NCAA Tournament: East Region Preview

The month of March. For many of Irish descent, it's the time of year to celebrate and engage in the activities of St. Patrick's Day with friends and family. For those warm-weather lovers, the snow is finally disappearing, and spring is right around the corner. And for college basketball fans across America, it's that time of year to sharpen the pencils and print out the brackets for the much-anticipated NCAA basketball tournament. Die-hard fans call in sick for the third Thursday and Friday of the month to catch all of the action, office pools are organized, and normal everyday Joes like you and me try and defy the odds by trying to create the perfect bracket, filled with ridiculous upset predictions that make you look like a clown when they don't happen. Remember Siena over Purdue last year? Yeah, I thought I was being clever too.

But it's a new year, which of course means you have a fresh slate. Maybe this is finally the year when your 16 over 1 prediction comes through, right?

-2011 EAST REGION PREVIEW-

(1) Ohio State
(16) Texas-San Antonio/Alabama State
FRIDAY, 4:40 EST - Cleveland, OH - (TNT)

(8) George Mason
(9) Villanova
FRIDAY, 2:10 EST - Cleveland, OH - (TNT)

(5) West Virginia
(12) UAB/Clemson
THURSDAY, 12:15 EST - Tampa, FL - (CBS)

(4) Kentucky
(13) Princeton
THURSDAY, 2:45 EST - Tampa, FL - (CBS)

(6) Xavier
(11) Marquette
FRIDAY, 7:27 EST - Cleveland, OH - (truTV)

(3) Syracuse
(14) Indiana State
FRIDAY, 9:57 EST - Cleveland, OH - (truTV)

(7) Washington
(10) Georgia
FRIDAY, 9:30 EST - Charlotte, NC - (CBS)

(2) North Carolina
(15) Long Island
FRIDAY, 7:00 EST - Charlotte, NC - (CBS)


Top seeds

1. Ohio State (32-2) - The overall No. 1 in this year's dance and there's no doubt why. No. 1 in both polls, fresh off the Big 10 championship, just stomping on everyone with no questions asked. They can take you down low with Jared Sullinger's 17.3 points and 10.1 rebounds, they can take you outside with the terrific backcourt tandem of William Buford and Jon Diebler. They're the whole package and will be tough to dethrone.

2. North Carolina (26-7) - The ACC regular season champions didn't look like it early on in the season, but have since recovered and will fill a well-deserved No. 2 seed in the East. Since ACC play began on Jan. 8th, the Tar Heels are 16-3 with two losses coming to the hands of arch-rival Duke (who they did beat once). The Heels are a resilient bunch, displayed by comeback efforts against Miami and Clemson in the ACC Tournament, and that's good to see in a club led by a freshman in forward Harrison Barnes (15 ppg, 5.7 rpg). UNC leads the nation in rebounding and will no doubt be a force inside, but will a lack of consistent guard play and a roster that yields just two seniors - who both get little to no minutes - be their demise?


3. Syracuse (26-7) - After beginning the season 18-0, the Orange then dropped four contests and six out of their next eight, and it looked like they were falling deeper and deeper out of the championship picture as games wore on. However, a recent six-game winning streak followed by a narrow loss to red hot Connecticut in the Big East Tournament might be just what the doctor ordered as the Cuse seems to be peaking at the right time heading into the dance. They won't 'wow' you with any star players that will take over games, but they have a strong, well-rounded roster that has been tested and are ready for tournament battle. On the perimeter, Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche can dazzle, and big man Rick Jackson (13 ppg, 10.6 rpg) can go at it with the best of them down low, while leading scorer Kris Joseph can make you pay from any point on the floor. Don't be surprised to see the Orange playing in Houston come April.

4. Kentucky (25-8) - Inexperience - similar to last year's John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins led team - will once again be a big factor for the Wildcats this March, but that won't stop them from making a run at the crown. With one senior on the roster, head coach John Calipari will rely heavily on the freshman star duo of Brandon Knight (17.5 ppg, 4.2 apg) and Terrence Jones (16.5 ppg, 9 rpg) to produce and produce often. The 'Cats are hot, riding a six-game winning streak and an SEC championship victory as they head to Tampa, and a hot streak is sometimes all you need. It doesn't hurt to have a guy in Calipari calling shots from the sidelines either, too.

Most Intriguing Matchup

(6) Xavier v. (11) Marquette

Xavier's seed may be a little deceiving this year as opposed to previous years. Before you go ahead and fill in the Musketeers as winners here, check out Marquette's body of work compared to Xavier's. Marquette has played 12 games against Top 25 teams this year, and although they've only won three of them, the experience of playing against the nation's top teams will be valuable come tourney time. Led by upperclassmen Darius Johnson-Odom and Jimmy Butler, the Golden Eagles have been there before and will be a tougher out than many may think. Conversely, Tu Holloway does it all for the Musketeers. He was there last year for their Sweet 16 run with senior big man Jamel McLean. Their 24-7 record may be deceiving however, especially against a rather weak Atlantic 10 where they rolled to a 15-1 record. Xavier only boasts one Top 25 matchup this season, a 20-point blowout loss to in-state rival Cincinnati - who is also an 11 seed in this year's Tournament.

Best Player

Jared Sullinger, forward, Ohio State

No surprise here. The do-it-all diaper dandy is the reason why the Buckeyes are the overall No. 1 this year. Averaging a double-double at 17.2 points and 10.1 rebounds, OSU will more than likely need that kind of production out of him if they want to cut down the nets in April. Carmelo Anthony was the last freshman to lead his team to the promised land (Syracuse, 2003); can Sullinger replicate that kind of performance? That is the golden question for the Buckeyes.

Best Coach

Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

Boeheim is one of two coaches in this region with a national championship under his belt, the other being North Carolina's Roy Williams. Both coaches are on a possible collision course in the Sweet 16, eight years removed from their national championship meeting when Williams was in control of Kansas. The result? Boeheim won. Different from his 2003 squad, the 2011 version boasts a more well-rounded roster in all classes as opposed to the national championship team that was led by underclassmen Gerry McNamara, Carmelo Anthony, and Hakim Warrick. Boeheim knows as much as anyone save Coach K on how to win in March and has built up a squad that is prepared for a deep run this spring.

Upset Alert

(15) Long Island over (2) North Carolina

The Tar Heels have been making a habit out of slow starts lately, as evidenced in the ACC Tournament when they had to come back to beat Miami and Clemson, and also being blown out by Duke in the championship game. Long Island hasn't danced in over 15 years and a matchup with the legendary program of UNC will only motivate them. They can put up points at a quick clip (fourth in the country in scoring) and crash the boards just as well as UNC (third in rebounding) and the young Tar Heels may be looking ahead to sexier matchups in the later stages of the bracket that will cloud their focus in this one, if even for just a little bit. And that little bit may be all the Blackbirds need. This one will be closer than most anticipate.


Search for Cinderella

(7) Washington

Experienced leaders and strong guard play are the key ingredients to success in March, and the Huskies have just that. Isaiah Thomas - fresh off of his buzzer-beating jumper to beat Arizona in the Pac-10 championship - is poised and ready to carry this team. UW matches up very well with UNC in a potential second-round matchup in which Thomas could go off against considerably weak opposing guard play. Matthew Bryan-Amaning and winger Justin Holiday are two strong senior leaders who compliment Thomas well and will make for a tough out for any of their opponents.

The darkhorse

(4) Kentucky

Kentucky is under the radar in this bracket because of the powerhouses that surround them, but they very much have the capability to make a run at the Final Four. They match up well with Ohio State in a potential Sweet 16 matchup and Calipari will have them focused on the task at hand. As mentioned, the 'Cats are blazing hot and have beaten Florida - a No. 2 seed in the Southeast region - twice in the past two weeks, so they're the real deal and are peaking at the right time.

-PREDICTIONS-

(1) Ohio State over (16) Texas-San Antonio
(8) George Mason over (9) Villanova
(5) West Virginia over (12) Clemson
(4) Kentucky over (13) Princeton
(11) Marquette over (6) Xavier
(3) Syracuse over (14) Indiana State
(7) Washington over (10) Georgia
(15) Long Island over (2) North Carolina

(1) Ohio State over (8) George Mason
(4) Kentucky over (5) West Virginia
(3) Syracuse over (11) Marquette
(7) Washington over (15) Long Island

(4) Kentucky over (1) Ohio State
(3) Syracuse over (7) Washington

(3) Syracuse over (4) Kentucky