Breaking down the NCAAs

Last year around tournament time, I gave a team by team tournament preview. It was just way too much to write and way too much to read. This year, I'm going to spice it up a little bit, definitely make the whole thing shorter. One post rather than 4. So thats good news. Without further ado, let's get into the post I've been itching to write since January.

MIDWEST

The Favorite: Florida. They won the championship last year and brought everyone back. Joakim Noah is the type of annoying ass that I expect to remain on my TV screen for the next month. There's always one person like that. In any case, the Gators play good team ball and are hot right now. Additionally, the Midwest is a very weak bracket, and there aren't any scary teams out there.
The Sleeper: UNLV. The Runnin' Rebels playd in a tough conference this year (the Mountain West) and already have experience with winning a tournament. Their draw, Georgia Tech in the first round and a likely matchup with Wisconsin in the second is highly beneficial. The Yellow Jackets have been slumping, and the Rebs play an outside game, which will be tough for the Badgers to handle, especially without Brian Butch inside to grab rebounds.
The Upset: Winthrop over Notre Dame. Winthrop has done well for themselves this year, scheduling tough opponents and playing well against them, losing only to the upper echelon teams across the country, and beating mid level teams like Missouri State. Notre Dame has been painfully non descript this year, and has recently allowed themselves to be pushed around. A quick Winthrop team will win this game. Other popular upset picks of Old Dominion over Butler and Davidson over Maryland don't seem as likely to me. Butler plays the same game as ODU and is simply better at it, and Davidson is terribly overhyped.

WEST

The Favorite: UCLA. The Bruins return most of their starters, just as Florida did. They will have a tough matchup with Kansas, who is incredibly deep and plays a good team game. I have to give this region to UCLA, however, as they have too many good athletes and too much experience to lose before the Final Four.
The Sleeper: Illinois. There is always one team that sneaks in under the wire and plays like they belong. It was George Mason last year, Missouri a few years ago. For whatever reason, these teams always end up being a 12 seed, pulling of an upset and becoming the story of the tourament. The Illini have Big Ten and big game experience on their roster, and won't back down from a challenge. Virginia Tech and Southern Illinois have been timid in the face of adversity this season, so a Sweet 16 run isn't out of the question.
The Upset: Wright State over Pittsburgh. The Pitt Panthers have looked dreadful of late, and really only intimidate at home. Buffalo is not home. Wright State won the regular season and conference tournament championships in the Horizon, while the runner up, Butler, ended up with a 5 seed, leaving the Raiders with a dubious 14. Aaron Gray is the worst 7 footer I've ever seen, so I really expect the Panthers to drop this one.

EAST

The Favorite: Georgetown. I've been really impressed with the the way they've been playing lately, especially on the defensive end. They have three good inside men, including Roy Hibbert who pretty much made Aaron Gray cry in the Big East tournament. Patrick Ewing Jr. brings experience to the table, and Jeff Green, the Big East player of the year does an excellent job of finding his teammates for open looks.
The Sleeper: Texas. As a four seed, they are the lowest seeded team I could argue will make a significant run. They seem like a team everyone is aware of, with two excellent freshmen running the ship in Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin, they wear orange, and for whatever reason, they were given a low seed. Goodness, it seems like they are 2004 Syracuse, doesn't it? They will have the duty of knocking off North Carolina, who they match up well against, with Durant playing spoiler for Tyler Hansbrough. Durant is a more skilled player, and Hansbrough's best asset, his toughness, is ratcheted down a bit with his broken nose.
The Upset: George Washington over Vanderbilt. The A-10 is an underrated conference, and I don't exactly know why. I mean, it is an East Coast conference, so shouldn't they be on ESPN every day? After watching a couple A-10 games, like the Temple-St. Bonaventure contest last month, I'm aware that these teams are capable of shooting the lights out. Couple that with the Commodores' raging inconsistency, and you have a big first round win for GW.

SOUTH

The Favorite: Ohio State. I'm not particularly in love with this team, as they have been lackluster all season, and don't seem concerned with playing hard. They haven't been able to knock of the elite teams, or really even play with them this season. Lucky for them, their region is dreadful, and they will have an easy path to the Final Four.
The Sleeper: Nevada. Things are just going to play out well for the Wolfpack. Nick Fazekas is getting his final chance to make a puch in the tournament, and they will be ready to play this year. They will get a first round test from Creighton, and then Memphis who hasn't played a real opponent in a year. After that, I see them playing Louisville, who lucked out and is playing 45 minutes from home in the first two rounds. Nevada can win that game and get themselves to the Elite Eight, no problem.
The Upset: This is a real mystery. All of the higher seeds are primed for an upset, but none of the low seeds really have the chops to do it. I wouldn't be surprised if there were 6 upsets in the first round. Conversely, I wouldn't be surprised if there were none. I hate this bracket.

FINAL FOUR

As you may have established, I have a rematch of last years championship on one side, with UCLA playing Florida. No reason for that to go any differently. On the other side, I see Georgetown's three bigs to push around Greg Oden and Ohio State. In the final, I think Florida is too tenacious for Georgetown, and the Gators will win their second title.