This is not the strongest of brackets, but there is plenty of potential for upsets all along the path.
A banged-up bunch of Tar Heels are top dogs and were likely the final team to receive a No. 1 seed in the tourney as evidenced by Kansas being placed here.
The Jayhawks were handed a big boost when the selection committee placed them in this region as the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games will be played right in their backyard in St. Louis.
There are a couple of other teams in the region that could do some damage, and some of the bigger darkhorse picks have been placed in this region.
Let’s have a quick look around the Midwest:
No. 1 seed — North Carolina Tar Heels
Heading into the season, the Tar Heels were favoured to win the national title, but they have failed to meet expectations thus far. Part of that can be blamed on injuries as they played the ACC championship game with three-fifths of their original starting lineup on the bench in street clothes. If shotblocker John Henson is able to play, they are clearly the favourites in this region. But if he is out, they could be an early upset victim.
No. 2 — Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks are more than likely the top No. 2 seed in the tournament and could just as easily be considered the favourites here. Thomas Robinson is one of the top players in the country and could put the Jayhawks on his back this year as Danny Manning did back in 1988. Having the region travel through their backyard can’t hurt either
No. 3 — Georgetown Hoyas
No one manages to flame out of the March Madness as often as the Georgetown Hoyas. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year in Washington, but the leadership of upperclassmen Henry Sims, Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson has helped the Hoyas to a surprise season and a No. 3 seed.
No. 4 — Michigan Wolverines
I’m not sure there if there is a coach capable of doing more with less than John Beilein. The Wolverines were co-regular season champions in the Big 10 and play a disciplined style which forces the opposition to play stellar defence. It will all come down to the team’s ability to make shots as they really don’t have a go-to guy.
No. 5 — Temple Owls
Much like the Michigan Wolveries, the Temple Owls are also coached by a respected veteran coach in Fran Dunphy who can do more with less. Also like the Wolverines, they win by playing good defence and taking care of the ball on offence. Also like the Wolverines, they are likely susceptible to an early upset.
No. 6 — San Diego St.
When Steve Fischer was the head coach at Michigan, his teams often failed to live up to expectations. He is a well-respected recruiter but is often described as a roll-out-the-ball coach. Many believe the Aztecs will be primed for a first-round upset.
No. 7 — St. Mary’s Gaels
After years of trying to get over the hump and knock off perennial West Coast Conference champions Gonzaga, the Gaels finally pulled off the feat last week. Now they need to carry that momentum into the Big Dance. Two years ago they were able to reach the Sweet 16. They will have a hard time repeating that success this year as they are barely listed as favourites in their opening round match-up with Purdue.
No. 8 — Creighton Bluejays
Doug McDermott is a scoring machine. The National Player of the year candidate is averaging 23.2 points per game while shooting over 60 per cent from the field. While he carries the bulk of the scoring for the Bluejays he is not alone as Rutgers transfer Gregory Echenique (9.8 points and 7.4 rebounds) and guard Antoine Young (12.5 ppg) can also fill thebasket as well. Clearly, Creigton will only advance as far as McDermott cab take them, though.
More from around the region: This is the region that everyone is looking at for early upsets as almost every double-digit seed has been picked by one person or another to knock off a favourite. Belmont was a popular choice as a dark horse last year but were thumped by Wisconsin… Robbie Hummel averaged 16.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 1.2 bpg this season — he will be a load to handle for St. Mary’s… A couple N.C. State players led the ACC in different categories, including point guard Lorenzo Brown (1.8 steals per game) and Scott Wood (three-point shooting, 41.1 percent)…