Rants, Rumblings, Raves, and Such on this year's NCAA Tournament

First Round Games To Watch

• #4 San Diego State vs #13 New Mexico State: New Mexico State has the potential to pull off the upset of the first round.
• #5 Cincinnati vs #12 Harvard: This is Harvard's third consecutive tournament and this may be their best team. Last year, they upset New Mexico, then a three seed. Sean Killpatrick and Cincinnati will have a tough time with the Crimson.
• #5 VCU vs #12 Stephen F. Austin: Stephen F. Austin hasn't lost since late November (Another way to put it: They have not lost in 28 games). This matchup was the toughest for me to make in my bracket.
• #6 Baylor vs #11 Nebraska: I really want to see how well Baylor plays. If they dominate, they will be a team to watch for though out the tourney.
• #6 UNC vs #11 Providence: Providence has the chance to shock a lot of people by upsetting the Tar Heels. This should be a good game.
• #8 Gonzaga vs #9 Oklahoma State: A great matchup that has two teams that have the prestige and talent to make ti deep into the tournament.

Great 1 vs. 8/9 Matchups for Round of 32

Shaq Goodwin
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This year features the strongest eight and nine seeds in a long time. Kentucky, the #8 seed in the Midwest, was the preseason number one. Oklahoma State, the #9 seed in the West, was once ranked in the top six teams in the country. Gonzaga, the #8 seed in the West, won the WCC Regular Season and Tournament and was ranked for more then half of the season. Memphis, the #8 seed in the East, was never fell out of the rankings an beat Louisville twice and Oklahoma State once. Colorado, George Washington, Kansas State, and Pittsburgh are also good teams. Off all these teams, Oklahoma State is being considered the most likely to upset a one seed in the Round of 32. However, I think that Memphis has a great chance of upsetting Virginia in their possible match-up. Memphis is a good team that has a lot of upset potential. If they beat Virginia, Joe Jackson or Shaq Goodwin will have had a fantastic game. Oklahoma State has a chance to beat Arizona, but that chance is not as good as people are making it out to be. 

Sim Bhullar and New Mexico State

Sim Bhullar may be the most intriguing player (and prospect) playing in the NCAA Tournament. Bhullar is a sophomore and is 7'5", 360 pounds. There is no one who can compare to his presence on the court. Bhullar does not put up astronomical numbers (He averages 10.3 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and 3.4 blocks per game), but when he is given shots, he usually makes them. When Bhullar plays 25+ minutes and gets over eight shot attempts, the Aggies are 5-1. They need Bhullar to play well to win and I think they will pull off the upset.

Why Kansas Won't Win The Tournament

Andrew Wiggins
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Kansas will not cut down the nets in Arlington, Texas on April 7th. They would be lucky to even play in the Final Four. While they have a lot of talent, they are missing a lot of qualities of a champ. First, is their lack of upperclassman that produce. They have only two players who are upperclassman that will play in meaningful minutes during the tournament. The one senior, Tarik Black, doesn't even average 15 minutes a game. Even the Kentucky team with the five fabulous freshman during the 2011-12 season had Darius Miller, a senior, who was arguably their most important player. Not only that, their defense is mediocre, especially without Joel Embiid. Andrew Wiggins cannot cary the Jayhawks to the title, let alone the Final Four.

Ohio State and Aaron Craft

Aaron Craft is a great player. It seems like he has been a Buckeye forever. Sadly, this is going to be his final season in the college ranks. Craft is not a scorer, but there is no point guard who can run the offense and play outstanding defense better than him. If he can get his team to score and play solid defense, Ohio State could make a run.

The Sic 'Em Bears

Cory Jefferson
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The Baylor Bears have a lot of upset potential. Led by Brady Hesslip (11.8 points per game) and Cory Jefferson (13.8 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game), the Bears offense is one of the best in the nation. However, their defense is mediocre. For them to be successful, they need Hesslip, Jefferson, Isaiah Austin, Kenny Chery, Hesslip, and Jefferson all need to play at their best and each need to get close to double-digit points.

The Cyclones

Iowa State may surprise people as a three seed this is their correct placement. The Cyclones have had outstanding year that includes winning the Big 12 Tournament. Even with one of the toughest schedule in the country, Iowa State's averages 82.9 points per game, which is sixth in the country. They have three players that average over 16 points per game. They are Melvin Ejim, DeAndre Kane, and Georges Niang. If they can get at least two of those scorers hot and can play some solid defense, the Cyclones will be hard to stop. 

Predictions

• Florida cuts down the nets inside AT&T Stadium
• Arizona, Michigan State, and Duke make the Final Four
• Oregon beats Wisconsin in the round of 32
• New Mexico State reaches the Sweet 16
• Memphis and New Mexico come close, but both lose in the final minute to Virginia and Kansas respectively
• There will be early round upsets, but the later rounds will have a lot of upper seeds