this season and will be no match for Missouri in the second round.

Purdue — Kansas could dispatch the Boilermakers right before the Sweet 16.

No. 11 Seeds

Colorado — Part of a weak Pac-12, the Buffaloes are no match for UNLV.

Texas — The Longhorns were 9-9 in conference play and aren't good enough to knock off a Big East team in the first round.

Colorado State — Marquette will take care of the Rams in the round of 32.

NC State — The Wolfpack has the chance to make a great run, but it could end in the Sweet 16 against No. 2-seeded Kansas.

No. 12 Seeds

California — One of the two representatives from the Pac-12, the Golden Bears will fall to South Florida in the First Four. 

VCU — No such luck for last year's Final Four Cinderella. Wichita State is hungry after losing in the Missouri Valley conference tourney and will be too much for the Rams in the first round.

South Florida — The Bulls will keep it close against Temple in the first round but will fall short.

Long Beach State — The Big West champs will experience just their third loss since January 2 when they face Louisville in the second round.

Harvard — Wisconsin, which scored big wins over Ohio State and Indiana late in the season, is a threat to dispatch Harvard in the second round.

No. 13 Seeds

New Mexico State — The Aggies have been to one Final Four, but they won't make it to another one this year after facing Indiana in the first round.

Davidson — Big East champion Louisville will be too much for Davidson in the first round.

Montana — The Grizzlies have won 14 straight, but that streak ends against Wisconsin in the first round.

Ohio — The Bobcats have won eight of their last nine but can't top Michigan in the first round.

No. 14 Seeds
 

BYU — Very few think Iona should've made it into the Big Dance, but it will knock off BYU in the play-in round to save some face.

Iona — After winning the play-in game against BYU, the Gaels will be incredibly overmatched against a powerful Marquette team.

South Dakota State — The Summit League champions aren't enough of a threat to take down No. 3-seeded Baylor.   

St. Bonaventure — The Bonnies just won their first-ever Atlantic 10 championship over Xavier but will fall short against a hot Florida State team in the first round.

Belmont — The Bruins are raising eyebrows as a potential sleeper for the Sweet 16, but they'll have trouble overcoming Georgetown in the first round.

No. 15 Seeds

Lehigh — The Mountain Hawks scored 26 wins this year, but that will be it after they face Duke in the first round.

Norfolk State — It ended its season with seven straight wins, but Norfolk State is no match for Missouri in the first round.

Loyola (MD) — The MAAC champions will get rolled by Ohio State in the first round.

Detroit — The Horizon League champs will struggle mightily in the first round against a Kansas team that feels slighted after getting a No. 2 seed.

No. 16 Seeds

Lamar — The Southland conference champions will fall to a rolling Vermont team in the play-in round.

Vermont — The Catamounts have won 14 of their last 15, but that hot streak will end against North Carolina.

Mississippi Valley State — The Delta Devils don't stand a chance against No. 1 overall seed Kentucky and will bow out in the first round.

Long Island — The Blackbirds have only lost two games since December 17th, but Michigan State will be too tough a test for them in the first round.

UNC-Asheville — Doesn't stand a chance against Syracuse in the first round.

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