Ringer's Record
ATS: 3-1
SU: 2-2
Midwest Regional - Auburn Hills
3 Michigan St. (-10.5) vs. 14 Valpo
How they got here:
Michigan State: Big Ten, At-Large
Valpo: Horizon Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
Michigan State: 8-7
Valpo: 0-2
Valpo's coach, Bryce Drew, was once a March Madness hero for the team he coaches now. The Crusaders will need to find another hero if they want to have any chance of knocking off Sparty. Michigan State always plays well in March.
Prediction: Michigan St. 70 Valpo 65
East Regional - Lexington
6 Butler (-3.5) vs. 11 Bucknell
How they got here:
Butler: Atlantic-10, At-Large
Bucknell: Patriot Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
Butler: 6-6
Bucknell: 2-1
Butler became the darling of March with back-to-back appearances in the National Championship Game in 2010 and 2011. Bucknell is looking to make a name for themselves in 2013.
Prediction - Butler 69 Bucknell 61
West Regional - Salt Lake City
8 Pittsburgh (-4.5) vs. 9 Wichita St.
How they got here:
Pittsburgh: Big East, At-Large
Wichita State: MVC, At-Large
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Pittsburgh: 5-7
Wichita State: 2-2
Pittsburgh has made it a habit of underachieving in March. Wichita State will be the latest team looking to send Pitt packing early.
Prediction - Pittsburgh 69 Wichita St. 62
Midwest Regional - San Jose
4 St. Louis (-9) vs. 13 New Mexico St.
How they got here:
St. Louis: Atlantic-10 Champions
New Mexico State: WAC Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
St. Louis: 8-2
New Mexico State: 0-3
Saint Louis has been playing for their fallen former coach, Rick Majerus, all season long. They have had a remarkable run. New Mexico State stands in their way looking to gain a signature win for the program.
Prediction - St. Louis 67 New Mexico St. 52
Midwest Regional - Auburn Hills
6 Memphis (-1) vs. 11 St. Mary's
How they got here:
Memphis: Conference USA Champions
St. Mary's beat: Middle Tennessee 67-54
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
Memphis: 1-3
St. Mary's: 4-4
Memphis steamrolled its way to regular season and tournament titles in Conference USA. The problem is, the Tigers didn't have to beat anyone to achieve that. The only tournament team that Memphis beat all year was Harvard. St. Mary's beat Harvard too, as well as a couple other tourney teams along the way.
Prediction - St. Mary's 78 Memphis 71
East Regional - Lexington
3 Marquette (-3.5) vs. 14 Davidson
How they got here:
Marquette: Big East, At-Large
Davidson: SoCon Champions
Record vs. Tournament Champions
Marquette: 6-7
Davidson: 1-3
Marquette won a share of a conference title in one of the most difficult conference's in the nation. Davidson has 17 consecutive games. Both teams have had terrific seasons, but only one can march on.
Prediction - Marquette 82 Davidson 76
West Regional - Salt Lake City
1 Gonzaga (-22) vs. 16 Southern
How they got here:
Gonzaga: WCC Champions
Southern: SWAC Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Gonzaga: 8-2
Southern: 0-1
Gonzaga's balanced attack is the main reasons the Zags finished the season ranked #1. Southern will have to find a way to deal with that, despite not playing anyone of this caliber all season.
Prediction - Gonzaga 95 Southern 60
Midwest Regional - San Jose
5 Oklahoma St. (-2) vs. 12 Oregon
How they got here:
Oklahoma St.: Big 12, At-Large
Oregon: Pac-12 Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Oklahoma St.: 6-6
Oregon: 4-5
Oklahoma State is lead by one of the nation's top freshmen in Marcus Smart. Smart has the potential to be a breakout star if he can lead the Pokes on a tourney run. Oregon feels like one of the most disrespected teams in the field. The Pac-12 champions only received a 12-seed and are out to prove they are better than that.
Prediction - Oklahoma St. 75 Oregon 74
Midwest Regional - Lexington
1 Louisville (-26.5) vs. 16 North Carolina A&T
How they got here:
Louisville: Big East Champions
North Carolina A&T beat: Liberty 73-72
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
Louisville: 11-5
North Carolina A&T: 1-2
There is no team that has played better than Louisville over the past month. That is why they became the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina A&T played in a "First Four" outing and held off Liberty on Tuesday night. Their run ends here.
Prediction - Louisville 91 North Carolina A&T 45
South Regional - Auburn Hills
4 Michigan (-11) vs. 13 South Dakota St.
How they got here:
Michigan: Big Ten, At-Large
South Dakota St.: Summit Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Michigan: 8-6
South Dakota St.: 2-2
Many people don;t realize that two of the best players in the country are in this game. Of course everyone knows Trey Burke of Michigan, but not many people know Nate Wolters of South Dakota State. Burke has plenty of help on his side. Wolters will need to find some help or have an epic game to move the Jackrabbits past Michigan.
Prediction - Michigan 89 South Dakota St. 65
West Regional - Salt Lake City
6 Arizona (-4.5) vs. 11 Belmont
How they got here:
Arizona: Pac-12, At-Large
Belmont: OVC Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Arizona: 5-5
Belmont: 2-2
Arizona was one of the last undefeated teams in the country. During their hot start they went 4-0 against NCAA Tournament teams. Since then they have been just 1-5 versus tourney teams. Belmont has been one of the most steady mid-major programs in recent years. Many view this as a potential upset in the making.
Prediction - Arizona 74 Belmont 67
East Regional - San Jose
5 UNLV (-3) vs. 12 Cal
How they got here:
UNLV: MWC, At-Large
Cal: Pac-12, At-Large
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
UNLV: 8-6
Cal: 6-6
These teams met in the regular season. UNLV won by 1-point on a last second bucket. This game should be very competitive as well. Both teams are battle-tested as UNLV played 14 games against tourney teams and Cal played 12. Only one can march on though.
Prediction - UNLV 79 Cal 73
Midwest Regional - Lexington
8 Colorado St. (+3) vs. 9 Missouri
How they got here:
Colorado St.: MWC, At-Large
Missouri: SEC, At-Large
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Colorado St.: 4-7
Missouri: 5-5
This game will be won in the paint. Colorado State is a terrific rebounding team and are lead by big man Colton Iverson. Missouri will counter with Laurence Bowers and Alex Ohriaki. The Tigers have had a disappointing season and will be hungry to avenge last year's early exit as a 2 seed.
Prediction - Missouri 75 Colorado St. 71
South Regional - Auburn Hills
5 VCU (-7.5) vs. 12 Akron
How they got here:
VCU: Atlantic-10, At-Large
Akron: MAC Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
VCU: 5-7
Akron: 1-2
VCU made a name for themselves as a mid-major and have leveraged that into becoming a nationally recognized program. That is the model Akron is looking to follow. The Zips task will be difficult without Alex Abreu at PG. Their Freshmen backup will be asked to handle VCU's havoc. Luckily, they have one of the best unknown players in the country in 7-footer Zeke Marshall.
Prediction - VCU 69 Akron 66
West Regional - Salt Lake City
3 New Mexico (-11) vs. Harvard
How they got here:
New Mexico: MWC Champions
Harvard: Ivy Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
New Mexico: 13-4
Harvard: 1-2
New Mexico is the nation's best kept secret. The Lobos could make a legit run to the Final Four. They won 13 games against tournament teams this season. They play outstanding defense and have the MWC POY in Kendall WIlliams. Harvard grinded their way to a second consecutive tournament appearance. They will have to grind some more if they want to advance.
Prediction - New Mexico 73 Harvard 59
East Regional - San Jose
4 Syracuse (-12.5) vs. 13 Montana
How they got here:
Syracuse: Big East, At-Large
Montana: Big Sky Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Syracuse: 7-8
Montana: 0-3
Syracuse sputtered toward the end of the regular season. They found their way again in the Bog East Tournament by reaching the final before running into a Louisville buzzsaw. The Orange's 2-3 zone always gives teams trouble in a tournament setting. Montana will be playing without their best player, Mathias Ward, and will need others to step up if the Grizzlies want to pull the upset.
Prediction - Syracuse 69 Montana 54
Midwest Regional - Philadelphia
2 Duke (-18) vs. 15 Albany
How they got here:
Duke: ACC, At-Large
Albany: AEC Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Duke: 11-2
Albany: 0-1
Duke will not underestimate Albany on Friday, you can bet on that. As a 2 seed last year, Duke was shocked in the opening round by Lehigh. They certainly don;t want to see that happen again. I'm sure Albany has studied tape of last year's upset, but I'm sure Coach K and his crew has too.
Prediction - Duke 85 Albany 64
West Regional - Kansas City
5 Wisconsin (-5) vs. 12 Ole Miss
How they got here:
Wisconsin: Big Ten, At-Large
Ole Miss: SEC Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Wisconsin: 9-8
Ole Miss: 3-3
The team who controls the tempo in this game will likely come out on top. Wisconsin likes to slow it down and take time off of the clock before getting the best shot available. Ole Miss likes to get up and down and can score with the best of them. The difference here could be the Badgers' balanced attack versus the Rebels' one man show of Marshall Henderson.
Prediction - Wisconsin 73 Ole Miss 61
East Regional - Dayton
8 NC State (-4) vs. 9 Temple
How they got here:
NC State: ACC, At-Large
Temple: Atlantic-10, At-Large
Record vs. Tournament Teams
NC State: 2-6
Temple: 5-3
This should be a fun game to watch. Both teams can score the ball and will look to do it in bunches. NC State was the ACC favorite coming into the season, but underperformed throughout much of the year. They can make up for that by making a deep run in March.
Prediction - NC State 79 Temple 76
East Regional - Austin
2 Miami (-13) vs. 15 Pacific
How they got here:
Miami: ACC Champions
Pacific: Big West Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Miami: 8-3
Pacific: 1-3
This has been quite a breakout year for the U's basketball program. A deep, talented, and experienced roster has put it all together. As experienced as they may be, that experience doesn't include NCAA Tournament action. They can't have a letdown, or Pacific will look to become just the fifth 15 seed to win an NCAA Tourney game.
Prediction - Miami 67 Pacific 65
Midwest Regional - Philadelphia
7 Creighton (-3.5) vs. 10 Cincinnati
How they got here:
Creighton: MVC Champions
Cincinnati: Big East, At-Large
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
Creighton: 5-3
Cincinnati: 6-8
Creighton and Cincinnati love to shoot the three. The three best players on the court for this game can all stroke the ball. Doug McDermott of Creighton is a National POY candidate, and Sean Kilpatrick and Cashmere Wright of Cincinnati can light it up. Whoever shoots better from behind the arc will have a leg up in advancing.
Prediction - Creighton 68 Cincinnati 60
West Regional - Kansas City
4 Kansas St. (-6) vs. 13 LaSalle
How they got here:
Kansas St.: Big 12, At-Large
LaSalle Beat: Boise St. 80-71
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
Kansas St.: 6-7
LaSalle: 4-5
K-State shared a conference title this year. That is a huge deal in the Little Apple. They also beat every team on their schedule that they were supposed to beat. They are the favorites here. LaSalle won't be intimidated though. They beat all of the top dogs in a very strong A-10 this year.
Prediction - Kansas St. 73 LaSalle 55
East Regional - Dayton
1 Indiana (-21.5) vs. 16 James Madison
How they got here:
Indiana: Big Ten, At-Large
James Madison beat: LIU-Brooklyn 68-55
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
Indiana: 9-6
James Madison: 1-1
Indiana was the oddsmakers favorite coming into the season. They lost some games during the season, but are still widely regarded as the most talented team in the country. They have two National POY candidates in Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo. Zeller, Oladipo, and the rest of the crew should have no problem advancing.
Prediction - Indiana 94 James Madison 64
East Regional - Austin
7 Illinois (-1) vs. 10 Colorado
How they got here:
Illinois: Big Ten, At-Large
Colorado: Pac-12, At-Large
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Illinois: 6-9
Colorado: 5-5
Illinois and Colorado have had up and down seasons. Both teams started off the season strong in the non-conference. Both got off to terrible starts to conference play. Then both came on strong at the end of the season. This will probably be an up and down game, with whoever makes the last run winning.
Prediction - Colorado 77 Illinois 74
South Regional - Philadelphia
2 Georgetown (-13.5) vs. 15 Florida Gulf Coast
How they got here:
Georgetown: Big East, At-Large
Florida Gulf Coast: Atlantic Sun Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Georgetown: 9-5
Florida Gulf Coast: 1-3
Georgetown wasn't expected to be one of the nation's best teams this year, but they were. The primary reason for that is that Otto Porter wasn't expected to be one of the nation's best players this year, but he is. FGCU won't back down though. The Eagles already own a win over another 2 seed this year, beating Miami in November. They would love to make history in their first ever trip to the big dance.
Prediction - Georgetown 68 Florida Gulf Coast 62
West Regional - Dayton
2 Ohio St. (-14) vs. 15 Iona
How they got here:
Ohio St.: Big Ten Champions
Iona: MAAC Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
Ohio St.: 9-7
Iona: 1-1
This is a classic matchup of offense versus defense. Iona is one of the most offensively efficient teams in the country. Ohio State is one of the most defensively efficient teams in the country. The Buckeyes are playing their best basketball at the right time. They have won their last six games against teams in the field of 68.
Prediction - Ohio St. 85 Iona 51
South Regional - Kansas City
8 North Carolina (-4) vs. 9 Villanova
How they got here:
North Carolina: ACC, At-Large
Villanova: Big East, At-Large
Record vs. Tournament Teams
North Carolina: 2-8
Villanova: 4-8
North Carolina has played much better late in the season. PJ Hairston was inserted to the starting lineup and the Tar Heels have been a different team since. They haven;t proven it against top competition though. That is something Villanova did, racking up three wins over Top 5 teams this year.
Prediction - North Carolina 73 Villanova 65
South Regional - Austin
3 Florida (-20.5) vs. 14 Northwestern St.
How they got here:
Florida: SEC, At-Large
Northwestern St.: Southland Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Florida: 5-4
Northwestern St.: 0-1
Here is another battle of offense versus defense. Northwestern State leads the country in scoring. Florida is very stout defensively. The Demons like to push the tempo. Luckily for Florida they have plenty of depth to play that style.
Prediction - Florida 70 Northwestern St. 52
South Regional - Philadelphia
7 San Diego St. (-3) vs. 10 Oklahoma
How they got here:
San Diego St.: MWC, At-Large
Oklahoma: Big 12, At-Large
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
San Diego St.: 5-8
Oklahoma: 4-7
This will be a hard-nosed game. Neither of these teams could be classified as finesse. They are both going to try to outwork their opponents. Since you know what your going to get from these squads, it's going to come down to the team that put the ball in the hoop. Sounds easy enough right?
Prediction - San Diego St. 72 Oklahoma 70
West Regional - Dayton
7 Notre Dame (-1.5) vs. 10 Iowa St.
How they got here:
Notre Dame: Big East, At-Large
Iowa St.: Big 12, At-Large
Record vs. Tournament Teams:
Notre Dame: 6-5
Iowa St.: 7-8
It all comes down to the three-point shot. If Iowa State is hitting them, they can beat anybody. If they aren't, then they aren't very good. You can bet that Notre Dame will be honed in on defending the three.
Prediction - Notre Dame 71 Iowa St. 67
South Regional - Kansas City
1 Kansas (-20.5) vs. 16 Western Kentucky
How they got here:
Kansas: Big 12 Champions
Western Kentucky: Sun Belt Champions
Record vs. Tournament Teams
Kansas: 12-3
Western Kentucky: 0-4
Kansas just reloads. They lost All-American Thomas Robinson to the NBA Draft this year and didn't miss a beat. Here they are again with a #1 seed and a favorite to reach the Final Four. Western Kentucky reloads to an extent. They are in contention in the Sun Belt every year, albeit not on a national level.
Prediction - Kansas 84 Western Kentucky 50
South Regional - Austin
6 UCLA (+3) vs. 11 Minnesota
How they got here:
UCLA: Pac-12, At-Large
Minnesota: Big Ten, At-Large
Record vs. Tournament Teams
UCLA: 7-5
Minnesota: 6-8
The loss of Jordan Adams has relegated UCLA to the role of underdog despite being seeded five spots higher than Minnesota. The Bruins still have Shabazz Muhammed who will be looked upon to carry the load. Often times winning in March revolves around guard play. Minnesota has strong guard play lead by Andre Hollins.
Prediction - Minnesota 78 UCLA 76
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