The NCAA 2010 Bracket: Midwest Edition

The Midwest Division is relatively loaded with power house teams. These are 16 teams on the St. Louis bracket.


1. Kansas
2. Ohio State
3. Georgetown
4. Maryland
5. Michigan State
6. Tennessee
7. Oklahoma State
8. UNLV
9. Northern Iowa
10. Georgia Tech
11. San Diego State
12. New Mexico State
13. Houston
14. Ohio
15. UC - Santa Barbara
16. Lehigh

1-16 and 8-9 matchups are in Oklahoma City (c/o Big 12), 5-12 and 4-13 matchups are in Spokane (c/o Washington State), 6-11 and 3-14 matchups are in Providence (c/o Big East and Providence), and 7-10 and 2-15 matchups are in Milwaukee (c/o Marquette). Winners of each pod will proceed to Saint Louis (c/o Missouri Valley)

My thoughts.

1. Ridiculous top seeds. The best team in the nation in Kansas. Evan Turner. a solid Georgetown squad, Greivis Vasquez and Gary Williams, and Tom Izzo.

2. Double-digit seed that could make a difference? San Diego State. Personally a reach, but they have the best chance of being the Cinderella of the region. The architect of the Fab Five, head coach Steve Fisher, is at the helm of the Aztecs.

3. Palatable 1st rd matchup? Oklahoma State vs Georgia Tech. Two maddeningly inconsistent teams getting it on. the UNLV-UNI game also pits two really good teams. I wish they just switched opponents.

4. Assembling a quality roster.

Guards: Sherron Collins (Kansas), Kalin Lucas (Michigan State), Evan Turner (Ohio State), Chris Wright (Georgetown), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), James Anderson (Oklahoma State), Kwadzo Ahlegbe (Northern Iowa), Aubrey Coleman (Houston), Austin Freeman (Georgetown)
Forwards: Wayne Chism (Tennessee), Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech), Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech), Xavier Henry (Kansas)
Centers: Cole Aldrich (Kansas), Greg Monroe (Georgetown)

5. Nightmare-inducing scenario: Oklahoma City is the place where a Patriot League team (Bucknell) beat Kansas. Guess who the Jayhawks are facing in Oklahoma City.


My Sweet 16 teams: Kansas, Michigan State, Georgetown, Ohio State