NCAA Tournament Bracket 2017: Region-by-Region Sleepers, Final Four Predictions

March Madness is almost underway. 

On Sunday, we learned the 68 teams that will compete for a chance to win it all on April 3 in Phoenix as well as their seedings. 

While there's already been plenty of buzz surrounding the four No. 1 seeds, which were revealed to be Villanova, Kansas, North Carolina and Gonzaga, part of the fun of March Madness are the upsets. 

This year's bracket already looks ripe with opportunities for sleepers and Cinderella teams, especially given some of the questionable seeding (No. 8 Wisconsin? No. 2 Duke?).

We'll break down the favorites to make the Final Four on April 1 from each region as well as the top sleepers that could bust brackets across the country with their spoiling ways. 

East Regional

Final Four Favorite: No. 2 Duke

Sleeper: No. 8 Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Badgers may have fallen to the Michigan Wolverines 71-56 in the Big Ten championship game, but it was still a shock to see the selection committee hand them a No. 8 seed on Sunday ahead of the NCAA tournament. 

Wisconsin, with a 25-9 record, finished second in Big Ten regular-season play, yet somehow landed a worse seed than four other Big Ten teams. The kicker? Minnesota, which lost to Bucky twice in the regular season, is a No. 5 seed.

There's no question the Badgers are under-seeded, which makes them a delicious sleeper to watch. They'll take on No. 9 Virginia Tech in Buffalo on Thursday. If the Badgers can make it through there, they'll likely have to face No. 1 Villanova. 

It's an uphill climb for Wisconsin, but the Badgers have the talent. 

West Regional

Final Four Favorite: No. 1 Gonzaga

Sleeper: No. 10 VCU

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

Once you get to the No. 10 seed, you're officially in deep sleeper mode.

According to the NCAA, 2016 was the first year in which a 10th seed (Syracuse) made it to the Final Four since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. 

However, just because 10 seeds rarely make it to the Final Four doesn't mean they don't fare well overall. Per the NCAA, "more 10 seeds have reached the Sweet 16 (20 teams) and Elite Eight (eight teams) than nine seeds."

That's why VCU actually stands a chance to repeat Syracuse's feat from last year when 26-8 VCU will meet 28-4 Saint Mary's on Thursday.

The Rams, who finished second in the Atlantic 10, are in the NCAA tournament for the seventh straight year. They will look to senior guard JeQuan Lewis (14.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 4.6 APG), who averages 37.3 percent on three-pointers, for leadership. 

Midwest Regional

Final Four Favorite: No. 1 Kansas

Sleeper: No. 7 Michigan

Michigan rode the momentum of defeating the Badgers in the Big Ten title game all the way to a No. 7 seed, and now this red-hot team looks to keep the wins coming against Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA tourney. 

Recent history has been kind to Michigan. The Wolverines dropped one to the Badgers on Jan. 17, but since then Michigan has won 12 of 16.

John Beilein's team is 11th in the nation shooting 56.4 percent on two-pointers, per ESPN, and is fifth in the nation in offensive turnover percentage, at 14.6, per Sports Reference.

The Wolverines will rely on the leadership and scoring prowess of seniors Derrick Walton Jr. and Zak Irvin, who are averaging 15.2 and 12.8 points per game, respectively. 

South Regional

Final Four Favorite: No. 1 North Carolina 

Sleeper: No. 4 Butler

The No. 4 seed may seem too high to be talking about sleepers, but not if we're discussing making it all the way.

Per the NCAA, "In the past 17 years, all No. 4 seeds have moved out of the first round just five times." Those aren't great odds for the fourth seeds this year: Butler, Florida, West Virginia and Purdue.

But the Bulldogs impressed this year, defeating 10 teams in the RPI top 50, including handing Villanova two of its three losses on the season.

The Bulldogs bring a fairly complete team to the tournament. While their offense is efficient, they also hold opponents to 33.4 percent three-point shooting. 

That's a recipe for success as Butler hopes to advance through the tourney.