Ok, now that the field is official, we KNOW that six Pac 10 teams made it in. We also know who went where and who our Pac 10 bretheren must beat to move on throughout the tournament.
With this in mind, we can now take a real look at who is going to win what.
So let's take a look at the regions and point out some interesting matchups.
EAST REGIONNorth Carolina is clearly rolling. As the number one over all seed going into the tournament, Carolina is proving that they not only have a phenomenal offense, they can defend a bit too. Tyler Hansborough is my pick for NCAA Player of the Year, so this is clearly his stage.
The question, thereofre, is what teams OTHER than Carolina have a shot at coming out of this region.
Three teams most likely to come out of the East (in order)1.
North Carolina(1)
2.
Louisville (3)
3.
Tennessee (2)
DARK HORSE Washington State. All three teams listed above have great offenses, but all three have average defenses at best. WSU has the defense that can limit any of these teams to 70 points or less, and given their competition against the Pac 10 defenses, they can put up points and can keep it close.
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MIDWESTKansas comes into the tournament as the number one seed, and a team that us really rolling. To me, Kansas might have the most difficult road to the Final Four, as there are several stumbling blocks waiting to trip them up before they even get to the Elite eight.
Three Teams most likely to come out of the MidWest (in order)1.
Georgetown (2)
2.
Kansas (1)
3.
Vanderbilt (4)
DARK HORSEClemson. Clemson has been rolling and scaring the heck out of some big teams, like Carolina and Duke. Look for a second round matchup between Vandy and Clemson to be a classic, and the winner will challenge, if not beat Kansas to go to the Elite eight.
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SOUTHThe South is the most wide open of the brackets, in my opinion, given that Memphis is clearly an excellent team but a team that has rarely been tested this season. Playing in Conference USA hardly prepares one for the level of competition they will face in the tourney, which leads me to believe that Memphis MIGHT bea faily early out. Granted, they could be every bit as good as their one loss record, but until I see them play a Michigan State, I will need some convincing.
Three Teams most likely to come out of the South (in order)1.
Texas (2)
2.
Stanford (3)
3.
Pittsburgh (4)
DARK HORSEMemphis. I know it sounds weird to read a number one seed as a dark horse, but after watching them several times, I see clear deficiencies in beating Stanford because of the Lopez Brothers, or Pittsburgh or Texas due to the defense they can both play. Texas, to add, has the best athletes. in the bracket, not Memphis.
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WESTUCLA begins their quest for a third straight Final four appearance, and that all-elusive National Championship. Thank goodness Florida isn't dancing this year. To get there, they will have to really earn it, as they have to larges collection of mid to upper level talent in the tourney. Assuming the first round is a win, they are likely to face FIVE straigh teams that can beat any team on any night. Still, given their tendancy of finding ways to win, there is a good liklihood that they can get it done, but if they fail to bring their A-Game just once, against a Texas A&M, for instance, in the second round, they will go down.
Three teams most likely to come out of the West (in order)1.
UCLA (1)
2.
Duke (2)
3.
Xavier (3)
DARK HORSEDrake. I have seen Drake play and I think they are very, very good. No team is better at shooting the ball . This is what UCLA is likely to face, IF they beat Texas A&M or BYU in the second round. I cannot see UConn beating this hot shooting team and they can neutralize a good defense by shooting over them.
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So, going by my MOST likely scenario, who do I think is going to cut down the nets?
I have said all season long that if two teams CAN face each other for the National Championship, they will, so despite my urges, I'm going to stick with it.
Georgetown's defense will find a way to neutralize North Carolina's offense and Roy Hibbard will limit Hansboroughs damage on the boards. Georgetwo will play for the National Championship.
In the other side of the bracket, I see a rematch between Texas and UCLA, but this time, Texas won't be getting a Darren Collison in his second game of the season. I see UCLA taking down Texas to play Georgetown for the rights to cut down the nets.
In the National Championship game, I see Kevin Love being able to play even with Hibbard, but I see the all around guard play of UCLA making the difference, especially on the defensive end. I still see UCLA cutting down the nets on April 7th.
Just one man's humble opinion.
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