NCAA Bracket 2012: Bold Predictions for Sunday's Action

Kentucky and North Carolina are going to be the final two teams to join the Final Four. One of these will advance easily. The other is in for a bit of a battle. 

All in all, it is going to be a thrilling day as the second half of the Elite Eight reaches its conclusion. Here is how the action is going to play out. 

Terrence Jones Will Go For More Than 20

Four times this season, Jones has scored at least 20 points. One of those came in the Wildcats' first game of the tournament, where he scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting. 

Jones's hot shooting has not left him yet. He netted 12 points in Kentucky's Sweet 16 win over Indiana by shooting 5-of-9 from the field. 

Jones will continue that hot shooting while increasing his productivity. Kentucky is going to need his athleticism and length to match up with Baylor. This will lead to big minutes for Jones. 

He will make the most of this by lighting the nets on fire. 

Kentucky Will Win Easy

Jones won't be the only Wildcat to have a good game. His whole team is going to be on point. Kentucky will lead this game almost start to finish and cruise to victory. 

They are too athletic for Baylor. That is not something the Bears are used to. Both of these teams are filled with potential lottery picks. 

The increased athleticism is going to lead to the Wildcats grabbing key offensive boards. That is something they are adept at, and Baylor is not particularly good at stopping. They are 182nd in defensive rebounding percentage. 

Their athleticism will also help them on defense. They have the players too slow down Baylor's powerful front line, and their quick perimeter defense will not allow the Bears to get it going from distance. 

Prediction: Kentucky 86, Baylor 72

North Carolina Will Overpower Kansas

It's not going to matter if Kendall Marshall can play or not for the Tar Heels. They are going to win this game by dominating in the front court. 

The Jayhawks have a strong front line. It has helped carry them to where they are. However, they can't match up with North Carolina. 

Kansas has the top two-point defense in the nation, thanks in large part to Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey, who averages 3.5 blocks a game. Those two are not going to be able to shut down Tyler Zeller and John Henson, though. 

Both are shooting over 50 percent from the field, and both are talented enough to break down Kansas' defense, and the Tar Heels can grab the boards when they miss. 

North Carolina is top ten in offensive rebounding percentage, and Kansas is coming off of a game where they allowed 20 offensive rebounds to NC State. 

This is going to be a close game, but ultimately the Tar Heels will wear them down. 

Prediction: North Carolina 77, Kansas 73