NCAA Tournament Preview

The tournament kicks off in an hour, so let's get a last second preview up. I'll look at Philadelphia's representatives and make some tough final four picks.

12 Temple v. 5 Michigan State

When I was watching the selection show, I was hoping Temple got this 12 seed to match up with MSU. I think it's a good fit for the Owls. The Spartans are a very good team, and they're well coached. They had a big win over Texas earlier this season, and the Longhorns are a team I think very highly of. MSU dominated the Big 10, ultimately losing to conference champion Wisconsin in the semis. However, the conference had a down year, and it's tough to get a good read on them.

On the other hand, the Atlantic 10 was strong. They got three teams in, and one or two could've made okay cases to be on the bubble. Temple won the conference championship, and they match up well with the Spartans. The Owls have one of the best one-two punches in basketball, and no amount of preparation can help you stop what Christmas can do on the basketball court. Temple will wear Michigan State down with tough defense, and the duo of Christmas and Tyndale will provide enough offense to beat the low-powered Spartans.

11 St Joseph's v. 6 Oklahoma

I look at Oklahoma and try to figure out how they're a 6 seed. They played an okay out of conference schedule, and they won some good games. They play in a good conference, which is a plus. However, they got smoked by Texas three times. They couldn't come close to Kansas and they finished 9-7. Blake Griffin is a very good player, so the talent's still there. I'm not sure if they deserved a seed this high.

St Joe's finds themselves back in the tournament for the first time since the Nelson and West era. They're obviously not as good as that #1 seeded team, but Pat Calathes and Ahmad Nivins can play. Calathes can score from everywhere on the court and leads the team in rebounds. Oklahoma has a good frontcourt, which in previous years would present a problem for the Hawks, but it's a strength on this team too. I was picking Oklahoma in my brackets, but now that I've thought about it, I think I like St Joe's.

12 Villanova v. 5 Clemson

Everyone knows Clemson for their upset of Duke in the ACC semis, and that's probably how they got a seed this high. They played UNC close for a few games, which definitely counts for something. They were one of the better teams in a down year for the ACC, but I'm not sure if they deserved a 5 seed. The Tigers have balanced scoring, which bodes well if someone isn't having a very good game. Their inside presence of Trevor Booker could be their best weapon against the Wildcats, but they're going to have to learn how to close out games like they did against Duke consistently.

Villanova is a wildly inconsistent team, but for some reason, I like them to make the Sweet 16. On one hand, you see a team that at one point lost five of six games and was really struggling, but you also look at their wins over Pitt, UConn and their non-loss against Georgetown, and you can't figure out which team you're going to get. Someone besides Reynolds is going to have to score, and the forwards are going to have to work hard for rebounds today. I think they can do it.

My final four is UNC, Georgetown, Texas and UCLA. UNC will defeat the Bruins to make them the Buffalo Bills of college hoops.