Mav's NCAA Tournament Picks

Written by Chris Canada, Gatorsfirst.com Co-Founder

Tomorrow begins my favorite two-day stretch of the year. On Thursday and Friday, there will be four tournament game on at a time for 12 hours. Even better than that is the fact that I will have a rooting interest in each and every one of those games!

The chances that I get fired from my new job are much higher this week than normal...

Saturday and Sunday bring the same level of competition, with two games always on for 12 hours. I think the best part is the fact that as the games are coming to close, there is a good chance that buzzer beaters could be all coming roughly at the same time. What excitement!

I took about a half a day to do some research, and I've come up with what I see the best bracket to be. Feel free to make fun of my bracket below in the comments section! Also, take us on in our bracket challenge!

Or, if you're just concerned with Gator Basketball, follow the NIT here. Anyways, here are my picks...

Midwest Regional
 
Teams reaching the Second Round: Louisville, Ohio State, Arizona, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Kansas, USC, Michigan St
 
Louisville and Michigan St should cruise into the second round.

3 v 14 Kansas and North Dakota St.: Kansas is playing a hot North Dakota St team (did you ever think you'd read that last phrase???). I always pay attention to the location of these games, and ND St is going to be bringing their entire student body from Fargo to Minneapolis. But I just think Kansas to too good to lose to a team like ND St.

4 v 13 Wake Forest and Cleveland St: Wake Forest plays a Cleveland St that upset Butler for the Horizon League championship. Wake Forest, like Kansas, should be too good to lose to a team like ND St.

5 v 12 Utah and Arizona: If this is the 'Zona team that beat Kansas and Gonzaga, then I think they beat the Utes.

6 v 11 West Virginny and Dayton: I really like this Mountaineer squad, as they've blown out some really good teams over the year.

7 v 10 Boston College and USC: USC is hot right now, winning the Pac-10 tourney. BC is very up and down, and I think USC will expose them down low.

8 v 9 Ohio St and Siena: The matchup is very intriguing. Ohio St has been getting better and better all year, culminating in a Big Ten+1 semifinal upset of Michigan St. Siena played a very tough out of conference schedule, and will be ready for this OSU team. I give the edge to OSU because the game is in Dayton, only 70 miles from Columbus.

Teams reaching the Sweet Sixteen: Louisville, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Michigan St
 
1 v 8 Louisville and Ohio St: Louisville should blow this Ohio state team out. This isn't the OSU team that had Oden and Conley. Also, the home-court advantage that OSU had over Siena is gone with Louisville being pretty close as well.

2 v 10 Michigan St and USC: Michigan St is just too tough down low for USC. I see a 15 pt victory for MSU.

3 v 6 Kansas and West Virginia: I am picking the upset for West Virginia. Kansas has problems when team start raining threes. WVU has played six games against better teams (three against Pitt, two against Louisville, and one against UConn).

4 v 12 Wake Forest and Arizona: Jeff Teague and the Demon Deacons are too fast for this Arizona team. I see a 20-point victory for WF.

Teams reaching the Elite Eight: Wake Forest, Michigan St
 
1 v 4 Louisville and Wake Forest: Wake Forest had wins against Duke and North Carolina, and at one point was No. 1 in the country. I don't really think that Louisville is the No. 1 team in the country, even though they have the No. 1 tournament seed, they just got lucky that every other team lost in their conference tournament.

I think WF pulls the "upset" by about five. Should be a great game.

2 v 6 Michigan St and West Virginia: Once against, I think Michigan St is too physical for their opponent. Tom Izzo's defense is also much stronger and will neutralize West Virginia's hot shooting. I'll take MSU by seven.

West Regional
 
Teams reaching the Second Round: Connecticut, Texas A&M, Purdue, Washington, Utah St, Missouri, California, Memphis
 
UConn, Memphis, and Mizzou should breeze into the second round.

4 v 13 Washington and Mississippi St: Washington already lost to one SEC in Florida. Mississippi St pulled off the improbable and took the SEC tournament (a tourney that lacked a great team). Although I love Jarvis Varnado and his Adonal Foyle shot-blocking capability, I think Washington is to consistent. It'll be close though.

5 v 12 Purdue and Northern Iowa: I think Purdue is a very solid team. They took the Big Ten+1 tournament by beating Illinois and Ohio St. Northern Iowa won the MVC, which used to be a power mid-major. But I just don't think it'll be close. Purdue by 15.

6 v 11 Marquette and Utah St: Man what happened to Marquette? I'm sure it has to do with the loss of PG Dominic James. They really struggled down the stretch. Utah St, on the other hand, finished 29-4 and won the WAC. I think Utah St pulls off the upset by about 8.

7 v 10 California and Maryland: I thought this game was pretty much a toss-up. This couldn't be played in a more neutral site (Kansas City). I think Cal wins, but it won't be by any more than four points.

8 v 9 BYU and Texas A&M: This is a rematch of last year's first round 8v9 matchup, when Texas A&M won. BYU had a nice little season, but TAMU is more dangerous. I think the game ends with the same result as last year with A&M winning by six.

Teams reaching the Sweet Sixteen: Connecticut, Purdue, Missouri, Memphis
 
1 v 8 Connecticut and Texas A&M: UConn is just too good. Hasheem Thabeet can take over a game down low, and AJ Price is a great complement to him. I expect a big win for UConn by 20.

2 v 7 Memphis and California: Memphis plays their first game against a quality opponent since beating Gonzaga handily in Spokane. It's unfortunate that we don't get to see this good of a team play quality opponents often. I think Memphis wins by 15.

3 v 11 Missouri and Utah St: Missouri took the Big 12 tourney and is playing really well heading into the tournament. They should beat Utah St by about 10.

4 v 5 Washington and Purdue: Like I said earlier, I think Purdue is a solid team. I expect them to beat Washington by about six.

Teams reaching the Elite Eight: Connecticut, Memphis

1 v 5 Connecticut and Purdue: This game should be close because Purdue seems to play great in big games. UConn has won both of their championships coming out of the West Regional. UConn will have a tough matchup, but they will win a close one by four.

2 v 3 Memphis and Missouri: This should be a great matchup, as it pits two really good defenses. I expect a low scoring game and Memphis to win by seven.

East Regional
 
Teams reaching the Second Round: Pittsburgh, Oklahoma St, Florida St, Xavier, UCLA, Villanova, Texas, Duke

Pitt, Duke, and Villanova are locks to make the second round.

4 v 13 Xavier and Portland St.: Xavier has played great in the last few tournaments. I REALLY wanted to take Portland St, who beat Gonzaga earlier this year, because the game is in Boise City. However Xavier is too good, so I had to take them. It'll be closer than expected. Xavier by six.
 
5 v 12 Florida St and Wisconsin: This is a rematch of their bowl game in December. FSU won that game, and I expect them to win this one as well. I really don't think Wisconsin deserved a bid. Although I never like to root for FSU, I think they win by 10.

6 v 11 UCLA and VCU: Former Florida assistant head coach Anthony grant has built a pretty good program at VCU. They upset Duke two years ago when Eric Maynor was lights out.

Maynor is back for his senior year and I expect him to play well. A lot of people have this as a clear upset, but I see UCLA winning. UCLA has a ton of players that have played in the Final Four (they've been to three straight). I think they win by five.

7 v 10 Texas and Minnesota: Former Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith gets his Minnesota team to the tournament in his second year. It's a nice story, but I think Texas is too physical down low and will win by 12.

8 v 9 Oklahoma St and Tennessee: Another 8 v 9 toss-up. Both of these teams are playing really well heading into the big dance. I think Oklahoma St played a better schedule down the stretch and is battle tested. I see them taking down Tennessee by eight.
 
Teams reaching the Sweet Sixteen: Pittsburgh, Florida St, Villanova, Duke
 
1 v 8 Pittsburgh and Oklahoma St: I think Pittsburgh is the most complete team coming into the tourney. Even though OSU beat a good Oklahoma team last week and is very dangerous, I don't think they can keep up with Pitt. Pitt by 14.

2 v 7 Duke and Texas: Unlike the last five years, I really think this is a good Duke team in the tournament. Texas seems to play down in big games, so I see Duke winning by 10.

3 v 6 Villanova and UCLA: Nova basically has a home game against the Bruins. UCLA's quest for four straight Final fours (like Florida) will come to end (unlike Florida) as Villanova will win by 13.

4 v 5 Xavier and Florida St: Leonard Hamilton has his team playing great. They upset UNC in the ACC tourney, but got blown out by Duke in the finals. Xavier seemed like a top-10 team early in the year, but lost some games to some below average teams. I think FSU pulls the "upset", but it should be close. FSU by three.

Teams reaching the Elite Eight: Pittsburgh, Duke
 
1 v 5 Pittsburgh and Florida St: Pitt is just too good for FSU. Thank god because if FSU had a chance to play in the Final Four, i would throw up. I think Pitt wins by 22.

2 v 3 Duke and Villanova: Like I said earlier, I think Duke is really good. Nova won't be in Philly for this game. It'll be in Boston. I think Duke pulls it out by about four.

South Regional
 
Teams reaching the Second Round: North Carolina, Butler, Illinois, Gonzaga, Temple, Syracuse, Clemson, Oklahoma

UNC, Oklahoma, Syracuse, and Gonzaga should coast into the second round.

5 v 12 Illinois and Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers have some good wins, including a No. 1 seed in Louisville. Like Purdue, I think Illinois is a solid team. I'm going to pick Illinois, but it'll be really close. Fighting Illini on a buzzer beater.

6 v 11 Arizona St and Temple: ASU has shown that they can be beat. Temple won their conference tournament in a pretty good A-10. Temple also has a pretty good RPI and SOS. I think Temple pulls the upset by seven.

7 v 10 Clemson and Michigan. I think Michigan's run to big dance is nice and all, but Clemson is too good. In fact, I think that Clemson should've been a higher seed, maybe a five. This should be a Clemson win by 11.

8 v 9 LSU and Butler: I've been following LSU all season. I still have no idea who they are. Are they the team that started 13-1 in the SEC or the team that lost to Utah by 30? Butler played pretty well all season including a wins against Ohio St and Xavier.

I think they'll take care of LSU by nine.
 
Teams reaching the Sweet Sixteen: North Carolina, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Oklahoma
 
1 v 9 North Carolina and Butler: The Tarheels will go as far as Ty Lawson and his toe will allow them to. The preseason No. 1, they are easily the most talented team in the country. Lawson should be rested by not playing in the first round. Even without Lawson, I don't think Butler can keep up with UNC. UNC by 17.

2 v 7 Oklahoma and Clemson: With every game I watch of Blake Griffin, the more I like him. He's so smooth out there. A lot of people compare him to Tyler Hansbrough, and although the stats are similar, he plays nothing like him.

He's got NBA type post moves and can jump out the roof. While Clemson is really good, I think Oklahoma is better. I'll take Oklahoma by six in a high-scoring game.

3 v 11 Syracuse and Temple: Syracuse showed their resiliency in the Big East tournament. Although they couldn't beat Louisville in the finals, they are still a very dangerous team. I think they roll Temple by 15.

4 v 5 Gonzaga and Illinois: I think this is the strongest Gonzaga team we've seen yet. And although Illinois is very good, I think Gonzaga wins, especially with the game in Portland. Gonzaga by eight.

Teams reaching the Elite Eight: North Carolina, Oklahoma
 
1 v 4 North Carolina and Gonzaga: If Ty Lawson is playing, they will win. Without him, it'll be really close. I think he plays and UNC wins, probably by about 10.

2 v 3 Oklahoma and Syracuse: This might be the best game of the Sweet 16. Syracuse is hot coming in with Devendorf, Flynn and Co. Did you know that they have five player averaging over 10 pts/gm?

Oklahoma has my favorite college player in Blake Griffin. I think Oklahoma pulls a win out, but it'll go right down to the wire. Sooners by two.

Elite Eight

Teams reaching the Final Four: Wake Forest, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, North Carolina

Midwest 2 v 4 Michigan St and Wake Forest: I think WF is too fast for Michigan St. If you remember, UNC dominated MSU in Michigan by about 30. It was because UNC was running all up and down the court. I see the same thing happening in Indy, and Wake winning by 10.

West 1 v 2 Connecticut and Memphis: This is the matchup that everyone wants to see in this bracket. Defense wins championships (see UF-OSU 2006, UF-OU 2008, etc...). Both teams play phenomenal defense. I think UConn is just too battle tested to lose this game. I see them winning by four.

East 1 v 2 Pittsburgh and Duke: I really like both of these teams, but like I've said before, I think Pitt is the most complete team and the best team in the tournament. They seem to win every big game by a lot. So I'm gonna go with Pitt by 11.

South 1 v 2 North Carolina and Oklahoma: The matchup between Hansbrough and Griffin is the best player v player of the tournament. If there is one guy that can keep up with griffin, it's Hansbrough.

The difference between these two teams is that UNC has Ty Lawson, Danny Green and a host of other big time players. I think UNC would win this matchup by about seven.

Final Four
 
Teams reaching the Championship Game: Connecticut, Pittsburgh

1 v 4 Connecticut and Wake Forest: In the first of two ACC v Big East Final Four matchups (seems appropriate), we have UConn and Wake Forest. Wake Forest is fast, young, and hungry.

They've played well all year long. But they don't have an answer down low for Hasheem Thabeet. This UConn team plays great defense. I think it should be a great game, with UConn winning by five.

1 v 1 Pittsburgh and North Carolina: I think this will be the best game of the tournament. It's the most complete team and the most talented team. Because Lawson will not be 100 percent, I don't think they can stop a point guard like Levance Fields. I'll take Pitt by seven.

 
Championship Game
 
1 v 1 Pittsburgh and Connecticut: This will be the third time playing this season. It would have been their fourth, but both teams lost in their first Big East tourney game. Pitt won the first two, both times when UConn was the No. 1 team in the country.

They didn't just beat them, they beat them handily. Why? Because Pitt is simply a better team. They are a complete team that doesn't make mistakes. Sam Young is a beast and DeJuan Blair seems unstoppable at times. I think they win, 75-69.

So there you have it. I took a lot of chalk, but that's what happens in a year with less parity than in the past. Like my picks? Hate them? Feel free to comment below!

Any thoughts??

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