March Madness is here and it really is the most exciting time of the year. Nothing rivals seeing an underdog make a run through the NCAA Tournament or seeing a team win in dramatic fashion on an incredible buzzer-beater.
I intend to break down each of the four regions heading into this week's second and third round games. We will start with the East region:
East Region –
Overseeded: Villanova
It boggles my mind that the Wildcats can lose 10 of 15 games after a 16-1 start and still be safely in the 68-team field. This is a 11 or 12 seed masquerading as a 9 seed. Villanova hasn't beaten any team with a pulse in several weeks. I guess it pays to play in the overhyped Big East.
Underseeded: Clemson
The Tigers proved they deserved much better than a 12 seed after routing UAB on Tuesday. Clemson put a scare into North Carolina in the ACC Tournament before falling in overtime. The Tigers are more than capable of knocking off West Virginia if they don't come out flat-footed from travel fatigue.
Darkhorse: Xavier
The Musketeers have reached the Sweet 16 three consecutive years and could easily make four straight. This team is a trendy first-round upset victim. But I'm not sold on Marquette, a team with a recent history of early round flameouts. Tru Holladay is a talented and experienced backcourt leader. Teams with those kind of players tend to advance far in the NCAAs. Plus, I think Xavier has the tools to match up with Syracuse's famed 2-3 zone in the third round.
Region Winner: Ohio State
Behind powerful freshman Jared Sullinger and a talented senior supporting cast, the Buckeyes have just the right ingredients to cut down the nets in Houston. Anything short of reaching the Final Four would rank as a massive disappointment.
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