2016 NCAA Tournament:Â East Region predictions
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.
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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!
Here are my picks for the East Region, for this weekend and beyond!
(1)North Carolina(10-5 vs. the field, 47th NCAA Tournament appearance)Â vs. (16)Florida Gulf Coast(1-2 vs. the field, 2nd NCAA Tournament appearance)Â at Raleigh, NC:
Florida Gulf Coast won’t be shocking the world this year. North Carolina has been one of the hottest teams around lately, and are the pick of many to win the whole thing. The Eagles are only a speed bump this year.
Pick: North Carolina
(8)USC(5-8 vs. the field, 16th NCAA Tournament appearance)Â vs. (9)Providence(5-7 vs. the field, 18th NCAA Tournament appearance) at Raleigh, NC:
The Trojans are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since O.J. Mayo’s year in L.A. back in 2011. This year’s version is much more balanced. Six players average double digit points, and the Trojans love to get out and run.
Providence was ranked as high as ninth nationally this season behind guards Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil. They are going to cause matchup problems for anyone. The Friars may have trouble keeping up with USC, but the tandem of Dunn and Bentil make them dangerous to not just USC, but to UNC as well.
Pick: Providence
(5)Indiana(8-4 vs. the field, 39th NCAA Tournament appearance)Â vs. (12)Chattanooga(1-1 vs. the field, 11th NCAA Tournament appearance)Â at Des Moines, IA:
Yogi Ferrell is the kind of player that can take over a game. The Hoosiers will need him at his best against a Chattanooga team that thrives on pressuring opponents into turnovers.
This really is a bad draw for Chattanooga. They would be dangerous to a lot of teams in the tournament, but Indiana matches up pretty well with them. They may stay close, but Indiana will start to pull away.
Pick: Indiana
(4)Kentucky(9-11 vs. the field, 55th NCAA Tournament appearance) vs. (13)Stony Brook(0-2 vs. the field, 1st NCAA Tournament appearance) at Des Moines, IA:
Well, how about this. Kentucky leads everyone with 55 NCAA tournament appearances, and Stony Brook gets their first ever NCAA Tournament game against them. The Wildcats average two tournament wins every time they get in. They are beginning their quest for a third straight Final Four, and poor little Stony Brook just happens to be in their way.
Except Stony Brook isn’t really that little. Jameel Warney is a tank in the middle, and will challenge Kentucky’s frontcourt some. The Sea Wolves are also a veteran team and Kentucky is dominated by freshmen. The longer this game stays close, the more dangerous Stony Brook will be.
Pick: Kentucky
(6)Notre Dame(5-7 vs. the field, 35th NCAA Tournament appearance) vs. (11)Michigan(4-10 vs. the field, 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance) at Brooklyn, NY:
This Notre Dame team isn’t a lot different than the one that scared the bejesus out of Kentucky last year in the Elite Eight. Sure, they are prone to defensive lapses and don’t quite have the defensive firepower that they did last year, but this is still a very good team.
Michigan has been hot at the right time, but the fact remains that they are still without their leaders. I know it’s a trendy pick to take Michigan here, but I wont be one of the people that does it. Notre Dame is better than their seeding.
Pick: Notre Dame
(3)West Virginia(8-7 vs. the field, 27th NCAA Tournament appearance) vs. (14)Stephen F. Austin(0-2 vs. the field, 4th NCAA Tournament appearance) at Brooklyn, NY
West Virginia is tough. They press. They claw. They scratch. They do everything short of biting you or anything would land them in prison. They knocked of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa State twice this year. They are tough!
Stephen F. Austin has won 20 straight games in a row. Their reward? A West Virginia team that is a little sloppy, which plays right into the Lumberjacks’ hands. Stephen F. Austin leads the nation in forcing turnovers. If they can get West Virginia into a sloppy game, they have a chance. The trick is they have to do it before West Virginia beats them to death.
Pick: West Virginia
(7)Wisconsin(9-6 vs. the field, 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance) vs. (10)Pittsburgh(5-5 vs. the field, 26th NCAA Tournament appearance) at St. Louis, MO:
 Yes, this isn’t the same Wisconsin team as last year, but they are still a solid defensive unit that gets good guard play and decent play from their bigs. The whole team has range, which makes them tough to defend.
Pitt has been about as inconsistent as they come this year. The core of James Robinson, Jamel Artis, and Michael Young makes them a very dangerous team. If they are playing well, they can beat anyone, just ask Duke. If not? They won’t make it to the weekend.
Pick: Pittsburgh
(2)Xavier(10-3 vs. the field, 26th NCAA Tournament appearance) vs. (15)Weber State(1-1 vs. the field, 16th NCAA Tournament appearance) at St. Louis, MO
For those of you complaining about Xavier’s two seed, don’t. This team is legit, and they are stacked. Xavier may have the deepest bench of anyone in the tournament. Trevon Blueitt and James Farr are really good players who are difficult matchups for anyone. They are in a dangerous spot to make a deep tournament run.
Weber State is in the tournament for the second time in three years, but man, they got a bad draw. This is going to be a really tough game for them.
Pick: Xavier
First round winners: North Carolina, Providence, Indiana, Kentucky, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Xavier
Second round winners:Â North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pittsburgh
Sweet Sixteen winners: North Carolina, West Virginia
Regional Champion: North Carolina. They will have tough games with Kentucky and West Virginia, but they are one of those teams that no one wants to play right now. I would be shocked if the Tarheels lose before Houston.
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