NCAA Bracket 2012 Predictions: Breaking Down the South Region's Biggest Upsets

The Kentucky Wildcats were rewarded for their hard work this season with a No. 1 seed, but got screwed with their bracket.

The South region is absolutely brutal from top to bottom, and it's going to be the bracket with the most X's crossed through your picks—unless you follow my advice.

Here are some of the big upsets sure to come out of the wildest region of the entire bracket.

Round of 64: No. 10 Xavier (21-12) over No. 7 Notre Dame (22-11)

The Muskies have a future NBA star in Tu Holloway, and they have one of the best backcourts in the country with Holloway and his partner, Mark Lyons.

Sure, its psyche was severely damaged after the Crosstown Shootout brawl, but Xavier is playing a quickly fading Notre Dame team.

Once the three-point shots stop falling and their lack of athleticism is exposed, it's going to be a quick exit for the Fighting Irish.

Round of 64: No. 13 New Mexico State (26-9) over No. 4 Indiana (25-8)

The Aggies have a forward in Wendell McKines who has registered 20 double-doubles this season and is more than capable of getting Cody Zeller in foul trouble.

That's a problem, considering Zeller is the only big man who can hurt the opposition. If the threes aren't falling, this could be a blowout.

Remember, the Hoosiers haven't made the tournament since 2008, which means nobody has any sort of postseason experience on their roster.

Round of 32: No. 10 Xavier over No. 2 Duke (27-6)

The Muskies have the guard play to minimize freshman Austin Rivers, and that's going to stall the entire Duke offense.

With the injury to the 6'11" Ryan Kelly possibly jeopardizing his tournament, the depth on the front line is rather weak for the Blue Devils.

If one or both of the Plumlee brothers get in trouble, the rebounding differential is going to be huge. Xavier is the king of five-man transition basketball, and they can run a team ragged. If you don't have the depth to match, then you will be run off the floor.

If Mr. Jekyll and Hyde (AKA Kenny Frease) shows up inside, Xavier is Sweet 16 bound in a year most people thought was going to be a disappointment.

Sweet 16: No. 10 Xavier over No. 3 Baylor (27-7)

Can you tell who I like in this bracket?

Frease is such an x-factor (no pun intended) for Xavier because he is 7'0" and 275 pounds. He has the ability to score 20 and 10 or foul out scoreless. If the senior is able to keep Perry Jones III from dominating, the rest of Baylor isn't so daunting.

With matchup nightmare Dezmine Wells and the explosive Lyons helping out Holloway, there are loads of offensive options for Xavier. The Bears don't take the greatest shots, and their focus and commitment to win seems to sway at times. With all the chips on the line, that's going to hurt them in a big way.

Who Wins the South?

Despite a surprise run by Xavier, Kentucky is still head and shoulders above the rest of the bracket. The future NBA talent on this roster is borderline criminal, and it would be the biggest upset of the tournament if they didn't make it to New Orleans.

So, I have Kentucky over Xavier to reach the Final Four out of the South region. 

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