Jay Bilas Bracket: Analyzing Bilas' Upset Picks for March Madness 2012

If there's one thing we can count on in the NCAA tournament, it's that there will be plenty of upsets.

We've seen this throughout the years and as recently as 2011 when VCU flew through the tournament as everyone's darling Cinderella.

Every expert knows that not having upsets in your bracket is leading yourself down a path of failure you will regret for the rest of your life. ESPN's Jay Bilas just came out with his 2012 NCAA tournament bracket, and if he had a chance, he'd probably set it to a rap compilation (the dude raps, in case you didn't know).

Here's a look at Bilas' upset picks and my take on it all.

South Region

No. 11 Colorado def. No. 6 UNLV, Round of 64

Bilas' take:

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"The Rebels are better, but Colorado is tough. Andre Roberson is a rebounding machine and Carlon Brown is the Buffs' best player. It is easier to slow a game down than to speed one up, and Tad Boyle will create a slower tempo."

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My take:

I have to agree with Bilas here.

UNLV may not even be the better team now. The Rebels finished 5-5 and lost at home to New Mexico. The Runnin' Rebels thrive on getting out and running, but if you have a tough defensive team like Colorado, that limits their appeal. UNLV is a troubled half-court team, and that's why it blew leads and let lesser opponents hang around all season long.

No. 5 Wichita State def. No. 4 Indiana, Round of 32

Bilas' take:

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"The Shockers are really good, and will compete favorably against anyone. Indiana is the better team, but I think Wichita State was underseeded. The Shockers should have been a 3-seed, or a 4-seed at worst."

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My take:

I agree with Bilas here, too.

I'm a fan of Wichita State. It's almost fitting that the Shockers play VCU in the Round of 64 because they're being tabbed as a potential Cinderella team by many this year.

They have an experienced coach in Gregg Marshall and six seniors. They can score the basketball. They rebound with reckless abandon. And their alternating defenses keep opponents off-balance.

If Wichita State wasn't playing Kentucky in the Sweet 16, I could see the Shockers going further.

East Region

No. 5 Vanderbilt def. No. 4 Wisconsin, Round of 32

Bilas' take:

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"The Dores are better at every spot, except point guard. There is the rub. Jordan Taylor is the type of player who can take over this game, but I think Vandy will win."

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My take:

I really like Vanderbilt, but the more I look at this matchup, the more I don't like it for the Commodores. Wisconsin has the kind of defense that can bottle up Jeffrey Taylor and John Jenkins, and Wisconsin point guard Jordan Taylor is a special playmaker.

No upset.

West Region

No. 9 Saint Louis def. No. 8 Memphis, Round of 64

Bilas' take:

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"Memphis was under-seeded, and the selection committee did the Tigers no favors with Saint Louis from a matchup perspective. Saint Louis is able to slow teams down and can take care of the ball. Memphis has to defend and rebound to get out and run, but the Billikens don't give up the ball easily. This is a matchup win for Saint Louis, and a committee loss for Memphis."

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My take:

Yes, this isn't exactly the greatest matchup for Memphis, but there's a reason why the Tigers are hyped as a No. 8 seed. I think Memphis' clear advantage in athleticism breaks through the matchup problems in the end, led by star Will Barton.

No upset.

Midwest Region

No. 12 Cal def. No. 5 Temple, Round of 64

Bilas' take:

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"I think that Cal is undervalued and should not have been in a first-round game. The Bears have good guards in Jorge Gutierrez and Allen Crabbe, and have the size to give Temple problems."

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My take:

Cal does have the size to present problems for Temple, and Jorge Gutierrez is one of the best at pressuring the ball, but the fact of the matter is Temple has three offensive playmakers in guards Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt. Slowing down even two of those guys is going to be hard to do.

No upset.

No. 11 NC State def. No. 6 San Diego State, Round of 64

Bilas' take:

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"The Pack are bigger and better on the glass. But, San Diego State is an older group with transfers that understands how to win and how to play. NC State has to beat the Aztecs on the glass to win."

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My take:

As a SDSU graduate, I would love to see the Aztecs go on a run. But the truth is, they didn't play well enough late in the season for me to realistically believe that. They don't consistently score, don't have the size to get a lot of offensive rebounds and won't win this game unless they get on the fast break an abnormal amount of times.

Sorry, fellow Aztecs.

No. 10 Purdue def. No. 7 St. Mary's, Round of 64

Bilas' take:

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"Purdue should be playing with a chip on its shoulder, playing against a mid-major with a higher seed. Saint Mary's has been banged up, but has a great guard in Matthew Dellavedova. He will be a tough matchup."

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My take:

St. Mary's is a potential Cinderella pick this season because they have a leader in Dellavedova and can rack up a lot of points. Beyond that, the Gaels can rebound the basketball, led by Rob Jones. They have a fairly balanced team I feel will be too much for Purdue to handle.

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