ESPN NCAA Bracket 2012: Why Dick Vitale's Final Four Picks Are Sure to Go Awry

Dick Vitale's in-game analysis is awesome, baby, with a capital A. However, his 2012 Final Four picks are not nearly as genius.

Dick's Picks: Kentucky, Missouri, Florida State, North Carolina

Only two No. 1 seeds? Going out on a limb there, Dickie-V!

Florida State

Florida State is such a popular Final Four pick that it makes me sick. Sure, they finished the season strong by winning the ACC tournament, but that doesn't dismiss 14-plus point defeats to Boston College, Clemson, Miami and Florida. 

I initially rode the wave of the trendy-pick Seminoles until I noticed their inconsistency and the usual incapability of trendy Final Four picks to actually live up to expectations. Their performance against St. Bonaventure, though a mere win, re-affirmed that conclusion. 

If Florida State even makes it to the Sweet Sixteen, they will potentially face Ohio State, who they match up terribly against. 

Kentucky

Vitale's pick for the South region is the only pick I won't argue with out of the four. Despite suffering their second loss of the season last weekend, the Wildcats have an incredibly lengthy defense led by Anthony Davis that can beat opponents at every position.

As Vitale would say, those diaper dandies can get it done!

Kentucky has possibly the toughest road to New Orleans out of every No. 1 seed, but that path got a bit easier when defending champion Connecticut went down Thursday to the surging Iowa State Cyclones. You have to search far and wide to find someone who didn't pick Calipari's Cats for the Final Four, and if you find one, they probably put already-eliminated Duke instead. 

North Carolina

The Tar Heels' John Henson could be out a while with a sprained wrist, which would all but end their chances of getting past No. 2 seed Kansas in the Midwest. Their defense is horrendous, and even though they'd face either a No. 12 or 13 seed in the Sweet Sixteen, I don't like their chances of reaching New Orleans.

Missouri

In hindsight, it's easy to point at Vitale's pick in the West—Missouri—as being a bad pick. But a Final Four was a little much for Missouri to shoot for, since they had major question marks in the frontcourt and on defense.

Dickie-V still has a chance for a good bracket, and his champion—Kentucky—is still intact. Although after the first weekend, I don't like his Final Four one bit.