Wednesday, March 28, 2012

2012 NCAA Tournament - Final 4 Preview



Ringer's NCAA Tournament Record
ATS: 37-27
SU: 43-21

We started out with 68 teams and we have now reached the Final Four. This time around we got much more traditional schools than we saw last year. All 4 teams headed to New Orleans were a projected Top 20 team to begin the season, and have made at least 1 Final Four appearance in the past decade. I actually picked 3 of the 4 participants in my preseason predictions (http://ringersports.blogspot.com/2011/11/2012-ncaa-tournament-projections.html). Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, and Kansas were the teams that have survived and advanced. Let's take a closer look at the 2012 Final Four, that features a couple of rematches from the regular season, and 1 heated in-state rivalry.

National Semifinal - New Orleans

1 Kentucky (-8.5) vs. 4 Louisville

How they got here:

Kentucky beat: Western Kentucky 81-66, Iowa State 87-71, Indiana 102-90, Baylor 82-70
Louisville beat: Davidson 69-62, New Mexico 59-56, Michigan State 57-44, Florida 72-68

The Team Leaders:

Kentucky
Points - Anthony Davis 14.3 PPG, Doron Lamb 13.2 PPG
Rebounds - Anthony Davis 10.0 RPG, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 7.6 RPG
Assists - Marquis Teague 4.8 APG, Darius Miller 2.1 APG

Louisville
Points - Kyle Kuric 13.1 PPG, Russ Smith 11.4 PPG
Rebounds - Gorgui Dieng 9.1 RPG, Chane Behanan 7.4 RPG
Assists - Peyton Siva 5.5 APG, Chris Smith 2.1 APG

The Bluegrass State will be out of control on Saturday evening. These two teams will square off in the first meeting of the Final Four. Everyone in Kentucky roots for one of these teams. The Louisville faithful actually make up a small island of red in a sea of blue. Which means that there will be much more weight on the shoulders of the Wildcats.This is the 2nd year in a row that John Calipari has coached Kentucky to the Final Four. This year they were the tournament's #1 overall team. They have pulled off this remarkable year by starting 3 Freshmen and 2 Sophomores. Nobody gets the best out of young talent like Calipari. This group of youngsters has the chance to get Calipari his 1st national championship. Rick Pitino's squad has had a marvelous run, beginning with a Big East Tournament title. Pitino has already won a national championship - with Kentucky in 1996 - and would love nothing more than to knock off his former team. Louisville will need to get Anthony Davis in foul trouble and protect the ball to pull the upset. Kentucky has proven that they can play any style and are equally as good on both sides of the ball. They just need to make sure they don't beat themselves. If the Wildcats play their own game, they will win. Kentucky beat Louisville 69-62 back on New Year's Eve. I see a similar game here with Louisville hanging with the #1 team in the land. In the end, Kentucky will win the Battle of the Bluegrass State and get John Calipari one step closer to his 1st title.

Prediction - Kentucky 68 Louisville 65

National Semifinal - New Orleans

2 Kansas (+2.5) vs. 2 Ohio St.

How they got here:

Kansas beat: Detroit 65-50, Purdue 63-60, NC State 60-57, North Carolina 80-67
Ohio State beat: Loyola (Md) 78-59, Gonzaga 73-66, Cincinnati 81-66, Syracuse 77-70

The Team Leaders:

Kansas
Points - Thomas Robinson 17.9 PPG, Tyshaun Taylor 17.3 PPG
Rebounds - Thomas Robinson 11.8 RPG, Jeff Withey 6.2 RPG
Assists - Tyshaun Taylor 4.8 APG, Elijah Johnson 3.8 APG

Ohio State
Points - Jared Sullinger 17.6 PPG, Deshaun Thomas 15.4 PPG
Rebounds - Jared Sullinger 9.3 RPG, Deshaun Thomas 5.0 RPG
Assists - Aaron Craft 4.6 APG, William Buford 2.9 APG

When these two teams met in Lawrence, Kansas back in December, Jared Sullinger did not play for Ohio State. Kansas won that game 78-67. It should be much different this time around. Sullinger will be on the floor, setting up a battle of All-American Forwards between him and Thomas Robinson. Sullinger was an All-American as a Freshmen and all but a lock to be named one again as a Sophomore. Thomas Robinson was a virtual unknown coming into the season. He emerged as a star and was one of the best players in the nation all year. Robinson lead Kansas to the Final Four in what was supposed to be a down year for the Jayhawks. It should be a great matchup between these schools on Saturday. Ohio State has been just as impressive this season. They went through a rough patch toward the end of February, but they have righted the ship and find themselves exactly where they thought they would at the beginning of the year. This game is pretty evenly matched. Overall, I just think that the talent on Ohio State's roster is better. Sullinger will find a way to get his, Aaron Craft will suffocate Tyshaun Taylor, and the Buckeyes will get contributions from Deshaun Thomas and William Buford. Ohio State and Kentucky will meet in the National Championship Game on Monday night just like I predicted before the season began.

Prediction - Ohio St. 65 Kansas 62

Monday, March 26, 2012

2012 NFL Mock Draft 3.0

This past week was a wild one in the NFL. It started with Peyton Manning signing with the Denver Broncos. Then came the news that Sean Payton would be suspended for a year, leaving the Saints in a disarray. And then Tim Tebow was sent packing and shipped to the Big Apple to become a Jet. All of this meant that the NFL remained in the spotlight despite being in the middle of March Madness. The top NFL prospects have had their pro days now. The buzz surrounding the 2012 NFL Draft is heating up. Here is my 3rd edition of my 2012 NFL Mock Draft.

1. Indianapolis - Andrew Luck  QB/Stanford
2. Washington (via trade w/ StL) - Robert Griffin III  QB/Baylor
3. Minnesota - Matt Kalil  OT/USC
4. Cleveland - Trent Richardson  RB/Alabama
5. Tampa Bay - Morris Claiborne  CB/LSU
6. St. Louis (via trade w/ Wash) - Justin Blackmon  WR/Oklahoma St.
7. Jacksonville - Riley Reiff  OT/Iowa
8. Miami - Ryan Tannehill  QB/Texas A&M
9. Carolina - Dontari Poe  DT/Memphis
10. Buffalo - Quinton Coples  DE/North Carolina
11. Kansas City - Luke Kuechly  ILB/Boston College
12. Seattle - David DeCastro  G/Stanford
13. Arizona - Melvin Ingram  DE/South Carolina
14. Dallas - Dre Kirkpatrick  CB/Alabama
15. Philadelphia - Feltcher Cox  DT/Mississippi St.
16. NY Jets - Whitney Mercilus  DE/Illinois
17.Cincinnati - Janoris Jenkins  CB/North Alabama
18. San Diego - Johnathan Martin  OT/Stanford
19. Chicago - Andre Branch  DE/Clemson
20. Tennessee - Devon Still  DT/Penn St.
21. Cincinnati - Lamar Miller  RB/Miami
22. Cleveland - Michael Floyd  WR/Notre Dame
23. Detroit - Stephon Gilmore  CB/South Carolina
24. Pittsburgh - Cordy Glenn  OT/Georgia
25. Denver - Jerel Worthy  OT/Michigan St.
26.Houston - Stephen Hill  WR/Georgia Tech
27.  New England - Donta Hightower  LB/Alabama
28. Green Bay - Peter Konz  C/Wisconsin
29. Baltimore - Mark Barron  S/Alabama
30. San Francisco - Kendall Wright  WR/Baylor
31. New England - Brandon Thompson  DT/Clemson
32. NY Giants - Coby Fleener  TE/Stanford

http://extra-point.net/

Saturday, March 24, 2012

2012 MLB Preview

Can you feel it in the air? Spring has arrived, which means it is time to get the Major League Baseball season to get underway. The season is set to begin in just a week and a half. This offseason was full of big time moves. That should make for a very interesting year. Below is a breakdown at how I see the 2012 season unfolding. Play ball!

AL East
NY Yankees 95-67
Boston 92-70
Tampa Bay 91-71
Toronto 82-80
Baltimore 64-98

Once again, the AL East is far and away the best division in the American League. It could make for a very interesting playoff race now that there are 2 wild card teams. Essentially, there could be 3 teams from this division make the playoffs. And just because you finish in 3rd in the AL East, doesn't mean you can't win the World Series. The Yankees did not make any splashes in free agency this offseason. They return pretty much the same team that won the division last year. Boston brought in Bobby Valentine to replace Terry Francona as Manager, and hope that he can restore some order in their locker room after they wilted under pressure in 2011. Tampa Bay was the beneficiary of Boston's historic collapse. The Rays are a young squad that got valuable experience from last year's Wild Card race. Toronto will probably be the best 4th place team in baseball once again. Their lineup is loaded, but won;t be enough to overcome any of the top 3. Baltimore will suffer through another dismal year. In the end, I expect the Yankees to win the division again while Boston and Tampa Bay battle for a Wild Card berth. The Red Sox sneak in ahead of Tampa Bay this time though.

AL Central
Detroit 97-65
Cleveland 85-77
Chicago Sox 80-82
Kansas City 72-90
Minnesota 68-94

On paper, it appears that Detroit has locked up their 1st back to back division crowns since 1934 and '35. The Tigers were already going to be a heavy favorite coming into the season, and then they signed one of the game's best sluggers in Prince Fielder. Now the Tigers have a deadly lineup to accompany the game's best pitcher, Justin Verlander, and a dominant bullpen. It is World Series or busts for last year's American League runners-up. Cleveland and Kansas City have a lot of young talent, but will need to overachieve drastically to contend for the division. Chicago should meddle in mediocrity, and Minnesota has no outstanding talent outside of Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Francisco Liriano, none of which can stay healthy. Detroit will walk away with the Central and Cleveland will keep their fans interested until September.

AL West
LA Angels 94-68
Texas 93-69
Seattle 67-95
Oakland 63-99

The LA Angels made a big push to get back into contention for a World Series title with their amazing offseason. They signed the game's best hitter to Albert Pujols to a monster deal and also took their biggest rival's best pitcher when they signed CJ Wilson away from Texas. The cupboard is far from bare for the Rangers though. They still have Josh Hamilton who is in a contract year, and they are hoping that Japanese sensation Yu Darvish can fill the void left by Wilson. This will be a 2-team race. Seattle and Oakland are in rebuilding mode and will not pose a threat to the Angels and Rangers at the top of the West.

AL Batting Champ - Miguel Cabrera (Det)
AL Home Run Champ - Prince Fielder (Det)
AL RBI Champ - Adrian Gonzalez (Bos)
AL Wins Leader - Justin Verlander (Det)
AL ERA Leader - Jared Weaver (LAA)
AL Saves Leader - Mariano Rivera (NYY)

AL MVP - Adrian Gonzalez (Bos)
AL Cy Young - Justin Verlander (Det)

NL East
Philadelphia 94-68
Miami 89-73
Atlanta 87-75
Washington 79-83
NY Mets 66-96

The Phillies fell short of their expectations last season. With a pitching staff that includes Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels, anything short of a world title is a disappointment. They were disappointed in Philly last year. But now they are flying under the radar. That could be a good thing. Ryan Howard is still nursing an Achilles injury and Chase Utley is unable to stay healthy. That means they will be depending heavily upon that pitching staff. Their biggest competitors in the division could be the Miami Marlins. The Marlins had a big offseason. They hired Ozzie Guillen as Manager, signed Jose Reyes and Mark Buerhle, and they are opening a new stadium. It could be a magical year in South Beach. Atlanta has the talent to make the playoffs, but can they shake the effect of last year's collapse? Washington is an up and coming team, but they would need to be a year ahead of schedule to make a legitimate playoff push. The Mets are in disarray. They will be lucky to lose less than 90 games. The East is the Phillies to lose, but Miami and Atlanta should keep it competitive.

NL Central
Cincinnati 89-73
St. Louis 84-78
Milwaukee 84-78
Pittsburgh 75-87
Chicago Cubs 70-92
Houston 57-105

The losses of Albert Pujols from the Cardinals and Prince Fielder from the Brewers shook up the entire landscape of the NL Central. That opens the door for the other teams, especially the Reds. Cincinnati could make it back to the postseason for the 2nd time in 3 years. Now that Pujols and Fielder are gone, Joey Votto could now be the best hitter in the division. There is still enough talent remaining on Saint Louis and Milwaukee's roster to reappear in the playoffs. Milwaukee will need reigning MVP, Ryan Braun, to ignore the distraction of his failed drug test to win the Central. Saint Louis will need Adam Wainwright to return from his injury and give a boost to the pitching staff since they obviously lost offensive production when they lost Pujols. Pittsburgh will make it 2 decades straight of finishing below .500. The Cubs will continue to struggle. The Astros will have the league's worst record in their final season in the NL.

NL West
San Francisco 90-72
Arizona 88-74
LA Dodgers 83-79
Colorado 82-80
San Diego 70-92

Arizona came out of nowhere to win the NL West last season. The D-Backs have staying power. They will return to play in October, but San Francisco will be back as well. Injuries decimated the Giants last season. The World Series champs in 2010 were unable to defend their title. They will have a chance to win it again in 2012 though. Buster Posey will return from injury. He is the catalyst to the Giant offense. His return means that the Giants return to the postseason. LA has the best hitter in the division in Matt Kemp, and the reigning Cy Young winner in Clayton Kershaw. There just aren't enough pieces around them for them to make the payoffs yet. Colorado could go any direction, so the jury is out on them. San Diego will struggle and bring up the rear of the division.

NL Batting Champ - Joey Votto (Cin)
NL Home Run Champ - Jay Bruce (Cin)
NL RBI Champ - Joey Votto (Cin)
NL Wins Leader - Roy Halladay (Phil)
NL ERA Leader - Tim Lincecum (SF)
NL Saves Leader - Johnathan Papelbon (Phil)

NL MVP - Joey Votto (Cin)
NL Cy Young - Tim Lincecum (SF)

AL Wild Card
Boston over Texas

NL Wild Card
Miami over Arizona

ALDS
Detroit over Boston
LA Angels over NY Yankees

NLDS
Philadelphia over Miami
San Francisco over Cincinnati

ALCS
LA Angels over Detroit

NLCS
Philadelphia over San Francisco

World Series
Philadelphia over LA Angels

The Philadelphia Phillies will ride their outstanding pitching staff to their 2nd World Series title in 5 years. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels bring a title back to Philly!

NCAA Tournament - Elite 8 Preview

Ringer's NCAA Tournament Record
ATS: 35-25
SU: 41-19

We are deep into the Big Dance, and most of the title favorites are still dancing. Michigan State is the only 1 seed that did not make it to the Elite 8. Kentucky, Syracuse, and North Carolina are standing tall as the best teams in the nation. But as we all know too well, anything can happen in March. Here is a look at who I expect to be headed to New Orleans for the Final Four.

West Regional - Phoenix

4 Louisville (+1.5) vs. 7 Florida

How they got here:

Louisville beat: Davidson 69-62, New Mexico 59-56, Michigan St. 57-44
Florida beat: Virginia 71-45, Norfolk St. 84-50, Marquette 68-58

Players to Watch:

Louisville: G Russ Smith has been a catalyst off the bench for the Cardinals
Florida: G Bradley Beal, the Freshman needs to continue his stellar play throughout the NCAAs

Louisville was my pick to come out of this region from the beginning. In fact, I picked the Cardinals as one of my Final Four teams in the preseason. I still believe that. Peyton Siva and Russ Smith have been good in the backcourt. Gorgui Deng and Chane Behanan have picked up their games immensely and have been a big reason Louisville has won its last 7 games. This will continue as Rick Pitino will improve to 7-0 all-time against his protege, Billy Donovan.

Prediction - Louisville 58 Florida 52

East Regional - Boston

1 Syracuse (+3) vs. 2 Ohio St.

How they got here:

Syracuse beat: UNC-Asheville 72-65, Kansas St. 75-59, Wisconsin 64-63
Ohio State beat: Loyola (Md) 78-59, Gonzaga 73-66, Cincinnati 81-66

Players to Watch:

Syracuse: G Dion Waiters may be the Orange's best player. He needs to play like it against the Buckeyes.
Ohio St.: G/F William Buford needs to knock down jumpers against the vaunted Syracuse zone.

There is one glaring weakness for Ohio State, and that is the lack of outside shooters. That is what is needed in order to defeat Syracuse. Wisconsin knocked down 14 3-pointers against the Orange and still lost. Syracuse has been on a mission all season and are on the verge of their first Final Four since they won the National Championship in 2003. That Final Four took place in New Orleans, which is the site of this year's. Coincidence? Perhaps, but the Orange gets Jim Boeheim back to the Final Four.

Prediction - Syracuse 65 Ohio St. 62

South Regional - Atlanta

1 Kentucky (-7.5) vs. 3 Baylor

How they got here:

Kentucky beat: Western Kentucky 81-66, Iowa State 87-71, Indiana 102-90
Baylor beat: South Dakota State 68-60, Colorado 80-63, Xavier 75-70

Players to Watch:

Kentucky: G Marquis Teague needs to continue his emergence as a scorer.
Baylor: F Perry Jones III has to play to his potential to give the Bears a chance.

Kentucky has been the best team all season. They have played like it in the NCAA Tournament as well. They appear to be headed towards New Orleans. Baylor has the talent to compete with Kentucky, but they seldom play to their full potential. The Bears were overmatched almost every time they played an e.ite team this season. They will hang with Kentucky for a bit, but when it is all said and done John Calipari's squad will be going back to the Final Four for the 2nd year in a row.

Prediction - Kentucky 78 Baylor 70

Midwest Regional - St. Louis

1 North Carolina (+2) vs. 2 Kansas

How they got here:

North Carolina beat: Vermont 77-58, Creighton 87-73, Ohio 73-65 OT
Kansas beat: Detroit 65-50, Purdue 63-60, NC State 60-57

Players to Watch:

North Carolina: F Harrison Barnes has to play like an All-American in Kendall Marshall's absence
Kansas: G Tyshaun Taylor should be able to exploit UNC's PG of choice

North Carolina is back in the Elite 8 for another traditional battle. This time around they get Kansas. Roy Williams has had the pleasure of coaching at both schools, winning 2 national titles at UNC. Bill Self took over at Kansas when Williams departed, and won a national title himself in 2008. Both teams are solid down low. Carolina possesses 2 All-ACC performers in Tyler Zeller and Jon Henson. Kansas has Player of the Year finalist Thomas Robinson and blocking machine Jeff Withey. But this game will be won in the backcourt. The loss of Kendall Marshall is a major blow to the Tar Heels. They looked completely out of sync against Ohio without him. No Marshall, means no Final Four for Carolina.

Prediction - Kansas 60 North Carolina 57

Monday, March 19, 2012

2012 NCAA Tournament - Sweet 16 Preview

Ringer's NCAA Tournament Record
ATS: 31-21
SU: 34-18

The weekend was not quite as wild as the Round of 64 was. Some order was restored, but thanks to opening round upsets we still wound up with 3 double-digit seeds (Xavier, NC State, and Ohio). The power conferences have made their presence known, taking up 14 of the 16 slots in the Sweet 16. The only 2 teams that are not part of a power conference are Xavier and Ohio. We all get a few days to recover from a busy weekend, as games will get going again on Thursday night. Here is a look at how I expect the Sweet 16 to shake out.

East Regional - Boston

1 Syracuse (-4) vs. 4 Wisconsin

I picked Vandy to come out of this region on Selection Sunday. Wisconsin won a prototypical Badger game with them on Saturday to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 2nd straight year. The Badgers dominated Montana in the opening round before winning the hard fought contest with Vandy. Syracuse has had their struggles in both games without Fab Melo. They nearly became the first 1 seed to lose to a 16 seed against UNC-Asheville and needed a strong 2nd Half performance to eventually overcome Kansas State. This game comes down to Wisconsin's ability to hit the 3-pointer. I like Syracuse to hold Wisconsin's shooters in check and grind out another victory.

Prediction - Syracuse 59 Wisconsin 53


2 Ohio St. (-7 ) vs. 6 Cincinnati

The state of Ohio is well represented in the Sweet 16. For the 1st time ever, one state has 4 schools in the Sweet 16. This matchup assures that there will be at least 1 Ohio school in the Elite 8. Ohio State looked a bit lackadaisical in their opening win over Loyola (Md) but overwhelmed them with talent. They faced a stiffer test against Gonzaga and they got an outstanding game from Aaron Craft and timely play from Jared Sullinger down the stretch to come out on top. Cincinnati is playing their best ball of the year. After reaching the Big East Tournament final, they have beaten talented Texas and Florida State teams in the NCAAs. This will be a physical game. The team that takes care of the ball and knocks down free throws will move on to represent Ohio. That team will be the Buckeyes.

Prediction - Ohio St. 71 Cincinnati 68

West Regional - Phoenix

1 Michigan St. (-4.5) vs. 4 Louisville

This should be a knock down, drag them out type of game. Michigan State survived a tough Saint Louis squad to reach familiar territory, the Sweet 16. Louisville is looking to become this year's UConn. Like the Huskies did last year, Louisville had an impressive run to claim the Big East Tournament title and have carried their strong play into the NCAA Tournament. I had these teams meeting int he Sweet 16 the day the brackets were announced. I picked Louisville to win the West Regional then, and I am sticking to my guns. Rick Pitino will force the Spartans to turn the ball over with full court pressure and the Cardinals advance.

Prediction - Louisville 62 Michigan St. 56


3 Marquette (-2) vs. 7 Florida

Florida was probably the biggest beneficiary of the Norfolk State upset of Missouri. That win gave the Gators a pass into the Sweet 16. Florida's 2 wins in the Big Dance have come by a combined 60 points versus Virginia and Norfolk State. People tend to forget that Billy Donovan has done this a time or two. Florida will square off with Marquette in Phoenix. The Golden Eagles outlasted two of the better mid-major teams in the country in BYU and Murray State. They will have to prove their worth against one of the big boys now. Florida has the talent to win this game, but I like the dynamic of Marquette's team.

Prediction - Marquette 70 Florida 69

South Regional - Atlanta

1 Kentucky (-9) vs. 4 Indiana

Just about everyone had Kentucky advancing to this point in the tourney and beyond. Many overlooked Indiana and their potential though. Remember, the Hoosiers were 1 of only 2 teams to beat Kentucky all season. Indiana controlled their game against New Mexico State in its entirety. They only controlled the final minutes against VCU, but that was enough to move Indiana into the Sweet 16 for the 1st time in a decade. Kentucky has advanced with relative ease, defeating Western Kentucky and Iowa State. This Indiana team is gritty and Tom Crean will get them battle Kentucky to the final seconds. When it comes down to it though, the Wildcats will avenge their early season loss and march on.

Prediction - Kentucky 69 Indiana 68


3 Baylor (-6) vs. 10 Xavier

Xavier is 1 of 3 double digit seeds remaining in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Meaning that they have a chance to officially be crowned Cinderella this year. Nobody has ever doubted the talent of Xavier. They were ranked the top 10 at one point this year. After the ugly brawl against Cincinnati, they finished the year 13-12. But they are playing well now and are capable of beating anyone. the same can be said about Baylor. The Bears are without a doubt one of the most talented teams in the country. If their players utilize that talent Baylor is a legitimate National Championship contender. One of these teams will have the opportunity to showcase their talent against Kentucky.

Prediction - Baylor 80 Xavier 76

Midwest Regional - St. Louis

1 North Carolina (-10.5) vs. 13 Ohio

After North Carolina defeated and Creighton and then later when Purdue jumped out to an early lead on Kansas, the Tar Heels looked like a sure thing to reach the Final Four. But then news broke that PG Kendall Marshall suffered a fractured wrist, and Kansas stormed back to beat Purdue. Now Carolina's future does not look so certain. They get the lowest remaining seed in the tournament in the Sweet 16. Ohio has pulled off upsets of Michigan and South Florida. They need to pull off the biggest upset of all to reach their 1st Regional Final since 1964. It won't be easy, even if Kendall Marshall doesn't play. Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, Jon Henson and others will step up and end Ohio's Cinderella run.

Prediction - North Carolina 76 Ohio 64


2 Kansas (-7.5) vs. 11 NC State

If North Carolina beats Ohio then this game will set up a story line for the Elite 8. If Kansas and Carolina play it will be all about Roy Williams. If NC State pulls the upset it will be all about the Tobacco Road rivalry. The Wolfpack is vying to make it 2 years in a row that a double digit seed makes it to the Midwest Regional Final. It was VCU in 2011, and guess who they beat to reach the Final Four? Kansas. NC State still has some work ahead of them to reach the Final Four even if they win this game. They have had a nice run for a team that was on the bubble nonetheless. They will have to get past the nation's biggest overachievers. Kansas wasn't expected to be as strong as year's past in 2012. But here they are about to make it to the Elite 8.

Prediction - Kansas 74 NC State 68