theScore64: Predicting the entire NCAA tournament bracket
With the NCAA tournament field set and brackets across the country ready to be filled out, here's a completed bracket to give you an idea of how this year's Big Dance may play out.
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South Region
An interesting draw for Kansas. There are at least two more talented rosters in the region in Cal and Maryland, but the Jayhawks are the clear favorites. ... The Terrapins put together a 15-1 record to start the season, then cooled off. There's still a lot of talent there, particularly in the backcourt. ... The Golden Bears feature three first-round picks in their starting lineup, and that group's peaking at the right time, entering the tournament having won nine of 11. They'd be easier to buy into as a dark horse if they weren't 5-10 outside of Berkeley. ... Quick turnaround for UConn following an emotional AAC tournament. ... Wichita State drew the short straw in a year full of tough First Four matchups. ... Buffalo's overcome a lot this year. The Bulls are an interesting post-hype sleeper. ... Iowa is seeded lower than expected after a hot start. The Hawkeyes have five wins over top 25 opponents on their resume.
West Region
A lot of chalk in the West, but there are some tough Round of 64 matchups on the board - particularly for Duke and Texas. ... Yale's in the tournament for the first time since 1962. ... Mike Krzyzewski will make his 21st consecutive tournament appearance. ... Texas A&M beat Texas early in the regular season, and the Aggies are still the better team. ... Oklahoma started strong, but stumbled down the stretch. The Sooners will be a very tough out if they can find some momentum. ... Oregon State plays a 1-3-1 zone, and that's not the way to beat Oklahoma. Oregon is the least talked about of the four No. 1 seeds. There are some speed bumps in the Ducks' path to Houston, but they can't be too unhappy with their draw.
Related: theScore's March Madness printable bracket
East Region
North Carolina's reward for earning a No. 1 seed: a spot in the deepest of the four regions. The last time the Tar Heels were the preseason No. 1 team in the country, they won a national title. The way they stepped it up on the defensive end of the court in the ACC tournament makes them the team to beat, but they'll face too many challenges in the East. ... Point guards are important in the tournament, and Providence's Kris Dunn is one of the best in the country. ... Indiana's tailed off since a 17-3 start, but a Round of 32 matchup with Kentucky in a showdown between two of the most decorated college basketball programs is going to be fun to watch. ... Wisconsin's in the tournament for the 18th consecutive year, and comes in having won 11 of 14. ... Kentucky's improved as the season's progressed, and John Calipari deserves a ton of credit for the job he's done. Potentially drawing West Virginia in the Elite Eight after facing North Carolina with only two days to prepare for that press defense is daunting, but the Wildcats doubled up the Mountaineers in the tournament a year ago.
Midwest Region
The Cavaliers are a No. 1 seed for the second time in three years, but Virginia finds itself in the same region as Michigan State for the third consecutive tournament, having been knocked out by the Spartans in the previous two. ... Chris Holtmann's helped fans in Indianapolis forget about Brad Stevens, guiding Butler to the tournament in each of his first two years as head coach. ... 2015 wasn't a good year for No. 12 seeds, and this season isn't shaping up to be any better, but Purdue's on upset alert as the weakest of the five seeds. Little Rock won the Sun Belt championship game by 20 points and improved by 16 wins over last season. ... Iona can score with the best of them - A.J. English is averaging 22.4 points - and that's a good attribute to target when hunting for upsets. The Gaels' 4-6 start is a thing of the past as the team rides an 18-4 run into the tournament. ... Syracuse enters the tournament with losses in five of six, and earlier in the season, dropped a game against a St. John's team that finished 8-24. ... Winning the Big Ten tournament should have made Michigan State a No. 1 seed, but the Spartans can't be overly disappointed by their road to the Final Four.
Final Four
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Coach Calipari's in his seventh season in Lexington. In five trips to the tournament, the Wildcats have made four trips to the Final Four, playing for the national championship twice. ... Don't expect any magic from Tom Izzo in Houston - he's 3-6 at the Final Four. ... Oregon caught the attention of the nation by stopping Utah in the title game of the Pac-12 tournament, winning by a 31-point margin. That didn't come out of nowhere - the Ducks won their 28 games this season by an average margin of 14.1 points. ... Fourteen of the past 18 national champions were ranked in the top nine of the preseason AP poll. Kentucky was No. 2. Look for some redemption from the Wildcats following last season's hype.