RADIO
March Madness is officially here and RotoBaller will be giving a full breakdown on each region, including some potential sleepers and busts. You can review the South Region here, East Region, West Region - and now we'll be taking a look at the Midwest Region.
This NCAA Tournament should be the wildest March Madness seen in years. I'm here to tell you some teams that I believe in - this should help you make the right tournament bracket decisions. Below I analyze the top four seeds, a potential bust, and a potential final four candidate. Hopefully my college basketball predictions can help you win your March Madness brackets. Now let's get to it.
Editor's Note: If you are interested in more college basketball columns, you can also check out our CBB DFS lineups picks and daily league predictions.
March Madness Picks for the Midwest Region
Top four seeds: #1 Virginia, #2 Michigan State, #3 Utah, #4 Iowa State
This is the most top heavy region. Virginia and Michigan State are two of the top five teams in college basketball, and for the third straight year are placed in the same region. One of these teams will make the Final Four. As for that team, continue reading. Also, Syracuse is in this region as a 10-seed. Don't get carried away by the name, they are not good and will go down in the first round to Dayton.
Utah is really good but a 3-seed seems a bit high. I really think they can get upset by Fresno State in the first round.
Iowa State scares me. They have the 101st defense, per Kenpom.com. Teams that bad on defense tend to get upset in the first weekend. I don't think Iona can beat them, but I think Purdue will beat them in the second round. The Big Ten tournament showed how good Purdue can play taking Michigan State to the wire. If Purdue brings that same intensity, they'll even scare Virginia.
Most Intriguing Matchup: 6. Seton Hall vs. 11. Gonzaga
Seton Hall had a remarkable Big East Tournament, beating Villanova in a classic championship. Will they be overconfident for this game against Gonzaga? I think so. People aren't talking or afraid of Gonzaga this year, but you should be. Kyle Wiltjer can beat you from deep and inside too. Mark Few' s team hasn't lost in the first round since 2008 to Davidson and Stephen Curry. They will keep the streak alive this year. Also, Gonzaga is a one-point favorite in this one. That should tell you something.
Bust of the Region- Utah
People may think Iowa State will lose in the first round to Iona, but they'll take care of Iona in the first round. Utah is a really good team, but I think they will have a hangover from their 31-point defeat to Oregon in the Pac 12 championship game. Per Kenpom.com, Utah was the 13th luckiest team all season. I hate betting a team that is lucky, luck is always bound to run out. Fresno State played Oregon and Arizona earlier in the season losing by five and 13, and held a three-point lead over Arizona at the half. They have won nine in a row, including 11 of the last 12. Senior guard Marvelle Harris is averaging 20 a game, and junior forward Torren Jones is averaging 10 points and eight rebounds a game. If Harris gets hot, look out Utah.
Final Four Pick
Michigan State. For a third straight season, Michigan State will beat Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan State is so good and Denzel Valentine is the latest Sparty player than notches triple-doubles on a nightly basis. They will play with a chip on their shoulder for not getting a number one seed. It's unfortunate that Virginia will have to face Michigan State to go to the Final Four though. The committee should have made State the number one seed in place of Oregon, but the committee uses their own weird criteria.
