It’s hard to believe, but March is upon us. The tail end of the regular season, conference tournaments, and the NCAA tournament are all coming up soon. Thus, everyone seems to have an opinion about who should be in the tournament and who should be seeded where. Below, you will find an example March Madness bracket, along with a few predictions.
West Region
#1 Gonzaga vs #16 UNC Wilmington
#8 Colorado State vs #9 Davidson
#5 Alabama vs #12 San Francisco
#4 Ohio State vs #13 Chattanooga
#6 LSU vs #11 South Dakota State
#3 Texas Tech vs #14 Montana State
#7 Marquette vs #10 Murray State
#2 Duke vs #15 Yale
Midwest Region
#1 Kansas vs #16 Cleveland State
#8 St. Mary’s vs #9 Loyola (IL)
#5 Michigan State vs #12 Davidson
#4 Villanova vs #13 Toledo
#6 Xavier vs #11 SMU
#3 UCLA vs #14 Seattle
#7 Iowa vs #10 Wake Forest
#2 Kentucky vs #15 Longwood
East Region
#1 Auburn vs #16 Long Beach State
#8 Seton Hall vs #9 Indiana
#5 Texas vs #12 North Texas
#4 Houston vs #12 Vermont
#6 Arkansas vs #11 Oklahoma
#3 Providence vs #14 Liberty
#7 Wyoming vs #10 Miami
#2 Purdue vs #15 Colgate
South Region
#1 Baylor vs #16 UNC Wilmington
#8 Boise State vs #9 TCU
#5 Ohio State vs #12 Creighton
#4 Tennessee vs #13 Iona
#6 UConn vs #11 Michigan
#3 Illinois vs #14 Wagner
#7 USC vs #10 North Carolina
#2 Baylor vs #15 Texas State
Prediction 1: The Big East will Put Two Teams in the Elite 8
When thinking of the “Power Five”, conferences like the Big East are consistently overlooked. This season has seen arguably the most competitive Big East basketball on a national scale. Teams like Villanova and Seton Hall have been no surprise, while teams like Providence and Marquette have been pleasant surprises.
In fact, only two teams (Georgetown and Butler) have below .500 records overall. With all these good teams come the second most potential bids for this year’s NCAA tournament, just behind the Big Ten. The Big East is projected to send between 6 and 7 teams to the tournament this year.
I believe that they have the power in their conference to send two teams to the elite eight. Now, who are the most likely candidates for the Elite Eight? Well, Marquette, for one, has shown the ability to beat teas that have them beat in certain categories like size and speed.
THe Golden Eagles showed this when they beat Illinois early this season, and when they got the season swee over Villanova.
Prediction 2: Loyola Chicago will Make the Sweet Sixteen
The post Cameron-Krutwig Ramblers were supposed to regress (Nobody would have blamed them), but here they are, projected to be right back where they were when they upset #1 Illinois last year.
They are led by guard Lucas Williamson, who leads them in points (14.1/game), rebounds (4.8), and steals (1.2). Experienced teams like Loyola are notorious for upsetting overwhelming favorites like the Ramblers did to Illinois last year.
Since Loyola is looking to be either an 8 or 9 seed, they will likely be facing a 1 seed in the second round. Look for them to keep those games close or even knock off the number one seed. Overall, Loyola would be a great bet against any team in this year’s tournament.
