2012 NCAA Tournament Predictions: Popular Upset Picks That Will Flame Out

Don't worry; there are still two days until the opening-round games get underway, so there's still time to jump off a couple bandwagons. Nothing is more dangerous in NCAA Tournament brackets than following trendy upset picks.

Here are three teams a lot of people are picking to advance to the Round of 32 and beyond that will bow out right away.

VCU

VCU made an awesome run last season that captivated the sports world for a couple weeks. The Rams aren't going to do it two years in a row. They don't have as much firepower as last season and face a tough opponent in Wichita State to start.

The Shockers are basically a better version of VCU. They have a little bit more depth and their stars are more potent on the offensive end. It might be a close game for the first half, but eventually, the cream will rise to the top and Wichita State will advance.

It's always important to distance yourself from a previous year's results when picking college basketball games. There's too much turnover for those to be reliable.

Long Beach State

Just like the VCU vs. Wichita State game, Long Beach State's battle with New Mexico falls into the ballyhooed 5 seed against 12 seed category. When picking a bracket, don't let something like that overrun basic logic.

The 49ers won't be able to storm through the Lobos defense like they did to their Big West foes. New Mexico enters the game on a five-game winning streak, including wins over fellow tournament teams UNLV and San Diego State.

That will give them enough momentum to get past Long Beach State. The Lobos are also a potential sleeper team moving forward.

Connecticut

Iowa State has to be loving all the attention UConn is getting in the media. Most experts don't even acknowledge the Cyclones' existence as they start to analyze a potential Connecticut matchup with Kentucky in the third round.

All the pressure in now on the Huskies, leaving Iowa State to prepare in peace. The Cyclones are a better team from top to bottom. Connecticut is nowhere near where they were last season with Kemba Walker leading the charge.

Look for the inside-outside combo of Royce White and Scott Christopherson to dominate en route to an Iowa State victory. The Huskies are a perfect example of the hype machine going out of control.