Jay Bilas NCAA Bracket: Underdogs That Will Outperform Analyst's Projections

One thing is clear in looking at Jay Bilas' bracket: The ESPN Analyst does not like the underdog, at least this year. One thing that's consistent in the NCAA tournament is that some underdogs always make a run.

This year will be no different. 

Bilas predicted pretty close to a chalk bracket, with three No. 1 seeds (Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan State) and No. 2 Ohio State making the Final Four, with Kentucky beating UNC in the finals. 

What he didn't do was give a couple of teams out of that range anywhere near enough credit. Let's take a look at a few of them that will go deeper than expected. 

Vanderbilt: No. 5, East Region

Bilas' Pick: Elite Eight

Dixon's take

This is a Final Four team. They have two elite scorers in John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor. Those two give a nice inside/outside combination that is awfully hard to contain. 

Then there's Festus Ezeli, a solid scorer who really dominates the paint. That is a formidable top group that teams just will not easily match up against. The best thing about it is that their advantages don't stop at the numbers. 

Jenkins is a junior, while Taylor and Ezeli are seniors. As a matter of fact, Jenkins is the only one of the top five scorers on the team that's not a senior. 

Four seniors and one junior have been working together for a long time and they won't be flustered by the NCAA tournament spotlight. Vandy beat Kentucky in the conference tournament, showing that they can handle the more talented teams. 

Murray State: No. 6, West Region

Bilas' Pick: Round of 32

Dixon's Take

It amazes me how quick people seem to dismiss a 30-1 record. What's best is that this is a high-scoring team that shoots from the outside at a high percentage. That is the kind of thing that translates well from small conferences to big ones. 

While I only have the Racers going one round further than Bilas, the reason is that a Sweet 16 matchup means a date with Missouri, who I have winning the whole thing this year. 

This team is scary for any more traditional powers. If they do manage to get through Missouri, we'll see the Racers in the Final Four. 

Saint Mary's: No. 7, Midwest Region

Bilas' Pick: Round of 64

Dixon's Take

Here, Bilas and my projections are really clashing. I don't think he gave the other two teams enough credit, but we're talking about one-round differences there. That is not the case with Saint Mary's, who will be making a trip to the Elite Eight.

There is nothing that this team doesn't do well, and that's going to be hard for nearly any team in the country to match up with. The Gaels shoot well, score a lot, are strong at passing and on the glass. That is going to lead to a long run this year.

North Carolina is one of the teams that does everything better, and Saint Mary's won't get past that point. But they will make a run to that date with the Tar Heels, which will include a win over Kansas in the Round of 32.

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