March Madness 2013 Predictions: Breaking Down Picks for Final Four

With no clear-cut No. 1, "March Madness" could be redefined this season.

Most of the top teams have endured at least one letdown game, from Indiana to Kansas to Miami (FL) to Duke.

It makes forecasting the NCAA tournament that much more difficult this year. In a showcase that always seems to come complete with its fair share of upsets, this could be one of the most unpredictable tournaments in recent memory.

Indiana may have the most talent overall, but the Hoosiers have also lost three of their past six games headed into March Madness.

Will the Hoosiers make it to the Final Four?

Here are my picks for each region this year.

Don't forget to print out your bracket and follow along with the live bracket. Make your picks for the 2013 NCAA tournament here with the Bracket Challenge Game.

All stats via ESPN.com and TeamRankings.com.

Midwest: Louisville

Projected Road to Final Four: North Carolina A&T, Colorado State, Saint Louis, Duke

Everybody talks about Louisville's defense, and for good reason. The Cardinals rank 17th in the nation in opponents' field-goal percentage, second in defensive efficiency (points per possession) and second in opponents' turnovers per possession.

But it's also worth noting that—while the Cardinals' offense may not be pretty—it gets the job done.

The Cardinals rank 107th in field-goal percentage, but they also rank 33rd in offensive efficiency. Given they aren't great at taking care of the ball or knocking down the three-ball, that statistical anomaly may be difficult to peg down.

But then you realize Louisville ranks 10th in offensive rebounding percentage, and it all makes sense. The squad also ranks 41st in free throws attempted per game, and 34th in free throws made per contest.

Louisville's defense will be the difference in the projected Elite Eight matchup against Duke.

South: Kansas

Projected Road to Final Four: Western Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Florida

The Kansas Jayhawks are not only my pick to win the South Regional, they are my pick to win it all.

On offense, Kansas ranks 14th in field-goal percentage and 23rd in offensive efficiency.

On defense, the Jayhawks rank first in opponents' field-goal percentage and 11th in defensive efficiency.

Kansas also ranks 14th in total rebounding rate.

In short, the Jayhawks possess the balance to make it to the Final Four and beyond. They also have freshman guard Ben McLemore—one of the top players in the country—and senior center Jeff Withey, who ranks third in the nation in blocks per game.

There are questions about the team's consistency, though. The 81-58 loss to Baylor on March 9 was reason enough.

West: Ohio State

Projected Road to Final Four: Iona, Notre Dame, New Mexico, Gonzaga

Led by junior forward Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State ranks 30th in the nation in offensive efficiency, including 16th in turnover rate. 

The Buckeyes can also play defense. They rank 17th in defensive efficiency, and 32nd in opponents' field-goal percentage.

But it's about more than that for me. Simply put, the Buckeyes have been on fire as of late. They've won their last eight games en route to the Big Ten title, including victories over Michigan State (twice), Indiana and Wisconsin. Considering they lost to Wisconsin, 71-49, before the run, it's safe to say they are a different team now.

East: Miami (FL)

Projected Road to Final Four: Pacific, Illinois, Butler, Syracuse

Basically, there are two ways to look at the Miami Hurricanes: They have had a solid overall season, or they lost to Wake Forest and Georgia Tech in February and March respectively.

Some believe the Hurricanes are too inconsistent to make the Final Four. But their run in the ACC tournament has me thinking otherwise.

Miami closed off the season with four straight wins, including consecutive wins over Boston College, N.C. State and North Carolina in the ACC tournament. The Hurricanes beat each of those teams by 10 points or more.

Overall, Miami ranks 35th in offensive efficiency, 41st in opponents' field-goal percentage and 44th in defensive efficiency. 

The Hurricanes also have a tremendous point guard in Shane Larkin—who makes everyone around him better—and a scorer in Durand Scott who has the ability to light up anyone (he scored 32 points against N.C. State in the ACC tournament).

Add a paint protector in senior Julian Gamble (1.8 blocks per contest), and you have plenty of ingredients to make it to the Final Four.