NCAA Tournament Predictions

Matt Norlander, College Basketball Blogger I've been on Ohio State's love train since mid-December. I didn't expect it to be this way, but it just sort of happened. In fact, I've never been so bullish on a team like this; I've been saying for two months that I was going to pick the Buckeyes to win it all, no matter what. And I won't leave that declaration now. Champion: Ohio State • Norlander's Bracket (38-24, 55 points)     National Bracket The users like the higher seeds pretty much across the board, picking all four No. 1 seeds to make the Final Four. It's quite a stretch since it has happened only once in the past 30 years -- 2008 when Kansas beat Memphis in the title game. The users only real upset in the first round is picking No. 10 Michigan State over No. 7 UCLA. Champion: Ohio State • National Bracket (36-27, 58 points)     Jeff Borzello, College Basketball Blogger Ohio State is the most complete team in the country, with all the pieces necessary to win a national title. Offensively, the Buckeyes can hurt teams in a variety of ways. Jared Sullinger is a dominant big man, while William Buford provides perimeter punch with his mid-range game. The Buckeyes are experienced and disciplined, and won't be rattled under pressure. Champion: Ohio State • Borzello's Bracket (36-27, 51 points)     Gary Parrish, Senior Writer Ohio State has a capable point guard (Aaron Craft) surrounded by two great shooters (Jon Diebler and David Lighty), a slasher (William Buford) and the nation's best post player (Jared Sullinger). That's a complete team and one built to win six games in this NCAA tournament. Do I like the draw? Absolutely not. Possible second weekend games against Kentucky and North Carolina aren't ideal. But the Buckeyes have been the nation's best team since Duke's Kyrie Irving suffered a toe injury, and I think they'll spend the next three weeks proving it. Champion: Ohio State • Parrish's Bracket (35-28, 54 points)     Michael Freeman, National Columnist Why Duke? I know. Too easy. Like picking the Yankees. But in a college basketball world where with a few exceptions the landscape is frighteningly level, you go with coaching. And you know which coach I'm talking about. Champion: Duke • Freeman's Bracket (35-28, 51 points)     Eric Angevine, College Basketball Blogger What Parrish said. Seriously. The lineup is a national championship lineup. Since Ohio State is on the quarter system, Thad Matta got his hands on his freshmen early. He didn't have Craft and Sullinger playing AAU or international ball this summer, he had them in the classroom and on campus. These kids are smart, mature, and surrounded by upperclassmen who have put their egos aside in the interests of winning a championship. Champion: Ohio State • Angevine's Bracket (34-29, 46 points)     Matt Jones, College Basketball Blogger Ohio State is my pick because they are the most complete and consistent team in the field. With Jared Sullinger and David Lighty, the Buckeyes have two players who can score on virtually any defense and the complimentary role players make the team as a whole almost impossible to defend. I also have Kansas State to the Final Four. The Wildcats could lose to Utah State in the first round but also have the ability to reach the Final Four with Jacob Pullen. Champion: Ohio State • Jones' Bracket (31-32, 45 points)     Peter Tiernan, Bracketologist This year's tourney field has the lowest overall winning percentage of any field in the 64-team era, going back to 1985. And the teams in the top three seeds are among the weakest in terms of possession-based efficiency. It all adds up to an unpredictable, upset-heavy dance -- and we all know it. But, gosh, picking the upsets sure is hard to do. In the end, I played it safe in the Final Four, advanced Duke and Kansas to the finals. Champion: Kansas • Tiernan's Bracket (31-32, 44 points)     Jerry Palm, Bracketologist A lot of people are dismissing the Jayhawks after they laid an egg in last year's second round, but Kansas will be looking for redemption, and they got a draw that should help. They have too many athletes for either Notre Dame or Purdue to handle. The Morris Twins provide matchup problems for just about everyone, and give Kansas the ability to deal with Jared Sullinger of Ohio State and still have the ability to harass the Buckeyes outside shooters. Champion: Kansas • Palm's Bracket (30-33, 42 points)     Dennis Dodd, Senior Writer This is not the time to bring up extortion and mistresses, so I won't. Instead, I will gush over one of my favorite between-the-line, in-game strategists. You can find him in the championship game against Duke in my bracket. Louisville's Rick Pitino has the team and the matchups to get to Houston. This is one of his best jobs with a team that had low expectations (picked to finish eighth in the Big East). Did I say matchups? No problem. Get ready, Kansas, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, you're all going down. Champion: Duke • Dodd's Bracket (27-36, 33 points)     Gregg Doyel, National Columnist Before the Big East tournament, Notre Dame was the hottest team in the country. Ohio State, meanwhile, is the most complete team in the country. Has been all season. I like the Buckeyes to win the title game via Jared Sullinger TKO. If ever there was a year with a bizarre Final Four team -- a Butler, a George Mason -- this is the one. So who's it going to be? It's going to be Temple. I believe in Fran Dunphy and in his guard play. Champion: Ohio State • Doyel's Bracket (27-36, 36 points)