March Madness 2012 Bracket Predictions: Picks for All Four 1st-Round Games

Before the NCAA tournament can begin, a mini-tournament must be held to determine the last four teams get to be the last to join the fray.

Not everyone is a fan of the "First Four" round, which made its debut in 2011. But I prefer to look on the bright side. Had it not been for the First Four, VCU wouldn't have gotten into the 2011 tourney, and that means the Rams wouldn't have been able to make a Cinderella run to the Final Four.

Maybe we'll get that lucky again this year. But for the time being, I'll give my two cents on the four teams that I think are going to crack the field to begin a potential Cinderella run.

Here are your winners for the four play-in games.

Note: all spreads according to Bovada.

Western Kentucky (-4.5) vs. Mississippi Valley State

The Delta Devils couldn't have gotten off to a worse start in the regular season, as they lost 11 of their first 12 games. 

They lost one game the rest of the season.

Mississippi Valley State is led by two outstanding seniors: guard Terrence Joyner and center Paul Crosby. The two of them handle the bulk of the offense, which was much more efficient down the stretch than it was in the team's first 12 games.

The Hilltoppers will have to worry about Crosby, but the key danger for Western Kentucky is Mississippi Valley State's three-point shooting. The Delta Devils take a lot of threes every game, and they can easily run up the score when they get hot. 

So despite the fact Western Kentucky is favored to win this game, this is a tough matchup. The Hilltoppers are not good enough defensively to completely bottle up the Delta Devils, and they don't have enough offense to keep up with them.

Prediction: Mississippi Valley State by three.

Iona vs. BYU (-2)

This is going to be a fun game. Both the Gaels and the Cougars can run up the score, and neither of them play particularly great defense.

Between the two of them, Iona has the more explosive offense. The Gaels averaged more points per game than any team in the nation, and they have three outstanding scorers in Mike Glover, Lamont James and Scott Machado.

BYU has some pretty good scorers in its own right, and it's worth noting that the Cougars were one of the top teams in the country in terms of assists. They're also going to have an easy time out-rebounding the Gaels, who don't excel rebounding the ball at all.

In addition, the Cougars have some players who have been dancing before. That experience will serve them well.

Prediction: BYU by eight.

Vermont vs. Lamar (-3)

The big question concerning this game is whether the Catamounts can stop the hot run that the Cardinals have been on ever since Pat Knight chewed out his seniors.

It's unlikely. Lamar has been playing inspired basketball ever since its head coach's rant. More importantly, the Cardinals have the personnel to dominate on the boards, especially against a team like Vermont.

The Catamounts are a small team. It's definitely worth pointing out that their leading rebounder, Brian Voelkel, is just 6'6". It's no wonder Vermont ranked 123rd in the country in rebounding.

Lamar ranked 10th in the country in rebounding. That will be a decisive advantage.

Prediction: Lamar by nine.

South Florida vs. California (-2)

This game will be the exact opposite of the Iona vs. BYU game. South Florida and Cal are both above-average defensive teams.

The Bulls are the better of the two defensively. They allowed just 57.3 points per game this season, good for seventh in the nation. They're going to represent a huge obstacle for a Cal team that occasionally has its issues putting the ball in the bucket.

However, the Bulls are going to be hard-pressed to score enough points of their own. They're one of the worst offensive teams in the nation, and they'll look even worse against Cal's stout defense.

This will not be a pretty game, but the Golden Bears will take it, thus salvaging some much-needed dignity for the Pac-12.

Prediction: Cal by three.

For your printable NCAA bracket, click here.