NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: Picking The Elite 8

Only three rounds left! If your original bracket is now a tatter of strikethroughs, eraser smudges, torn paper and tear stains, congratulations: you're in the majority.

While the Elite Eight finally consists entirely of single-digit seeds, the spoilers in the brackets have wreaked immense havoc along the way. Ohio and N.C. State tried their best to be combo breakers, but weren't able to pull of the win and completely blew it, respectively.

The Sweet 16 is now in the books, which I still did not predict entirely correctly, but I'm getting better at it, right?

So let's all predict the Elite Eight! That'll be fun, right? Sweet 16 winners that I picked incorrectly will be identified by an asterisk.

No. 1 Syracuse Orange vs. No. 2 Ohio St. Buckeyes: This one is neck and neck and a tough call, but I'm going to just keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on picking against the 'Cuse. The Buckeyes absolutely have what it takes to advance. The only question is whether they'll show up on Saturday.

No. 4 Louisville Cardinals* vs. No. 7 Florida Gators: This is the toughest game by far to predict in the Elite Eight. I would really like the Cardinals to continue their feel-good story (far more of a feel-good story, in fact, than you would expect from a four-seed), but I don't think they can outplay the Gators. Going with Florida here.

No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 3 Baylor Bears: Kentucky is going to keep steamrolling all the way to the final. The Bears have surprised a lot of people, but their journey ends in the Elite Eight.

No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks: Full disclosure here: I picked a Kansas-Kentucky final, so that's kind of all I have left at this point. The Jayhawks need to advance here, for the good of my sanity. I felt a lot better about this pick before Kansas had a two-hour crud-off with the N.C. State Wolfpack on Friday night.

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NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: Getting the Sweet 16 Incorrect

Now that the ashes have settled - just barely - from the opening rounds, lets take a look at who will be one step closer to New Orleans.

NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: Picking The Sweet 16

The Kansas Jayhawks won on Sunday, although they waited until nearly the very last moment to do so. That win is the single event from Sunday that has potentially saved my entire bracket. I'm sure I'm hardly the only one who saw their picks go up in a cloud of dust during the tumultuous events in the Round of 32 over the past couple of days.

The actual results of the 2012 NCAA Tournament have laid waste to the carefully-thought-out brackets of millions of fans, as well as to the haphazardly-thought-out bracket of yours truly. But with the field narrowed to just 16 remaining teams, surely the picks will only get easier from here on out, right?

What's that?

Oh.

I've just been informed "that's not how that works." Well, regardless, let's pres ahead with the predictions for the regional semifinals of the tournament, better known as the Sweet 16. All teams that were not my picks in the Round of 32 appear with an asterisk (you will see a lot of those).

South Region:

No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers: Hey, I picked both of these teams correctly! Although the Hoosiers were able to eke out a win against the Va. Commonwealth Rams, they'll have a much more difficult time pulling off a win against Kentucky, the true number one team in the tournament. Kentucky will make the Elite Eight.

No. 3 Baylor Bears vs. No. 10 Xavier Musketeers*: Did the Lehigh Mountain Hawks crap the bed, or did Zavier finally play up to the level of their ability? The debate will rage on for ... I dunno, at least until the end of the article. I don't think either team can make it past the Elite Eight (particularly since the winner of this game will have to face Kentucky), but I think Baylor's ability to make plays off the glass will be the difference in this one. Bears to advance.

West Region:

No. 1 Michigan St. Spartans vs. No. 4 Louisville Cardinals*: You know, in every round of predictions, I keep saying "Louisville is about to be exposed," yet they keep winning, possibly to stick it to me. I haven't head back from my sources on that one yet. But here we go again: The Cardinals will not win this game. Spartans to the Elite Eight.

No. 3 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. No. 7 Florida Gators*: Florida finally looked like a dominant team on Sunday, but they were playing Norfolk State. This is the toughest game to predict in the Sweet 16. I originally picked Mizzou to defeat Marquette in this bracket. If the Gators can keep the momentum rolling, they should have an easy time knocking off the Golden Eagles. Making that huge assumption, I'm picking the Gators to make the Elite Eight.

East Region:

No. 1 Syracuse Orange* vs. No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers: Similarly to the Louisville situation, I keep expecting the 'Cuse to lose in horrific fashion. And yet ... the Badgers looked less-than-convincing in their three-point win against Vanderbilt. I predicted the Kansas St. Wildcats to take out Wisconsin here, so I guess I have to pick the team that did Kansas State in. Syracuse to advance.

No. 2 Ohio St. Buckeyes vs. No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats*: Ohio State is a much, much better team than Cincinnati. I guess I don't have anything else to add to that. The Buckeyes will make the Elite Eight.

Midwest Region:

No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 13 Ohio Bobcats*: UNC is the weakest No. 1 seed in the tournament, but they still have enough to best the feel-good story of the Bobcats. Ohio made their first Sweet 16 since the 1960s this year. They won't make the Elite Eight.

No. 11 N.C. State Wolfpack* vs. No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks: The Wolfpack are another good feel good story, but (spoilers) I'm picking the Jayhawks to win this bracket. Sorry, N.C. State, but it's all I have left. Kansas to advance.

Hey, that actually was a lot easier this time! I bet the Elite Eight will be a cakewalk. Until next time ...

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NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: Picking The Round of 32

Well, that was fun.

I certainly hope that all of you had better luck with your Round of 64 predictions than I did. Of course, given the historic and completely out-of-left-field results from the games on Thursday and Friday, there's pretty much no way that you did. Unless you got hold of a 2015 Sports Almanac, in which case: cheater.

So let's try the Round of 32, shall we? (Gulp.) Teams I did not pick in the Round of 64 marked with an asterisk.

South Region:

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 8 Iowa State: Still picking Kentucky to go over here. They're the one No. 1 seed that still looks plenty strong at this point.

No. 12 VCU vs. No. 4 Indiana: Sticking with my initial pick and taking Indiana here, but just typing that out makes me so, so nervous. I feel like VCU might keep it up. Still, going with the Hoosiers to make the Sweet 16.

No. 11 Colorado* vs. No. 3 Baylor: Colorado's strong run comes to an end. Even though Baylor didn't look so hot in the Round of 64, I don't believe the Buffaloes can stampede through for another round.

No. 10 Xavier* vs. No. 15 Lehigh*: This one is the true wild card of this whole bracket. I'm taking Lehigh here. If they can defeat Duke, they've won my favor ... for now. You're on thin ice, Lehigh!

West Region:

No. 1 Michigan St. vs. No. 9 Saint Louis: It breaks my heart to have to pick against my beloved Billikens. Their weird-ass name and mascot, their slovenly coach. They have everything they need to possibly be my favorite college team forever. They're going to get obliterated by Michigan State and there's nothing any of us can do about it.

No. 5 New Mexico vs. No. 4 Louisville: Louisville is finally going to get exposed this round. And I'm going to keep saying that until they do. Lobos all the way here.

No. 6 Murray St. vs. No. 3 Marquette: Marquette will get to keep playing like a No. 3 seed for one more round.

No. 7 Florida vs. No. 15 Norfolk St.*: I had originally picked Missouri to win this bracket. Whoops! This is the hardest pick of any matchup in this bracket, in my opinion. I'm going with Norfolk State. Of the two teams, they looked convincing in the first round.

East Region:

No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 8 Kansas State: The 'Cuse is going down. Zone is for cowards, of course. They should have lost in the first round and barring any similar officiating shenanigans, they'll be going down here.

No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 4 Wisconsin: It feels like Wisconsin should win this one, so I very much hope they do. For the sake of my SB Nation Seattle fantasy bracket, if nothing else. Damn you, Jacson!

No. 6 Cincinnati* vs. No. 3 Florida St.: FSU should have a much easier time against Cincinnati than they did against St. Bonaventure. Learning that the Seminoles do the hatchet chant and chop makes me really hate picking them at all from here on out, though. Ugh.

No. 7 Gonzaga vs. No. 2 Ohio St.: Don't get me wrong: I want the Zags to win this one. I really do. I just don't think they will, is all.

Midwest Region:

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 8 Creighton*: This is another one that makes me nervous, but I think the Tar Heels hang in to make it to the Sweet 16.

No. 12 South Florida* vs. No. 13 Ohio*: Jeez, this one didn't work out, did it? Hmm. Hey, if USF can go without a basket for 15 minutes in a game and still pull off a decisive win, I've got to give them the edge, haven't I? Right. Bulls to win. Ohio to place?

No. 11 N.C. State* vs. No. 3 Georgetown: Georgetown will continue to play boring, unexceptional basketball for one more round.

No. 10 Purdue* vs. No. 2 Kansas: I still think the Jayhawks are the number one team in this bracket and I don't think the Boilermakers can stack up.

Best of luck to all of you. We're going to need it.

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NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: Picking the Sweet 16, Elite 8, & Championship Game

Cramming for your bracket? Here are your super-quick winners from the Sweet 16 on. Picks from Round One and Round Two can be found HERE and HERE. Best of luck!

SWEET SIXTEEN

#1 Kentucky vs #5 Wichita State
Remember how I said Kentucky is full of NBA players? I love Wichita State's team this year, but they're not getting past this group of Wildcats.
PICK: Kentucky

#2 Duke vs #3 Baylor
I'll be totally honest with you, when I was filling out the bracket, no game was more difficult to pick than this one. Baylor's ceiling is higher than Duke's, but their floor is lower, too. If the best version of both teams show up, I think Baylor wins. Even if the best version doesn't show up, the fact that the Bears have a little more margin for error is enough for me to take them here.
PICK: Baylor

#1 Syracuse vs #4 Wisconsin
Teams that make it this far have to feel good about their chances to beat a Fab Melo-less Orange team, and Wisconsin is surely capable of pulling it off with their terrific defense and ball-control offense. All that being said, Syracuse will have had some time to figure out how they'll play without Melo and their size and ahleticism should be enough.
PICK: Syracuse

#2 Ohio State vs #3 Florida State
Florida State won't be nearly as effective against Jared Sullinger as they were against J'Covan Brown. Even if Sullinger's off, Aaron Craft and William Buford will do enough to win.
PICK: Ohio State

#1 Michigan State vs #4 Louisville
Rebounding. The Spartans have it. It will do the trick.
PICK: Michigan State

#2 Missouri vs #6 Murray State
The Racers' journey will end here, as Missouri's uber-talented backcourt will dominate control of the ball, keeping Murray State out of rhythm and off-pace, which is the key to beating them, methinks.

#1 Carolina vs #5 Temple
Remember what I said about Kentucky? The Tar Heels have that same, everybody's-going-to-the-NBA fel, and even though they aren't always on the same page, Temple doesn't have the horses to compete with 'em.
PICK: North Carolina

#2 Kansas vs #3 Georgetown
Georgetown is the most vulnerable 3-seed in the tournament. Kansas is good enough to win it all. That difference will be made clear in this one.
PICK: Kansas

ELITE EIGHT

#1 Kentucky vs #3 Baylor
Baylor's size will match up very well with Kentucky, giving them a legitimate chance to win, but the Wildcats have discipline that the Bears have lacked, which is an odd thing to say, seeing as discipline has often been John Calipari's undoing. they get past that here.
PICK: Kentcky

#1 Syracuse vs #2 Ohio State
Fab Melo vs Jared Sullinger would have been gorgeous. Unfortuately, it's not a matchup we'll get to see, and Ohio State will find themselves i the Final Four.

#1 Michigan State vs #2 Missouri
It's a classic frontcourt vs backcourt situation here, and Missouri's guard strength should be enough to compensate for losing the rebounding battle.
PICK: Missouri

#1 North Carolina vs #2 Kansas
CBS is drooling about the possibility of another Roy Williams Bowl, after Kansas crushed UNC in the tourney a few years ago. Bill Self has picked up where Williams left off when he moved on from Kansas to Carolina, and if Kansas gets hot, they're more than able to take down the Heels. Thomas Robinson is gonna give Tyler Zeller everything he can handle, and more, but the Jayhawks aren't gonna have an answer for Harrison Barnes, either, and he's one of the best scorers in the country.
PICK: North Carolina

FINAL FOUR

#1 Kentucky vs #2 Missouri
This one is gonna be good. Missouri might be the team best suited to beat Kentucky on the whole left side of the bracket. If you're over-matched in the paint, the best way to overcome it is with terrific guard play and, like I've said before, the Tigers have that in spades. Unfortunately for them, this is probably the best team that Calipari's ever had and he's coached more raw basketball talent than anyone since Dean Smith.
PICK: Kentucky

#1 North Carolina vs #2 Ohio State
The key in this one will be how well Kendall Marshall and Aaron Craft play each other. There's not a better up-tempo guard i the nation than Kendall Marshall, but Craft is extremely good in half-court sets and Marshall ain't a great on-ball defender. It's easy to see Craft winning this matchup if the pace is slowed enough, but no team makes you pay for lapses in focus as much as the Tar Heels do, and there will be enough of those to set Carolna up for a rematch in the championship game.
PICK: North Carolina

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

#1 Kentucky vs #1 North Carolina
When these two teams met earlier this season, Kentucky eeked out a one-point victory when John Henson's final shot wa blocked b Anthony Davis. I watched every second of that game and came away stunned by just how evenly they were matched. If it comes down to the Wildcats and Tar Heels in the final, we're in for one of the great title games of all time. This one will feature as much pro-level talent as any college game you've ever seen and I imagine that the pace will be blinding. This is one of the rare games where you can score in the 80s and lose. I think both teams get there, but Carolina will make the free throws down the stretch to ice what is sure to be an extremely close game.

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Head over to our NCAA Predictions StoryStream this morning to check out SBN Seattle's crack team of bracketologists' picks and game previews, because we know there's a ton of games to keep track of. Finally, if you haven't yet, head to SB Nation's Printable Bracket StoryStream to print one out for yourself.

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NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: Picking the South Region

Kentucky, Duke and Connecticut all have potential lottery picks on their rosters, but will this talent translate to victory in this year's NCAA basketball tournament. Here are my predictions for the South region:

NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: Midwest Region First And Second Round Matchups

Well, here we are; the last of the first-round predictions. Fittingly, the Midwest is last. Why is that fitting, you ask? Because the Midwest region has the absolute dumbest name of any of the other regions. There are four primary directions; North, West, East and South. We've got three of those, but instead of the North we end up with the Midwest? I mean, I understand that the mid-western United States is the Heartland of America and the Heartland of college basketball, but if we're going with geographic regions over directions, why not West, East, Midwest and Southeast? Or any other number of less arbitrary designations? Yeah, I know. Not exactly covering new ground. But man oh man is it dumb.

(1) North Carolina vs. (16) Lamar/Vermont

Catamounts is a bitchin' nickname so I'm picking them in the First Round game, but that's as far as they're getting because, you know.

(8) Creighton vs. (9) Alabama

Creighton will win this one because it just ain't fair that 'Bama would have two really good teams at the same time. And we all know fairness is paramount in college sports.

(5) Temple vs. (12) California/South Florida

The 5/12 matchup is notorious for producing upsets, so it seems like it's doubly unfair to force Temple to take on two teams at once. Still, the Owls should take this one.

(4) Michigan vs. (13) Ohio

If Ohio really wants to put a fright into the Wolverines, they'll dye their uniforms red and write "State" on them. Can't see that happening, so Michigan heads to the second round.

(6) San Diego State vs. (11) North Carolina State

There are a few games like this every season where I just assume all of the brackets have been mis-printed and the actual seeds are reversed. So with that in mind, I'm pick San Diego State for the big upset!

(3) Georgetown vs. (14) Belmont

Yeah this should be a close one.

(7) St. Mary's vs. (10) Purdue

Mid-majors are simultaneously under-and-over rated, and St. Mary's looks (to me) to have gotten the short end of that particular stick. I'm expecting them to win, and to do so without a whole lot of trouble, but you should keep in mind that I picked another team because their uniforms are purple

(2) Kansas vs. (15) Detroit

Wow I knew the Pistons were bad but I didn't know they were bad enough to be a 15 seed a-hur-hur-hur.

But no seriously, Kansas by 50.

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NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: East Region First And Second Round Matchups

16 predictions down, 16 to go! The East looks to be a pretty formidable region, but then again you could say that about all of them if you were talking to someone that didn't know what you were talking about. They wouldn't know the difference. Gonzaga plays in this region though, so that's exciting! Except for the people that hate them.

(1) Syracuse vs. (16) UNC Asheville

Yeah ok.

(8) Kansas State vs. (9) Southern Mississippi

This is kind of weird:

via upload.wikimedia.org

Tough call. I say KSU advances by virtue of the fact that they use purple.

(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) Harvard

Here is where I tell jokes based on the premise of Harvard being one of the more prestigious academic institutions in the country. And here is where I point out that Vanderbilt is no slouch in that department either. And finally, here is where I state the obvious in saying that I think Vanderbilt will win.

(4) Wisconsin vs. (13) Montana

There's a pretty compelling argument to be made that Wisconsin was under-seeded, and there's every reason to believe Montana will give the Badgers a pretty tough game. In fact, in nature one would think a Grizzly bear would put a pretty serious hurting on a badger. This is basketball though, so I don't think that's really applicable. Wisconsin advances.

(6) Cincinnati vs. (11) Texas

I would be inclined to pick Cincinnati in this game. I say "would" because I happened to find myself in a pub during the Big East tournament championship game. After seeing that Bearcats performance, I cannot imagine this team ever winning another game of basketball, ever.

(3) Florida State vs. (14) St. Bonaventure

Bonnies? Seriously? I mean, Seminoles is bad in a different way but man. I cannot imagine taking any team called "the Bonnies" seriously and I'm a rabid European soccer fan. Florida State will win by 60.

(7) Gonzaga vs. (10) West Virginia

Gonzaga is the only team with any chance of bringing the joy of a deep tournament run to more than a few isolated fans in the Pacific northwest. This clearly isn't the best team in the school's history, but they should have enough to get past a (relatively) mediocre West Virginia team into the second round where they'll get to be underdogs again! It's 90s night at the dance!

(2) Ohio State vs. (15) Loyola (MD)

See the thing with this game is that if you're the least bit inclined to not pick Ohio State, nothing I can possibly say will convince you otherwise. You're either being ironic, or think this is the kind of wacky thing that has to happen for someone to win their office pool, or you've found some totally meaningless statistic that has convinced you that Loyola are destined to pull off a legendary upset. So fine, smart guy. Go ahead and throw your pick away. I hope you get a paper cut tearing your bracket to shreds.

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Head over to our NCAA Predictions StoryStream to check out SBN Seattle's crack team of bracketologists' picks and game previews, because we know there's a ton of games to keep track of. Finally, if you haven't yet, head to SB Nation's Printable Bracket StoryStream to print one out for yourself.

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NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: Picking the Final Four & the Championship Game

Kentucky, Michigan State, Kansas, or Florida State? After hours of waiting and watching, the time has finally come: My picks on who wins this whole damn tournament of madness.

NCAA Tournament 2012 Predictions: Picking the West

The West region should have some of the more entertaining high scoring games. Look for Missouri to emerge from the ashes.

NCAA Basketball Bracket Predictions 2012: Picking the East Region

You've printed out your brackets, tried to sort through all the play-in games (how many teams are there now? 75?) and now it's time to make your picks. You don't want to lose to Margie in accounting again, do you?

March Madness Bracket Predictions 2012: Picking The South Region

NCAA Bracket Predictions 2012: Picking The South Region

March Madness 2012 Predictions: Picking the Midwest

The Midwest bracket lacks some of the potential surprises of other regions - look for Kansas to march on through.

NCAA Tournament 2012 Predictions: Picking The West Region

Who will pull off the upsets in the West region of this year's NCAA Tournament?

NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: President Obama Makes His Picks [VIDEO]

NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: Picking The Midwest Region

The 2012 NCAA Tournament will get underway this week. While the First Four will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Round of 64 will kick off on Thursday and this is where the predictions truly begin.

I may not know a lot about college basketball, but even I know that the South Region is by far the weakest of all of the brackets. They probably should have just gone ahead and called this the "North Carolina vs. Kansas Region" because it's hard to imagine a different outcome emerging from this bracket.

Having said that, here's the predictions, featuring mostly a bunch of jokes.

No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 16 Lamar Cardinals or Vermont Catamounts: It doesn't really matter which team wins their First Four game, because the Tar Heels are going to stampede all over them. Also, what the hell is a "catamount"? Is that like when He-Man rides Battle Kat?

No. 8 Creighton Bluejays vs. No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide: The state of Alabama will likely burn to the ground if the Tide (local pronunciation: TAAAHHHHHD) is upended by a team called the "Bluejays." So my pick is the Bluejays.

No. 5 Temple Owls vs. No. 12 California Golden Bears or South Florida Bulls: It's entirely possible that this could be the one First Four team that could win a second-round game. Neither Cal nor USF is any slouch and certainly has it in them to defeat a No. 5 seed. Having said that, I think Temple is going to win this one.

No. 4 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 13 Ohio Bobcats: Wolverine is a cooler superhero than the Bobcat, by quite a wide margin. Mostly because there's no superhero called "The Bobcat," but that's irrelevant. Michigan will win this one easily.

No. 6 San Diego St. Aztecs vs. No. 11 N.C. State Wolfpack: The Aztecs were clearly a better team this year than were the Wolfpack, but this game could easily go either way. Still, my gut says Aztecs, who will get the bum's rush in the subsequent round.

No. 3 Georgetown Hoyas vs. No. 14 Belmont Bruins: The Hoyas in a walk. No further explanation should be necessary.

No. 7 St. Mary's, Calif. Gaels vs. No. 10 Purdue Boilermakers: St. Mary's got a tough draw as the seventh seed here. The Boilermakers are one of those never-say-die teams that is difficult to put away, but I think the Gaels have it in them to advance here.

No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 15 Detroit Titans: I feel as though Kansas should have been the No. 1 seed in this region. Given their subdued (AKA seething) reaction to the seeding, it's clear they felt the same way. They are going to put an ungodly beating on this poor Detroit team and the selection committee have only themselves to blame.

So just go ahead and pick UNC and KU. After that, it's all sort of irrelevant. Wait, that's how gambling on sports works, right?

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NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: Picking My Sweet 16

I hope you're taking notes.

NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: South Region First And Second Round Matchups

March Madness is here, and if you're like pretty much every other person in America you'll be competing in at least one bracket challenge for every separate circle of your professional, social and family life. For a lot people, that means hours spent poring over non-conference results, strength of schedule, results against similar opponents and performances down the stretch. And as we all know, none of it ever, ever works. It's all hopeless. You're never going to win the $50 Chili's gift card no matter how hard you try.

But we all know you're just going to keep trying anyways, so on we go to the South Region!

(1) Kentucky vs. (16) Mississippi Valley State:

Yeah, Mississippi Valley State has to beat Western Kentucky to even get to this point, but keep in mind that Jerry Rice is a MVSU alum. Ain't no way the G.O.A.T. is gonna' stand for that kind of nonsense. I'm also going to predict that the Delta Devils upset the Wildcats because no one has ever made that joke before.

(8) Iowa State vs. (9) UConn

Iowa State are nicknamed the Cyclones, which is a thing I've never understood; "yes, let's name our team after a think that causes millions of dollars worth of property damage all over our state every year." I'm expecting Seattle's NHL team to be called "the Fightin' Collapsing Viaducts." UConn wins because Huskies is a perfectly respectable nickname (assuming they aren't called that because the guy that founded the school was bit by a rabid dog.)

(5) Wichita State vs. (12) VCU

I am picking Wichita State for one reason and one reason only.*

via upload.wikimedia.org

I don't know what the hell that thing is, but despite the fact that it appears to have been crafted to appear as cartoonish and non-threatening as possible it will haunt my nightmares for weeks to come.

*This isn't true. I am also picking them because they are better at basketball.

(4) Indiana vs. (13) New Mexico State

This isn't a vintage Indiana team by any stretch. That's probably a good thing really, since this Indiana team will beat New Mexico State while the 1971 Hoosiers squad probably wouldn't fare as well. I mean even if they're in good shape it's tough to picture a team of guys in their mid 50s hanging with the WAC Champions.

(6) UNLV vs. (11) Colorado

It's an irrational remnant of my childhood, I know, but to this day whenever I see UNLV's name on a bracket I just assume it's the late-80s/early-90s teams that scored 130 points every game and can't help but pick them. Seeing as how Colorado is only in the dance due to their win of a mediocre conference's tournament, in this instance that instinct is the correct one.

(3) Baylor vs. (14) South Dakota State

Not picking South Dakota State in this game is unbelievably difficult; they are the Jackrabbits! That is just tremendous. But I have a responsibility not to lead you astray, as every other prediction in this post has surely demonstrated.

(7) Notre Dame vs. (10) Xavier

Ah yes, the much anticipated "Battle of the Teams Whose Logos Are Composed Entirely Of 1990s Styled Block Letters." You might think Notre Dame has the edge here seeing as how they have two of them to Xavier's one, but that's actually a disadvantage in combat as they risk of tangling is far greater. That svelte 'X' will propel the Musketeers to victory!

(2) Duke vs. (15) Lehigh

Take a wild stab there, Sparky.

Stay with this NCAA Predictions StoryStream throughout the day as SBN Seattle's crack team of bracketologists give you their picks.

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Check back with our Selection Sunday/NCAA Bracket StoryStream throughout the day, and make sure you head over to SB Nation's Printable Bracket StoryStream to start making your picks.

NCAA Bracket Predictions 2012: Obama, Dick Vitale, & Heidi Klum Offer Some Expert and Celebrity Picks

If you got here because you Google searched "Obama Dick," well, I'm sorry to disappoint you - this is about college basketball. ("Obama, Dick Vitale" is probably searched on the internet less, let's be honest).

Let's be honest about something else - filling out tournament brackets can be a total crap-shoot. An expert could study and pore over thousands of college basketball games in one year, fill out his brackets, do pretty well, then the next year do the same thing and get beat by J-Lo. From expert to ... non-expert, you're probably looking around for the inside scoop and this is probably not the page you were looking for. Instead, I've linked to some expert and celebrity brackets, and almost all of them offer no analysis!!

(That's ok, we have all the analysis you need in our Tournament Bracket Predictions Stream where some of the time we actually tell you about the teams playing and why they might win! So, check that out.)

Then, check out the following people's brackets picks.

March Madness 2012
Dicky V picks Kentucky over North Carolina in his final bracket.

Obama's Final Four picks
The Commander-in-Chief goes with a Final Four of Kentucky, Ohio State, Missouri, UNC. See his full bracket on tomorrow's 9 a.m. SportsCenter.

Heidi Klum - Project Runway Host, Diet Coke Heart Truth Campaign Ambassador
The German former Supermodel made her pick, and I quote: "Syracuse! I think Orange is the hot color right now and I love Otto, their mascot." Probably better reason that many of our choices will have.

If You Want to Meet Kendra Wilkinson, Better Fill Out a Bracket
Find out how Kenny Smith, Jerry Rice, Kendra Wilkinson and Brooklyn Decker have filled out NCAA Tournament brackets as part of FanHouse's Bracket Challenge.

Seth Davis' 2010 NCAA bracket insight - Video - SI.com
SI bracketology expert Seth Davis breaks down the bracket and gives his sleeper, top matchup and Final Four pick for each region of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Stay with us here at SB Nation Seattle for NCAA Bracket Scores and Updates throughout the day in our dedicated StoryStream.

Head over to our NCAA Predictions StoryStream to check out SBN Seattle's crack team of bracketologists' picks and game previews, because we know there's a ton of games to keep track of. Finally, if you haven't yet, head to SB Nation's Printable Bracket StoryStream to print one out for yourself.

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Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick'em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: Picking The East Region

Defense is the buzzword around the teams in the East region on the NCAA tournament. Syracuse, Wisconsin and Florida State have all put together impressive tournament resumes because of their ability to get stops. How far will this quality take them in the tournament?

Fab Melo Ineligible for NCAA Tournament; Syracuse Dealt a Big Hit

Syracuse sophomore center Fab Melo will not play in the upcoming 2012 NCAA Tournament due to eligibility issues, per the university's website. "Given University policy and federal student privacy laws, no further details can be provided at this time," the site said. The 2nd-ranked and No. 1 seed Orange (31-2) were 29-1 with Melo on the court, and The 7-foot center has averaged 7.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks on the year. He also had 88 blocks.

What a blow 4 Syracuse - wow losing Fab Melo will really hurt the Zone . #dickievpicks es.pn/z8metj

— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 13, 2012

In 3 games Fab Melo missed this year, Syracuse avg 14 fewer pts per 100 possessions, 7 fewer PPG in the paint, and 7 fewer 2nd-chance points

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 13, 2012

In 3 games this season w/o Fab Melo, Syracuse avg 60 PPG, and -11.0 reb differential. With Melo, 76 PPG and -0.4 reb differential

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 13, 2012

If you're wondering, Syracuse was 2-1 without Fab Melo this season -- lost at Notre Dame, beat Cincinnati and West Virginia.

— SB Nation (@sbnation) March 13, 2012

As you can see, it's a big hit for the Orange, whose rebounding is 129th in the league as it is, and will now likely struggle even further. Make sure you take this into account and adjust your brackets if need be. The Dance just got a little more interesting...

For more on building your bracket, head over to our NCAA Predictions StoryStream throughout the day as SBN Seattle's crack team of bracketologists give you their picks.

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Check back with our Selection Sunday/NCAA Bracket StoryStream throughout the day, and make sure you head over to SB Nation's Printable Bracket StoryStream to start making your picks.

NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: West Region First And Second Round Matchups

Onto the wild, wild West! Amazingly, the first thing that came to my mind after typing that last sentence is the song by the Escape Club, a shockingly terrible late-80s English pop-rock band. Interestingly* the Escape Club are the only British artist ever to have a song reach #1 in the United States without managing to even reach the charts in the UK.

(1) Michigan State vs. (16) Long Island

Despite being a dominant force during the early days of college basketball, Long Island has never won a game in the NCAA tournament. I am planning to re-use that sentence the next time the Blackbirds make the tournament.

(8) Memphis vs. (9) St. Louis

Memphis will advance here, largely because every time a call goes against the Tigers Josh Pastner will bat his eyelashes pathetically at the referees. Failing that, he will hold his breath until he turns blue.

Because he's young, you see.

(5) New Mexico vs. (12) Long Beach State

I'm picking New Mexico in this one if for no other reason than the universe cannot encourage Long Beach State to continue wearing those godawful jerseys.

(4) Louisville vs. (13) Davidson

Louisville will win, because they're pretty good, but good heavens can they be boring in their effectiveness. I mean winning is what matters and blah blah blah, but try scoring some points.

(6) Murray State vs. (11) Colorado State

Murray State have that weird mid-major status where they're instantly recognizable to even the most casual of college basketball fans but have never actually done a whole lot. Yeah, they've pulled off a couple of huge upsets but at the end of the day a 2-14 record isn't exactly illustrious. Still, coming in with just one loss on the season and as the favorites for once, this must be the year they establish themselves as a real force, right?

Nope. I'm picking Colorado State, because I hate joy.

(3) Marquette vs. (14) BYU/Iona

Doesn't matter; Marquette wins.

(7) Florida vs. (10) Virginia

Is it just me or does it seem like the 7/10 game is the refuge of the slightly-better-than-mediocre power conference teams? These games are never interesting. Anyways, Florida wins.

(2) Missouri vs. (15) Norfolk State

A 15 beating a 2 is just plausible enough that it's tempting to do research before penciling in the #2 to advance. Unless you're lazy. Like me.

Marquette probably wins by a lot.

Stay with this NCAA Predictions StoryStream throughout the day as SBN Seattle's crack team of bracketologists give you their picks.

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Check back with our Selection Sunday/NCAA Bracket StoryStream throughout the day, and make sure you head over to SB Nation's Printable Bracket StoryStream to start making your picks.

NCAA Bracket Predictions 2012: Picking The West Region

The 2012 NCAA Tournament will get underway this week. While the First Four will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Round of 64 will kick off on Thursday and this is where the predictions truly begin.With four different brackets and so many variables in place, attempting to accurately predict the outcomes of each bracket is kind of like trying to fit the Hoover Dam through the eye of a needle. In other words, I'll give it a shot, but I might end up looking like a fool.

Anyway, here we go with my predictions for the West Region bracket of the 2012 NCAA Tournament!

No. 1 Michigan St. Spartans vs. No. 16 Long Island U. Blackbirds: The Spartans were a bit of an unlikely No. 1 seed, but they should look plenty dominant against LIU-Brooklyn.

No. 8 Memphis Tigers vs. No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens: I would never, never pick against a team named the "Billikens," which is easily the most awesome team nickname in all of college sports. Billikens now, Billikens forever (until next round).

No. 5 New Mexico Lobos vs. No. 12 Long Beach St. 49ers: If the 49ers have an upset in them, it's against New Mexico. Still, I think the Lobos are playing too well at the moment to drop this game.

No. 4 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 13 Davidson Wildcats: The Cardinals didn't look too great while picking up a conference title, but they'll be able to polish off Davidson without too much trouble.

No. 6 Murray St. Racers vs. No. 11 Colorado St. Rams: This is perhaps a closer match than it might seem, but the Racers will advance here.

No. 3 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. No. 14 BYU Cougars or Iona Gaels: I don't think that BYU has a chance of beating Marquette, but I think Iona does. However, I don't know whether Iona can beat BYU in the first place. There's the rub. I'll split the difference and pick Marquette here.

No. 7 Florida Gators vs. No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers: This one is the toughest game for me to pick in the West Region. It really could go either way. I'll pick the Gators, just to be on the safe side. I feel like this could end up being a potential blowout for Florida.

No. 2 Missouri Tigers vs. No. 15 Norfolk St. Spartans: Mizzou is going to make mincemeat of Norfolk State. I feel like the Tigers might actually be the strongest team in this portion of the bracket.

Whew! I think I did okay. What's your take on the region? Let us know in the comments.

Stay with this NCAA Predictions StoryStream throughout the day as SBN Seattle's crack team of bracketologists give you their picks.

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Check back with our Selection Sunday/NCAA Bracket StoryStream throughout the day, and make sure you head over to SB Nation's Printable Bracket StoryStream to start making your picks.

NCAA Tournament 2012: No. 7 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 West Virginia Preview

No. 7 Gonzaga travels across the country into No. 10 West Virginia's territory. The teams are quite evenly matched, but look for the Zags to pull off a win in what could be a very ugly battle.

NCAA Bracket Predictions 2012: Fortune Favors the Bold!

"Fortes fortuna adiuvat."

NCAA Basketball Tournament Predictions 2012: Picking the South Region

It's time to start filling out your brackets. Here are the picks for the South Region, featuring the number one team in the land: the Kentucky Wildcats.

NCAA Bracket Predictions 2012: Jay Bilas, Dick Vitale, and Other Expert & Celebrity Picks - A Roundup

Because America loves its celebrities.

March Madness 2012 Predictions: Picking the East

The East region looks primed for a couple of upsets with Ohio State eventually heading to the Final Four.

NCAA Bracket Predictions 2012: Picking The West Region

Here follows my predictions for the West Region of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Get out your brackets. And wallets.

NCAA Tournament 2012 Predictions: Picking the Midwest Region

Game-by-game predictions of the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. Including this year's Cinderella.

NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: Picking The South Region

The 2012 NCAA Tournament will get underway this week. While the First Four will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Round of 64 will kick off on Thursday and this is where the predictions truly begin.

The South region is pretty stacked, with nearly all the top seeds being household names. More than that, though, the top seeds were all excellent teams throughout the 2011-12 NCAA season. This should be the most interesting bracket to watch, even if it does end up coming down to Kentucky vs. Duke.

No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 16 Miss. Valley OR Western Kentucky: Hmm, the best team in college basketball, or one of two teams who are fighting for the right to lose to them? Tough call.

No. 8 Iowa St. Cyclones Vs. No. 9 Connecticut Huskies: Perhaps the most evenly-matched game in the second round of the South Region. UConn wants that slipper to fit one more time, but I like Iowa State in this one.

No. 5 Wichita St. Shockers vs. No. 12 Va. Commonwealth Rams: There are only a couple of South Region games in the second round that I think could be upsets. This is one of them. I think the VCU Rams can pull it off, but watch out for terrible ESPN.com headlines immediately afterward. (Just a guess: "VCU Shocks The Shockers.")

No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers vs. No. 13 New Mexico St. Aggies: There are two colleges in New Mexico now! Hey, good for them. Thanks for playing, Aggies!

No. 5 UNLV Runnin' Rebels vs. No. 11 Colorado Buffaloes: This is the other game that I think could be an upset. A run to the Pac-12 conference title seems to have tricked the Buffaloes into thinking they're better than they actually are. They may figure it out quickly in this game, though. I think UNLV takes it.

No. 3 Baylor Bears vs. No. 14 South Dakota St. Jackrabbits: Bears eat jackrabbits. That is all.

No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 10 Xavier Musketeers: Xavier was one of the more puzzling selections in this year's tournament. The Irish should be able to show them the way out.

No. 2 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 15 Lehigh Mountain Hawks: It's a rule that Duke must make it to at least the regional finals each year so fans can keep hating a team until they find a team to root for. This year will be no different.

The South seems somewhat tailor-made for a Kentucky-Duke face-off in the regional finals. Let's see if another team can rain on that parade.

Stay with this NCAA Predictions StoryStream throughout the day as SBN Seattle's crack team of bracketologists give you their picks.

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Check back with our Selection Sunday/NCAA Bracket StoryStream throughout the day, and make sure you head over to SB Nation's Printable Bracket StoryStream to start making your picks.

NCAA Bracket Predictions 2012: The West Region

Kentucky has a tough draw, but look for the Wildcats to continue dancing to the Big Easy.

NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: Picking The East Region

The 2012 NCAA Tournament will get underway this week. While the First Four will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Round of 64 will kick off on Thursday and this is where the predictions truly begin.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs will be a part of the East Region and have a fighting chance in a fairly evenly-matched bracket. Let's take a look at their chances.

It's tough work attempting to properly predict the winners of an entire round of the tournament, let alone the entire thing, but let's give it the old college try, shall we?

Full disclosure: I don't actually know a whole lot about college basketball, but I think that puts me on par with Charles Barkley, at the very least. And that guy got to host a whole bracketology show! Luckily, the East Region is filled with teams that I somehow know quite a bit about (as far as you know). Let's do this thing.

No. 1 Syracuse Orange vs. No. 16 UNC-Asheville Bulldogs: Syracuse is going to defeat UNC-Asheville, but they may not fare so well in the subsequent rounds.

No. 8 Kansas St. Wildcats vs. No. 9 Southern Miss. Golden Eagles: A bit surprising to me that Southern Miss was seeded this high. I don't believe the Wildcats will have much difficulty dispatching them. Then again, K-State underperformed by expectations for them in their conference tournament, so maybe they're just playing to spite me at this point.

No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores vs. No. 12 Harvard Crimson: I really, really, really want Harvard to win this game. In the year of Linsanity it just seems appropriate somehow, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the Commodores will pick up the win and advance.

No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 13 Montana Grizzlies: The Badgers will have little trouble dispatching Montana. Possibly the most lopsided match in the region.

No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. No. 11 Texas Longhorns: The Bearcats clinched a conference title, but if anyone is vulnerable to an upset in the region, it's UC. The Longhorns might be a good sleeper pick ... for the first round, at least.

No. 3 Florida St. Seminoles vs. No. 14 St. Bonaventure Bonnies: The Bonnies can't measure up to the formidable Seminoles. The playing of this game will just be a formality.

No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 10 West Virginia Mountaineers: The Zags will get it done here. They're hopping mad after having their conference title streak snapped and looking to make some lower seeds pay the price. This should be an uncomfortably enjoyable bloodbath.

No. 2 Ohio St. Buckeyes vs. No. 15 Loyola, Md. Greyhounds: I take it back. This is the most lopsided game in the region.

So there you have it: expert picks without the expertise.

Stay with this NCAA Predictions StoryStream throughout the day as SBN Seattle's crack team of bracketologists give you their picks.

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Check back with our Selection Sunday/NCAA Bracket StoryStream throughout the day, and make sure you head over to SB Nation's Printable Bracket StoryStream to start making your picks.

NCAA March Madness Predictions 2012: Picking the Midwest Region

Picking the NCAA tournament is always a fun exercise until you see your picks go down the drain. Thanks to Ken Pomeroy's website, along with dozens of random games, highlights and players lodged into my head, here are my picks for the Midwest Region.

NCAA Bracket Predictions 2012: Picking the West Region

It's Bracket Time! Time to pick the winners of each round and region as we head into the Madness known as March.

NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: All The Bracket Picking Resources You Need

If you want to win friends and influence people, you absolutely must have a good NCAA Tournament Bracket. Get all the scouting and recon on each region, right here.