Final Four Predictions 2013: Projecting Winner of Each NCAA Tournament Region

Picking the Final Four is essential to winning bracket pools. It doesn't matter how many upsets people correctly forecast in the early rounds, when the point totals are lower, if they end up swinging and missing with their selections for the semifinals.

Ever since the complete bracket for the NCAA Tournament (printable version) was revealed yesterday there's been a massive cram session across the country. Everybody is trying to soak in all the knowledge they can before filling out their sheet.

The short story is that it's been a season of upsets across college basketball. Don't go completely overboard are start picking a lot of high seeds to reach the Final Four, though. It's not worth the risk. Instead, here are four teams with a great chance to make a deep run.

Midwest: No. 1 Louisville

The tournament's top overall seed enters the event on a 10-game winning streak, which included a triumph in the Big East tourney. The reason Louisville remains a top contender despite an extremely tough region is its well-balanced roster.

It all comes down to the Cardinals having players to fill every roll. They have a go-to scorer in Russ Smith, who averages 18 points per game and a handful of secondary scoring threats. They have multiple good on-ball defenders and a paint protector in Gorgui Dieng.

Duke, Michigan State, Saint Louis and even Creighton pose a threat in the Midwest, but none of those teams can match Louisville's across-the-board production. Given the fact the Cardinals should be riding a wave of momentum after winning the Big East, they should cruise through a tough region.

South: No. 3 Florida

Experience gives Florida the edge in the South. The Gators' top three scorers are battle-tested seniors who aren't going to melt under the pressure of the tournament. The trio of Erik Murphy, Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario are going to leave their mark on the event.

A lot like Louisville, the Gators are a team that performs well on both sides of the floor. The reason that's so important is it gives them a fallback plan. If the offense is struggling, the defense can step up and help them advance and vice versa.

It's also why Florida gets the nod over Kansas and Georgetown, the region's top two seeds. Both of those teams have serious questions on the offensive end, which makes it tougher to count on them over the course of four games.

East: No. 2 Miami

Some people will be scared away by Miami's losses to Florida Gulf Coast and Indiana State. But, as the Hurricanes showed with a 27-point win over Duke, they are capable of taking down any team in the nation when playing their best.

Taking them to reach the Final Four is betting they will find that form for the next two weekends. With Kenny Kadji protecting the paint while Shane Larkin and Durand Scott control the perimeter, they have the balance––there's that key word again––to do exactly that.

Miami's toughest competition will come from Indiana in an otherwise lackluster region. Although Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo are a dangerous duo, the Hurricanes are one of the few teams capable of keeping pace with the high-scoring Hoosiers.

West: No. 2 Ohio State

Gonzaga is an interesting team because it will be one the first No. 1 seeds in tournament history that can use the "nobody believes in us" card. Despite having that motivating factor on the Bulldogs' side, Ohio State is still the team to beat in the West.

The Buckeyes enter the event on a roll. They've won eight straight games, four of which came against ranked opponents. It's a sign they are peaking at the right time, and that's one of the most important factors for tournament teams.

Deshaun Thomas gives Ohio State a dynamic scoring threat and Aaron Craft is going to lock down the opponent's top perimeter scorer. As long as the Buckeyes can get some secondary contributions from players like LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson they will be making the trip to Atlanta.

Make your picks for the 2013 NCAA Tournament here with the Bracket Challenge Game.