This region is much different than the West Region, because the unexpected is the expected. There are seven teams, to me, that could make that run to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, with the power add in some Cinder-fella and you have a bracket to watch... but the question becomes who do you pick? A tough question and I got the answers...
Match-up to hope for - Oklahoma v. UNC. Don't get me wrong I don't see this match-up happening, but the chance of Tyler Hansbrough and Blake Griffin facing off in the Elite 8 would be a match-up (maybe not game) to watch. The two big men have been at the top of the sport all season... and a chance to see those two dance in the paint would be a clash for the ages.
Star power you want to gaze at - It is hard to pick the big named star to watch in the region, with so many to choose from - Hansbrough, Griffin, Flynn, Matt Bouldin, Josh Heytvelt, etc... But just like my friend Daniel Dudley on his blog (ddisbored.wordpress.com) I have to give it to JAMES HARDEN, the Arizona State guard. The guy is a baller. He has never played his age... and is the best player on the court every time his team plays. He was a NBA prospect last year as a freshman, and has only strengthened his resume.
Unusual S(tar)uspect - Dionte Christmas has the potential to be this year's version of last season's Stephen Curry. What Curry did in last season's tourny was nothing short of unbelievable, but without him in the big dance you will be searching for a replacement... Christmas is the player. I still remember the headline from the second week of December that read- Christmas Comes Early! - Dionte Christmas had 35 points in the upset win, over then ranked #8 Tennessee.
Team to watch that might surprise you - I like defense. And if you can put full court pressure on the other team, you will cause turnovers, and win games. That is what the Clemson Tigers do and they do it well. They have a sniper in Terrence Oglesby, but more importantly their big man Trevor Booker is an underrated and unknown gym gem. He is an undersized big man (this years big man trend - Hansbrough, Blair, Griffin, and Harangody), but he has tons of athleticism and low post ability. Booker versus Griffin will be another match-up to watch.
Sweet 16 picks - This may come as a suprise to many of you reading this, but this is what I got for my South region Sweet 16 picks... UNC, Gonzaga, Arizona State, Clemson. You may be asking yourself where Syracuse and Oklahoma are? Oklahoma isn't deep enough for me, and the back court isn't strong enough to handle the Clemson pressure. Syracuse is legitimately a dangerous team with Jonny Flynn, Andy Rautins, and Paul Harris, but I just don't see it happening again. Flynn is a point guard who leaves his heart on the floor, I just don't know if they have any magic left.
Advice to YOU, who wants to pick the upset - Illinois without their star guard Chester Frazier is an easy target for a tournament experienced Western Kentucky. This is the 5-12 match-up that favors the 12-seed, go with the Hilltoppers. If you are feeling like taking a risk, go with Dionte Christmas and the Owls of Temple. It isn't as big of a risk as you may think...
Final Four pick - I know people are in love with the Gonzaga Bulldogs this season, but there also seems to be an equal number of skeptics. They have heard this story before - Gonzaga always seems to be the team to watch. Head Coach Mark Few has been to the tourny the last seven seasons, but has made just one Sweet 16 appearance. You know where this is all leading, and this is where I reveal that I have Gonzaga as my Final Four representative from the South region. With an experienced Gonzaga team, led by Josh Heytvelt, Matt Bouldin, Jeremy Pargo, and Austin Daye, they have the size, defense, scoring, and talent to finally breakthrough and shine.
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