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The stage is set, the games are upon us and the final bracket alterations are being made. The NCAA tournament is officially here. And since the Final Four is in San Antonio, here's an idea of what to expect from each of the four NCAA tournament regions — favorites, bracket busters, Cinderellas and everything in between.
EAST
THE FAVORITE: North Carolina. Not just in this region, but in the whole damn tournament.
THE BRACKET BUSTER: Winthrop. The Eagles — who face No. 4 Washington State in their opener — are no stranger to tourney upsets, having knocked off Notre Dame in the first round last year.
BEST OPENING ROUND MATCHUP: No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 9 Arkansas. Two of college basketball's most prestigious programs square off for the right to face off against — and lose to — No. 1 North Carolina.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina. Quietly assembling one of the all-time great college basketball résumés.
REGIONAL CHAMP PREDICTION: North Carolina. No one in the East — even No. 2 Tennessee — is in the Tar Heels' league.
SOUTH
THE FAVORITE: Memphis. Because of their soft conference schedule, the Tigers are regarded by many prognosticators as the top seed least likely to reach the Final Four.
THE BRACKET BUSTER: Kentucky. Sure, the Wildcats are one of college basketball's most storied programs, but as a No. 11 seed, they're still underdogs this season. Marquette, KU's first-round opponent, had better be at its best when the two square off.
BEST OPENING ROUND MATCHUP: No. 6 Marquette vs. No. 11 Kentucky. If the Wildcats can upset the Golden Eagles, that momentum could very well spur a run to the Sweet 16 and, perhaps, beyond.
PLAYER TO WATCH: A.J. Abrams, Texas. You know about All-American point guard D.J. Augustin, but meet his backcourt mate. When Abrams is on from 3-point range, the Longhorns are capable of beating anyone in the country.
REGIONAL CHAMP PREDICTION: Texas. Yes, we're homers, but nevertheless, the Longhorns — with two great guards and solid frontcourt play — are equipped for a Final Four run.
MIDWEST
THE FAVORITE: Kansas. Even if the Jayhawks annually bust brackets with their underachieving tourney ways.
THE BRACKET BUSTER: Davidson. The 10th-seeded Wildcats went 23-0 in Southern Conference play, and first-round opponent Gonzaga has been rather inconsistent this season.
BEST OPENING ROUND MATCHUP: No. 6 USC vs. No. 11 Kansas State. Highly touted freshmen O.J. Mayo (USC) and Michael Beasley (KSU) finally go toe-to-toe. The winner advances. The loser enters the NBA Draft.
PLAYER TO WATCH: (tie) Mayo and Beasley. Enjoy them while you can, before they're playing for a pair of really bad NBA teams next season.
REGIONAL CHAMP PREDICTION: Kansas. Yes, the Jayhawks disappoint their fans just about every year, but honestly, the Midwest is weak enough to where KU might just find its way to San Antonio.
WEST
THE FAVORITE: UCLA. Can they make it three straight Final Fours? Better yet, can they actually win one?
THE BRACKET BUSTER: Georgia. The 14th-seeded Bulldogs shocked the world by winning the SEC tournament, and they'll ride that momentum into a first-round matchup against No. 3 Xavier, which has lost two of its last four games.
BEST OPENING ROUND MATCHUP: No. 7 West Virginia vs. No. 10 Arizona. Don't be surprised if the winner of this game upsets No. 2 Duke in the second round.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jonathan Cox, Drake. Quick, which city is Drake located in? Time's up — Des Moines, Iowa. Anyway, meet one of the Bulldogs' top players in Cox, who averages 11.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for fifth-seeded Drake.
REGIONAL CHAMP PREDICTION: Duke. No. 1 UCLA has endured too many close calls over the past few weeks, so the Bruins' luck is sure to run out at some point. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils have tradition and Coach K on their side.
CLINT HALE | 210SA |
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