Looking to break the trend and finally make some noise in your bracket pool this year? Well then you've come to the right place, because over the next day I'm going to preview each individual region. Upsets? Cinderellas? Favorites? Players to watch? You name it, it's all here. Enjoy...
Cinderella - Oakland
Hailing from Rochester, Michigan, the Golden Grizzlies are no stranger to playing top-flight competition. The Summit League champs faced a gauntlet of powerhouses (Wisconsin, Syracuse, Michigan State and Kansas, all on the road) during their non-conference slate, so it's hard to believe they will be standing around and watching like most other low seeds when they face Pittsburgh on Friday. The Grizzlies are powered by Keith Benson, their resident double-double machine, and one of the most sure-handed point guards in the country in Johnathon Jones. At the very least, Oakland is the most intriguing 14-seed in the field. Watch out Jamie Dixon.
Best Matchup - Butler vs. UTEP
Remarkably, the Butler Bulldogs haven't lost a game since December 22nd. The school that bested them on that particular day was none other than UAB, the same C-USA squad that UTEP beat twice during conference play. And while the transitive property doesn't quite work in college hoops, you can't deny the fact that this 5 vs. 12 game looks more like an 8 vs. 9 on paper. The Miners went 15-1 in league play, and were then slapped in the face by the committee after losing the C-USA title game to Houston. Expect a dogfight.
Easiest Draw - Syracuse
Getting the winner of Gonzaga-Florida State in the second round is miserable luck for Jim Boeheim and his team, but it should be smooth sailing after that point. Butler and Vanderbilt are relatively tame 4 and 5 seeds, and neither matches up very well against Syracuse's zone. And if Kansas State also exits early, then the Orange could have the easiest path to the Final Four out of all the No. 1 seeds.
Toughest Draw - BYU
It looked like BYU would land somewhere in the neighborhood of a 4 or 5 seed a month ago, but dropping a second consecutive game to New Mexico really killed their momentum. Now, they are stuck in a brutal 7-10 game with Florida, fighting for the right to play No. 2 seeded Kansas State on Saturday. Junior guard Jimmer Fredette is the epitome of a scoring machine, but the Cougars face an uphill climb just to make it through the first weekend.
This Year's Stephen Curry - Randy Culpepper-UTEP
One of the greatest things about former Davidson star Stephen Curry was his endless three point range. I swear, the line could have been out to 28 feet and it really wouldn't have mattered much. So when it comes down to finding a guy like that in the West region, I can't help but set my sights on UTEP's Randy Culpepper, arguably the scariest three point specialist West of the Mississippi. At six feet and 160lbs, the junior point guard managed to record three unreal statistical games during the season that you need to be aware of: (at Marshall, 32 points, 7-11 3P's), (at Central Florida, 39 points, 9-15 3P's), (vs. East Carolina, 45 points, 9-12 3P's). I don't care who the opponents are, those numbers are absolutely disgusting. Don't think he can do it again? Wanna bet?
Bad Regular Season, But Tournament Potential - Minnesota
The Gophers literally came out of left field to snag an at-large bid over teams like Virginia Tech and Rhode Island, and they probably deserved it. That's because unless somebody put something fishy in their Gatorade right before the Big Ten Tournament, Minnesota has apparently turned a corner on their season and is ready to prove they belong among the top 65. How can beating the hell out of Purdue not give these guys all the confidence in the world right now? Don't sleep on Tubby Smith's red-hot team.
Don't Bet Your Bracket On - Pittsburgh
A smart rule of thumb is to never bet against Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon. The success he's had this year after losing so much talent to the NBA is absolutely unbelievable. With that said, I just don't see how this current Pittsburgh team is consistent enough to make a deep run in this year's tournament. Along with being on uspet alert against Oakland in their opener, the Panthers don't match up very well with either Xavier or Minnesota, their two possible second round opponents. And with so many of Pittsburgh's games almost assured to come down to the wire, there's a great chance Dixon's team gets tripped up eventually. I'd stay away.
The Pick - Syracuse
It's peculiar that Syracuse and Duke, the last two No. 1 seeds, have easier roads to the Final Four than Kansas and Kentucky do. The Orange could be ripe for an early exit if they were placed in a different region, but the matchups simply aren't right for it in the West. Defensively, shooting guard Andy Rautins is phenomenal at the top of their zone, and he's going to create a ton of opportunities the other way with deflected passes and steals. Don't be scared to pick Syracuse because of the recent injury to Arinze Onuaku either. Obviously he's a valuable asset, but Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph have been giving them huge minutes all year. You can bet that each guy will rise to the occasion and make up for Onuaku's short absence. Oh yeah, and they have Wesley Johnson too. He's pretty good. I say Cuse goes marching on to Indy.
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