Hello again, everyone. Well folks, we made it. Tournament time is upon us, and we get to see how our brackets will be obliterated this year. This year's bracket caused some serious headaches for some programs that felt as if they were slighted by the selection committee; Indiana State, USF, St. John's, I know that feeling. All in all, this college basketball season was mid to say the least. It seems like whoever was number 1 in the polls would lose their following game, and there were some weeks where multiple teams in the top ten of the polls would lose.
Be that as it may, the number one seeds are defending national champion Connecticut, Houston, Purdue, and North Carolina. Of those teams, only UConn won their conference tournament. The others fell in the conference finals or semis. In the East region, three of last year's Final Four teams are in: UConn, Florida Atlantic, and San Diego State. The other one, Miami, failed to reach the tournament this year. What's interesting to note is that all three teams are in the top half of the region; FAU is seeded eighth, while SDSU is seeded fifth. This means that a rematch of last year's title game would take place in the Sweet Sixteen. I don't think it matters all that much though. The only team I see giving Connecticut any competition is Illinois, and even if they do, they have to do so in Boston. So, UConn gets the East.
(Connecticut Post)
In the West region, North Carolina is the top seed, and with the exception of their ACC Final loss to NC State, have been playing really well down the stretch. Now watch them get upended by Michigan State (who has zero business being in the tournament imho) in the second round. Beyond that, I think the best teams that could take down the Heels are Arizona, the number two seed, and Baylor, the three seed. Watch for Grand Canyon and New Mexico to pull first round upsets. My pick for the West? Arizona.
(Bleacher Report)
In the South, Houston (and Robeson County's very own Kelvin Sampson) is the top seed. I don't think they reach the Final Four though, to me, we may get a rematch of the 1992 East Regional classic between Duke and Kentucky. Potential upsets include #11 seed NC State, and #12 seed James Madison. Florida is in this region too, although I strongly doubt the get past the second round. My pick to win the South? Kentucky.
(Antonio Reeves, from AZ Central)
Finally, we have the Midwest, Purdue looks to exact revenge from the last year's tournament debacle, which is why Florida Atlantic got to the Final Four to begin with. They shouldn't have trouble this season, unless Tennessee or Creighton play out of their minds this year and pull the surprise. If any upsets come out of this region, it could be 13-seed Samford over 4-seed Kansas; the Jayhawks will be without their leading scorer for the tournament and have been sputtering down the stretch. But I think this is the year Purdue gets over the hump and reaches the Final Four.
Zach Eady
In Glendale, I have Connecticut outlasting Arizona and Purdue beating Kentucky to set up a matchup between last year's champ, UConn and the team with the best player nationally Purdue. The only other time that a top seed was knocked out in the first round was in 2018, when UMBC upset UVA, and Virginia wound up winning the whole thing the very next year. I don't think That will be the case this year, as UConn's devil magic will prevail in the end. So, my national title pick this year? The Connecticut Huskies.
Good boy!!
Bony Scribe
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