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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