EAST
Tar Heels fans sure got it good, huh? North Carolina not only got the #1 overall seed in the Tournament, they also got a path laid out straight through their home state. With two games in Raleigh and two more likely in Charlotte, Tyler Hansbrough's crew doesn't need to go far to reach San Antonio. Ty Lawson makes the offense hum at the point, while wingman Wayne Ellington has as sweet a stroke as anyone in the country. Can coach Roy Williams make it all gel? I've got doubts. What if Eric Gordon of Indiana or Derrick Low of Washington State controls the backcourt game against the Heels? What if Williams' crew pulls the old familiar and comes out tight? The #4 Cougars could be the team that does the deed. So could second-seeded Tennessee or third-ranked Louisville. The Volunteers were deserving of a one seed and have a great trio in Chris Lofton, JaJuan Smith and Tyler Smith. This region's loaded.
Josh's Region Winner: Tennessee over Wash. State
Likely Best Game to Watch: #2 Tennessee and #3 Louisville
Best Chance for Big Upset: #13 Winthrop and #4 Washington State
WEST
Top seed UCLA has a golden path to the Elite Eight round. The Bruins got themselves a cozy draw atop their region and possess a balance that few teams do. With freshman center Kevin Love dominating inside, point guard Darren Collison smoothly running the show and coach Ben Howland getting a host of athletic contributors to chip in, UCLA may just have the right recipe for the perfect storm this year. Two straight trips to the Final Four should become three, that is unless Jim Calhoun's topsy turvy Huskies can pull a shocker in the Sweet Sixteen. On the bottom half of the bracket, #2 Duke could have its hands full against Bog Huggins and West Virginia in round two. Xavier PG Drew Lavender is a fun player to watch, with tremendous ball-handling ability. His third-seeded Musketeers have the depth to make a run here, if they can avoid a first round upset against red-hot Georgia, that is.
Josh's Region Winner: #1 UCLA over #3 Xavier
Likely Best Game to Watch: #4 UConn and #5 Drake
Best Chance for Big Upset: #14 Georgia and #3 Xavier
MIDWEST
Kansas earned itself a #1 seed by winning the Big 12 Tourney Championship. The Jayhawks are loaded in explosive guards with Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins all on the roster. But coach Bill Self needs to get consistent play from his frontcourt to finally break through to the Final Four. Second-seeded Georgetown has a nice draw for itself on the bottom half of the bracket, but the Hoyas will need a huge performance from big man Roy Hibbert to compensate for the absence of last year's stud Jeff Green. #3 Wisconsin is stout defensively, but watch out for six seed USC, a team with tremendous breakout potential. If OJ Mayo can limit his shot attempts and set up his teammates, the Trojans are a legitimate sleeper. So is the winner of an expected tight one between Clemson and Vanderbilt in round two.
Josh's Region Winner: #1 Kansas over #6 USC
Likely Best Game to Watch: # Wisconsin and #6 USC
Best Chance for Big Upset: #13 Siena and #4 Vanderbilt
SOUTH
Memphis gets top billing after suffering just one loss in the regular season. The Tigers have the best point guard in the country in freshman standout Derrick Rose and loads of talent elsewhere, including two guard Chris Douglas-Roberts and big man Joey Dorsey. Is this the year when coach John Calipari finally breaks through? I think so. Just don't make his team shoot free throws with the game on the line. Four seed Pittsburgh has the first best shot of knocking off Memphis in the Sweet Sixteen, but the Panthers aren't quick enough to keep up with them for forty minutes. #2 Texas is a chic pick, but the Horns aren't all that tough down low. Two seed Stanford is ripe for a fall, while point guard Dominic James looks ready to take Marquette into the second weekend.
Josh's Region Winner: #1 Memphis over #2 Texas
Likely Best Game to Watch: #1 Memphis and #4 Pittsburgh
Best Chance for Big Upset: #14 Cornell and #3 Xavier
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Josh's Final Four: Tennessee, Kansas, Memphis, UCLA
NCAA Championship: UCLA over Tennessee
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-JAB
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1 comment:
As I read paragraph to paragraph I see a trend that you pick way to safe of a bracket. The only unsafe pick you made was knocking the Tar Heels out in the sweet 16. Have you been watching the tar heels all year long they have been the most complete team this year. When Ty Lawson went out are big star stepped it up(Tyler Hansbrough) with an avg. of 30pts. 10rebs. I feel that your upset picks are very possible I 3 of your upsets happening in the first round. I think you covered every region with vital information. With that you will regret not picking the Tar Heels to go all the way. If the Tar Heels win it all will you show them some love and blog about their championship?
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