The brackets are out! You know what that means. Everyone is scouring the internet and TV trying to get any advantage they can. The NCAA tournament turns normal people into hardcore gamblers for three weeks.
So here I am, doing my part to try and give you some insight. If you follow my advice, you will either look like a genius or an idiot. In March, there is no in-between. My best advice is to gather as much information as you can and follow your gut!
In case you missed them:
Midwest
West
East
We move on to our last region: the south region!
Go Joe Bruin
(1)Duke(10-3 vs. the field) vs. (16)Robert Morris(1-4 vs. the field) at Charlotte, NC:
Duke has not missed an NCAA tournament in 20 years. They have been in 39 overall. They won the latest of their four National Championships in 2010. Robert Morris is in their eighth NCAA tournament, but their first since 2010. Their win over Dayton last night was their first since 1983.
This is Duke’s most complete team since 2010, and it is arguably better than that one. Jahlil Okafori is the consensus number one pick in this summer’s draft. He often overshadows Tyus Jones, who might be just as important. This is probably Duke’s best shooting team since 1993. They are fourth in the nation in points scored, and third in field goal percentage. They are one of a few teams that have a shot to knock off Kentucky.
Robert Morris had a good showing against North Florida, but Duke will make short work of them. Robert Morris won’t give up, but Duke is just too good. No first round exit for the Blue Devils this year. Pick: Duke
Betsided
(8)San Diego State(4-5 vs. the field) vs. (9)St. John’s(5-8 vs. the field) at Charlotte, NC:
San Diego State is making their sixth straight NCAA tournament appearance, and their 11th overall. They have made it past the first round in each of the last two years. This is St. John’s 29th tournament appearance, but first since 2011. They have been to two Final Fours, but they were in 1951 and 1952.
Winston Shepard is a jack of all trades for the Aztecs. He led the team in points and rebounds, and was second in assists. The Aztecs are a stifling defensive team once again. They are always a tough out. They have allowed the second fewest points in the country this year behind Virginia. Their defense is nearly as good. Remember, this team nearly toppled Arizona earlier this year.
Sir’Dominic Pointer is going to be a tough load for San Diego State. He is a capable scorer, but his passing and rebounding from the guard positions set him apart. Rysheed Jordan and D’Angelo Harrison score the bulk of the points for the Red Storm. Their defense has been a problem at times though. They gave up 105 to Villanova just a little over a week ago.
Good defense usually wins out over good offense. This won’t be an easy game by any means for the Aztecs, but St. John’s doesn’t really have the horses to penetrate this defense. Pick: San Diego State
Arrowhead Addict
(5)Utah(3-7 vs. the field) vs. Stephen F. Austin(0-3 vs. the field) at Portland, OR:
Utah is making their 28th NCAA tournament appearance, but their first since 2009. Utah’s lone title came in 1944. Their last Final Four appearance was in 1998. The Lumberjacks are making their second straight and third overall NCAA tournament appearance. They knocked off Virginia Commonwealth in the first round last year for their first NCAA tournament win.
Delon Wright is a do-everything guy for Utah. He is tough to guard anywhere on the court. 7′ freshman Jakob Poetl is a load for opposing teams to handle. His offense is a work in progress, but you can’t deny his rebounding and shot blocking ability. The quickness of Brandon Taylor is hard for some teams to match up with.
Thomas Walkup is SFA’s version of Delon Wright. It is going to be fun to watch those two go at it. The Lumberjacks lack the size to bang with Utah in the middle. It will fall on their guards to get this done. I tend to think that the VCU team that the Lumberjacks knocked out last year is better than this Utah team, but they really will have trouble with their size. That said, one 12 seed has to win, right? Pick: Stephen F. Austin
Betsided
(4)Georgetown(6-10 vs. the field) vs. (13)Eastern Washington(2-1 vs. the field) at Portland, OR:
The Hoyas are making their 30th tournament appearance and their first since 2013. The Hoyas claimed the 1984 Championship, but have made the Final Four as recently as 2007. They have not advanced past the first weekend since. Eastern Washington is making their second NCAA tournament appearance. Their first was in 2004.
Joshua Smith is a monster in the middle at 6’10” and 350 pounds. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera is the do-everything guard that makes this team go. The Hoya offense sputtered down the stretch, and they looked lost in the Big East tournament.
Eastern Washington is the third highest scoring team in the country because they shoot so well. Tyler Harvey shoots 43% from three, and can hit from anywhere in the building. The Eagles has the kind of team that can pull an upset in March. They are undersized, but Georgetown’s defense has not been great. This one reeks of an upset. Pick: Eastern Washington
Betsided
(6)SMU(3-5 vs. the field) vs. (11)UCLA(4-8 vs. the field) at Louisville, KY:
SMU is in their 11th NCAA tournament, but the first since 1993. Their lone Final Four appearance was in 1956. UCLA is going to their third straight and 47th overall tournament appearance. The latest of their 11 National Championships came in 1995. They have a whopping 101 tournament wins in that span!
Markus Kennedy and Yanick Moreira are forces in the middle for SMU. Nic Moore led the team in scoring and assists. He is a tough one to guard on the perimeter. The Mustangs have a good inside-outside attack that is tough for teams to handle. And let’s not forget that the last time that Larry Brown took a team to the NCAA tournament, they accidentally won in (Kansas in 1988).
Guard play will decide everything for UCLA. If Bryce Alford can distribute the ball well and Norman Powell hits his shots, they can be tough to beat. That said, this is the one team in the field this year that I have a beef with. Their only win against a top 100 team on the road was Oregon. They nearly got doubled up by Kentucky and Utah. This team in inconsistent most of the time, and likely won’t put on much of a show. Pick: SMU
Betsided
(3)Iowa State(14-5 vs. the field) vs. (14)UAB(0-4 vs. the field) at Louisville, KY:
Iowa State is making their fourth consecutive tournament appearance and 17th overall. They made their lone Final Four in 1944. UAB is making their 15th appearance, and first since 2011. They last won a tournament game in 2005.
Iowa State ran through Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas to win the Big 12 tournament title. This is a tough team in the middle with Georges Niang and Jameel McKay. Point guard Monte Morris did not turn the ball over in the entire Big 12 tournament. That is the kind of play that can win championships.
UAB stole someone’s bid by winning the Conference USA tournament. Robert Brown was the only guy that averaged double digit points on the team this year. The Blazers are streaky, and if they get hot, they could be tough to deal with. Pick: Iowa State
Busting Brackets
(7)Iowa(8-7 vs. the field) vs. (10)Davidson(2-4 vs. the field) at Seattle, WA:
Iowa is making their second straight and 24th overall NCAA tournament. They have not made it out of the first round since 1999. They have three Final Four appearances with the most recent coming in 1980. Davidson is making their 13th NCAA tournament appearance, and are back in the field after a year off. They have not won a tournament game since their Elite Eight run in 2008.
The size of Aaron White and Jared Uthoff is going to be tough for Davidson to handle. They are the leaders of this Iowa team, and can dominate teams in the middle. Iowa’s problem has been the lack of an established scorer on the outside to take the heat out of the middle.
Davidson is small, but they move the ball very well and can score in bunches. They hung with North Carolina and Virginia, and were one of the very few teams to score 70 on Virginia. If they can handle what the Cavs threw at them, they have the potential to beat anyone. Pick: Davidson
Busting Brackets
(2)Gonzaga(7-2 vs. the field) vs. (15)North Dakota State(1-2 vs. the field) at Seattle, WA:
Gonzaga is making their 17th straight NCAA tournament appearance and 18th overall. They have had some success, but still have never made a Final Four. They also have not lost in the first round since 2008. North Dakota State is making their second straight an third overall appearance in the tourney. They knocked off Oklahoma in the first round last year to notch their first tournament win.
Gonzaga is the best shooting team in the country at a whopping 52.8%. They only losses were to BYU and at Arizona in overtime. This is the kind of team that can make a serious run. Everyone on the team can hit from outside, even 6’10” center Kyle Wiltjer. They are going to be a problem for anyone.
The Bison got a bad draw here. They might hang around for a while, but they just don’t have the defense to hang with the Bulldogs. Pick: Gonzaga
First round winners: Duke, San Diego State, Stephen F. Austin, Eastern Washington, SMU, Iowa State, Davidson, Gonzaga
Second round winners: Duke, Stephen F. Austin, Iowa State, Gonzaga
Sweet Sixteen winners: Duke, Iowa State
Regional Champion: Duke
I have Duke losing in the Championship to Wisconsin.
For those of you that play the round-by-round games, I will keep you going with my picks each round as well! Good luck, and may all your upsets come true!
More from FanSided
- Caesars + BetMGM Promos: Four Chances to Win Betting on the Women’s World Cup
- MLB trade grades: Angels-White Sox deal takes Shohei Ohtani off the table
- Justin Jefferson taking on new role with Vikings offense
- Astros, Rangers benches clear after Adolis Garcia grand slam
- Jonathan Taylor’s agent shades Jim Irsay after Colts owner comments on RBs
Add us as a preferred source on Google