EAST

Preview: Ohio State is, as Kanye would say, a monster. The Buckeyes, led by freshman centre Jared Sullinger, should be able to drop step their way over and through the Big Dance. Combined with the outside shooting of Jon Diebler, OSU has the inside-outside combination that so many other teams covet. UNC has the two-seed and Harrison Barnes, but both are inconsistent. UNC also has a tough matchup in the Round of 32 against Isaiah Thomas and the Washington Huskies, but should overcome them to make the Sweet 16. The other top four seeds, Syracuse and Kentucky, should also stick to the script by making it to the regional semis. From there, it’s anybody’s guess. Kentucky and Ohio State are the two best teams in the region and our best guess is Sullinger over phenom Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight. UNC­—Syracuse is a major crapshoot, but if Barnes gets hot he can lead his team all the way to the Elite Eight.

Final Four Bound: The Buckeyes are the best of the top four seeds, but all of them have a legitimate chance of making it to the Final Four. Still, we’ll take the dominant big man and OSU to bull their way through the field.

Potential Bracket Buster: If you’re looking for a region with lots of upset potential, look elsewhere. Still, there’s a legitimate chance of 11-seed Marquette beating six-seed Xavier. Washington also seems underseeded, but UNC will be a tough out.

WEST

Preview: Duke, the top seed and defending national champs, enter the tournament on a roll after ACC player of the year Nolan Smith led the Blue Devils to an ACC championship by demolishing UNC in the title game. While they’re always a threat to win, star Kyle Singler has been in a shooting slump for the last month. They will need him to heat up if they hope to repeat as champs. The Connecticut Huskies enter the tournament as the nation’s hottest team. They rolled to the Big East championship by winning five straight games behind Kemba Walker’s spectacular play. San Diego State is a great team but they lack big game experience and could be overwhelmed by the NCAA tourney experience. Finally, there are the Texas Longhorns. Smooth scorer Jordan Hamilton and Canadian freshmen Corey Joseph and Tristan Thompson lead the Longhorns. While they have been a little shaky the past month, if they play their best they could win the whole thing.

Final Four Bound: Go with the hot hand. No one is playing better than Walker and Connecticut right now. Winning the tourney is all about getting on a roll at the right time and the Huskies seem to have timed it perfectly.

Potential Bracket Buster: This is a region with strong top seeds and weaker low seeds. While Texas is a great team they got a tough break in drawing Oakland in the first round. If Texas’ struggles from the last month continue, look for Oakland to shock the world with an upset and challenge the winner of the Arizona/Memphis matchup for a spot in the Sweet 16.

SOUTHWEST

Preview: This should be a top-heavy region with both a very strong one and two seed. The Kansas Jayhawks are the top seed and team to beat. Led by 6’9″ twins Marcus and Markieff Morris, Kansas only lost two games all year while winning the Big 12 regular season and tournament championships. However, the two-seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish are an offensive powerhouse led by sharpshooters Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromatis. The Fighting Irish have the shooting and defence to make some serious noise in the tournament. The three- and four-seeds, Purdue and Louisville, are solid teams but have too many question marks and inconsistent performances to be considered Final Four threats.

Final Four Bound: The Morris twins and the rest of the Jayhawks should have the Fighting Irish seeing quadruple in an epic Elite Eight matchup. Ultimately the balance of the Morris twins and great three-point shooting from guards Josh Shelby and Tyrel Reed should give the Jayhawks a Final Four berth.

Potential Bracket Buster: The 5-12 matchups always produce upsets and this year should prove no different as a very strong Richmond Spiders squad goes up against Vanderbilt. Richmond won the A-10 tourney and have a great guard big man combo in Kevin Anderson and D.J. Harper. If the Spiders get hot, look for them to knock off Vandy and threaten for a spot in the Sweet 16 and perhaps beyond.

SOUTHEAST

Preview: If you’re searching for some classic madness, look no further than the Southeast. This region will be full of upsets and unpredictability as each high seed is riddled with question marks. The number one seed Pittsburgh Panthers are a great team but have a tendency to choke in big games, and have never made a Final Four. Second seeded Florida got killed in the SEC championship by Kentucky and looks overseeded. Finally, BYU lost leading rebounder Brandon Davies, which will create serious problems for them despite having an all-world scorer and the best player in the nation in Jimmer Fredette. With such weakness at the top of this bracket, look for a wild ride in the Southeast

Final Four Bound: Look for Kansas State to emerge from the Southeast. Kansas State has beaten three ranked teams (Kansas, Missouri, and Texas) in the last month. They are extremely physical and are led by Jacob Pullen, one of the best scorers in the country. Kansas State is very streaky and unpredictable, but if they get on a roll, watch out, they’ll be Final Four bound.

Potential Bracket Buster: Where to start? Gonzaga, Belmont, Utah State, Michigan State, and Old Dominion are all very strong teams and each one has a chance to reach the Elite Eight or even Final Four. Ultimately, look for Gonzaga to take advantage of a favourable draw and upset Florida on the way to the Elite Eight.

For UConn to make the NCAA Final Kemba Walker will have to be the best player in the tournament. However, teams not players win championships and Kansas is the better all around team. Their depth and balanced scoring will be too much for the Huskies or anyone else to handle. Look for the Jayhawks to emerge from the madness with their second championship in four years.