So for those of you who can't get enough analysis, here's Part 1 of the Cats' Cradle NCAA Tournament bracket breakdown.
Region: East
Team to beat: No.1 Kentucky. Many have pegged the Wildcats as a sure bet to make the Final Four and I can't blame them. Kentucky dominated the SEC Tournament and only lost two games in 2009-10. The Wildcats also have a fantastic freshmen duo in John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins so if they grow up quickly, it could be curtains for the rest in the East.
Best game: No. 5 Temple vs No. 12 Cornell. Now, I know you must be wondering if I'm off my rocker, but hear me out. Temple is coached by Fran Dunphy, who was a long-time coach Pennsylvania, who like Cornell, is in the Ivy League. Dunphy knows what the Big Red are all about (slow tempo, 3-point marksmen and half-court trap artists) so unlike other squads, the Owls won't be confused.
Potential upset: No. 11 Washington over No. 6 Marquette. The Huskies come into the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning 12 of their last 14 games. Washington also beat California to claim the Pac-10 title last weekend. The Golden Eagles earned an at-large bid by making some noise in the Big East. MU doesn't have depth, so if the Huskies can get the Golden Eagles into foul trouble, look for Washington to advance.
First-round winners: No. 1 Kentucky, No. 8 Texas, No. 5 Temple, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 11 Washington, No. 3 New Mexico, No. 7 Clemson and No. 2 West Virginia.
Best game: No. 5 Temple vs No. 12 Cornell. Now, I know you must be wondering if I'm off my rocker, but hear me out. Temple is coached by Fran Dunphy, who was a long-time coach Pennsylvania, who like Cornell, is in the Ivy League. Dunphy knows what the Big Red are all about (slow tempo, 3-point marksmen and half-court trap artists) so unlike other squads, the Owls won't be confused.
Potential upset: No. 11 Washington over No. 6 Marquette. The Huskies come into the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning 12 of their last 14 games. Washington also beat California to claim the Pac-10 title last weekend. The Golden Eagles earned an at-large bid by making some noise in the Big East. MU doesn't have depth, so if the Huskies can get the Golden Eagles into foul trouble, look for Washington to advance.
First-round winners: No. 1 Kentucky, No. 8 Texas, No. 5 Temple, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 11 Washington, No. 3 New Mexico, No. 7 Clemson and No. 2 West Virginia.
Region: Midwest
Team to beat: Kansas. Other than Kentucky, the Jayhawks must be one of the most-unanimous picks to cut down the nets in April. Kansas has a great inside-out game as well as solid senior leaderhsip. The Jayhawks have also been there before (winning in 2008), so don't expect them to be scared on the big stage.
Best (potential) game: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Georgetown. Both squads are loaded with lottery-pick talent and pose threats to any opponent. If the Buckeyes meet up the Hoyas in the Sweet 16, watch out.
Potential upset: No. 11 San Diego State over No. 6 Tennessee. The Azteks are a difficult draw for the Volunteers, who had been assuming they'd receive a better seed. SDSU is tough in the post (freshman forward Kawhi Leonard grabbed 21 rebounds in the Mountain West championship game) and lock down on opposing shooters (40.5-percent field-goal percentage). The Azteks lack a true scorer, so if Wayne Chism or J.P. Price go off for Tennessee, this potential upset won't be.
First-round winners: No. 1 Kansas, No. 8 UNLV, No. 5 Michigan State, No. 4 Maryland, No. 11 San Diego State, No. 3 Georgetown, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 2 Ohio State.
**Be sure to check back tomorrow for the South and West Region breakdowns.**
Best (potential) game: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Georgetown. Both squads are loaded with lottery-pick talent and pose threats to any opponent. If the Buckeyes meet up the Hoyas in the Sweet 16, watch out.
Potential upset: No. 11 San Diego State over No. 6 Tennessee. The Azteks are a difficult draw for the Volunteers, who had been assuming they'd receive a better seed. SDSU is tough in the post (freshman forward Kawhi Leonard grabbed 21 rebounds in the Mountain West championship game) and lock down on opposing shooters (40.5-percent field-goal percentage). The Azteks lack a true scorer, so if Wayne Chism or J.P. Price go off for Tennessee, this potential upset won't be.
First-round winners: No. 1 Kansas, No. 8 UNLV, No. 5 Michigan State, No. 4 Maryland, No. 11 San Diego State, No. 3 Georgetown, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 2 Ohio State.
**Be sure to check back tomorrow for the South and West Region breakdowns.**
4 comments:
I’m really excited about the 2010 NCAA Men’s College Basketball tournament. I try to enter as many free March Madness contests online at various sites as possible. When I fill out the brackets, it’s rare for me to have two that are the same. However, if I could only fill out one bracket, I’d have Kansas, Syracuse, West Virginia, and Baylor in the Final Four. I’d put Syracuse and West Virginia in the championship game, with Syracuse winning. It should be an interesting tournament though.
Kansas, Syracuse, West Virginia and Baylor? Sounds like a good Final Four.
My only question would be West Virginia in that mix. They don't have the necessary guards to go deep in the NCAA Tournament. That being said, the Mountaineer would be hard-pressed to make the championship game.
Thanks for stopping by.
From: Joseph
Who cares who you think will win the NCAA tournament? Just one more thing your paper will probably get wrong. Nice job working yourself into an article. Why can't you write without the ego of the Titanic like Randy Stevens does?
Joseph,
Sometimes it's fun to attempt to predict the results of a big event, like the NCAA Tournament. No one ever has a perfect bracket (that teenager on ESPN was close last year) but it doesn't make it any less fun to try to hammer them down.
Thanks for stopping by.
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