Keep in mind these are my PERSONAL feeling on the matchups. If I enter bracket tournaments, I'll pick more upsets just because I think the risk/reward is in my favor.
WEST REGIONAL
Duke over Michigan (something tells me Michigan will frustrate a low basketball iq team like Tenny)
Texas over Arizona (Could go either way because of Barnes coaching but I think Texas is very underseeded)
UConn over Cincinnati (Something tells me UConn could flame out early but remarkable in tourny play this year)
SDSU over Temple (This game will be very tight and could go the other way but SDSU has more talent IMO)
Duke over Texas (Barnes is too poor of a coach to beat a solid Duke team even though he has the talent to)
UConn over SDSU (Couldn't beat Jimmer, no way they beat Kemba even with great location in Anaheim)
Duke over UConn (Duke is not as good as last year but UConn doesn't have enough to beat them)
EAST REGIONAL
Ohio State over George Mason (GMU has overachieved all year but they do have a great coach)
Kentucky over West Virginia (UK much more balanced this season and West Virginia is too weak inside)
Xavier over Syracuse (Cuse hasnt impressed me and Xavier is well coached with 2nd year coach Chris Mack)
Washington over UNC (Washington can and will outrun a young, inexperienced UNC team)
Ohio State over Kentucky (Most dynamic team in the country shreds UK inside with Sullinger)
Xavier over Washington (Could go either way but I'll take Mack over Romar any day)
Ohio State over Xavier (Battle of Ohio goes to the more talented team)
SOUTHWEST REGIONAL
Kansas over Illinois (Illini have too much size for UNLV but Kansas should have their way with them)
Louisville over Richmond (Vandy is terrible in tourny but Louisville very adept at winning close games)
Purdue over G-Town (Thought G-Town might lose in first game but think they'll be focused after last year)
ND over Texas A&M (If A&M gets hot offensively, they could easily win this game though)
Louisville over Kansas (Louisville presses shaky KU guards & uses the high screen offense to thwart Morris twins
Purdue over Notre Dame (Purdue can lock ND down AND can put up enough points with Johnson to win this)
Purdue over Louisville (No way Louisville speeds Purdue up, Purdue could handle the UL press as well)
SOUTHEAST REGIONAL
Pittsburgh over Old Dominion (Game could go either way, both teams play very similar style)
Wisconsin over Utah State (Wisconsin won't beat thereselves which is what USU thrives on)
BYU over Gonzaga (St Johns beats BYU but I don't think they get by the Zags)
Florida over UCLA (UCLA should shut down MSU with ease with their suffocating defense)
Pittsburgh over Wisconsin (No big athletic teams= nobody to knock Pitt off)
Florida over BYU (Complete jokes of Sweet 16 teams, could easily see these two not making it here)
Pittsburgh over Florida (It's idiot proof Jamie Dixon!)
IMO you gave Purdue way too much credit. I also like Texas to beat Duke. Outside of that I like your breakdown. I really like your Washington take- I have them doing the exact same thing.
Nice write up. I like most of your picks. That Southwest Regional has some very tough games to pick. Just a couple of differences of opinion. I don't think Utah State beats K State and I like St. John's to make a nice run. I'm not that impressed with Gonzaga and BYU has become a 1 man show. If Villanova plays up to their potential, I think they could make a run (Obviously unlikely, because of Ohio St, but you never know). Louisville vs Kansas game would be very interesting to watch.
With Hummell I think the Boilermakers would take down Kansas. However, without him, I'm not sure they have what it takes to beat a well rounded Kansas team.
Ohio St. may run into some trouble with Kentucky...and they def. have the hardest region IMO...but I think they make it through.
Texas can beat Duke if it gets by Oakland. Texas plays the best defense in the country and Singler has been ice cold from 3pt land. Keep Smith in check and the longhorns can take them down....the youth scares me though.
And in the shit show southeast conference....I think Pitt takes it. If you look up and down the region I think Pitt is better than every team there. They can't get lazy though...and they can't sleep on an Old Domin. team in the 2nd round. I would of loved a healthy St. Johns to make a run to the sweet 16...but I also think Gonzaga is better than an #11 seed so they may have a chance to make a run and match up against Florida.
I wouldn't take Washington if I were you. UNC almost never loses NCAA Tournament games played in-state. As for saying they'll out run the Tar Heels, I'm not a big fan of Roy Williams but I at least like him more than Lorenzo Romar, especially in a game played to UNC's strength.
I also love the way Kentucky matches up with Ohio State. Terrence Jones can matchup with Jared Sullinger and can draw him to the perimeter. The presence of Josh Harrelson will require Thad Matta to play Dallas Lauderdale more than he wants to. This also means he won't be able to play Craft and Lighty, his two best defenders, together very much.
OSU is a good 3pt shooting team, but Kentucky was the best 3pt shooting team in the SEC lest we forget. OSU finally cooled off from 3 after ending the season with back to back sensational performances. Yes we all know that Ohio State doesn't foul but that's because they get the superstar treatment and I don't think they'll get that vs. Kentucky.
I don't see any upsets at all. Got a think theres going to be a few with so many vulnerable teams this year.
I love Texas and how well they play defense but I think Oakland will take them down to the wire.
In the Southeast I have Gonzaga meeting Pitt in the Elite 8. BYU will be bounced early my guess is before the end of the weekend. Florida got lucky being seeded so high at a #2 but Michigan St. has what it takes to take them down when they play to their full potential.
So much to talk about in so little time.
Last edited by D3 Mighty Ducks; 03-15-11 at 01:01 PM.
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