After one of the craziest, wildest, and most temperamental regular seasons in the history of college basketball, we made it. Let the Madness begin! Here are my predictions for the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Sleeper Teams:
Saint Louis: I watched one game of St. Louis’s this year – the A10 Championship game last Sunday afternoon – and this team did nothing short but impress me. This team is very balanced; they average around 70 points per game, and they are a disciplined on defense. This team also beat Butler three times this season, and it’s Butler, of course, who’s been to the national championship twice in the last three years. It’s asking a lot of this team to make the final four, especially since they’re in a tough Midwest Division, but this team is one-to-watch in the Midwest.
New Mexico: The Mountain West Conference Champions New Mexico Lobos at 29-5, come into the tournament firing, with a perfect 5-0 record against the top-25. New Mexico is placed in an easy West division, not only will New Mexico make the Final Four, they will cruise, easily, into the Final Four.
Minnesota: Minnesota comes in the tournament with a decent record of 20-12 and a 5-5 record against the top 25. Minnesota’s definite strength is rebounding. Overall they are ranked 17th in the nation averaging 39 rebounds per game. Senior forward Trevor Mbakwe is the best rebounder on the team and one of the best in the nation. Rebounding in the NCAA Tournament is key, and their first round match-up against UCLA sets up well against them. I don’t think this a final four-quality team, but I believe they will upset a couple teams along their way and possibly make the Elite Eight.
Teams That Will disappoint:
UCLA: After laying an egg in the PAC-12 Championship game against the Oregon Ducks. The Bruins of UCLA come into the tournament surprised to find themselves a low 6 seed. Coaches and players for the Bruins were shocked to find out they got such a low seed, they believe they deserve better. Well, to be honest, after watching the PAC-12 Championship game, this team has problems. They will be without their second-leading scorer and leading assistman, freshman standout Jordan Adams who broke his foot in the semifinals. The Bruins are set to match-up against Minnesota in the first round, and this is an awful match-up for the Bruins. The Golden Gophers rank 17th in the nation in rebounding, the Bruins rank 97th. That’s worse than any other team in the South Region. I predict an early first or second round loss for the Bruins.
Florida: The number-3 seed Florida Gators landed a 3-seed in the tournament even after a disappointing loss in the SEC Championship game to Ole Miss. With bad losses late in the season to Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky, I just have a hard time believing this team will perform well in the tournament. I can’t see the third-seeded Gators making it past the Sweet Sixteen, at best.
Gonzaga: The 31-2 Gonzaga Bulldogs come into the tournament with the best record out of any other team in the field. Their two losses were by two top-25 teams Butler and Illinois, and their only quality win comes against Oklahoma State. This team has proven they can win… against low-performing teams. I don’t believe Gonzaga has what they need to have in order to get to the Final Four. I predict a birth to the Sweet Sixteen for the Bulldogs, at best.
First Round Games To Watch:
Oregon vs. Oklahoma State
Pittsburgh vs. Wichita State
UCLA vs. Minnesota
Ole Miss vs. Wisconsin
Final Four:
Duke, Georgetown, Indiana, New Mexico
Champion:
Duke – This is a very sketchy pick for me. After losing in the first-round of last year’s tournament to 15-seed Lehigh and then losing in the first-round of this year’s ACC Tournament to the 10-seed Maryland, Duke has had a definite struggle in postseason tournaments, and it’s not better for them being placed in a very tough Midwest Region. However, remember the beginning of the season when Duke beat 3 top-5 teams in a span of two weeks? I do. When star forward Ryan Kelly injured his foot in early-January Duke lost 4 games until his return against Miami on March 3. The team struggled to find their true scorer, and now, with a healthy Ryan Kelly, the Bluedevils are much better. I firmly believe when this team is at their best; they are the best team in college basketball.
