NCAA Tournament 2019: Predicting the perfect March Madness bracket

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 14: Kyle Guy #5 of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts after a play against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during their game in the quarterfinal round of the 2019 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 14, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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CINCINNATI, OH – MARCH 10: Eliel Nsoseme #22 and Nysier Brooks #33 of the Cincinnati Bearcats celebrate during the game against the Houston Cougars at Fifth Third Arena on March 10, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

South Region – Columbus, OH (Friday, March 22)

7 Cincinnati vs. 10 Iowa

The Cincinnati Bearcats are a tough team to peg heading into March Madness. They have the talent and pedigree to play with anyone, but they have lost plenty of games they shouldn’t have due to their insistence on slowing the game down. Having said that, they may have their dream First Round matchup for them to advance as they take on the Iowa Hawkeyes.

While Iowa is a good offensive team with four guys averaging double figures, led by Tyler Cook and Luka Garza, the way Cincinnati plays should limit their scoring opportunities in a big way. More importantly, Iowa’s defense has been suspect for most of the season, giving up over 70 points per game on the year. Though Cincinnati will need Jarron Cumberland to come through big, the matchup is theirs for the taking.

Pick: Cincinnati

2 Tennessee vs. 15 Colgate

Winners of the Patriot League, the Colgate Raiders have a substantial trio of scorers that lead the way for them in forwards Rapolas Ivanauskas and Will Rayman with guard Jordan Burns. Having said that, they just aren’t built to play against top-level competition, evidenced by double-digit losses to Syracuse, Penn State and South Florida during the regular season. Put simply, the Tennessee Volunteers are licking their chops.

With the balance, athleticism and experience that Rick Barnes’ team has, this should be a runaway victory for the Vols. The Raiders have no answer for the likes of Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield, who should feast and put this one away early to push the No. 2 seed in the South Region into the Second Round.

Pick: Tennessee

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