The 2016 NCAA Tournament tips off Tuesday night, as two of the First Four games will be played in Dayton, Ohio. But for most of us, the real action begins Thursday, when the 64-team bracket gets started. If you’re still looking for some tips, previews and predictions, you’ve come to the right place.
We’re taking a look at each of the four regions and giving you five bold predictions to help aid you in your quest to win your bracket pool. Just don’t blame us if they don’t turn out to be true.
Let’s cover the Midwest bracket – where Virginia is the No. 1 seed. It’s possible that UVA and Michigan State wind up playing in the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row.
Get Started: Seton Hall To The Sweet 16 >>>
1. Seton Hall Will Reach The Sweet 16
There are many who believe that the Pirates were stiffed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee, given their recent run. Seton Hall, which finished in third place in the Big East regular season, has won eight of its last nine games, including a league tournament title game victory over 2-seed Villanova. They have an overall mark of 25-8 – but only two of those losses have come since the start of February. They also have Isaiah Whitehead – who is going to be a solid pro.
And so, a 6-seed might be a little low for the Pirates. But their route – at least to the Sweet 16 – could be worse.
Seton Hall gets Gonzaga in the first round, and, if it wins, likely Utah in the second round. After that, it’s likely Michigan State, which is where the run ends. We’ll take the Pirates to win two this weekend before bowing out.
Next: Syracuse Over Dayton >>>
2. Syracuse Will Beat Dayton And Give MSU A Game
Syracuse may not have belonged in the field this year, but now that the Orange is in, it’s going to be a tough out. SU has a nice combination of veteran leadership (Michael Gbinije, Trevor Cooney) and freshman talent (Malachi Richardson, Tyler Lydon). Syracuse also has Jim Boeheim, one of the most experienced coaches in the nation. Plus, they’re playing with house money, since most didn’t expect them to make the tournament.
We’re going to take Syracuse to knock off Dayton AND give Michigan State a real run for its money in the second round. Sure, the Spartans have experience against a zone, but Boeheim is a master at altering his defense on the fly. Also, Syracuse, despite 13 losses this year, never really got blown out by anyone.
We’ll still take Michigan State to survive – but just barely.
Next: Pick This 13-Seed For An Upset >>>
3. 13-Seed Iona Will Knock Off 4-Seed Iowa State
Iowa State, despite posting a 10-8 record in the Big 12 and losing 11 games total, was given a 4-seed in the Midwest. That should tell you what the selection committee thought of the conference. Iona, meanwhile, won the MAAC by knocking off fan-favorite Monmouth in the league’s tournament title game. But the Gaels might not be done winning games this year.
Senior guard A.J. English is one of the most difficult matchups in the nation, and given Iowa State’s poor deficiency rating, it isn’t hard to see him going off against the Cyclones. We think this is going to be one of the highest-scoring games of the first round. And hey, we have to pick some upsets – so we’re going with Iona.
Iowa State, for as much talent as it boasts, has been inconsistent all year. That doesn’t usually work out come tournament time.
Next: An Overlooked Big Ten Team >>>
4. Purdue Will Reach The Sweet 16
If there’s one Big Ten team flying under the radar in this year’s NCAA Tournament, it’s Purdue. The Boilermakers, one of the biggest teams in the field, have won five of their last six games, and almost knocked off Michigan State in the league’s title game. They’re also one of just eight teams ranked in the top 25 of both adjusted offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. If they were put into an easier region, they might be a sleeper Final Four pick.
If we’re correct about our Iona-over-Iowa-State pick, then Purdue will get Arkansas-Little Rock followed by the Gaels. We’ll take the Boilermakers in both contests big.
We do think that Purdue will meet its match when it winds up playing Virginia in the Sweet 16. Which leads us to…
Next: UVA Will Finally Get It Done >>>
5. Virginia Will Finally Beat Michigan State
Virginia didn’t win either the ACC’s regular season title or its postseason tournament, yet the committee gave them the No. 3 overall ranking in the event. That’s how much respect the Cavaliers got. It’s warranted too – at least when you look at their schedule. UVA beat Ohio State, West Virginia, Villanova, Cal and Notre Dame – just in the non-conference. They also never lost a game by more than seven points all year.
Michigan State is one of the deepest teams in the nation, and they’ve knocked UVA out of the NCAAs the past two years. But we think the third time will be the charm for the Cavs. This is Malcolm Brogdon’s last go-around, and we believe it’ll end in at least a Final Four trip. Virginia is going to win this region.