March Madness Bracket 2015: Easy Upset Picks to Make on Printable NCAA Bracket

It's officially time for March Madness. The NCAA tournament is the focal point, but there is certainly mayhem before the tournament starts. Filling out a bracket is hard, y'all.

Everyone does it. Whether it's for an office pool, a friendly wager or for personal reasons, filling out a bracket is a part of March. Filling one out correctly, however, is an arduous task.

That's where picking the right upsets comes in. No, not the No. 9 seed over the No. 8 seed or a No. 16 over a No. 1—because, well, that's ridiculous. Not taking those into account, there are still several matchups that look enticing for those willing to take the risk.

Below is a look at the first-round upset predictions for this year's bracket.

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No. 10 Davidson over No. 7 Iowa

No, Stephen Curry won't be descending from the rafters, but Davidson will still win in March, especially over an Iowa team that is still reeling from a loss to Penn State.

During its first year in the Atlantic 10, Davidson rose to the top of the conference even when nearly everyone doubted the Wildcats before the season. Led by Tyler Kalinoski and Jack Gibbs, Davidson has the guard play to compete with any program in the country.

That duo and two other guards, Brian Sullivan and Jordan Barham, average over 10 points per game this season. That offensive efficiency is a huge reason why the Wildcats are capable of pulling off the upset, as ESPN Stats & Info points out:

Coming into the opening matchup, Kalinoski is averaging 22.8 points and five assists per game in March. Over that same four-game stretch, Gibbs is also adding 18.5 points per game. Oh, and they've shot a combined 32-of-64 (.500) from three-point range in that time frame.

Bob McKillop has navigated the Wildcats through the NCAA tournament before, and he'll do it again this year. At 79.9 points per game—sixth in the country—the Wildcats will flourish even against a stout Iowa defense.

No. 11 Texas defeats No. 6 Butler

Texas had to fight just to get into the tournament, but it is a team worth watching. The Longhorns have the young talent and senior leadership to break brackets everywhere with a win over Butler.

After a fall from grace that saw the Longhorns go from No. 6 in the country in December to narrowly making the bracket, Texas is clearly battle-tested. Despite struggling against the top teams in the Big 12 like Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma, Rick Barnes still has his team ready in March.

One integral part of the team is sophomore point guard Isaiah Taylor. Averaging 13 points and 4.6 assists per game, Taylor has been one of the best floor generals in the Big 12 all season. Taylor believes the team is capable of returning to its form from earlier in the season.

"A lot of teams, and a lot of coaches, think we can still be that team," Taylor said, per Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News. "We’re still a problem. I don’t think, as a six-seed, you want to face an 11-seed like us."

Taylor's presence in the backcourt gives the Longhorns a steady scoring threat. However, he'll need more consistency from Jonathan Holmes, Cameron Ridley and Myles Turner to get past Butler. With the Bulldogs coming in at 4-4 over their last eight games, the Longhorns are ripe for an upset victory.

No. 12 Stephen F. Austin takes down No. 5 Utah

Ah, the No. 12 seed. Everyone's favorite underdog is typically the best choice early on in brackets. A year after pulling off an upset as a 12 seed against VCU, Stephen F. Austin is in familiar territory with Utah in the second round.

ESPN Stats & Info notes just how successful the No. 12 seeds have been in recent years:

The Lumberjacks went 29-4 this season with three of their four losses coming against NCAA tournament teams. Led by Thomas Walkup and Jacob Parker—standouts from last year's triumph—Stephen F. Austin has the leadership to win again in its opener.

Last season, Walkup and Parker averaged a combined 30.5 points per game in the tournament. If they can step up again on the big stage, the Lumberjacks' offense will lead them to at least one win in the Big Dance. 

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