That, and the fact that I’m still a Featured Columnist over at Bleacher Report for Boise State football, leaves me with very little time to devote to Around The Corn.

I’ll make you all a deal, though. You keep commenting on my MLB Power Rankings, and I’ll see what I can do with regards to the frequency of posts. If my readers keep demanding more, I’ll simply have to tell my bosses at my other jobs for which I get paid that I’m busy.

Just kidding. You’ll actually just have to live with it.

But…here are the newest MLB Power Rankings. The number in parenthesis next to each team is the position that the team was in for the last rankings.

1. San Francisco Giants (7)- The Giants have been playing well lately, but there should be some concern over the fact that they have just a +3 run differential and that five of the team’s last six wins have been by one run.

2. Boston Red Sox (3)

3. St. Louis Cardinals (5)- Coming into the day with the best record in baseball, it’s hard to see how the Cardinals aren’t at the top of the list. Really hard. Like hard enough that they probably would have been had they not just been going about their business as usual.

4. Atlanta Braves (1)

5. Baltimore Orioles (9)

6. Detroit Tigers (18)- The Tigers are right where everyone thought they would be, but they better not get comfortable any time soon. The team from down South is quickly gaining steam in the month of May…

7. Texas Rangers (2)

8. Cleveland Indians (23)- The hottest team in baseball is doing everything right. Great hitting, great pitching and of course…a little bit of good luck.

9. New York Yankees (14)

10. Washington Nationals (21)- The upcoming weekend may be a big one for the Nats. Washington plays the Cubs, while Atlanta must travel to San Francisco. A change at the top of the division could be on the horizon.

11. Kansas City Royals (11)

12. Arizona Diamondbacks (12)

13. Cincinnati Reds (10)

14. Colorado Rockies (4)- The Rockies have cooled off a bit since the last Power Rankings, but are still hitting the ball well. When Troy Tulowitzki comes back healthy, don’t be surprised if Colorado gives San Francisco company at the top of the NL West again.

15. Pittsburgh Pirates (6)

16. San Diego Padres (28)

17. Oakland Athletics (8)- Bob Melvin can yell all he wants about a blown call, but here’s the deal: The A’s getting swept by Cleveland is what separates Oakland from division leader Texas.

18. Minnesota Twins (15)

19. Seattle Mariners (26)

20. Tampa Bay Rays (16)- If David Price can return to form, this team should be okay. There are simply too many guys performing at a high level for the Rays not to make a run at some point. 

21. Philadelphia Phillies (25)

22. Milwaukee Brewers (13)

23. Chicago White Sox (24)

24. New York Mets (17)

25. Chicago Cubs (29)

26. Toronto Blue Jays (22)- Is it really possible that this team was the Vegas favorite to win the World Series before the season began? Toronto is playing so uninspired, but not as poorly as…

27. Los Angeles Angels (19)

28. Los Angeles Dodgers (20)- …these guys. It just goes to show that money can’t buy you happiness out in L.A. like it can in New York. Well, actually, it kind of can…

29. Houston Astros (27)

30. Miami Marlins (30)

- K. Becks

It’s back again for 2013, although a little earlier than last year. Think of it as an apology for not releasing predictions for the league prior to the season beginning.

In case you are new to the site, here is the rundown: I rank the teams 1-30 based on recent play and overall standings. A team’s last 10 games are particularly important in the final ranking a team receives.

Just a few weeks in, here are the first rankings of the season.

1. Atlanta Braves- The Braves have been getting it done with pitching (and Justin Upton), but imagine how scary this team could be if Jason Heyward’s bat comes alive once he comes off the DL…

2. Texas Rangers

3. Boston Red Sox

4. Colorado Rockies- It’s early, but the team has to be happy with the performance at the plate so far. The Rockies lead the league in batting average and are second in runs scored.

5. St. Louis Cardinals

6. Pittsburgh Pirates- The pitching rotation has looked solid so far, and Andrew McCutchen is in a bit of a slump. Sounds a lot like Atlanta’s situation, only no one knows whether Pittsburgh can keep it up past July.

7. San Francisco Giants

8. Oakland Athletics

9. Baltimore Orioles

10. Cincinnati Reds- Based on what we’ve seen so far, it looks like it’s going to be another year of streakiness in Cincinnati.

11. Kansas City Royals- Right now, Kansas City is doing everything well. It remains to be seen whether the pitching will become an issue, but the Royals are a fun team to watch for the first time since the early 1990s.

12. Arizona Diamondbacks

13. Milwaukee Brewers- The hottest team in baseball is fourth in their division. The NL Central is going to be interesting this year…

14. New York Yankees

15. Minnesota Twins

16. Tampa Bay Rays

17. New York Mets

18. Detroit Tigers- Apparently, when you’re the overwhelming favorite to win a division, runs are easy enough to come by that you don’t need to worry much about missed opportunities…

19. Los Angeles Angels

20. Los Angeles Dodgers

21. Washington Nationals

22. Toronto Blue Jays- This isn’t how the Blue Jays wanted to start their most promising season in quite some time. Everyone in the AL East seems capable of playing well, so Toronto needs to get its act together quickly.

23. Cleveland Indians

24. Chicago White Sox

25. Philadelphia Phillies- Perhaps another slow start by the Phillies is a sign that the team needs to move on from its core of pitchers, who have all been struggling.

26. Seattle Mariners

27. Houston Astros

28. San Diego Padres

29. Chicago Cubs

30. Miami Marlins- The Marlins are the only team in baseball that is already double-digits back from the division leader. Who actually goes to their games? Anyone?

- K. Becks

In a tournament with so much parody and unexpected excitement, it is really difficult to narrow the good down to just a few points. On the flip side, it was equally as difficult to find three not so great things.

The Good

Double-Digits Keep Rolling

We’ve got a 12, 13 and 15 seed in the Sweet 16 for the first time ever. Conferences represented by those seeds? The Atlantic Sun, Atlantic 10 and Pac-12.

Clearly, the 2013 NCAA Tournament has been one marked by a plethora of upsets (Wichita State over Gonzaga, anyone?), but it’s perhaps just as interesting to look at what could have been. Marquette barely survived No. 14 seed Davidson in the second round, Harvard upset potential darling New Mexico in the same round, and St. Mary’s was just a three pointer away from sending Josh Pastner’s No. 6 seeded Memphis team away empty handed once again.

In other words, no higher seeded team is safe this year. While some may attribute this to the fact that many smaller schools are beginning to attract solid talent (which is no doubt the case), this year’s explanation may be that there are simply no great teams in college basketball. Is that a bad thing?

Well, it depends on who you ask. Some analysts think so, but I’m of the opinion that the parody is great for college basketball. Who really wants to be completely correct with their brackets by going chalk? Are you really going to tell me that you won’t watch the Final Four if Kansas or Indiana doesn’t make it Atlanta?

Give me a break. We all know that the public can collectively sympathize with the underdog, and many fans even see a bit of themselves in the “little engine that could”. Put simply, I wouldn’t trade what’s happened thus far for any amount of bracket pool prize money. This has been the most exciting tournament that I’ve witnessed in my conscious lifetime.

The Bad

Ticky-Tack Fouls

Perhaps I’m disappointed with the amount of touch fouls that have been called because I am used to the rough-and-tough play that marks the Big Ten regular season. But I think that most people would agree that there have been a lot of unnecessary stoppages during games in this year’s tournament.

It’s one thing when someone is clearly hacked going to the basket or when a player is knocked the other way when dribbling down the court. But when a player is called for a foul for simply going after a loose ball the same way a player on the opposing team does, we’ve taken the rules too far. 

Let the kids play. I am hopeful that this will become the case once the Sweet 16 begins, as many of the teams come from power conferences where physical play is the norm and players are less likely to look for the cheap foul. Fans want to see great shots and moves to the basket, not both teams being in the double bonus nine minutes into the half.

The Good

The Eagles Soar

Every year there is a team, normally from a small conference, that fans begin to pull for even at the expense of their own bracket.

This year, that team is the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.

The Eagles are not your typical Cinderella squad, however. Andy Enfield’s team are as loose as they come, throwing down monster alley oop jams at crucial junctures in the game, essentially turning a cold shoulder to the notion that you protect a lead when there is the potential to upset a top seed.

They are athletic. They are fun. They are fearless. They are respectful. And as crazy as it seems, they have a chance to go even further than the Sweet 16.

Don’t blink, because teams like the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles don’t come around often (in fact, they are the first of their kind, becoming the first No. 15 seed to make it to the Sweet 16). But also remember that, as they are making history right in front of us, they’re the epitome of a team enjoying its first ever trip to college basketball’s biggest stage.

It’s wonderful, incredible and what the Big Dance is all about.

The Bad

Doug Gottlieb Commentating

The country may be finding out why current CBS Sports analyst and color commentator Doug Gottlieb rarely did games while working at ESPN.

Despite being a knowledgeable personality (he played basketball at Oklahoma State from 1997-2000 and led the nation in assists during his sophomore year at Stillwater), his analysis is significantly clouded by the fact that he almost always has something negative to say. These comments are almost always offered in a whiny, nasally tone that essentially sounds like he is complaining for the sake of complaining.

Guys like Clark Kellogg are respected for the fact that, while they do sometimes call out players for doing something wrong, they also attempt to point out instances in which a player or team does something very well on the court. Gottlieb is very good at pointing out things players do wrong, but rarely ever compliments good plays.

Here’s another tip, Doug: Being an outright homer is okay when you’re Dick Vitale or Lou Holtz’s age, but not at your age. No one is going to argue with you that Oregon deserved much higher than a No. 12 seed, but the committee wasn’t trying to take it out on Oklahoma State by matching up the Cowboys with the Ducks.

Gottlieb isn’t Charles Barkley by any stretch, but CBS may want to reconsider whether he should be doing work for the company outside of the studio.

The Good

The Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten did not disappoint, proving to the country (at least to this point) why they were regarded as the strongest conference in the nation all season.

Four teams from the conference (Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State) made it through to the Sweet 16, and two other teams (Minnesota and Illinois) had a shot as well.

The conference faces some pretty tough matchups later this week, including Michigan taking on top seeded Kansas and Ohio State facing a surging Arizona squad, but is in as good a position as any conference to have multiple representatives in Atlanta.

In fact, the Big Ten could pull off the incredible feat of shutting out all other conferences to the Final Four, as there is a Big Ten team left in each of the four regions.

It’s improbable, but not impossible.

The Bad

Mountain West Woes Continue

I covered the Mountain West in the Round of 64 recap, but the conference was simply too disappointing to leave out of the Round of 32 discussion.

The nation’s number one league in terms of conference RPI failed to send a single team to the second weekend of the tournament, signaling that the metric may not be nearly as strong an indicator of performance as once thought. The conference’s top teams went down unexpectedly in the second round, and the two teams left (Colorado State and San Diego State) were outplayed in their third round battles.

Frankly, it was a sad end for a conference that had so many expectations heading into the Big Dance.

One may see this performance as taking a step back for the conference, and to some extent they may be right. Next year’s selection committee could have a skewed opinion of the conference based on the way it performed in 2013, and that could affect who gets at large bids. At the same time, the conference could be severely watered down next season, as star players such as San Diego State’s Jamaal Franklin will have to decide whether to stick around for his senior season or opt for the NBA draft a year early.

- K. Becks

Of course, there will always be those that walk away from the first round of games not as happy as others. Whether it be due to coming up short of reaching personal or team goals, not seizing a key opportunity or simply not playing well despite surviving, there are aspects of the tournament that could have been looked a bit more sharp.

So, let’s take a look at a few of the good things from the tournament thus far, as well as a few of the bad. Keep in my, however, that the good easily outweighs the bad overall.

The Good

The Power of Parity

If you’re a fan of upsets, then the tournament has been like a double-dose of Christmas for you thus far. During the Round of 64, a total of seven double-digit seeds advanced to the third round, and that doesn’t even count No. 10 seed Iowa State.

The No. 12 seeds have been especially effective, knocking off three of the four No. 5 seeds, all in in which the lower seed had pretty decent control for the bulk of the game. Of those No. 12 seeds (Oregon, Ole Miss, California), all are from Power 6 conferences, but the nice thing is most of the teams that upset a higher seed had to play a team that was also from a power conference.

In addition to the 12s, the recent trend of very low seeds knocking off some of the tournament favorites continued, with No. 14 seed Harvard and No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast each earning their first ever NCAA Tournament victories. Despite what this might do to people’s brackets, it’s really great to see the joy and emotion on the faces of those players as they begin to realize what they’ve done.

Upsets are what make the tournament so fun, and we’ve had plenty of them to keep us on the edge of our seats.

The Bad

The Mountain West Conference

Coming into the tournament with five teams and boasting the nation’s number one conference RPI ranking, the Mountain West Conference was supposed to make waves in 2013. A couple of its teams were very highly regarded, and several analysts even predicted that the Mountain West could have a representative in Atlanta in a couple of weeks.

Just two days in, we’re left with a largely underwhelming effort that saw the conference stumble to a 2-3 record and an early ousting of the conference’s prized pig, the New Mexico Lobos.

In a conference that is expected to be fired up for the tournament every year and win by being surprisingly athletic and understandably scrappy, the teams representing the MWC this season looked completely the opposite. Both New Mexico and UNLV looked as if they were sleepwalking through their games, and ended up falling victim to lower seeds. While UNLV’s loss is fairly understandable considering the Runnin’ Rebels played a California team that was a stone’s throw from its campus, New Mexico’s loss to Harvard was a shock and really hurt the conference’s image overall.

So much of a shock was the Lobos’ loss that beat writer Dennis Latta quit his job covering the team.

It just goes to show that no matter how gaudy the numbers you put up during the regular season, none of it really matters if you don’t show up for the tournament (hear that, Georgetown?)

The Good

The Atlantic 10 Conference

Saving face for mid-major conferences everywhere is the Atlantic 10 Conference, which still operates under the mid-major umbrella despite consisting of two teams that have made the Final Four in the last three seasons. The A-10 was extremely impressive during the first two rounds, going a perfect 6-0 highlighted by VCU’s pounding of Akron and La Salle’s upset victory over Kansas State.

While the Mountain West was regarded as the mid-major darling and responded poorly, the A-10 quietly went about its business, setting itself up to represent nearly half of the teams in the Sweet 16 if the winning streak can continue.

This isn’t just a cute little conference that wants a little respect, either. Saint Louis, VCU and Butler are all relatively high seeds that have a real chance of doing further damage in the tournament. In fact, the way things are shaping up with several of the top seeds already out or experiencing significant trouble against weaker opponents, the A-10 might actually be favored to win a lot of its third round matchups.

It’s hard to root for several of the A-10′s teams on the basis that you’re rooting for upsets, but if you’re a fan of the capable little guy that keeps on pushing, then this is a conference you can be proud of.

The Bad

The Big East Conference

It is no secret that the Big East Conference as we know it will dissolve after this season, but not too many people expected that it would begin to fade away so early into the NCAA Tournament.

Of the eight teams that received bids, only three remain (Louisville, Marquette, Syracuse). Although this isn’t too surprising when you consider that the conference was a little bit down this season and the majority of teams that lost in the Round of 64 were the underdogs in their matchup, this surely isn’t the way that the conference’s elite wanted to close the book on what has been a staple of college basketball.

If you’re Georgetown and the last thing that you see as a member of the Big East is “lost to Florida Gulf Coast in Round of 64″, you have to be wondering what went wrong. Or perhaps if you can somehow get that erased from the record books.

The Big East was a proud conference through its entirety, and will generally be remembered as being so. But it is sort of disappointing that in the final hurrah, the conference as we know it will probably go out with a whimper rather than a bang.

The Good

Good Coaching Prevails

The NCAA Tournament can be affected by a lot of things, including matchups, teams getting hot and solid free throw shooting down the stretch. But another thing that can have a profound effect on what teams are left standing, especially after the first weekend, is coaching.

Without a dominant team in the tournament, good coaching becomes all the more important. Thus far, we’ve seen the best coaches in the tournament position their team for an extended stay if second round performance is any indication.

Some of strongest performances of the Round of 64 came from teams such as Michigan State, Syracuse, VCU and Ohio State. The coaches of these teams are some of the best, especially in March. With a few of the top seeds already out, one may look to these teams to try and get a sense of who might have the best shot at making it to Atlanta, and possibly cut down the nets while they’re there.

The common saying is that defense wins championships. But in the case of college basketball, good coaching wins championships more often than not.

The Bad

TV Timeouts

No, this will never go away, so don’t even try arguing about it. But that doesn’t mean that the excessive amount of TV timeouts isn’t one of the more frustrating parts of the NCAA Tournament, especially in the early rounds.

Turner Broadcasting did a wonderful thing a couple of years ago by allowing the tournament to be broadcast on four different channels, allowing fans to switch back and forth as they please to watch every game of the tournament.

Of course, the normal fan isn’t going to sit on one channel and watch an entire game unless he or she has an invested interest in the team playing. Naturally, the channel will be changed whenever the game goes to commercial.

But what is the point of having four channels of basketball when, perhaps strategically, every single one of them goes to a commercial break at the same time? It’s really quite fascinating when you really think about it, since the games have staggered starts. But more than likely, it just makes you want to scream.

While this is a minor inconvenience, it is nice to know that the tournament has been entertaining enough that one must stoop to complaining about the TV broadcast to find a bad thing about the tournament after the second round. Hopefully the tournament will continue to be just as exciting in subsequent rounds and we can continue to nitpick.

- K. Becks

Second Round Games to Watch

#3 Marquette vs. #14 Davidson (Thurs, following Butler vs. Bucknell game)

Depending on what kind of basketball player you think you were (or are) will probably determine which team you would sympathize with in this matchup. Marquette is the athletic squad from the Big East, picking up some solid wins throughout the season but also getting itself into trouble because collectively the team shoots the ball terribly from behind the arc (314th in the nation in three point shooting percentage). Davidson, however, shoots the ball very well from behind the arc, and takes great care of the basketball. In other words, they are the typical underdog opponent; they’ll beat you by playing smart and making threes.

If Davidson can find a way to limit transition baskets by Marquette’s athletic guards, Bob McKillop’s team has a chance to pull off a huge second round upset. Even if the Wildcats don’t manage to beat the Golden Eagles, chances are they will hang around all game and keep fans on the edge of their seat. Davidson played well against a Big East opponent in last year’s Big Dance, and that Big East team ended up making it all the way to the Final Four.

#7 Illinois vs. #10 Colorado (Fri, following Miami vs. Pacific game)

If you’re one to get excited about great individual battles, then this is a game you simply cannot miss. Colorado is led by 6’6″ point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who is not exactly a household name at this point but could be in a matter of weeks. Dinwiddie’s ball handling skills are superb considering his size, and the Illini are going to have to find a way to limit his trips to the foul line if they want to win. Opposite Dinwiddie will be senior point guard Brandon Paul, who has the ability to catch fire at any point.

It will be interesting to see which player gets the best of the other, as the two players will probably end up guarding each other in this game. Neither player is alone in his quest to carry his team through the tournament, but it is pretty safe to say that the one who has the better game will also probably see his team ahead on the scoreboard. In addition to this being one of the best head-to-head individual battles of the tournament, the winning team will have a good shot at taking down Miami in the next round.

Team That Could Make a Run

UNLV

Like several other teams in the Mountain West Conference, the Runnin’ Rebels have the ability to beat just about any team in the nation, but can also come out flat and lose to just about anyone as well. Dave Rice’s team has the unenviable task of beating No. 12 seed California in San Jose, which is essentially a home game for the Golden Bears. However, if the Runnin’ Rebels can make it past that game, they have a decent shot of going pretty far.

Forward Anthony Bennett is one of the best in the nation at his position, and he will be difficult for any team to stop. UNLV also has a lot of depth, which allows them to run an up-tempo offense that teams like Syracuse may struggle stopping. It is unlikely that the Runnin’ Rebels will be out of any game that they play, as the team lost just one game by more than nine points this season. But like many of the other Mountain West squads in the tournament, we just don’t know what we’re going to get with UNLV. That’s scary, in both senses of the word.

My Picks

Second Round

#1 Indiana over #16 LIU Brooklyn/James Madison

#9 Temple over #8 North Carolina State

#5 UNLV over #12 California

#4 Syracuse over #13 Montana

#11 Bucknell over #6 Butler (upset alert)

#3 Marquette over #14 Davidson

#10 Colorado over #7 Illinois

#2 Miami over #15 Pacific

Third Round

#1 Indiana over #9 Temple

#4 Syracuse over #5 UNLV

#11 Bucknell over #3 Marquette (upset alert)

#2 Miami over #10 Colorado

Sweet 16

#1 Indiana over #4 Syracuse

#2 Miami over #11 Bucknell

Elite 8

#1 Indiana over #2 Miami

Now that I’ve broken down every region and you can see my region winners, here are my picks for the Final Four.

Final Four

National Semifinals

#1 Louisville over #2 Ohio State

#1 Kansas over #1 Indiana

Championship

#1 Kansas over #1 Louisville

There you have it. Obviously, not a whole lot of parody once you get down to the later rounds, but I’m sure that there will be a lot of madness that will totally blow my predictions to smithereens. Take a look at my predictions again if you need to, then let me know where you think I’m going to be wrong. This is the best time of the year, and I don’t really care what happens, as long as I get to watch the action unfold!

Any comments, questions or concerns can be sent to me at kbecks@aroundthecorn.com. I appreciate your comments, as well as all of you that took the time to read any of my work.

- K. Becks

Here is my breakdown of the South Region.

Second Round Games to Watch

#6 UCLA vs. #11 Minnesota (Fri, following Florida vs. Northwestern State game)

Minnesota is the most unpredictable team in the entire NCAA Tournament. The Golden Gophers have solid wins over Memphis, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Indiana, but also ended the regular season by dropping games to Iowa, Nebraska and Purdue (all on the road). In fact, I don’t even think that Minnesota should have made the tournament over a team like Iowa the way the two teams ended the year, but that’s a moot point.

Similarly, we no longer know what we’re going to get with the UCLA Bruins. Once a team that looked destined to be a No. 4 or 5 seed, the Bruins suffered a tough loss in the Pac-12 tournament when freshman guard Jordan Adams broke his foot in a win over Arizona. UCLA will miss their second leading scorer dearly, and frankly may not have enough to compete with the athleticism of Minnesota. Of course, you can’t say that with too much certainty, because it is anyone’s guess as to how the Golden Gophers will play. Expect this game to come down to the wire, but know that you could be watching one of the tournament’s sleeper teams in the victor.

#2 Georgetown vs. #15 Florida Gulf Coast (Fri, following Creighton vs. Cincinnati game)

The Hoyas have been playing well lately, losing only two games since January 21st, but there is concern that John Thompson III’s team may not be as good as its record indicates. Quite surprisingly, Florida Gulf Coast is being pegged as a dangerous squad that could pull off one of the monumental second round upsets similar to what we witnessed in last year’s tournament when Norfolk State took down No. 2 seed Missouri.

I’m not extremely high on Georgetown, but there are two reasons why I think the Eagles will have a very difficult time pulling off the improbable upset. First is the fact that the game is being played in Philadelphia, not too far a trip for the Hoyas but definitely a plane’s ride away for Florida Gulf Coast. Secondly, the Eagles’ chances appear to hinge on the play of guard Sherwood Brown who, while a solid player, is not a miracle worker. The Eagles would need a great game from each of their three starting guards and hope that the post defense finds a way to contain Otto Porter Jr. I think that this game has the potential to be interesting as far as a 2 vs. 15 matchup is concerned, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it an upset waiting to happen.

Team That Could Make a Run

Virginia Commonwealth

Shaka Smart’s team is a No. 5 seed, but could find themselves with a very similar scenario that could propel them back into the national spotlight and perhaps into the Final Four. If the Rams were to make it to the Sweet 16 (which is very possible), it would set up a likely date with No. 1 seed Kansas, the same school that VCU shocked two years ago as an No. 11 seed which made it to the Final Four. Like in 2011, the Rams would be a very difficult team for Kansas, which struggles with turnovers and could fall prey to Smart’s “Havoc” defensive scheme once again.

As weak as the top seeds appear, it would not be all that surprising if the Rams were the team that was left standing when the dust settles in the South Region. Playing in the Atlantic 10 for the first time bolstered VCU’s in-conference competition, but the Rams were still able to do what they do best: Wreak havoc on defense. They say defense wins championships, and the Rams may be able to prove that once again this year.

My Picks

Second Round

#1 Kansas over #16 Western Kentucky

#8 North Carolina over #9 Villanova

#5 Virginia Commonwealth over #12 Akron

#13 South Dakota State over #4 Michigan (upset alert)

#11 Minnesota over #6 UCLA (upset alert)

#3 Florida over #14 Northwestern State

#10 Oklahoma over #7 San Diego State

#2 Georgetown over #15 Florida Gulf Coast

Third Round

#1 Kansas over #8 North Carolina

#5 Virginia Commonwealth over #13 South Dakota State

#3 Florida over #11 Minnesota

#10 Oklahoma over #2 Georgetown (upset alert)

Sweet 16

#1 Kansas over #5 Virginia Commonwealth

#3 Florida over #10 Oklahoma

Elite 8

#1 Kansas over #3 Florida

- K. Becks

Here are my predictions, which will likely be blown apart by the Sweet 16, for the West Region.

Second Round Games to Watch

#5 Wisconsin vs. #12 Mississippi (Fri, 12:40 PM)

This matchup couldn’t have been picked any better. To kick off our Friday fix of college hoops, we get to see one of the most boring and frustrating teams to watch (Wisconsin) take on a Mississippi team that is extremely fun to watch thanks to one player: Junior sharpshooter Marshall Henderson. Henderson is the kind of guy that will be in your face every time he does even the little things well, but that’s what makes him so exciting. He knows he’s the best player the Rebels have, and he’s going to take most of the team’s shots as a result.

Wisconsin probably won’t let Henderson dictate the way they play basketball, but it will be interesting to see what happens when he hits a couple of shots over Badger defenders. This is the kind of game where, if Wisconsin is to lose, you’ll see Bo Ryan’s team unraveling at the seams right on the court. In my opinion this isn’t the best spot to find a No. 12 over No. 5 upset, but I’m still curious to see how much of an impact the Rebels’ polarizing guard will have on the outcome of this game.

#6 Arizona vs. #11 Belmont (Thurs, 7:50 PM)

Belmont is like the really cute but quiet girl that you want to go talk to in class. She’s doesn’t talk to many people and always seems to be taking good notes, so she’s probably smart and couldn’t possibly rip your heart out, right? Belmont is almost always a candidate to take down one of the big boys, but like the girl in class, disappoints you and ends up not being quite the catch that you thought they were, fading in the second half of the game. But damn it, the girl is so cute, you have to give her another chance.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m giving Belmont another chance to prove me right. The Bruins shoot the ball extremely well (and extremely often) from outside, and Arizona isn’t very good at defending the three. However, Belmont will also probably face size and athleticism issues against the Wildcats, which could contribute to their downfall once again this year. That is, unless, they can force a lot of turnovers (the Bruins are 5th in the nation in steals). At any rate, if the Bruins are hot from behind the arc, this is a game people are going to be switching to as the second half comes to a close.

Team That Could Make a Run

New Mexico

I had to decide between Wisconsin (an incredibly consistent team) and New Mexico (a relatively inconsistent team) when choosing a team from this region that could make a run. The Lobos won out, primarily because when they are playing well, they are one of the best teams in the nation. New Mexico is extremely talented in the backcourt, but also has the size in the post to work things inside against power conference opponents.

While the Lobos are capable of putting up a lot of points, when they are playing their best their defense is suffocating and forces opponents to play very good half-court basketball. It’s incredibly hard to predict how New Mexico will play in this year’s tournament, but if the Mountain West Conference tournament is any indication, the Lobos are back to playing their preferred brand of basketball. This isn’t a team too many people have a lot of faith in, but there isn’t a team in the West Region that New Mexico cannot beat.

My Picks

Second Round

#1 Gonzaga over #16 Southern

#9 Wichita State over #8 Pittsburgh

#5 Wisconsin over #12 Mississippi

#4 Kansas State over #13 Boise State/La Salle

#11 Belmont over #6 Arizona (upset alert)

#7 Notre Dame over #10 Iowa State

#2 Ohio State over #15 Iona

Third Round

#1 Gonzaga over #9 Wichita State

#5 Wisconsin over #4 Kansas State

#3 New Mexico over #11 Belmont

#2 Ohio State over #7 Notre Dame

Sweet 16

#1 Gonzaga over #5 Wisconsin

#2 Ohio State over #3 New Mexico

Elite 8

#2 Ohio State over #1 Gonzaga

- K. Becks

Here is my breakdown of the uber-competitive Midwest Region.

Second Round Games to Watch

#8 Colorado State vs. #9 Missouri (Thurs, following Louisville vs. N.C. A&T game)

The 8 vs. 9 matchups are almost always a tossup, and this one should be no different. Missouri comes in as one of the SEC’s better squads, and regardless of the fact that the conference was very down this year, the Tigers are still a pretty decent team. The frontcourt has been strengthened significantly thanks to transfer Alex Oriakhi, and Phil Pressey is still a defensive menace, averaging nearly two steals per contest. Frank Haith’s team will be going up against the Colorado State Rams, which played well in the Mountain West, a was considerably stronger conference than the SEC this season.

One matchup in particular that will be interesting to watch is Oriakhi versus Colorado State’s Colton Iverson, a 6’10″ senior forward that nearly averages a double-double in points and rebounds. Iverson is the leader on a team with lots of them (the Rams start five seniors) and has previous tournament experience (the team played in the 2012 tournament). While backcourt play will definitely have an impact on this game, I expect that the winner of the Oriakhi/Iverson battle will also be the team that moves on, likely to play Louisville.

#5 Oklahoma State vs. #12 Oregon (Thurs, following Saint Louis vs. New Mexico State game)

Raise your hand if you thought that Oregon got the raw end of the deal with regards to seeding this year? If your hand isn’t raised, then you probably haven’t seen the Ducks play this season. Dana Altman’s team hit a rough patch starting at the end of January that stretched all the way to the end of the regular season, but Oregon’s play during that time is not indicative of how good this team really is. Freshman guard Dominic Artis was out for much of that stretch, and after he returned to the starting lineup in the Pac-12 tournament, the Ducks looked like the team that came out of nowhere to begin the season.

Oregon’s task of proving the selection committee wrong will not be easy, however. The Ducks must go up against Oklahoma State, an athletic squad led by freshman sensation and Big 12 Player of the Year Marcus Smart. Smart does just about everything well except shoot the three, and he has fellow guard Markel Brown with him to take care of that for the Cowboys. The Cowboys might be the most focused No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament this year, because it’s hard to imagine that they haven’t heard what people are saying about Oregon. Expect both teams to come out looking strong and providing one of the most entertaining second round matchups of the entire tournament.

Team That Could Make a Run

Saint Louis

Hardly a Cinderella candidate thanks to a No. 4 seed, the Billikens are still one of the most underrated squads in the nation, and not a team that a lot of people probably have going too far. Saint Louis has plenty of upperclassmen leadership to keep them focused, the bad taste of a close defeat in last year’s tournament still on their minds (to No. 1 seed Michigan State in the third round), and one of the nation’s best defenses, which is hardly surprising due to the conference that the Billikens play in.

Figuring out how to beat the Billikens this season has proved to be very difficult as well. No other team in the nation has beaten both VCU and Butler multiple times, which is not an easy thing to do by any stretch. If Louisville and Saint Louis end up meeting in the Sweet 16, we could end up seeing a replay of the 2010 regional final between Kansas and VCU. Saint Louis has the talent to make it to Atlanta.

My Picks

Second Round

#1 Louisville over #16 N.C. A&T

#8 Colorado State over #9 Missouri

#12 Oregon over #5 Oklahoma State (upset alert)

#4 Saint Louis over #13 New Mexico State

#6 Memphis over #11 St. Mary’s

#3 Michigan State over #14 Valparaiso

#7 Creighton over #10 Cincinnati

#2 Duke over #15 Albany

Third Round

#1 Louisville over #8 Colorado State

#4 Saint Louis over #12 Oregon

#3 Michigan State over #6 Memphis

#2 Duke over #3 Michigan State

Sweet 16

#1 Louisville over #4 Saint Louis

#3 Michigan State over #2 Duke

Elite 8

#1 Louisville over #3 Michigan State

- K. Becks

As usual, I’m sure that you did not take the time to read that particularly long paragraph. To recapture your attention, here’s a picture of a hot chick.

Hi. Welcome back.

Now, here are my predictions and some other interesting things about the first four games of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, to be played Tuesday and Wednesday night.

First Round Games to Watch

#11 Middle Tennessee State vs. #11 St. Mary’s (Tues, following N.C. A&T vs. Liberty game)

It isn’t often that you’ll see two teams with 27-plus wins in an NCAA Tournament play-in game, so take in the experience while you can. Both the Blue Raiders and Gaels are in the position that they are due to the fact that no one is really sure what either team is capable of doing. Each team has a gaudy record, but Middle Tennessee State’s best win is over Vanderbilt while St. Mary’s probably got in the tournament because of a victory over Creighton. Thus, we could be watching a game between two very good squads that simply haven’t had a chance to prove it, or we could simply be watching two average teams that look better on paper than they really are.

If not for anything else, this game is worth watching because of St. Mary’s senior guard Matthew Dellavedova, who seems like he’s been in college forever. In reality, he is probably well known even though he plays for a mid-major school not only because of his trademark mouth guard, but also because he is one of the best distributors in the nation. Dellavedova will be very difficult for Middle Tennessee State to contain, especially if he is shooting well from outside. At any rate, the team that comes out of this game may have a shot at making it at least a round further. Memphis awaits the winner, and while the Tigers are a strong team, they turn the ball over quite a bit.

#13 Boise State vs. #13 La Salle (Wed, following LIU Brooklyn vs. James Madison game)

Both the Broncos and the Explorers represent the last team that made it into the field of 68 from their respective conferences, but this game has the potential to be a very good one. Boise State has held their own against some very solid teams this season, including Michigan State and Creighton on the road (the Broncos beat the Blue Jays 83-70 in Omaha). La Salle wasn’t too shabby out of conference either, posting wins over Villanova and Iona, both tournament teams. Also, the Atlantic 10′s strength increased significantly this past season with the addition of VCU and Butler, so the Explorers are battle tested heading into the Big Dance.

With little to separate these two teams, you have to look at who could make big plays when needed down the stretch. Boise State has relied heavily on guards Anthony Drmic and Derrick Marks this season, and both players are capable of taking high pressure shots. The Broncos have a chance to put themselves on the map for something other than success on the gridiron, but it will not be easy. Boise State has struggled on the road this season, and La Salle is much closer to home as this game is being played in Dayton. Don’t be surprised if this game comes down to a final shot.

Team That Could Make a Run

Boise State

It might be more likely that St. Mary’s makes it out of Dayton, but the Broncos have the best chance to do damage as the tournament continues if they manage to beat La Salle. Next up for Boise State would be a game against Kansas State in Kansas City, which would seem to heavily favor the Wildcats at first glance. However, when you take a look at Kansas State’s schedule, it becomes apparent that the Wildcats didn’t fare too well against its stiffest out-of-conference competition.

The Broncos are not flashy by any means, but they do have the ability to come back from behind and can hold on to a slim lead thanks to solid free throw shooting (73.3% as a team is tied for 21st in the nation). Plus, it is still a mystery as to whether or not the Mountain West is truly as good a conference as its conference RPI ranking would suggest. If it is, then Boise State is a really gritty team that will be a pain for anyone the Broncos play.

My Picks

#16 N.C. A&T over #16 Liberty

#11 St. Mary’s over #11 Middle Tennessee State

#16 LIU Brooklyn over #16 James Madison

#13 Boise State over #13 La Salle

- K. Becks

As it turned out, I only have one more mid-major conference to report on, but it’s a good one. If you’re still interested, here is a short report on the tourney bound teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Atlantic 10

Teams in: Butler, La Salle, Saint Louis, Temple, VCU

Seed: 6 (Butler), 13 (La Salle), 4 (Saint Louis), 9 (Temple), 5 (VCU)

Second Round Opponent: Bucknell (Butler), Boise State (La Salle), New Mexico State (Saint Louis), N.C. State (Temple), Akron (VCU)

Probability of being a Cinderella: N/A (Butler, Saint Louis, VCU), Decent (La Salle and Temple)

With the addition of Butler and VCU (both Final Four participants in the last two years), the Atlantic 10 is only grandfathered into the “mid-major” category. In actuality, this conference is far from mid-major caliber, as its teams participating in the NCAA Tournament would suggest. Only La Salle and Temple would be considered a Cinderella with a couple of wins; the other three squads are actually expected to win some games.

One team to keep an eye on out of this conference is Saint Louis, the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region. The Billikens have been flying under the radar for most of the season, but are “a legitimate contender for the whole thing” according to Butler coach Brad Stevens. Just in case you’re not aware, people listen when that guy talks now. With plenty of experience and the ghost of Rick Majerus on their side, this isn’t a team to overlook.

As for the rest of the conference, VCU has the defense to roll into the Sweet 16 and potentially meet No. 1 seed Kansas in the tournament again, Butler poses a matchup issue for Marquette if it can get by Bucknell, and Temple would be an extremely tough out for Indiana. I’d even say La Salle has a good chance of upsetting Kansas State, but I’m rooting for Boise State to beat the Explorers.

- K. Becks