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2015 NCAA Tournament Picks – West Bracket
By Walter Cherepinsky – @walterfootball
NCAA Tournament Picks: West Bracket First Round
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 16 Coastal Carolina
You’d rather live in Coastal Carolina than Wisconsin, but you’d rather play basketball for Wisconsin than Coastal Carolina. It’s great how life just evens out.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 1 Wisconsin
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State has limped into the NCAA Tournament, so I don’t see why it would suddenly enjoy success. Oregon at least came on strong toward in the Pac-12 tournament.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 8 Oregon
No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 12 Wofford
Here’s my 12-5 upset. I’m not a fan of any of the SEC teams, excluding Kentucky. Wofford isn’t all that great, but Arkansas probably should’ve been a No. 7 or 8 seed. The Razorbacks could definitely lose this contest.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 12 Wofford
No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Harvard
Harvard has pulled off some upsets in recent tournaments, but this is not the same Crimson team. It really struggles to score, and North Carolina is just too talented to lose this one.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 4 North Carolina
No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 11 Ole Miss
I’m not crazy about either of these teams. Much like Harvard, this is not the same, vintage Xavier team we’re used to seeing creep into the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight. On the other hand, Ole Miss hails from the SEC, which was so crappy this year. I’m taking Xavier, but I’m not crazy about it.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 6 Xavier
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Georgia State
Georgia State’s logo looks like a panther is holding a candle, which is pretty cool.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 3 Baylor
No. 7 VCU vs. No. 10 Ohio State
This might be the best-rated opening-round game in college basketball history. Both of these teams are excellent and should probably be No. 5 seeds at the very worst. It’s a joke that VCU was bumped down to No. 7, and in a desperate attempt to make it lose, the NCAA placed Ohio State on the 10-line. Disgusting. The NCAA sucks, but this game will be great. It’s a toss-up, so it’s a good thing for us that the winner will have to deal with Arizona in the second round.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 7 VCU
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Texas Southern
Most people will be pulling for the rare 15-2 upset, but just remember that the poor folks at Texas Northern will want their southern counterpart to lose.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 2 Arizona
NCAA Tournament Picks: West Bracket Second Round
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 8 Oregon
Wisconsin plays great, mistake-free basketball, so I can’t see it getting tripped up in the second round against an inferior Oregon team.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 1 Wisconsin
No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 12 Wofford
I wonder how much money Roy Williams makes the NCAA so that it keeps giving him cakewalk paths to the Sweet 16.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 4 North Carolina
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 6 Xavier
As mentioned, I’m not a big fan of Xavier this season. I trust Baylor enough for it to get to the Sweet 16.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 3 Baylor
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 7 VCU
If VCU were properly seeded, it would be able to avoid a juggernaut like Arizona in the second round. Alas, the NCAA is corrupt… The Wildcats might be the second-best team in the country, so they probably won’t lose this game, though I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 2 Arizona
NCAA Tournament Picks: West Bracket Sweet 16
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina
Everyone is impressed by North Carolina, but why? The Tar Heels beat Virginia and Louisville in the ACC Tournament, but both teams were dealing with injuries and weren’t at full strength. Wisconsin, like Arizona, might be the second-best team in the country, so I think it’ll go to the Elite Eight, at the very least.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 1 Wisconsin
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 3 Baylor
Baylor is a very good team, but Arizona is better. It almost seems like the Wildcats and Badgers are destined to meet in the regional final again.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 2 Arizona
NCAA Tournament Picks: West Bracket Elite Eight
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 2 Arizona
This is the only region in which I have a No. 1 versus No. 2 in the final. If you’re looking for a projected bracket that has a 1-2 or 1-3 matchup in every single region, I’ll refer you to ESPN, where almost every analyst went with such “bold” predictions in their Bracketology show. ESPN sucks.
This game will not suck. The rematch of last year’s West regional final should be awesome. I initially had Arizona winning this one when the brackets first came out, but I’ve been itching to switch my pick. The Badgers are not as talented as the Wildcats, but they play much cleaner basketball. They don’t make any mistakes, so they won’t beat themselves. Will Arizona’s talent overcome that? Perhaps, but I’m picking Wisconsin this time.
2015 NCAA Tournament Pick: No. 1 Wisconsin
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