Syracuse
North Carolina is my
pick to win the whole thing, which should
make me look at this bracket like everyone
else, and say it's the toughest, but I disagree.
The best team North Carolina could play
before the Elite Eight is Florida or maybe
Villanova, either one is pretty good but
not great. Florida's done big things lately,
but against a sub par SEC conference. This
bracket has the worse 4-5 duo in the Tournament.
The other half is good. Wisconsin, Kansas,
NC State, and Connecticut are all pretty
good ball clubs. Kansas might have the nations
best player in Wayne Simien, but lately
they've played mediocre, at best. Connecticut
pulled a number 2 seed, and was one of the
top teams in the country the last 10 games
of the season. Wisconsin, hangs tight with
everyone, but could be overmatched against
either Kansas or Connecticut. NC State is
my dark horse here, mainly because I watched
them nut up and play well enough the last
ten games to sneak in. They could cause
tidal waves early.
Games to Watch
RD1
Villanova vs. New
Mexico: New Mexico played real well
in their last 9 games, winning each one,
most easily. The only game they won by less
than 10 was against Utah in the Mountain
West Championship game. But they won. Villanova
lost to a motivated West Virginia team that
climbed all the way to the Big East Championships.
That loss halted their 8 game win streak
that included destroying Pittsburgh twice,
Boston College and Georgetown.Both these
teams are pretty hot of late, making for
a nice opening 12-5 match-up.
Charlotte vs NC State:
This is another 7-10 game where the 10 seed,
NC State, will most likely be favored. Sometimes
I think Vegas should set the seeds, they
seem to know best. Either way, these games
are where the "funs at" in round
1, aside from the 2-3 seed near upsets.
I always enjoy those. NC State, finally
played well enough to be considered a tourney
team, and I imagine they will upset a big
boy or cause quite a stir on their way out.
Look for NC State to take it to their neighbors.
RD2
Connecticut vs. NC
State: If it turns out like this, Julius
Hodge might show why he was a preseason
favorite for player of the year. Hodge has
had to carry even more of the burden than
in past years, and it's been tough adjustment.
Lately he's been playing like the guy I
thought I'd see all year long. Discounting
the early loss in the Big East Tourney,
UConn's been unreal since losing to North
Carolina. They've played like defending
champions. This should be a great game,
if it happens, of course.
Villanova vs. Florida:
This 4-5 game might be the most evenly matched.
Florida has played much better lately, flexing
their muscle and destroying Kentucky in
the SEC Championship. Villanova might be
the most underrated team in the Big East,
but still isn't one of the top 3. This should
be a real exciting game with two teams who
like to mix it up.
Wisconsin vs.
Kansas: Besides Wayne Simien, not one
guy on Kansas has been consistent at all
lately. Kansas lost 5 of their last 8, which
had a lot to do with their sudden fall to
a 3 seed. Wisconsin has been consistent.
They slow down the game and give themselves
a chance to win every time out. Kansas struggled
against deliberate teams down the stretch,
which makes this round two game, a tough
one for the Jayhawks.
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