#1 Indiana Hoosiers (27-6)
- Indiana, preseason number 1 in the nation and now, a number 1 seed, but in the East region. Indiana's punishment for not winning the Big 10 tournament was being sent to the East region where they will not get to play the sweet 16 and elite 8 games in their backyard, Indianapolis. But the Hoosiers are still the favorites to win the East and are many peoples pick to cut down the nets in Atlanta. Victor Oladipo may not have won Big 10 player of the year but he will possibly win national player of the year, especially if he keeps making highlight dunks. No one would be surprised if Indiana was to win it all. Head Coach Tom Crean has Final Four experience with Marquette and is hoping to get a championship trophy like his brother-in-law recently did.
- Tournament appearances: 36 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost to Kentucky in the sweet 16
#2 Miami Hurricanes (27-6)
- Miami was the hottest team in the country for the months of January and February and although they did not finish quite as hot as they started, they were able to win both the ACC regular season and tournament championships. Shane Larkin has proven himself as one of the best Point Guards in the country and when he starts knocking down his shot, he is lethal from anywhere inside of half-court. I had my 3 year old daughter fill out a bracket this year, and she picked Miami to win it all. I highly doubt that will happen, but if I'm wrong, my daughter will have plenty of bragging rights for a long time.
- Tournament appearances: 6 (last appeared in 2008)
#3 Marquette Golden Eagles (23-8)
- If you were to ask anyone who won the Big East this year, I can guarantee that most people would think of Louisville and Georgetown, but few people took notice that Marquette also finished as a part of that 3-way tie for the regular season title. The Golden Eagles had a solid year and only lost once to a "bad team", the Green Bay Phoenix (who did finish with 18 wins). Marquette should be a sweet 16 team, but I don't expect much more from them than that.
- Tournament appearances: 30 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost to Florida in the sweet 16
#4 Syracuse Orange
- On March 9th, Syracuse scored 39 points. No, not in the first half or in the second half, but in the entire game. They lost to Georgetown by 22 points in the final regular season Big East game. I was quick to assume that for all intents and purposes, the Syracuse season was over. They would maybe play a game or two in the tournament but would not be of much significance. But then Syracuse almost went on a Gerry McNamara-like run through the Big East tournament and looked poised to win the championship game over Louisville. Then in the second half after leading the game by 16 points, they suddenly shut down. They were outscored by 30 points in the second half. I have no idea which Syracuse team will show up for which game. I think they'll beat Montana in the first round, but maybe my wife will have correctly picked that upset (she has Montana going to the Elite 8).
- Tournament appearances: 30 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost to Ohio State in the elite 8
#5 UNLV Rebels (25-9)
- UNLV will take on Cal in the first round of the tournament. Hmm, I seem to remember these teams playing each other in the not too distant past. The Rebels were able to beat Cal in Berkeley by 1 point. Now, one might say that this game is on a neutral court so advantage UNLV. But this game is only about an hour south of Cal's home. So this should be another great game. UNLV has a very exciting Freshman, Anthony Bennett, who is big but also versatile and can shoot from distance, making nearly 40% from long range. The Rebels have the talent, now its all about putting it together at the right time.
- Tournament appearances: 19 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost to Colorado in the first round
#6 Butler Bulldogs (26-8)
- Ever man in America wishes he could be Brad Stevens. The Butler head coach was working at a pharmaceutical company when back in 2000 he decided to quit and became a volunteer assistant for Butler. He eventually became a full-time assistant and then head coach. I know I would quit my job today if it meant I could become a head coach somewhere. He is living the dream. Not only is he head coach of a division one basketball team, but he has led that team to two Final Fours (it still breaks my heart to this day this this shot didn't go in). As long as Brad Stevens is Butler's head coach you can never count the Bulldogs out. Butler was the first team to beat Indiana this season, so we know they have potential to win some big games.
- Tournament appearances: 11 (last appeared in 2011)
#7 Illinois Fighting Illini (22-12)
- I don't know if any team has been as much of a roller coaster case this season as Illinois. They have beaten some of the nations top teams including Butler, Ohio State, Indiana, and Gonzaga. But they also only went 8-10 in conference play and some of those losses were not good (ie, Northwestern and Purdue). The Illini are good, but I never know if their roller coaster ride is rising up or falling fast to the ground.
- Tournament appearances: 29 (last appeared in 2011)
#8 North Carolina State Wolfpack (24-10)
- NC State gave Duke their first loss of the season, so they can get results in big games. But here is my questions, will the NC State fans bring the awesome C.J. Leslie cutout to Dayton, OH for the first round games? Last year as a #11 seed, the Wolfpack went to the sweet 16 and many thought they would contend this year for the ACC title. They didn't quite live up to expectations, but another sweet sixteen run is not impossible, just very very difficult.
- Tournament appearances: 23 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost to Kansas in the sweet 16
#9 Temple Owls (23-9)
- As I look at the Owls games this season, only one loss jumps out as an embarrassing and bad loss; a loss to Duquesnse at home. They beat both Syracuse and St. Louis who are #4 seeds in the tournament. Khalif Wyatt is a 20 ppg scorer and is a great senior leader. They are a high scoring team who gets the majority of those points from assists.
- Tournament appearances: 30 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost to South Florida in the first round
#10 Colorado Buffalo (21-11)
- In just two seasons in the Pac 12, Colorado has become one of the best teams in the conference. Spencer Dinwiddie is a 6'6" point guard who can score and create plays for his teammates Andre Roberson is only 6'7" but he leads the country in rebounds at over 11 per game. He is active and knows where he needs to be on the court at all times. The Buffalos should beat Illinois in the first round and will be a tough competition to Miami in round 2.
- Tournament appearances: 11 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost to Baylor in the second round
#12 California Golden Bears
- Cal is lead by Pac 12 player of the yea Allen Crabbe who scored 31 in Tucson this year in Cal's defeat of Arizona. For a stretch during the conference season Cal won 9 of 10 games and looked like the best team in the conference. As mentioned above, the Bears already played UNLV this season which can help them as they try to figure out what they need to improve on to be victorious the second time around. If the backcourt of Crabbe and Cobbs plays well, Cal is a difficult team to beat. This will likely be a popular upset pick.
- Tournament appearances: 17 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost to South Florida in the play-in game
#13 Montana Grizzlies (25 - 6)
- The Grizzlies are a tournament regular but are also usually a one-game fixture. This will be their 10th appearance in the big dance and only twice before have they won a game. The first time was all the way back in 1975 and the other time, in 2006, as a #12 seed, they knocked off Nevada in the first round. Montana does not have a win this season against a big name opponent.
- Tournament appearances: 10 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost in the first round to Wisconsin
#14 Davidson Wildcats (26 - 7)
- You can't think of Davidson without thinking of Steph Curry. They made a run to the Elite 8 back in 2008, losing to the eventual champions Kansas. Davidson has been here before. They have some upset adds against Marquette, but I wouldn't count on it.
- Tournament appearances: 12 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost in the first round to Louisville
#15 Pacific Tigers (22 - 12)
- The Tigers beat the Anteaters (which seems like an unfair advantage) to win the Big West tournament. Pacific has beaten some decent teams this season including Saint Marys and Xavier. The Tigers have once made it all the way to the elite 8, back in 1967. In 2006 they were a #13 seed and took Boston College to 3 OT before losing and being sent home. Pacific is a good team and will be a tough out for whoever they are matched against in the first round.
- Tournament appearances: 9 (last appeared in 2006)
#16 James Madison Dukes (20 - 14)
- The Dukes make it back to the Madness for the first time since 1994. Their two leading scorers are Seniors which is often a recipe for a potential first round Cinderella.
- Tournament appearances: 5 (last appeared in 1994)
#16 LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (20 - 13)
- Brooklyn played the number 303 strength of schedule this year, which is a major reason why they got a #16 seed. Who knows, maybe they will be the team to finally do the impossible and knock off a #1, but don't count on it.
- Tournament appearances: 6 (were in it last year)
- Tournament result last year: lost in the round of 64 to Michigan St.
Best first round game: Butler vs. Bucknell
Possible Dark Horse who could reach the Final Four: Colorado
Final Four Prediction: Miami
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