March Madness 2012: Teams That Will Bust Your Bracket

It can be very frustrating filling out your NCAA March Madness Brackets. Weather forecasters feel like this year-round. If one slight factor changes, the outcome may be completely different. 

Every year lower seeds end up in the Sweet Sixteen and the Elite Eight. Lately, the Final Four as well. There are so many rules and trends to try and follow when deciding on which teams you will ultimately allow to advance in your bracket. 

One of the most entertaining things about this tournament is that the harder we scrutinize the statistics and trends between them all, the more we are likely to find. This makes it all the more fun to try to be the one person who figures out the riddle, the one person at work who predicted the future. 

Here are some teams that could make or break this years version of March Madness for you. 

Florida State Seminoles

Florida State has all the makings of a team that has the capability to go far. The last handful of seasons, FSU has been a bubble team, and even been snubbed a couple of times. This team is chalked full of upperclassmen who have been here before.

The Seminoles beat Duke at Cameron Indoor, and then again in the ACC Tournament. They also knocked off North Carolina twice. Those wins alone let you know these guys can play with anybody, and they bring their best when they're playing the best.

I think Florida State can make it to the Final Four out of the East Region. They have North Carolina's number, and they match-up well against Ohio State. They're a talented bunch, and are definitely eyeing the Final Four. As long as they don't overlook St. Bonaventure in round one, FSU gets at least as far as the Elite Eight. 

Marquette Golden Eagles

Marquette is a young team, but don't let that fool you. They are playing very well right now and are not phased by opposing crowds. They notched a win at Wisconsin, which might be one of the toughest opposing courts to play on in the country.

They have beaten plenty of tournament teams this season including Louisville, UConn, St. John's, and West Virginia. There is no doubt they can hang with the best. 

Marquette has great guard play. We have seen teams with that attribute go far before. Marquette will be in the Sweet Sixteen this season, possibly further, but I don't see a Final Four appearance. 

Long Beach State 49ers

Long Beach State has played some tough games this year. They played at North Carolina and at Kansas, and only lost each game by six and eight, respectively. 

They beat Pitt when they were ranked in the top ten, and they also knocked off Xavier. 

Long Beach's best player, Larry Anderson, missed the conference tourney with a knee injury. He is expected to play, but he would be a big factor in selecting LBSU as an upset special. If he goes and is near 100 percent, this is a scary team who has been tested before. 

The 49ers should be able to get to the Elite Eight this year.

Belmont Bruins

Belmont is one of the sexiest upset picks in this years field, and rightly so.

The Bruins average over 80 points per contest this season. That stat probably won't be intimidated by the Georgetown Hoyas. Belmont can run with anybody, and they will try to force Georgetown to play their game. 

Belmont is on a 14-game winning streak right now, and they're peaking at the right time. They played Duke to within one point at Cameron Indoor early this season. I like them to beat Georgetown, NC State, and give Kansas all it can handle. 

This is the year a 14-seed does some damage. 

Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt is one of the most underrated teams in the tournament. They play in a tough league, and came away with 24 wins. 

Vandy just won the SEC tournament by beating the tournaments No.1 overall seed, Kentucky. Now, they did lose to the Wildcats twice earlier this season, but they are hitting their stride at the right time. 

Sometimes you worry about a team coming off of a conference championship having a poor performance and losing in the first round, but I don't think that will be a problem for this team. Vandy can beat Syracuse. I'll just predict that they'll get there. The Orange will have a tough time with Vanderbilt. 

I see the Commodores winning two games this year, and a shot at three.

Baylor Bears

Baylor could hurt you.

The Bears are not your typical No. 3 seed. They made the Elite Eight in 2010, but before that appearance, they were last there in 1950. 

They did beat Kansas in the Big 12 Tourney, but they also lost to the Jayhawks twice during the regular season. Missouri beat the Bears three times, once in the conference title game.

Baylor is talented, but overrated. Don't expect them to get past the round of 32, or your bracket may bust. They deserved a high seed, but I think a lot of that was their hot start this year. They have trouble against teams with quick guards, which will mean doom in the tournament. 

Choose Wisely

This year's tournament is full of potential upsets brewing. Like recent years, we will probably see a double-digit seed get into the Elite Eight. Which team that will be is yet to be seen.

Pick your brackets wisely. Choose the smart upsets, shy away from the home runs. As I always say, a No.16 will knock off a No.1 sometime, just not this year. Stick with the 12 over 5's and the couple of other hunches you might have and you will be fine. 

We're now just hours away from the beginning of the best tournament in all of sports. Enjoy.