L-Man says that Assembly Hall will be the home of the defending National Champions next season. By Sean Benham from Chicago, via Wikimedia Commons

For the last few months, college basketball teams have fought and battled out every second, every possession, every drop of sweat. For those lucky enough to make the tournament, their hard work has paid-off. Its bracket time in college basketball, a very exciting time in any player, coach or fan’s life. It’s a time where people make their picks and see how they stack up against others. Even the President normally gets mixed-up in all the fun and excitement, so without further adieu, here are my predictions for the 2013 March Madness bracket, the bolded teams are the predicted winners:

Midwest Region:

1 Louisville, Big East (29-5)
16 North Carolina AT&T, MEAC (19-16)/Liberty, Big South (15-20)

8 Colorado State, MWC (25-8)
9 Missouri, SEC (23-10)

5 Oklahoma State, BIG 12 (24-8)
12 Oregon, PAC-12 (26-8)

4 Saint Louis, A-10 (27-6)
13 New Mexico State, WAC (24-10)

6 Memphis, C-USA (30-4)
11 Middle Tennessee, Sun Belt (28-5)/Saint Mary’s, WCC (27-6)

3 Michigan State, Big Ten (25-8)
14 Valparaiso, Horizon (26-7)

7 Creighton, MVC (27-7)
10 Cincinnati, Big East (22-11)

2 Duke, ACC (27-5)
15 Albany, American East (24-10)

1 Louisville

9 Missouri

5 Oklahoma State

4 Saint Louis

Sweet 16:

1 Louisville

5 Oklahoma State

                                           Elite Eight:

                                             1 Louisville

                                       2 Duke

6 Memphis                                                                                      

3 Michigan State                  

7 Creighton

2 Duke

Sweet 16:

3 Michigan State

2 Duke

West Region:

1 Gonzaga, WCC (31-2)
16 Southern University, SWAC (23-9)

8 Pittsburgh, Big East (24-8)
9 Wichita State, MVC (26-8)

5 Wisconsin, Big Ten (23-11)
12 Ole Miss, SEC (26-8)

4 Kansas State, Big 12 (27-7)
13 Boise State, MWC (21-10)/La Salle, A 10 (21-9)

6 Arizona, PAC 12 (25-7)
11 Belmont, OVC (26-6)

3 New Mexico, MWC (29-5)
14 Harvard, Ivy (19-9)

7 Notre Dame, Big East (25-9)
10 Iowa State, Big 12 (22-11)

2 Ohio State, Big Ten (26-7)
15 Iona, MAAC (20-13)

1 Gonzaga

8 Pittsburgh

12 Ole Miss

4 Kansas State

Sweet 16:

1 Gonzaga

12 Ole Miss

                                     Elite Eight: 

                                       1 Gonzaga

                                             2 Ohio State  

6 Arizona

14 Harvard

7 Notre Dame

2 Ohio State

Sweet 16:

6 Arizona

2 Ohio State

South Region:

1 Kansas, Big 12 (29-5)
16 Western Kentucky, Sun Belt (20-15)

8 North Carolina, ACC (24-10)
9 Villanova, Big East (20-13)

5 VCU, A 10 (26-8)
12 Akron, MAC (26-6)

4 Michigan, Big Ten (26-7)
13 South Dakota State, Summit (25-9)

6 UCLA, PAC 12 (25-9)
11 Minnesota, Big Ten (20-12)

3 Florida, SEC (26-7)
14 North Western State, Southland (23-8)

7 San Diego State, MWC (22-10)
10 Oklahoma, Big 12 (20-11)

2 Georgetown, Big East (25-6)
15 Florida Gulf Coast, A Sun (24-10)

1 Kansas

8 North Carolina                                          

4 Michigan

5 VCU

Sweet 16:

1 Kansas

4 Michigan

                                                 Elite Eight: 

                                                  1 Kansas

                                                         2 Georgetown

11 Minnesota

3 Florida

2 Georgetown

7 San Diego State

Sweet 16:

2 Georgetown

3 Florida

East Region:

1 Indiana, Big Ten (27-6)
16 LIU Brooklyn, NEC (20-13)/James Madison, CAA (20-14)

8 NC State, ACC (24-10)
9 Temple, A 10 (23-9)

5 UNLV, MWC (25-9)
12 California, Pac 12 (20-11)

4 Syracuse, Big East (26-9)
13 Montana, Big Sky (25-6)

6 Butler, A 10 (26-8)
11 Bucknell, Patriot (28-5)

3 Marquette, Big East (23-8)
14 Davidson, Southern (26-7)

7 Illinois, Big Ten (22-12)
10 Colorado, PAC 12 (21-11)

2 Miami, ACC (27-6)
15 Pacific, Big West (22-12)

1 Indiana

8 NC State            

4 Syracuse

12 California

Sweet 16:

1 Indiana

4 Syracuse

                                                     Elite Eight:

                                                      1 Indiana

                                                      2 Miami

6 Butler                                                                   

3 Marquette

2 Miami

10 Colorado

Sweet 16:

2 Miami

6 Butler

Final Four:

1 Kansas

1 Indiana    

                                                            Championship Game:

                                                             1 Indiana

                                                             2 Duke

2 Duke

2 Ohio State

National Champion: Indiana Hoosiers

Another great talent with poise and NBA-ready footwork around the rim has been haunted with the angry ghost of Greg Oden. The former number one draft pick in 2007 out of Ohio state, yet to find his footing in an NBA uniform.

Oden was the heir apparent to Bill Russell and a pick above the formidably freakish, Kevin Durant. But knee issues have belittled the one-and-done seven-foot college star to bench-warming and wishing, while Durant, carries the NBA as a whole on his sharp, bone-thin shoulders.

And now, just a month out of this year’s NBA draft, another soft tempered, smooth as silk big man and Buckeye, Jared Sullinger, has been red flagged with health concerns. According to Slam Magazine, doctors have found a lingering back issue to be more than just growing pains. And while the twenty year old 6’8″ 270-pound big man’s father swears the back issues aren’t serious, the rest of the league is left to wonder whether or not Sullinger will be more bust than bang in an NBA uniform.

Sullinger was projected early-on as a lottery pick. The two-time All American, averaged 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds on 53.0% shooting during his two-year collegiate career. Sullinger improved his defensive foot-work after his freshman season, fouling less and increasing minutes on the floor. A bit undersized with average explosiveness around the rim, the big man also improved his step-out game, hitting on 40.0% of his three point attempts during his sophomore season.

It was fair to say Sullinger wasn’t an NBA superstar in the making. But what he was/is a talent with the right team-oriented temperament to make a splash right away in the NBA. His comparisons include current Hawk, Al Horford, or a more explosive version of Emeka Okafor. And that might be the very thing that saves him.

The only difference between Oden and Sullinger is found in their pre-NBA comparisons. Oden was supposed to be the man who took the mantel from Dwight Howard and brought to memory former legend, Bill Russell. He was picked by a Trail Blazer team that already sported Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge as the faces of the franchise.

Sullinger on the other hand, had recently slipped to the latter half of the lottery because of his average athleticism. Doctors have advised teams not to pick him in the first round, but a team with the guts to grab him in the late teens or somewhere in the early to mid twenties, could have themselves a game changing diamond in the rough, a’ la Dejuan Blair or Paul Millsap.

Is this Buckeye curse found in the Columbus drinking water? Is Thad Matta a Hudu Shaman spelling big men with poor knees and back issues? Or is simply the summation powers of poor music taste?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=h27NIkjnMRY

Whatever the reason, Buckeye fans are left to wonder yet again, whether or not one of their talented bigs can translate his superior skill set beyond the college game.

What has been spit out the other side? Only the greatest sum of seeds to reach the Final Four. Ever. Before this year, the highest total sum of overall seeds to reach the Final Four was 22 (2000). This season the total is a miraculous and unprecedented 26.

The highest seed remaining in this year’s Final Four are the star-fueled Connecticut Huskies. Kemba Walker is unquestionably the one name still residing that singularly holds the most on his shoulders. His average of 26.8 points, 6.8 assists and only 2.5 turnovers per game in the tournament have been beyond instrumental in Connecticut advancing to its fourth Final Four since 1999 and its third in the past eight seasons.

The Huskies face off against the Kentucky Wildcats in one of the two national semi-final contests. These two teams have a combined total seed of seven. This would conventionally be somewhat of a laughable and unpredicted national semi-final in any other year.

The other semi-final then couldn’t have a total seed of more than three or four right? Try 19. Nineteen.

Considering this, the Connecticut versus Kentucky battle matches the two new favorites to win it all, and could very well be the de-facto national final. Then again, the unpredictable has been the outstanding theme in this year’s tournament, which will make what will be the ‘David versus Goliath’ national final all that much more intriguing.

Last year’s Cinderella, the Butler Bulldogs, return to the now charted waters of the Final Four, yet still are sporting an unlikely 8-seed. They are ironically matched up against this year’s Cinderella, the 11th-seeded VCU Rams.

The only other two occasions an 11th-seeded team reached the Final Four were in 2006, when George Mason University pulled off the feat, and in 1986 when the LSU Tigers achieved the improbable. The fact that this 11-seed anomaly has now occurred twice in the past five years, when it has only happened once before in past decades, speaks to the overall parody being seen in today’s college game.

When asked before their game versus Kansas on Sunday, VCU coach Shaka Smart remarked, “It’s kind of like the movie ‘Dumb and Dumber,”’ setting up a popular line from the gap-toothed dunce played by Jim Carrey. “‘So you’re saying we’ve got a chance?”’

The two most recent 11th-seeded schools to reach the Final Four both hail from the unheralded Colonial Athletic Association. And just as George Mason toppled championship favorite Connecticut to reach the Final Four in 2006, VCU knocked off the last 1-seed standing this season, Kansas.

What may be most unfathomable about VCU reaching the Final Four, is that all the pundits made the selection committee their own personal dartboard on Selection Sunday when VCU was chosen to the field of 68. They spewed ad nauseam over this injustice. For all the shots Eugene Smith, the head of the selection committee took, he must be smiling and snickering now.

Go ahead and eat your crow ‘Dukie-V’ and Jay Bilas. I’m standing table-side with a long, white napkin folded over my forearm, holding a bottle of hot sauce in front of your faces. The ‘yapping catch-phrase clown’ and the ‘smug know-it-all’ ended up with mouths full of excrement in the end, which also puts a smile on my face and leads me to snicker, as well as it should everyone else paying attention.

Shots conceived in hindsight aside, what is ultimately taken from all of this? Talent and the number of ‘recruiting stars’ only goes so far. The team concept: a belief in a system as well as an overall process, now reigns. Take notes coaches and scouts.  Why pursue the hype of the ‘one-and-done’ NBA lottery pick when you can recruit solid pieces that will grow over years in your hardwood garden.

I think it’s safe to say that standard deviation in college basketball is now being tested, which is an exciting occurrence. What has been discovered is that college basketball offers something unique from what the professional game presents. The underdog can actually win in this post-season.  Regularly. Basketball purists should revel in this current status of the amateur circuit.

Despite what unfolds from the madness, one March keynote seems to annually endure – regardless of seed or stature, champions who have earned their place will always remain and will ultimately have their shot to win it all.