[ot-caption title=”Malcolm Brogdon will try and lead his Cavaliers to an NCAA title, (via Joshua Kelly, USA Today)”]

The wait is over.  After nearly four and a half months of viciously intense games, record breaking moments, epic collapses, mascot failures, coaching changes, and so much more, sixty-eight college basketball teams will duel it out in this year’s NCAA Tournament.  And when it’s all said and done, one group will be champions.  So find a comfy place to sit and a solid plate of food to eat…because March Madness is finally here.

This year, we’ll be having the first annual Pine Crest NCAA Bracket Challenge.  All students and faculty of PC are welcome to join and compete for the bragging rights over their fellow PC community members.  But in case that isn’t convincing enough for you, this year’s winner will receive 30 free cookies from the student store (that’s a lot of dough).  We’ll be doing our challenge this year on ESPN.  The username and password will be posted to Schoology. Each competitor will be limited to just one bracket, so make every selection count.

I recognize that many of you have filled out brackets before, but for those who are new to this whole ordeal, I’ll walk you through it.  All of the teams in the field will be placed somewhere within the bracket and given a seed between one and sixteen based on their performance over the course of the regular season.  You’re job is easy.  Just pick the winners of the games.  And honestly, logically speaking, just picking the highest seeds to win all of their games sounds like a pretty phenomenal strategy, right?  Wrong.  What makes this month of basketball so special and so much fun is the fact that the lower seeds win games that they’re not supposed to on paper, and it happens a lot more than you would think.  Steph Curry broke onto the big stage and took his 10th seeded Davidson Wildcats to the Elite Eight in 2008.  The Patriots of George Mason University charged all the way to the Final Four in 2006 as an 11 seed.  Most recently, dunk city took the country by storm as the 15th seeded Florida Gulf Coast Eagles made it to the Sweet Sixteen in 2013.

Teams that have been so dominant over the course of the entire season are nothing close to a sure bet once March rolls around.  Baylor lost at the buzzer to R.J Hunter and Georgia State last year.  Duke lost to Mercer two years ago (who in the world is Mercer?).  Anyway, you get the point.  Upsets are going to happen.  And if you really want the cookies, you have to try and pick them.  To try and help you out a little bit, I’m going to walk you through the entire bracket: game by game, or at least the first round of it.  Feel free to take as many (or as few) of my suggestions as you’d like.  But before that, I along with the rest of our staff wish you the best of luck.  Choose wisely.

Round of 64:

Kansas (1) vs. Austin Peay (16)

Let’s backtrack about three weeks.  On February 27th, Austin Peay was in need of a win against Southeast Missouri State and some help from their conference-mates just to get into the OVC Postseason Tournament.  Coach Dave Loos’ granddaughter Rhyan was eyeing a brutal surgery to remove a life-threating, cancerous tumor in her kidney.  Fast-forward to today.  The Govs pulled off one of the most ridiculous conference tournament runs we’ve ever seen; Rhyan is alive and on the road to recovery.  And APSU will take on one of the most storied programs in basketball in the NCAA Tournament.  This really could be the most inspiring story of the year, and things could be worse for the Govs in this game.  Austin Peay boasts the leading offensive rebounder in the entire country in Chris Horton and a lights-out three point shooter in freshman, Jared Savage.  I’m not saying Austin Peay is going to win this game, but Kansas won’t blow this group off the court.

Winner: Kansas

Colorado (8) vs. UConn (9)

Colorado is extremely solid, but there’s just something about Kevin Ollie’s Huskies in March, most recently exemplified by Jalen Adams prayer being answered against Cincinnati to force a fourth overtime period in the American Conference quarterfinal.  UConn rides their wave of momentum into the second round.

Winner: UConn

Maryland (5) vs. South Dakota State (12)

South Dakota State has a pair of good, senior guards and one of the better nicknames in this year’s dance.  What the Jackrabbits don’t have is Melo Trimble, Rasheed Sulaimon, and Diamond Stone.  Terps win this by double digits.

Winner: Maryland

California (4) vs. Hawaii (13)

Cuonzo Martin’s team is one of the hottest teams in the country coming into the tournament.  There’s a weak spot though.  Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb, the team’s superstar, NBA-bound freshmen have never experienced the drama of March Madness.  And Hawaii is dangerous.  Stefan Jankovic is a really unique big man who can step out and stretch the defense, and Roderick Bobbit can really control the pace of the game at guard and get to the rim.  The Rainbow Warriors, who nearly took down Oklahoma at Diamond Head earlier this season, earn my first upset bid of the bracket.

Winner: Hawaii

Arizona (6) vs. Vanderbilt/Wichita State (11)

Wichita State and Vanderbilt is an unbelievably tough play-in game, and honestly, I’m not quite sure who’s going to win it.  But regardless of who it is, I’m picking them over Sean Miller’s underachieving Wildcats.  Vandy’s got some unreal talent in Wade Baldwin and Damien Jones, and the veteran Shockers led by a terrific backcourt in Ron Baker and Fred van Vleet are never an easy out this time of year.

Winner: Vanderbilt/Wichita State

Miami (3) vs. Buffalo (14)

A major shoutout goes to Buffalo who upset conference leader Akron in dramatic fashion just to make it into this year’s dance.  The bad news for them: Angel Rodriguez and his Hurricanes are tough, and Jim Larranaga can flat out coach.  Canes move on in what should be a straight-forward affair.

Winner: Miami

Iowa (7) vs. Temple (10)

Midway through the season, Fran McCafferey’s bunch looked poised to take a top seed into March.  However, the Hawkeyes really struggled down the stretch, and their leader, Jared Uthoff hasn’t helped the cause.  If there’s one thing we know about Temple, it’s that they’re looking to really bully their opponents with grit and physicality.  And I think Iowa will struggle with the style of play that Quenton DeCosey and Co. will bring to the table.

Winner: Temple

Villanova (2) vs. UNC Asheville (15)

If there’s a scouting report on Villanova, probably the first thing on the page says something about the Cats’ miserable postseason play.  Seniors Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu will look to change that this year, and the road starts with a demolition of the Big South Champions.

Winner: Villanova

Oregon (1) vs. Southern/Holy Cross (16)

Southern and Holy Cross will duel it out in the First Four for a spot in the regular field.  What they’re really playing for though is the right to be utterly humiliated on national television by a soaring Pac-12 Championship team.

Winner: Oregon

Saint Joe’s (8) vs. Cincinnati (9)

This game’s a fun one, and it’s fun because these are two really good teams who win games in two really different ways.  St. Joe’s can really score the ball and is led by Isaiah Miles who nets a little over 18 points per game.  On the other side, Mick Cronin’s Bearcats play really ugly basketball.  They’re physical on defense and will look to crash the offensive glass to score given their less-than-stellar shooting (that’s generous, by the way).  I’m a defensive guy, so I’m putting Cincy through.

Winner: Cincinnati

Baylor (5) vs. Yale (12)

The drought is over for the Elis: Yale is going dancing for the first time in over five decades.  Unfortunately, they got dealt a super tough draw.  This is one of Baylor’s more upset-proof rosters in a while in my opinion, and Taurean Prince and the Bears should get through this one pretty handily.

Winner: Baylor

Duke (4) vs. UNC Wilmington (13)

Don’t sleep on the Seahawks in this one.  Wilmington has one of the more efficient offenses in college basketball and plenty of guys that can score the ball.  Depth will be an issue for Duke at some point in this tournament, but just given the raw skill of Brandon Ingram and Grayson Allen, Coach K’s bunch will advance.  This could be closer than people think.

Winner: Duke

Texas (6) vs. Northern Iowa (11)

Northern Iowa had one of the more bizarre seasons we’ve seen in a while.  They beat North Carolina and Iowa State in non-conference play (both were top 5 at the time of their games), fell below .500 at the beginning of the Missouri Valley schedule, then sealed an automatic bid with an awful shot at the buzzer against Evansville that clanged upward off the rim before somehow dropping in.  Wes Washpun and the Panthers are a scary first round opponent, but this isn’t Shaka Smart’s first rodeo. Prince Ibeh will be a force inside, and the Longhorns’ revival will continue with a win in the tournament.

Winner: Texas

Texas A&M (3) vs. Green Bay (14)

Going into the Horizon League Tournament, few expected that Carrington Love and the Phoenix would be representing the conference instead of Valparaiso or Oakland.  Few will also expect this team to upset a really good Texas A&M squad.  Led by Danuel House and Alex Carouso, the Aggies just play a solid all-around game and appear to be peaking at the right time.  After watching Billy Kennedy’s bunch nearly take down Kentucky to become outright SEC Champions, it’s not hard to see this group as one of the last ones standing in this draw.

Winner: Texas A&M

Oregon State (7) vs. VCU (10)

Shaka Smart might have left the Rams’ program, but Havoc certainly did not.  VCU is vicious defensively, and Mo Alie-Cox is a man among boys in the paint.  Gary Payton Jr. and his Beavers played a great schedule this year (probably the reason they got in), but they’re going to have trouble against the press and athleticism that Will Wade’s group brings.

Winner: VCU

Oklahoma (2) vs. CSU Bakersfield (15)

There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to Oklahoma, but I’ll keep it simple.  Buddy Hield is arguably the best offensive player in the nation, and he’s got a pretty excellent group of teammates around him.  The Sooners will make sure that Bakersfield’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament is an awfully short one.

Winner: Oklahoma

North Carolina (1) vs. Florida Gulf Coast/Farleigh Dickinson (16)

If you haven’t figured it out yet, there’s usually a reason why a team is given a number one seed: they’re good, really good.  And this Carolina team is no exception.

Winner: North Carolina

USC (8) vs. Providence (9)

Andy Enfield has done a terrific job restoring the Trojan program to relevance.  Their resurgence has been just one of the many feel good stories of this college season.  They’ll have a tough task ahead of them though.  Leading the Friars is point guard, Kris Dunn: deemed by many as the best at his position in the country.  Throw in a budding star in Ben Bentil and an upper-tier defense, and Providence becomes really hard to beat, especially if they get some help on offense from some of their role players.

Winner: Providence

Indiana (5) vs. Chattanooga (12)

One of the main story lines of the Big Ten Tournament last week was Michigan’s season-saving three pointer at the buzzer to beat Indiana, probably the shot that got them in this year’s tournament.  But that game also brought out some major flaws in Tom Crean’s Hoosiers.  Yogi Ferrell is great, but when IU has an off shooting day, they become vulnerable.  And Chattanooga is not your typical double-digit seed.  The Mocs have won at Georgia, Illinois, and Dayton and will not be intimidated by the big stage.  Matt McCall’s boys pull the upset.

Winner: Chattanooga

Kentucky (4) vs. Stony Brook (13)

The Seawolves are in the tournament for the first time, and they’ve got some things going for them.  Mainly, they’ve got a guy named Jameel Warney who scores almost twenty points a game and is just a flat out beast.  But with their first trip to the dance comes a meeting with Kentucky.  It’s really hard to see such a talented group led by Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray going out this early.

Winner: Kentucky

Notre Dame (6) vs. Michigan/Tulsa (11)

I don’t know how either Michigan or Tulsa got into this bracket over a team like Monmouth, but that’s not a debate to be had here.  It won’t matter in the end because Notre Dame will make sure the committee doubts its decision at the end of the day.

Winner: Notre Dame

West Virginia (3) vs. Stephen F. Austin (14)

If you want a blueprint on how to be a school in a smaller conference who gets into the tournament with no problems, just try and mimic the Lumberjacks, who won almost thirty games this season and went a whopping 19-0 in Southland Conference play.  However, now they’ve got to deal with Press Virginia.  Bob Huggins’ group pressures full court just about the whole game, and Jonathan Holton and Jaysean Paige are going to give SFA nightmares in this one.

Winner: West Virginia

Wisconsin (7) vs. Pitt (10)

The fact that Wisconsin is a number seven seed after losing to Western Illinois and Georgetown early in the year is a real tribute to the job that Greg Gard did stepping in for Bo Ryan this season. Nigel Hayes is a stud, and Bronson Koenig has really managed the game well at the point.  Pitt will continue it’s tremendous mediocrity and bow out to a team that’s just a little bit better.

Winner: Wisconsin

Xavier (2) vs. Weber State (15)

If you’re looking for a team that’s really built to be a force in March, look no further than Chris Mack’s Musketeers.  They’ve got shooters in Trevon Bluiett and J.P Macura, strong big men in Jalen Reynolds and James Farr, a great glue-guy in Miles Davis, and an explosive point guard in Edmond Sumner who knows how to run the show.  Moreover, their unorthodox 1-3-1 will be very disruptive going against teams that didn’t face it in the regular season.  This team is going far, and there’s nothing Weber State can do to stop it.

Winner: Xavier

Virginia (1) vs. Hampton (16)

Number sixteen seeds are 0-124 all time against the number ones since the tournament format came into play.  Notice a pattern?

Winner: Virginia

Texas Tech (8) vs. Butler (9)

Another really good 8-9 game.  Tubby Smith has done a masterful job building this Red Raider squad into a team that is capable of beating pretty much any team in the field.  But I think Butler’s pace is going to bother them.  Roosevelt Jones and Kellen Dunham will facilitate an offense that is really executed well, and Chris Holtmann’s group will move on to face UVA.

Winner: Butler

Purdue (5) vs. Arkansas Little Rock (12)

After their red hot start to open the year, many jumped on the Trojan bandwagon and advocated that this Little Rock team will be one that busts brackets in March.  I’m going to tell you why they won’t.  Purdue is humongous.  They’re anchored by a front-line of A.J Hammons (7 feet) and Caleb Swanigan (6-10) that will push around their outmatched Sun Belt counterparts.  Matt Painter has done a good job with this group, and the Boilers are playing well at the right time of the year.

Winner: Purdue

Iowa State (4) vs. Iona (13)

A main storyline of Selection Sunday was how Monmouth got snubbed from the bracket.  Few, though, are explaining how Iona played an outstanding MAAC Final to earn that bid.  A.J English isn’t a name that many know now, but he’s the kind of guy that becomes a hero in March.  Add the fact that Iowa State has struggled to put things together in postseason play before, and this sounds a lot like another Niang heartbreaker to me.

Winner: Iona

Seton Hall (6) vs. Gonzaga (11)

To attribute the Pirates’ Big East Championship title to the everlasting struggles of Villanova in March just isn’t fair to Kevin Willard’s team.  Isaiah Whitehead is a star, and he’s going to show it throughout this tournament.  Mark Few’s Bulldogs did well to extend their tournament appearance streak another year, but that’s about the best thing that’ll be said when this season comes to an end.

Winner: Seton Hall

Utah (3) vs. Fresno State (14)

For anyone hesitating to believe in Utah because they’re not on national television often or because they got absolutely destroyed by Oregon in the Pac-12 Title Game, this team is better than given credit for.  Jakob Poeltl will be the first center taken on NBA Draft Night in June, and Larry Krystkowiak has surrounded his European star with guys that can really play.  Fresno shouldn’t be an issue.

Winner: Utah

Dayton (7) vs. Syracuse (10)

This game is disappointing to me.  Dayton stumbled down the stretch, losing three of four in February before sort of recapturing better form in a decent A-10 Tournament showing.  And given that the whole “Jim Boeheim was suspended” argument went down the drain when the team lost their last three games in an uninspiring way with their head coach at the helm, ‘Cuse shouldn’t be in this tournament.  I’ll give the Flyers the edge simply because they seem to be playing slightly less badly.

Winner: Dayton

Michigan State (2) vs. Middle Tennessee State (15)

NCAA Tournament teams beware.  Tom Izzo always has his Spartans playing well in March, but this team looks especially poised to stick around for a while.  Player of the year candidate Denzel Valentine runs the show for the green and white, and if Bryn Forbes and Eron Harris can knock down some shots, watch out because this team might very well win the whole thing.

Winner: Michigan State

Other Predictions:

Hawaii makes the Sweet Sixteen- Maryland has struggled at times this year when Trimble and Sulaimon shoot poorly, and the NCAA Tournament will be no exception, as the Big West representatives will be the surprise of this year’s dance, following up their win over Cal with another stunner.

Oregon bows out Second Round to Cincinnati- Dana Altman’s Ducks have been flying high recently (see what I did there?), but they don’t see rugged opponents like Cincinnati in the Pac-12, and a quick turnaround after Round 1 will not help their preparation.  Octavius Ellis and his Bearcats will make this game ugly, and Oregon will be the first number one seed to exit the field.

VCU upsets Oklahoma and ends Buddy’s season early- When that Sooner offense is flowing, it is a really beautiful thing to watch.  But when teams can rattle Lon Kruger’s team offensively, things can get complicated; just watch what West Virginia did to them in the Big 12 Semifinals.  VCU plays a similar style to those Mountaineers, and I think they’re en route to the second weekend.

Kentucky beats UNC in the game of the tournament- For anybody who follows college basketball, this game is what everyone wants to see.  Between Brice Johnson, Marcus Paige, Kennedy Meeks, Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray, and so many others, there could be six or seven NBA players in this contest.  And assuming they both make it there, this game is the matchup of the tournament in my view.

Seton Hall makes the Elite Eight- I mentioned Whitehead before, but the Pirates are just really well-built for this tournament.  Angel Delgado is a great anchor on both ends of the floor down low; these guys play really excellent team defense, and guys like Desi Rodriguez and Khadeen Carrington on the wings give this group a toughness that can really serve a team well in the month of March.  They’ll be a really hard squad to knock out.

The Cavs bring a title home to Charlotesville- I realize that in most people’s minds, Virginia is not the favorite.  They’re not that exciting to watch; they play low scoring games.  I get it.  But this team is so unbelievably hard to beat.  Malcolm Brogdon is a lockdown defender and as good of a leader as there is in this sport.  Anthony Gil and London Perrantes bring their best every single night, and as a unit, the Hoos make scoring the ball against them such a difficult task for their opponents.  Just take the ACC Championship as an example.  UVA shot horrendously.  They turned the ball over at inopportune times.  It seemed like they didn’t score the entire second half.  And yet, they lost to North Carolina, one of the nation’s best, by four.  This has been a year dominated by seniors and experience, and that will be especially evident when Tony Bennett’s group cuts down the nets in Houston.

This year’s March Madness should be one to remember, and regardless of how things shape up, it’ll be fun for everybody (except the teams that lose, I guess).  The Round of 64 starts Thursday, so make sure to get your picks in before that.  Remember, you can’t win the cookies if you don’t sign up.  Below is the link to our tournament challenge.

http://games.espn.go.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2016/en/group?groupID=1068686

The group name is PC Type One March Madness, and the password is pcpanthers.

All statistics and other player/coach information attributed to ESPN.