Source: Rob Carr / Getty
It’s about that time…2018 NCAA March Madness is here!
While there aren’t any dominant teams in the field, there are plenty of good teams and veteran coaches who know what the vibe is like come March. In a bracket where a team’s future is based on just one game, we broke down each region by which team might make it to the big dance, the biggest NBA prospects, and even the most fire uniforms. Hopefully your brackets don’t get too mangled.
East Region
Source: Steven Ryan / Getty
Top teams favored: Villanova, Purdue, West Virginia, Florida
Teams the big boys don’t want to see: Butler, Marshall, St. Bonaventure
Best pro prospect in the region: Mikal Bridges (Villanova)
Upset pick: Marshall over Wichita State
Hottest uniforms in the region: St. Bonaventure
The East Region is basically Villanova’s to lose. They have consistently been one of the top three teams in the NCAA all season. They have a steady point guard (Jalen Brunson) running the show and the multi-talented super sophomore Mikal Bridges alongside him in the backcourt. Oh, and they can go ten deep… and they usually do. Purdue is another favorite in this region, but they’ve cooled off as of late, leaving many to question if they should even be the second seed in the region. After playing well during their conference tournament, St. Bonaventure showed they’re a team that could sneak up on you and give any of the favorites a hard fight.
The Pick: Villanova
South Region
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Top teams favored: Virginia, Cincinnati, Arizona, Kentucky
Teams the big boys don’t want to see: Loyola – Chicago, Davidson
Best pro prospect in the region: DeAndre Ayton (Arizona)
Upset pick: Loyola – Chicago over Miami (Florida)
Hottest uniforms in the region: Arizona
Coming into tournament season, there was no team hotter than the Virginia Cavaliers. They backed up their number one ranking in the country by winning the ACC tournament and defeating another hot team—the UNC Tarheels. However, we have learned that one of their best players (De’Andre Hunter) will miss the tournament, which is a huge blow for UVA. That leaves the door open for other hot teams coming into the tournament, like Arizona, with their star big man DeAndre Ayton in the middle controlling the paint. He was already labeled a “Hall of Fame” talent as a freshman, so think about that for a second. Kentucky is another squad coming into the tournament playing well. Coach John Calipari always has extra tricks up his sleeve during this time of year, so it’ll be interesting.
The Pick: Arizona
Midwest Region
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Top teams favored: Kansas, Duke, Michigan State, Clemson
Teams the big boys don’t want to see: Rhode Island, Penn, New Mexico State
Best pro prospect in the region: Marvin Bagley III (Duke)
Upset pick: New Mexico State over Clemson
Hottest uniforms in the region: Rhode Island
The Midwest Region from top to bottom is the most stacked region in the tournament this year. You basically have three number one seeds all in the same region in Kansas, Duke and Michigan State. While Kansas is the “official” number one seed, Michigan State comes into the tournament as the team nobody wants to see right now. They have NBA-ready players in the backcourt AND the frontcourt. They also have legendary coach Tom Izzo. However, you can never overlook Duke and everything that the Blue Devils usually bring to the tournament. While guards have usually been Duke’s calling card, this team has two star big men in freshmen Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. The Midwest should be the region with the most interesting matchups in all rounds.
The Pick: Michigan State
West Region
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Top teams favored: Xavier, North Carolina, Michigan, Gonzaga
Teams the big boys don’t want to see: San Diego State, South Dakota State, Providence
Best Pro Prospect in the Region: Keita Bates Diop (Ohio State)
Upset pick: San Diego State over Houston
Hottest uniforms in the region: North Carolina
Xavier comes in as the “shakiest” number one seed in the tournament. They played well all year but don’t have that same “pedigree” that the other number one seeds have. In reality, by sticking UNC in the same region, Xavier is more of a 1A seed, with UNC being 1B. With that said, there are some heavyweights in this region that are serious contenders. Michigan comes in as probably the hottest team in the nation and has a big man in the middle (Moritz Wagner) that can play on the perimeter. Even the “underdogs” of this region (San Diego State, Providence) could make some noise. Most of the big upsets will come out of this region.
The Pick: North Carolina
Final Four Predictions
Teams: Arizona, North Carolina, Villanova, Michigan State
Arizona vs. North Carolina
UNC has been to the last two Final Fours and won the championship last year. Their experience in the Final Four will be the key versus a young Arizona team that’s new to the spotlight. While UNC has no answer for DeAndre Ayton in the middle, their overall steady play of seniors Joel Berry III and Theo Pinson prove valuable in this matchup.
The Pick: North Carolina
Villanova vs. Michigan State
This is a must-see matchup between two teams that are very similar. You have outstanding NBA prospects all over the court for this one. However, the biggest difference between these two teams is that Villanova’s offense is better, and they should be able to make shots in a tightly contested game.
The Pick: Villanova
Championship game
Villanova vs. North Carolina
In a rematch of the 2016 NCAA Title game, Villanova has too many fresh bodies to throw at the Tarheels and comes away with their second title in three years for Coach Jay Wright.
The Pick: Villanova