N&O’s NCAA tournament bracket preview has a team from the West Region winning it all
Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more. Back by popular (?) demand, this region-by-region bracket preview – in homage to late News & Observer sports columnist Caulton Tudor, who invented the lingo and made it an N&O staple for decades – correctly identified two of the Final Four teams last year and a whopping, uh, seven of the Sweet 16, so proceed at your own risk and accept no imitations.
KENTUCKY IS THE BEST OF THE BEASTLY EAST
REGIONAL RATING: First
FAVORITE: Kentucky (2) is functionally the No. 1 seed here given the late-season swoon by Baylor (1).
GOING SWEET: Baylor (1), Kentucky (2), Purdue (3), St. Mary’s (5)
DARK HORSES: The first-round winner of mid-major powerhouses Murray State (7) and San Francisco (10) could post Kentucky’s toughest test. Can UNC (8) channel the Spirit of 2000? St. Mary’s (5) went 5-4 against tournament teams with a win over Gonzaga.
MIGHT FLOP: Baylor looks ripe to fall at some point. How much does Virginia Tech (11) have left in the tank after winning four games in four days in Brooklyn? North Carolina has proven it can beat anyone … and lose to anyone.
SENTIMENTAL FAVORITE: Wyoming (12) has to start in Dayton but the Cowboys have a dynamite pick-and-roll combo and their best team since Fennis Dembo.
SYNOPSIS: There is danger lurking everywhere here, from Purdue to UCLA (4) to St. Mary’s to Texas (6) to Murray State and UNC, with Baylor the weakest of the No. 1 seeds and Kentucky the strongest of the No. 2s. The Wildcats should have what it takes to advance but this regional could produce some of the tournament’s best games.
SOUTH IS THE REGION OF CHAMPIONS
REGIONAL RATING: Second
FAVORITE: Houston (5) just keeps on winning despite injuries and gets to play the regional in friendly San Antonio.
GOING SWEET: Arizona (1), Tennessee (3), Houston (5), Loyola (10)
DARK HORSES: Loyola is a legitimate threat. Michigan (11) is barely above .500 but the Wolverines’ analytics are terrific. Are they this year’s version of UCLA?
MIGHT FLOP: Arizona will be nervous about guard Kerr Kriisa’s ankle and faces a tough road. Ohio State (7) had a miserable finish to the season and faces a tough first-round opponent in…
SENTIMENTAL FAVORITE: … Sister Jean! College basketball’s most famous nun is still cheering Loyola along at age 102. Tennessee was disrespected by the committee with its seed after winning the SEC.
SYNOPSIS: The Pac-12, Big East and SEC champions all ended up in the same bracket along with sneaky-good teams like Colorado State and Loyola that would have been seeded higher coming from power conferences. There are some intriguing matchups here which could make it very interesting on the way to San Antonio. Things could get very weird in the second round and beyond.
ZAGS IN PLAY BY THE BAY
REGIONAL RATING: Third
FAVORITE: Despite the head-to-head loss to Duke (2) in November, Gonzaga (1) remains the team to beat out west.
GOING SWEET: Gonzaga (1), Duke (2), Texas Tech (3), Connecticut (5)
DARK HORSES: The Michigan State (7)-Davidson (10) winner will like its chances against Duke in Greenville. Vermont (13) is always a March threat. Memphis (9) struggled out of the gate but has won 12 of 13 since, while the Rutgers/Notre Dame (11) winner could be the First Four team that makes a run.
MIGHT FLOP: Alabama (5) went .500 in the SEC, one-and-done in the SEC tournament and lost to Davidson, Iona and Memphis. Mike Krzyzewski has never won an NCAA tournament game in the Pacific time zone and would have to go through San Francisco.
SENTIMENTAL FAVORITE: Depending on your alliances, it’s either Duke in Krzyzewski’s final season … or whoever is playing Duke in Krzyzewski’s final season.
SYNOPSIS: This bracket is loaded with teams that are talented or unpredictable or both. Gonzaga is going to have to run the gauntlet (Memphis or Boise State/Arkansas or UConn/Texas Tech or Duke) to get back to the Final Four, but the Zags benefit from geography (Portland and San Francisco).
ROCK, CHALK, JAYHAWK IN MIDWEST
REGIONAL RATING: Fourth
FAVORITE: Kansas (1) got the easiest road to San Antonio, including wobbling Auburn (2).
GOING SWEET: Kansas (1), Auburn (2), Iowa (5), Colgate (14)
DARK HORSES: South Dakota State (13) is going to be everybody’s upset pick but Colgate (14) is the one. Jacksonville State (15) won’t be intimidated by Auburn, a mere two hours down the road.
MIGHT FLOP: Once the No. 1 team in the country, Auburn (2) has lost four of its last nine. Wisconsin (3) and Providence (4) won a lot of close games but don’t have the analytics to match their resumes. Will that catch up to them sooner or later? LSU (6) didn’t exactly roll into the postseason and will be playing for an interim coach after Will Wade’s firing.
SENTIMENTAL FAVORITE: There are three teams in this bracket that were ensnared in the FBI investigation of college basketball. So … pretty much anyone but Kansas, Auburn or LSU qualifies.
SYNOPSIS: This should be smooth sailing for Kansas but could be topsy-turvy elsewhere. If any region is going to see multiple double-digit seeds make it to the second weekend, it’s this one. Of Kansas’ competition, high-flying Iowa (5) lurks, capable of outscoring just about anyone.
The Final Four
MY PICKS: Kentucky, Houston, Gonzaga, Kansas
CHAMPION: Gonzaga
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This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 12:57 PM with the headline "N&O’s NCAA tournament bracket preview has a team from the West Region winning it all."
