NCAA Tournament Bracket 2015: Region-by-Region Sleepers, Final Four Predictions

Considering the craziness of last year's NCAA tournament, picking some sleepers to the Final Four might not be the worst strategy.

The 2014 tournament featured No. 7 Connecticut defeating No. 8 seed Kentucky in the finals, ruining the bracket of just about everyone who went chalk. While there won't necessarily be the same amount of upsets this year, you still want to keep a lookout for those that can pull it off.

Here is a look at some of the best sleeper options (No. 6 seed or higher) that could make a deep run as well as true predictions for teams to make the Final Four.

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Midwest

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Best Sleeper: No. 7 Wichita State

Pick: No. 1 Kentucky

One team that has plenty of beef about its seed is Wichita State, which was a No. 1 seed last season and still has a lot of holdovers from both that team and the Final Four squad from two years ago.

Kansas coach Bill Self—who would have to play the Shockers in the round of 32 if both teams win their openers—explained his surprise, via Nicole Auerbach of USA Today:

With a great defense and composed point guard in Fred VanVleet, don't be surprised to see Wichita State make up for an early exit last year with a deep run in this one.

That said, Kentucky remains the top team in the nation and should be able to make it through this bracket unscathed.

East

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Best Sleeper: No. 7 Michigan State

Pick: No. 1 Villanova

Michigan State had a few bad performances this year, which makes the No. 7 seed deserving. However, the talent on the roster makes it a very scary team for any team it faces.

Head coach Tom Izzo has a knack for always getting his players peaking at the right time, as he has to get to six Final Fours in his career. Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports joked about the team's history:

"

Why does anybody even pay attention to Michigan State before March?

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) March 15, 2015"

The Spartans are not the same team as last year, but they beat Virginia in the Sweet 16 in 2014 and can do it again in the round of 32.

It is also important to not overlook Villanova as the No. 1 seed. The Wildcats haven't been in the national spotlight, but they have tons of talent with a deep roster of stars who can contribute at a high level. With their ability to light up the scoreboard, no one else in the region will keep up.

South

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Best Sleeper: No. 6 SMU

Pick: No. 3 Iowa State

The predicted winner and the sleeper are set to play each other in the round of 32, but this simply gives you two distinct options when filling out your bracket.

Iowa State has played extremely well lately, winning the Big 12 tournament title with come-from-behind efforts in all three games. The Cyclones spread the floor and put up big scoring totals by always seeming to make the smart pass to the open man.

Even with top opponents like Duke and Gonzaga in the region, Iowa State can go the distance.

On the other hand, Iowa State has struggled defensively at times and could get knocked out if the shooting goes cold. This would be an opportunity for a team like SMU to shine. The Mustangs have gone 20-3 with Markus Kennedy in the lineup, and the squad has all the tools to make a deep run this month.

West

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Best Sleeper: No. 10 Ohio State

Pick: No. 2 Arizona

Another example of two teams that could play in their second games, but this is really just about the high ceiling and low floor of Ohio State.

According to ESPN's BPI system, the Buckeyes are much better than their seed indicates:

D'Angelo Russell has been arguably the most valuable player in college basketball as a do-it-all guard for Ohio State, carrying the squad for long stretches of the season. If he is at his best, he can have a similar run to Shabazz Napier and Connecticut.

Of course, a 1-7 record against teams in the RPI top 50 shows how much it struggles against quality opponents, meaning a first-round exit is very possible.

This should keep things easy for Arizona, which has the defense to slow down everyone in the region, including Wisconsin. With Stanley Johnson, Brandon Ashley and others creating looks for themselves, the Wildcats can get to the Final Four.

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