My NCAA Tournament Picks

The greatest sporting event is set to begin tonight. Real fans fill out brackets that include the “First Four” games!

As much as I love the sport of college basketball, I am terrible about picking the tournament. I say that to tell you this: if you go against my picks, you’ve got a great chance of doing very well!

Here they are, with a few of my “trivial” college hoops tidbits thrown in.

EAST REGIONAL

“First Four” games

(16) Alabama State over (16) Texas-San Antonio [Mascot? The Roadrunners]

(12) Clemson over (12) Alabama-Birmingham

“Round of 64”

(1) Ohio State over (16) Alabama State

(9) Villanova over (8) George Mason

(5) West Virginia over (12) Clemson

(4) Kentucky over (13) Princeton

(6) Xavier over (11) Marquette

(3) Syracuse over (14) Indiana State

(7) Washington over (10) Georgia

(2) North Carolina over (15) Long Island [Fun fact, the Blackbirds of Long Island used to play their home games in an old theater. One side of the stands were on the old stage.]

“Round of 32”

(1) Ohio State over (9) Villanova

(4) Kentucky over (5) West Virginia [Rematch of Elite 8 game in the 2010 tournament]

(3) Syracuse over (6) Xavier

(2) North Carolina over (7) Washington

“Sweet 16”

(4) Kentucky over (1) Ohio State [Since the committee named a “#1 overall seed” only 1 has won the national title. Almost half have failed to reach the Final Four. I think that continues.]

(3) Syracuse over (2) North Carolina

“Elite Eight”

(3) Syracuse over (4) Kentucky [Rematch of title game in Rick Pitino’s only title year at UK. ‘Cuse gets revenge…but a few years late.]

West Regional

“Round of 64”

(1) Duke over (16) Hampton [Hampton is one of four schools–along with Richmond, Santa Clara and Coppin State–to win a tournament game as a 15 seed. No 16 has ever beaten a 1 seed.]

(8) Michigan over (9) Tennessee

(5) Arizona over (12) Memphis

(4) Texas over (13) Oakland

(6) Cincinnati over (11) Missouri

(3) Connecticut over (14) Bucknell

(7) Temple over (10) Penn State

(2) San Diego State over (15) Northern Colorado [UNC has been in Division 1 for only 5 years, and is making their first ever appearance in the tournament. Remarkable to do that in just 5 seasons.]

“Round of 32”

(1) Duke over (8) Michigan [The winner of the Michigan/Tennessee game will give Duke fits. This is a potential huge upset game.]

(4) Texas over (5) Arizona

(3) Connecticut over (6) Cincinnati [With 11 teams in the tournament, the Big East has a lot of potential match ups, but one in the 2nd round? Absurd!]

(2) San Diego State over (7) Temple

“Sweet 16”

(1) Duke over (4) Texas

(3) Connecticut over (2) San Diego State [If you have not watched SDSU play this year, make sure you do. This is a fun team to watch, and they have a great mascot: the Aztecs.]

“Elite Eight”

(1) Duke over (3) Connecticut

Southwest

“First Four”

(11) Southern California over (11) Virginia Commonwealth (just in case you were wondering what “VCU” stood for)

“Round of 64”

(1) Kansas over (16) Boston

(8) Nevada-Las Vegas over (9) Illinois

(5) Vanderbilt over (12) Richmond [One of the hardest games to pick in the first round. The Spiders play a slow-down style that will give Vandy all they want.]

(4) Louisville over (13) Morehead State

(6) Georgetown over (11) Southern California

(3) Purdue over (14) St. Peter’s [Mascot? I can’t make this up: the Peacocks.]

(10) Florida State over (7) Texas A&M

(2) Notre Dame over (15) Akron (the Zips!)

“Round of 32”

(1) Kansas over (8) Nevada-Las Vegas

(4) Louisville over (5) Vanderbilt

(3) Purdue over (6) Georgetown

(2) Notre Dame over (10) Florida State

“Sweet 16”

(1) Kansas over (4) Louisville

(3) Purdue over (2) Notre Dame

“Elite Eight”

(1) Kansas over (3) Purdue

Southeast

“First Four”

(16) North Carolina-Asheville over (16) Arkansas-Little Rock [in the battle of the hyphens]

“Round of 64”

(1) Pittsburgh over (16) North Carolina-Asheville

(9) Old Dominion over (8) Butler

(5) Kansas State over (12) Utah State [I think this is the game of the first round. As you’ll see, whichever teams wins this game goes a LONG way in this tournament.]

(13) Belmont over (4) Wisconsin

(11) Gonzaga over (6) St. John’s

(3) Brigham Young over (14) Wofford [They are the Terriers, as is Boston University. Does it say something that we have two teams known as the Terriers in one tournament?]

(10) Michigan State over (7) California-Los Angeles (I know, it’s UCLA, but I like writing them out for some reason….always have.)

(2) Florida over (15) California-Santa Barbara

“Round of 32” ready for madness?

(9) Old Dominion over (1) Pittsburgh

(5) Kansas State over (13) Belmont

(3) Brigham Young over (11) Gonzaga

(2) Florida over (10) Michigan State

“Sweet 16”

(5) Kansas State over (9) Old Dominion

(3) Brigham Young over (2) Florida

“Elite Eight”

(5) Kansas State over (3) Brigham Young

Final Four

(1-West) Duke over (3-East) Syracuse

(1-Southwest) Kansas over (5-Southeast) Kansas State [how cool would that be to see these two play in the national semi-finals???]

National Championship

(1-West) Duke over (1-Southwest) Kansas

Yes, I am a Duke fan, but I rarely pick them to win the national title. I am always honest with how far I select Duke to go in the tournament. The reason I am picking them this year is that I truly believe that their point guard, Kyrie Irving, is going to return to the lineup by the second weekend. If he does not, my brackets will look terrible. If he does, I believe Duke wins.

Now…just pick the opposites and your brackets will be fine!