UPDATE: Third Round (Elite Eight) Bracket Picks are now up.
It's a beautiful St Patrick's Day in Kansas City, and time to throw some more fuel into the NCAA buzz machine. Here are my bracket picks for the second round.
If you missed 'em, you can still scan my NCAA Bracket Predictions for the first round. Beginning in the Midwest region, here's how things will go down.
Midwest
#1 Louisville beats #9 Siena. Louisville is playing like a team of destiny.
#4 Wake Forest beats #12 Arizona. With their first round victory, Arizona proved that they belonged in the NCAAs, sorta. But that doesn't stop them from getting buzz-sawed by Wake.
#3 Kansas beats #6 West Virginia. After ending North Dakota State's Cinderella story, KU confronts another national darling of recent years. And mercilessly beats them too.
#2 Michigan St beats #10 USC. USC has been white hot lately, but they get out-toughed by the Spartans.
Here's the script for the West Region.
#1 UConn beats #9 Texas A&M. For the Aggies, just getting here was a victory. But Thabeet and the Huskies have bigger fish to fry.
#5 Purdue beats #4 Washington. Purdue is rolling, in this very minor upset.
#3 Missouri beats #6 Marquette. Here's where the loss of Dominic James catches up with the Golden Eagles, and where MU's tandem of Leo Lyons and DeMarre Carroll take over.
#2 Memphis beats #7 California. Memphis plays their "can't get no respect" card yet again for a 10 point win.
In the East, here's what happens.
#1 Pitt beats #9 Oklahoma St. The Cowboys put up a fight, but Blair is too much of a load inside.
#5 Florida St beats #4 Xavier. Xavier is on a roll. FL St is hotter.
#6 UCLA beats #6 Villanova. Collison and the Bruins are just hitting their tournament stride.
#7 Texas beats #2 Duke. In the biggest upset of the second round so far. This pick isn't for the faint of heart, but the Longhorns have the guns to pull it off.
Finally, here's how the bracket develops in the South.
#9 Butler beats #1 North Carolina. Roy Williams' teams can run and gun with anyone, but they are upset prone, and Butler proves it in this shocker.
#4 Gonzaga beats #5 Illinois. In this battle between two streaky teams, Gonzaga puts together the better second half.
#3 Syracuse beats #6 Arizona St. Johnny Flynn is the Orangemen's best player, but his supporting cast steps up to put this one in the bag.
#2 Oklahoma beats #10 Michigan. Just making the tourney was a huge victory for MI, and Oklahoma sends 'em home with their token first-round win.
Coming up, regional and national semifinal picks. If you're reading this, I assume that you're already in a bracket competition somewhere, but you're also welcome to join one of mine. Sign up at the Review Journal site, then join the "public group," Downtown Kansas City.
Good luck with your bracket predictions, and stay tuned!
UPDATE: Third Round (Elite Eight) Bracket Picks are now up.
2 comments:
Wow... you're out there on some of those picks. UNC losing in the second round? I suppose there's always something dramatic in the first two rounds, but a #1 seed and a #2 seed down before the Sweet 16?
I was with you through the first two regions, but you zigged when I zagged in the East and you completely went off road in the South. By the way, I think UCLA is the #6 seed, not the #3 seed.
Anyway, sounds like a good first weekend.
You're right, UCLA is a #6. Fixed that.
And agreed, I'm looking for some big Second Round upsets this year. But just wait until you see my Sweet Sixteen picks. Not for the faint of heart. :)
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