The NutSAK Preview of the Big Dance

Gonna go region by region here with things to watch for, as well as who comes out of them and into the Final Four.

MIDWEST

Team to watch: West Virginia. The six-seed here, they're peaking at the right time, and could have easily been a five-seed. I think they beat Dayton and Kansas to set up a Sweet 16 showdown with Michigan State.

Team to bet against: Ohio State. In general, this bracket is pretty well-laid out. However, I think the Buckeyes peaked too early, and may be overconfident heading into their first-round showdown with Siena. If the Saints press the tempo early, I think they win fairly comfortably.

Who moves on: Louisville. They're simply better than any team in this bracket, and it's not that close.

WEST

Team to watch: Marquette. Put yourself in their shoes. If you were immediately discounted because of an injury to a good but overrated guard, wouldn't you be hell-bent on proving people wrong? They're in my Sweet 16 after wins over Utah State and Missouri.

Team to bet against: UConn, but not right away. They've got an easy path to the Elite 8, where their toughest opponent will be a decent but not great Washington squad. However, they'll face Memphis, who will lock down AJ Price and Jeff Adrien and force Hasheem Thabeet to carry the load. He won't be able to do it.

Who moves on: Memphis. Defense wins championships, and this team shoots free throws MUCH better than last year's squad.

EAST

Team to watch: Texas. The Longhorns took a while to come around, but they have developed into a stout defensive team. Any squad who relies on the three to win games is going to have trouble. cough cough cough DUKE coughcoughcough.

Team to bet against: UCLA. May as well be spelled UGLY. This team is riding the success of the past 50 years, and they're simply not that great. They draw a dangerous VCU team in the first round, and if they make Darren Collison carry the team, he won't be able to do that.

Who moves on: Pitt. The trio of Levance Fields, Sam Young, and DeJuan Blair will be WAY too much to handle.

SOUTH

Team to watch: Gonzaga. As always, the Zags loom a threat in March. The team is very well-balanced, and they do the little things well. As a battle-tested squad, they won't be afraid of any team in this part of the bracket.

Team to bet against: UNC. Yes, they're a very strong team. However, without a healthy Ty Lawson, they're only a very good team as opposed to a great one. I think Butler may give them major headaches in the second round, followed immediately by Gonzaga exploiting UNC's inability to run and bouncing them in the Sweet 16.

Who moves on: Oklahoma. Say what you will about their finish to the season, but Blake Griffin is one of the two best frontcourt players in the country, and his supporting cast is also very talented as well.

FINAL FOUR

Louisville over Memphis: This'll be a tight game, but ultimately, I feel that the ensemble cast of the Cardinals will be too much for Tyreke Evans and Company to overcome.

Pitt over Oklahoma: How much would you pay to see Blair and Griffin boxing each other out on every trip down the floor? I think there's a very good chance of them fouling each other out, and if that happens, Sam Young immediately becomes the best player on the floor. It's a close matchup, but Pitt prevails.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Pitt over Louisville: Blair fouled out of their matchup earlier in the season, and Louisville escaped with the win. That won't happen again. The Cardinals are a great team, but teams with marquee bigs give them a lot of problems. They haven't played one up until now, and Blair makes them pay by winning the national title.