NCAA Tournament 2013: Teams with Toughest Geographic Draw

The sites of the NCAA tournament games are supposed to be neutral venues with a slight nod to the highest seeds.

That said, some lower seeds have a tougher hill to climb than others. Though it ultimately may not matter, as one of the games I'll spotlight here is a mismatch, a few of the teams may as well be playing their games on the opposing squads' campuses.

No. 16 North Carolina A&T Aggies vs. No. 1 Louisville Cardinals in Lexington, Ky.

The Aggies of North Carolina A&T were just 20-16 in the regular season, and they probably wouldn't stand much of a chance in this game if it were played in their own Corbett Sports Center.

Therefore, beating Louisville in the state of Kentucky is going to be a nearly impossible feat.

I know Lexington isn't exactly Cardinals country, but I can easily see fans of the No. 2 ranked team in the nation making the hour-and-21-minute drive.

The Aggies are led by Adrian Powell and Lamont Middleton, who both average 12.4 points per game. However, they both shoot under 40 percent from the field, and the team doesn't have a particularly high-powered offense to begin with.

If you're looking for a No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1, this isn't the one you want to go with. This game is going to get ugly pretty fast.

No. 13 South Dakota St. Jackrabbits vs. No. 4 Michigan Wolverines in Auburn Hills, Mich.

This isn't quite as big of a mismatch as the Aggies-Cardinals game.

Don't get me wrong, the Wolverines should win—and playing in Michigan certainly helps—but the Jackrabbits are no pushover.

They have a legit NBA prospect on their team in guard Nate Wolters. He averaged 22.6 points per game this season, which was fourth in the nation. Seeing him match up with Michigan star Trey Burke will be a treat.

The Jackrabbits were 25-9 in the regular season, and they knocked off New Mexico on the road this year. Still, it's a long way from South Dakota to Auburn Hills, and the Wolverines are a better team than New Mexico.

I'm picking Michigan here, but I wouldn't be shocked if the Jackrabbits handle this tough road trip well.

No. 15 Iona Gaels vs. No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in Dayton, Ohio.

Ohio State is so tough at home, and though they won't be playing in the Value City Arena, Dayton is just an hour and 10 minutes from Columbus.

It is clear which team will benefit most from the crowd's energy.

The Gaels have their own explosive scorer to help them attempt to pull the major upset. Lamont Jones is averaging 23 points per game this season, and the Buckeyes' Aaron Craft will be charged with slowing him down.

Craft is a great defender who has given Michigan's Burke some issues over the last two years. This is an interesting matchup to watch, but the Gaels are far from a one-man show.

David Laury averages a double-double with 13.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, and Sean Armand adds in 16 points per contest.

The Buckeyes pride themselves on stingy defense, and they'll need to bring it in this one. In the end, Ohio State should outlast the Gaels in front of a pro-Buckeyes crowd.

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