Mid-West Region Preview

Head to the printers and have a pencil handy...it's time to fill out your NCAA Tournament bracket. From college basketball junkies, to your co-worker that hasn't watched a game all year; everyone gets into picking who's going to go far in the big dance and who's looking at a historic upset.

I believe this year's bracket is probably the toughest I've had to fill out, especially the South Region. Could this be a redux of 2006 when an 11 seed in George Mason shocked the world and made the Final Four? Or will it be like 2008 when all four top seeds won their regions? It's hard to tell.

First Round Match-ups
[1] Kansas vs. [16] Lehigh
[8] UNLV vs. [9] Northern Iowa
[5] Michigan State vs. [12] New Mexico State
[4] Maryland vs. [13] Houston
[6] Tennessee vs. [11] San Diego State
[3] Georgetown vs. [14] Ohio
[7] Oklahoma State vs. [10] Georgia Tech
[2] Ohio State vs. [15] UC-Santa Barbara

Number one overall seed Kansas headlines this region, but they were also cursed with the toughest road to the Final Four. Big Ten champion Ohio State, surging Big East power Georgetown, and last year's runner-up Michigan State all are looking to knock off the Jayhawks. I do think Kansas will outlast the field and advance to the Final Four, but it's going to be a rough road.

Favorite: Kansas

- They are probably the most complete team in the field. Great starting line-up with talented guards and big men, a senior leader (Sherron Collins) who has Final Four experience, and a deep bench. There's a reason why they only lost two games all season.

Best Player: Evan Turner, F, Ohio State

- Turner had an incredible year and if he didn't get hurt mid-way through the season, we might be discussing one of the greatest seasons ever for a collegiate basketball player. He's cool in the clutch, does everything for his team and will carry the entire Buckeyes squad if his teammates falter.

Sleeper: Michigan State

- Never count out a Tom Izzo coached team. He got to the Final Four last season and almost everyone returns from that squad. Yeah, they didn't have the year everyone expected of them (I picked them to win the National Championship in the pre-season) but they are undefeated (5-0) as a five seed and if they get to the second round, they'll face a Maryland or Houston team with no tournament experience.

Cinderella: San Diego State

- There's really not a true Cinderella in this region. I only selected the Aztecs because they can win their first game and give their opponent (most likely the Georgetown Hoyas) trouble in the second. They're real hot right now, going from on the bubble to grabbing the Mountain West's automatic bid after defeating New Mexico and tournament host UNLV in the championship game. Oklahoma State is another team that could do some damage if James Anderson catches fire early.

Upset Alert: Tennessee

- Going into the tournament after getting beat down by rival Kentucky does nothing to help the Volunteers. I can't get a feel on these guys, because they're very inconsistent since losing Tyler Smith and crew mid-season. They hold wins over the Wildcats and Kansas, but have also lost by 15 at Georgia. I could see them getting past the Aztecs and giving Georgetown a game in the second round, or I can see them getting blown out.

First Round Predictions:
[1] Kansas over [16] Lehigh
[8] UNLV over [9] Northern Iowa
[5] Michigan State over [12] New Mexico State
[4] Maryland over [13] Houston
[11] San Diego State over [6] Tennessee
[3] Georgetown over [14] Ohio
[7] Oklahoma State over [10] Georgia Tech
[2] Ohio State over [15] UC-Santa Barbara

Second Round Predictions:
[1] Kansas over [8] UNLV
[5] Michigan State over [4] Maryland
[3] Georgetown over [11] San Diego State
[2] Ohio State over [7] Oklahoma State

Sweet 16 Predictions:
[1] Kansas over [5] Michigan State
[3] Georgetown over [2] Ohio State

Elite Eight Predictions:
[1] Kansas over [3] Georgetown

Tomorrow: West and East Region previews