Preview Of NCAA Tournament Regionals & Other March Madness Info

Some of the number one seeds face a daunting path to the Final Four in New Orleans, but top ranked Kentucky is not one of them. The Wildcats are strong favorites to defeat Indiana and the winner of Baylor vs. Xavier in nearby Atlanta, even though the Hoosiers upset them in December, on a buzzer-beating three-pointer. 

North Carolina needs wins against Ohio and probably Kansas at St. Louis, although the availability of outstanding point guard Kendall Marshall (broken right wrist) is not known. We expect that the Tar Heels will somehow prevail, even if Marshall cannot play.

Syracuse will have to beat Big Ten powers Wisconsin and most likely Ohio State in Boston and either could derail the Orangemen. 

Michigan State has a very perilous road through Louisville and then Marquette or Florida. The West Region in Phoenix stands as the most balanced.

Our feeling is that both Syracuse and Michigan State will fail to arrive safely in the Crescent City.

Here is a couple other tournament items to chew on.

It has been a great tournament for the state of Ohio, as for the first time in NCAA history, one state has four teams in the Sweet Sixteen (Ohio State, Cincinnati, Xavier, Ohio U). 

In addition, it should be noted that it hasn't been a good tournament for teams in the Pacific or Mountain time zones, as the two westernmost squads still playing reside in Lawrence, Kansas and Waco, Texas.