NCAA Tournament Picks: South | West | Midwest | East | Final Four
2014 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdowns:
South | West | Midwest | East
2014 NCAA Tournament: Bracket Breakdown – Midwest Bracket
By David Kay – @David_Kmiecik
Overview
Louisville’s overall body of work was worthy of a No. 4 seed, but with how well the team played down the stretch, some thought it deserved a No. 2 seed. Instead, the Cardinals were given a No. 4 and an opening-round matchup against Manhattan, coached by Steve Masiello, who played at Kentucky for Rick Pitino and coached under him at Louisville as well.
This bracket showed how the Atlantic-10 got a ton of love from the committee as No. 5 St. Louis and No. 6 Massachusetts were over-seeded in my opinion. The SEC also got a smack in the mouth with preseason No. 1 Kentucky ending up as a No. 8 seed. Iowa wasn’t as safe as most thought since the program will be playing in one of the two at-large play-in games; both are in this bracket.
Best Opening-Round Game
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Arizona State
The Longhorns were one of the most surprising teams in the country this past season without a whole lot of heralded talent. Arizona State relies heavily on its experienced trio of Jahii Carson, Jermaine Marshall, and Jordan Bachynski. Carson versus Isaiah Taylor will be a terrific battle of lightning-quick play-makers.
Opening-Round Upset
No. 11 Iowa/Tennessee over No. 6 Massachusetts
Whoever wins the play-in game between Tennessee and Iowa should knock off the Minutemen. The Volunteers and Hawkeyes have contrasting styles of play. Tennessee is physical down low and has a ton of length on the wing. Iowa is a high-octane offense that brings little to the floor defensively. Massachusetts peaked too early in the season for my taste and hasn’t played well down the stretch.
Sleeper
No. 8 Kentucky
With all the talent John Calipari has, the potential is there to put it all together when it counts most. Kentucky hasn’t been able to do it yet, but ability can win out in the NCAA Tournament. The Harrison twins need to play better than they have; James Young must knock down shots; Julius Randle has to be beastly inside; and Willie Cauley-Stein has the ability to own the paint defensively.
Five Impact Players to Watch
Russ Smith, No. 4 Louisville Russ-diculous is a dynamic scorer and not afraid to be the guy, which has been both a gift and a curse as Louisville’s fans have learned. He could be this year’s Kemba Walker and knows how to help lead a team to a National Championship – as we learned last year.
Jabari Parker, No. 3 Duke Consistency has been an issue for stretches this season, and Parker needs to be steady for the Blue Devils to make a deep run. Since Duke has dangerous scorers like Rodney Hood, Rasheed Sulaimon, Quinn Cook, and Andre Dawkins, the team doesn’t need Parker to force the issue and drop 25 points a night. If he can play within himself, the Blue Devils are as dangerous as any team in this regional, possibly the country.
Nik Stauskas, No. 2 Michigan The Big Ten Player of the Year made huge strides this season, improving his all-around scoring ability. I’m still amazed the Wolverines were able to win the Big Ten regular season despite losing Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the 2013 NBA Draft, and Mitch McGary going down with injury. Stauskas was a huge reason why and will be the catalyst for Michigan’s drive to a second-straight Final Four.
Fred VanVleet, No. 1 Wichita State After being a solid reserve as a freshman during the Shockers’ Final Four run last year, VanVleet has been awesome in transitioning to Wichita State’s floor general this season. His 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio is among the tops in the country, and he knows when to be a scorer and when he needs to set up his teammates. 34-0 wouldn’t have been possible without VanVleet’s development.
T.J. Warren, No. 12 N.C. State Warren won the ACC Player of the Year as he was the third-leading scorer in the country. He can score from just about anywhere on the floor and posted nine games with at least 30 points. Most didn’t think the Wolfpack deserved to be dancing, and if the program is going to prove its doubters wrong, Warren needs to ball out.
Opening-Round Picks
No. 1 Wichita State over No. 16 Cal Poly
No. 8 Kentucky over No. 9 Kansas State
No. 5 St. Louis over No. 12 N.C. State
No. 4 Louisville over No. 13 Manhattan
No. 11 Tennessee over No. 6 Massachusetts
No. 3 Duke over No. 14 Mercer
No. 10 Arizona State over No. 7 Texas
No. 2 Michigan over No. 15 Wofford
Second-Round Picks
No. 1 Wichita State over No. 8 Kentucky
No. 4 Louisville over No. 5 St. Louis
No. 3 Duke over No. 11 Tennessee
No. 2 Michigan over No. 10 Arizona State
Sweet 16 Picks
No. 4 Louisville over No. 1 Wichita State
No. 3 Duke over No. 2 Michigan
Elite 8 Pick
No. 4 Louisville over No. 3 Duke
NCAA Tournament Picks: South | West | Midwest | East | Final Four
2014 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdowns:
South | West | Midwest | East
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