NCAA March Madness Round Table

March Madness.

Those two words alone can send shivers down the spines of sports fans everywhere.

Well, it's time to break out your bracket.

You have one last chance to change it before the games start today and you are doing the best damn thing you can possibly do.

The experts here at THE Ultimate Sports Blog got together recently to discuss all sorts of things related to one of the best sporting events of the year.....THE NCAA TOURNAMENT!

The only thing I recommend is that you hurry up and finish this thing before things get really insane today......

NCAA March Madness Round Table

Meet The Cast:

Jeremy Lambert - Jeremy Lambert is an all-around sports expert who watches it all. If it's sports-related and it's on TV, he's watching it. His favorite things to talk about are the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NHL, the Carolina Panthers, and how ABC needs to bring back the TGIF line-up with new episodes. Follow him on Twitter over at @JeremyLambert88.

Steve Cook - Steve Cook is no stranger to regular readers here at the blog. Cook is a regular contributor during NFL season with his NFL picks column and also takes up residence as the expert in Major League Baseball around these parts. Are you a good looking woman with a great personality and a lot of money? Send him a resume now on Twitter over at @SteveCook84.

Andy Clark - Andy is our very special guest for this round table. Andy is an experienced writer who is one of the biggest college basketball fans I know. Not only that, but the guy actually knows what he's talking about as well. A very rare thing on the Internet these days. Give Andy a follow on Twitter over at @CommanderClark8. 

Dustin James - I run this here blog, but you knew that....didn't you? 

1. Who's your favorite to win each region?

Dustin James:

Midwest - Michigan State

South - Kansas

East - North Carolina

West - Oklahoma


Jeremy Lambert:

Midwest - Michigan St. Because no one should ever doubt Tom Izzo in March.

South - Kansas. Easiest pick of the tournament.

East - UNC. Second easiest pick of the tournament.

West - Texas. Kevin Durant leaves OKC and re-signs with Texas.


Steve Cook:

Midwest - Michigan State: The Spartans should have been a 1 seed, but that's beside the point. They won their last nine games, including the Big 10 tournament, and look as dangerous as they always do.

South - Villanova: Jay Wright's team ended things on a sour note in the Big East Tournament, but they've looked as good as anybody this season. Always an dangerous offensive team, this collection of Wildcats looks more dangerous than any previous collection.

East - North Carolina: Winning the ACC is always tough, and the Tar Heels won the regular season title & conference tournament. Their only loss to a non-tournament team this season was Louisville, and, well, the less said about that the better.


West - Oklahoma: Buddy Hield is one of the best players in the nation & leads a talented bunch of Sooners. Coach Lon Kruger has done well everywhere he's gone, and this might be the year he reaches his second Final Four.


Andy Clark:

Midwest – Virginia.  Pretty much a two horse race between UVA and Michigan State, and as blasphemous as it may be to say, but I give the coaching edge to Tony Bennett over Tom Izzo here.  If these two powerhouses do end up meeting once again as many believe, I see Bennett being able to manage the game much better, even against the second best player in the country, Denzel Valentine.  Bennett’s UVA tenure has appeared to be the ultimate chess match, carefully assembling his pieces and building his team to finally be able to strike.

South - Kansas.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, because my No. 1 bracket rule is “Never Pick Kansas,” but the South is such a crapshoot.  You have perennially underachieving teams like Kansas and Villanova and good teams that could gack a game away to anybody like Miami and Maryland.  This year’s Kansas squad has shown fewer traditional weaknesses, and as such I suppose they’d be the “favorite.”  A Final Four appearance would be a great gift for Perry Ellis’ 30th birthday.

East – North Carolina.  Ol’ Roy should have a relatively easy run to the Sweet Sixteen, and while I love how well Press Virginia has been playing for Bob Huggins I think a North Carolina team with momentum could be difficult to beat.  If the UNC that came to play in the ACC Tournament keeps it going they could find themselves in the Final Four and silence the Roy Williams haters once and for all (or until February at least).

West – Oklahoma.  They could regrettably be in the path of my beloved VCU Rams, but for my money OU is the most complete team in college basketball, led by the best player in college basketball Buddy Hield.  While I’d love to say that they trip up in the Round of 32, in my mind I don’t see any way that Oklahoma doesn’t make it to the Final Four, and likely even farther.

2. Which low seed (6-16) has the best chance to win each region?

Dustin James:

Midwest - Gonzaga

South - UConn

East - Wisconsin

West- Texas


Jeremy Lambert:

Midwest - Dayton. That was the last name of one of my best friends in high school.

South - Buffalo. I like their Rex Ryan defense.

East - Notre Dame. I watched them beat Duke in the ACC Tournament.


West- Holy Cross. Never doubt the Lord.


Steve Cook:

Midwest - Dayton: The Flyers made an Elite 8 run a couple years back, and Archie Miller's teams are always dangerous.

South - Connecticut: UConn always turns it on in March. They rode a 9 seed to the national title in 2012 and are at that same spot this season.

East - Wisconsin: Bo Ryan's early-season retirement helped us forget about the Badgers, who were having all sorts of problems at the time anyway, but they went 11-3 to end the season & could catch people by surprise.


West - Texas: Shaka Smart's first season in Austin has to be considered a success by most standards. If they can get past rival Texas A&M and to the Sweet 16, their confidence will be sky high.


Andy Clark:

Midwest – Seton Hall (6 seed).  Seton Hall has kind of been touch and go at times this season, spending time on the bubble about four weeks ago.  But then a funny thing happened and they narrowly avoided taking a devastating loss to St. John’s and became one of the hottest teams in the country, culminating in winning the Big East Championship in a nuts game against current 2-seed Villanova.  Isaiah Whitehead has all the makings of an NCAA tournament superstar.

South – Wichita State (11 seed).  Would anyone really be surprised?  You can make a pretty strong argument that Wichita State shouldn’t have been included in the tournament, and the extra stop in Dayton along the way against a sometimes-good Vanderbilt team obviously adds a bit more of a challenge.  But a black and gold, underachieving, senior laden team that many people will criticize in the lead up to the tournament?  The 2011 VCU Rams say hello.  Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker will never cease to be dangerous, and I’m sure Gregg Marshall will have these guys fired up heading into the First Four.

East – Wisconsin (7th seed).  Was tempted to put 12th seeded Chattanooga here (Go Mocs!), but honestly I don’t see any low seeds with a great shot at winning this season.  I’ll go with Wisconsin just because they are such a wildcard and Greg Gard has done a remarkable job and completely revitalizing this team.  Who knows what the Badgers’ ceiling is?

West- Saint Joseph’s (8th seed).  If I went with my heart I’d talk about Melvin Johnson and Korey Billbury leading VCU on a run through the West region, but Oklahoma in the Round of 32 is just such a mountain.  So I’ll stick with my A-10 brethren and pick the Saint Joseph’s Hawks.  The one-two punch of A-10 player of the year (and future NBA lottery pick) DeAndre Bembry and Isaiah Miles is one that could find themselves having a national breakout performance during the tournament. Being blessed with a relatively decent draw in the tournament is a bonus and you could see the Hawks go on a run similar to recent A-10 successes Dayton and La Salle.

3. Which high seed (1-5) has absolutely no shot in hell to win their region?

Dustin James:

Midwest - Iowa State

South - California

East - Indiana

West - Duke


Jeremy Lambert:

Midwest - Virginia. I was born in Virginia and let me tell you, nothing good comes from there. Except me.

South - California. According to Dr. Dre and 2Pac, they know how to party. Partying doesn't win tournaments.

East - Indiana. Todd Bergman told me so.


West - Oregon. Cause sports are dumb and Dustin James must suffer.


Steve Cook:

Midwest - Utah: They haven't been a serious threat in the tournament since the days of Keith Van Horn.

South - California: They haven't been a serious threat in the tournament since the days of Jason Kidd.

East - Indiana: I wanted to pick all Pac 12 teams to troll Dustin James, but this region doesn't have any. It does have Todd Bergman's team, and they got a bad draw.


West - Duke: Every year you can count on Duke either winning the championship or being way too hyped by the media & flaming out early. This is one of those flame out years for the Blue Devils.


Andy Clark:

Midwest – Purdue (5th seed). Purdue is the definition of a good team, but not a great one.  In the one part of the bracket I foresee multiple upsets, Purdue could be ripe for one from UALR.  If they survive that scare they’d still potentially have Seton Hall, Michigan State, or Virginia to get through.  I don’t like those odds.

South – California (4th seed). I feel like I’m hating in the Pac-12 here (#EastCoastBias) but I promise I’m not.  While California has been a pretty solid team through most of the year their protected seed line I feel is more indicative of those around them than their actual skill.  Can they win a few games in the tournament?  Absolutely.  Do I see them emerging as the South Region Champions?  Can’t say that I do.

East – Indiana (5th seed).  Tom Crean has seemingly cooled a lot of the heat he’s received from Indiana fans this season, and kudos to him for it.  Indiana has surpassed the expectations of many, include I dare say their own fan base.  That being said, while I mentioned the tough road Purdue would have to take to make it out of their region alive, I feel Indiana has an even tougher row to hoe with potential matchups with North Carolina, Kentucky, and West Virginia, not to mention a Chattanooga team in the first round that is prime to spring an upset or two.  If Indiana proves me wrong and wins the East Region they will have certainly earned it.

West – Baylor (5th seed). It seems cheap to keep picking the 5 seed, but in deference to persons-that-shall-not-be-named I opted not to pick the 1-seeded Oregon Ducks.  Truthfully if Oklahoma can get taken out I feel like the West could be anyone’s ballgame, including the Baylor Bears.  I’m not even that confident about this pick, so Baylor fans don’t hate me.

4. Since 2010, we have seen a 14 seed defeat a 3 seed on five different occasions. It's going to happen again, but to who? 

Dustin James: Fresno State over Utah. Book it. I'm taking it myself because that's how confident this pick makes me.


Jeremy Lambert: AUSTIN IS THE CHAMPION!


Steve Cook: You always gotta watch out for Stephen F. Austin in March. They're a dangerous defensive team that plays smart offensively. They drew a similar opponent in West Virginia, but the Lumberjacks are the most skilled of the 14 seeds and have gotten it done in the tournament before. They're going to be a tough out at the very least.


Andy Clark: This is tough because I didn’t pick any 14 seeds to win in my bracket.  If I had to choose I’d suppose Stephen F. Austin over West Virginia would be the smartest pick, despite my choosing West Virginia to make it to the Final Four.  No matter what conference you are in it is a Herculean task to go undefeated in conference play and SFA did just that. Brad Underwood has built the Lumberjacks into a power in the Southland and there is no telling what they could bring to the table in such a big game environment.

[Sidenote: While I did not pick any 14 seeds to win in my bracket, there is a wealth of possibility with the 13 seeds.  I’ve got two, Hawaii over Cal and Iona over Iowa State, in my bracket, and UNCW has the ability to give Duke a real run for their money).

5. Every year it seems like there's a 12 seed that upsets a 5 seed. Give me one. 

Dustin James: Chattanooga over Indiana. I'm not as confident in this pick, but Chattanooga is extremely fun to say, so the longer they are in the tournament....the happier I'll be.


Jeremy Lambert: Yale over Baylor. Book smarts beats, are Baylor guys smart?


Steve Cook: This is Yale's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1962. To put that in perspective, it was before any Kennedys were assassinated. I predict they'll take advantage of it and win their first round game against Baylor. They may do even more than that. Smart teams are always good to pick.


Andy Clark: Chattanooga.  First year head coach Matt McCall has done a fantastic job with the Mocs this season, putting them in position to have have been in the discussion (though likely not selected) for an at large bid had they not won the SoCon Championship. Chattanooga has picked up a few wins over Power 5 schools this year including Indiana’s Big Ten brethren (admittedly awful) Illinois.  The Mocs may very well be a trendy upset pick when all is said and done. (Also consider Iona defeating Iowa State for your 12/5 upset).

6. Who's your Final Four?

Dustin James: Kansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Michigan State


Jeremy Lambert: The four teams I picked to win the regions in question one.


Steve Cook: I'm picking my favorites.


Andy Clark: Maryland (the South is TOUGH to pick), Oklahoma, West Virginia, Seton Hall

7. Who's your dark horse to win it all? 

Dustin James: Oregon, duh. They might be a #1 seed, but no one thinks they are going to win this thing. That counts as a dark horse, I don't care who you are.


Jeremy Lambert: Oregon. I know you're saying, "how are they a dark horse? They are a #1 seed." Do I need to remind you that sports are dumb and everyone on this site must suffer? Oregon has no chance because Dustin James roots for them. And that's what makes them a dark horse.


Steve Cook: As regular readers of this website know, this has been the worst college basketball season for me as a fan. With the Louisville situation being what it is, I expect things to get worse before they get better. So it'd be a fitting way to end this season from hell to have the Kentucky Wildcats win the national championship and have to listen to their fanbase of gelatinous parasites gloat for the next several months.

It's very possible, too. The Wildcats were under-seeded in an attempt by CBS & the NCAA to book Kentucky vs. Indiana in the 2nd round, a matchup which I think favors Kentucky. Then in all likelihood they get North Carolina in the Sweet 16, and I think UNC's very beatable. Elite 8, Final 4, National Championship. John Calipari's young teams occasionally have issues in the regular season, but it always seems like they click at the right time, like the 2014 Wildcats that were an 8 seed that made it to the National Championship Game somehow, or the 2011 team that made the Final 4 as a 4 seed. Don't be shocked if this edition of Wildcats does what last year's almost perfect club couldn't do.


Andy Clark: Duke. It seems ridiculous to call Duke a dark horse when it comes to college basketball, but they’re not really getting a lot of the attention as the other blueblood schools like Kansas, UNC, or Michigan State.  While there are times this season that they have looked pretty inept, in the immortal words of Pete Gillen, “certainly Dook is Dook.” They still have Coach K and they have a talented-yet-ultimately-punchable white guy which usually portends good things for the Blue Devils.

8. Who are you taking to win it all? 

Dustin James: Michigan State. Don't ask me why, I just feel it.


Jeremy Lambert: UNC. The title stays in North Carolina because we own college basketball.


Steve Cook: There's something about Michigan State at tournament time that always makes them a good pick. Tom Izzo is one of the best tournament coaches out there, he always gets his teams to peak at the right time. This Spartans team has the right mix of leadership & ability to get the job done against any opponent.


Andy Clark: Oklahoma.  Lon Kruger has done an amazing job with the Sooners this year and Buddy Hield is as gifted a basketball player as I have seen.  I’ve probably sealed their fate by picking them and they’ll be out by the first weekend now, but for my money OU is the best team in the country.  Boomer Sooner indeed.