Westbrook's Season Deserving of MVP Honor

Westbrook has led OKC in Durant's absence

The argument at the beginning of the season consisted of LeBron James' quest for a fifth MVP while the talented Stephen Curry exploded into the race right off the bat. Rising star Anthony Davis entered the conversation for much of the first half of the season before injuries sidelined him for a handful of games. Now here we are at the end of the season, and the top three candidates for the league's most prestigious individual award are Curry, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. The majority of people, both analysts and fans, believe that Curry and Harden are the only true contenders, which shows that Westbrook's phenomenal season has been severely under-appreciated.

Let's get something straight before people get all bent out of shape: Stephen Curry and James Harden have put together astounding seasons. Curry has broken records and has lit up the highlight reels with his improved ball handling while Harden has put up insane numbers in his own right. Both of these players are in the race for a reason, and they deserve every bit of consideration. Yet if you look at Russell Westbrook's season and the team he has had to work with for the majority of this year, it's hard to say that he is not the most deserving for the MVP award.

Curry has led the Warriors to the one seed

Last night I was in Bankers Life Fieldhouse and witnessed Westbrook's 54 points (which was a career high might I add), 9 rebounds, and 8 assists against the Pacers. Yes, he took 43 shots, that's the common argument against Westbrook. "He shoots too much". "He doesn't shoot a high percentage". "He's selfish". Had those arguments been posed in previous years, I would have wholeheartedly agreed because he would have been hoisting ill-advised shots when Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka were on the floor. However, neither Durant or Ibaka are going to be any help for this season and have both missed countless games. This team has become Westbrook's to lead even after Durant and Ibaka return and he is dragging Oklahoma City to the playoffs. He no longer has an MVP to pass to. He no longer has Ibaka's 14 points per game to feed. It's Westbrook's show to run and if he's not leading the league in scoring and posting triple doubles on almost a nightly basis then OKC is not even sniffing the playoff race they are currently in.

Harden is currently second in the NBA in scoring

Does Westbrook shoot a lot? Yes. There's no way around it, he averages 22 field goal attempts a game. While Harden averages 18 shots per game and Curry averages 16, it's out of line to call Westbrook selfish when he's averaging 8.6 assists as opposed to Hardens 6.9 and Curry's 7.7. Throw that in with the fact that Rockets and Warriors both have exceptionally better supporting casts than the Thunder currently does and it's easy to see that Westbrook is doing more with less.

While the offensive numbers are gaudy and always get the most attention, Westbrook's influence on the defensive side of the ball contributes just as much as his influence on offense. He forces more turnovers (he averages over two steals a game) and grabs more defensive rebounds (5.3 per game compared to Hardens 4.7 and Curry's 3.6) than the other two candidates. For Curry, he has improved his on-ball defense greatly this season, but he's not the defensive force that Westbrook is. Harden, on the other hand, struggles to understand what playing defense means (See "James Harden defensive juggernaut" on YouTube).

The bottom line is that you can take Harden away from the Rockets and still watch Houston in the playoffs. You can take Curry away from the Warriors and still see a top four team in the West. But if you take Westbrook away from the Thunder with the shape they are currently in then they are dwelling near the bottom of the conference. Not only has Westbrook been impressive, he's been historic this year. He has posted numbers that only Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson have put up. Sure, Curry has broken a couple records of his own, but in terms of total domination of a game, Westbrook reigns supreme. Again, Harden and Curry have been fun to watch and they have played great basketball all year, but if you look at the value of each individual player in terms of where their team would be without them, Westbrook affects the Thunder's success more than Curry affects the Warriors or Harden affects the Rockets.

Lauren Hill Passes Away After Battle With Cancer

Many of us didn't know her. Quite frankly, we didn't have to. Her name was Lauren Hill and she became a hero to many after her story was told in 2014. She was a girl who had a dream of playing college basketball and planned to do so at the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio. She had the skill, she had the potential, but inoperable brain cancer kept her from full participation in the sport she loved. Originally, her doctors didn't believe she would make it to the day of her first college basketball game. In a heartwarming effort to make sure she had the experience of playing in her team's first game of the year, the NCAA allowed a rescheduling of MSJ's first game which was played in early November. It was expected to be her only game and it was expected that she would pass before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving came and went and Lauren was still healthy enough to suit up with her teammates. Christmas also came to pass and Lauren was still with us. She was refusing to give in to her illness while managing to inspire a country through her resilience and strength.

Here at Anderson University in Indiana, I have the great privilege of doing the public address announcing for a handful of our athletic teams, one of which is women's basketball. On January 21st of this year, Mount Saint Joe came to AU for a conference match-up. At this point, Lauren Hill's "Layups for Lauren" foundation was well-known and thriving, helping raise over 1.5 million dollars for cancer research. The campus of AU did a phenomenal job of advertising this particular game and numerous students came to support Lauren's cause.

Sadly, Lauren was not with her teammates when they made the two and a half hour trip here to Anderson, Indiana. Yet there was a buzz in the gym unlike any I've experienced. I've played in sold out gyms against crosstown rivals in high school. I've been to the NCAA Final Four twice, including this year's which featured the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats. None of those experiences, not one of those games felt like that January night in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium. The aforementioned games had plenty of emotion, plenty of excitement, but this game between Anderson and Mount Saint Joe just felt different. This was something bigger than sports and everybody knew it. It was about basketball, but it wasn't at the same time.

Hill was a freshman at MSJ

Basketball is what brought Lauren Hill's story into the public eye, but it was her fight and her determination to get the most out of each day that made the biggest impact. And on that night, it wasn't necessarily about winning and losing. On that night it was about recognizing Lauren's determination and realizing how much of an impact she had. She was 19 years old, a girl who had plenty ahead of her. She was not even in the gym the night of that game, but people knew her struggle. They knew her influence. They knew her dreams. Not many college students can affect a crowd of 2,000 people like that without being in the room.

So today we mourn the loss of a girl who is gone much too soon. But in the sadness, it's important to realize that Lauren Hill accomplished a lifetime's worth of feats. Because of Lauren we have seen a girl fight for each day with a smile on her face. There was never any evidence of a "why me?" attitude, rather an attitude of wanting to inspire people to treasure what and who they have. Lauren has taught us to never allow anything to hold us back and to chase after whatever it is we want out of life. She lived with a purpose and that purpose will live on for years to come.

I would never say that Lauren "lost her battle with cancer". How could she lose? She raised more money than we could have imagined and outlasted the disease by six months. Cancer didn't get the best of her because, even though she may be gone physically, the lessons we learned and courage she displayed are still with us. Cancer will never, could never touch that. So now it's on us. We need to continue to aid the research, we need to continue to do what's necessary to beat this disease. It has taken numerous people from this earth, famous or not, but with each person that passes we become more inspired. So here's to you Lauren, thank you for your fight, thank you for your courage, and thank you for your enthusiasm. You will be missed dearly, but know that your influence will never pass. Rest in peace and God bless your family and friends as they cope with this tragedy.

Wisconsin's Loss is a Loss for College Basketball

This wasn't how the season was supposed to end. Not in the mind of Wisconsin's fans and players. The confetti being shot out of the scoreboard in Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6th was supposed to be red and white and nothing else. Bo Ryan was supposed to be the coach standing on the platform with Jim Nantz and one of Wisconsin's veteran leaders was supposed to be named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

But you know the saying: All good things must come to an end.

The only problem was that this wasn't just a good thing. It was a great thing. It was great for the University of Wisconsin and it was great for the game of college basketball. This team was the perfect example of what college basketball should be, yet no longer is. They were human and they were real. They were here to play for each other and play for their school. It was never about paying their dues and bolting for the NBA Draft because this team took pride in their potential and knew they could have been something special. They SHOULD have been something special.

To anyone that pays attention to basketball, collegiate or professional, it is understood that the "one and done" mindset dominates the young talent around the nation and, in some cases, forms certain programs to be nothing but a minor league system for the NBA rather than a place to raise student-athletes. You've seen Kentucky turn out lottery draft pick after lottery draft pick and any highly-touted recruit with even a glimmer of hope of being drafted falls into the trap of leaving school early. That's why this Wisconsin team was special. They had players that were going to be drafted last year that came back because winning a National Championship in college was more important to them than chasing a seven-digit paycheck.

Kaminsky and Dekker led the Badgers to back-to-back Final Fours

Those specific players are Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky. Two players who went from good to great in this season and led the Badgers the entire way. They showed us that there are still players and teams that take college basketball to heart and are proud of who they play for. This is not to say that the Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parkers of the world didn't appreciate the schools they played for. But it's no secret that, before those two highly-touted recruits even stepped on campus, that they were one-and-dones. So why get attached? Why begin cheering for kids that aren't going to leave a college legacy? Why even trick yourself into thinking that the great recruits will hang around for even a second year of school?

That's why this Wisconsin team was impossible to root against. They showed us the human side of college basketball and proved that, despite the fact that college basketball is becoming more of a business, that they're still kids who are playing the game they love. They joked in interviews, they goofed around in the public eye, all while managing to put together one of the best seasons in their school's history. They epitomized what college basketball should be about: a team that was one of the best in the nation last year and wanted more. They didn't settle for a Final Four finish. They weren't okay with leaving Dallas with a loss. Kaminsky and Dekker could have left for the Draft and didn't. They came back with the goal of hoisting that trophy in mind and nothing less than that would suffice.

We need more teams and players like Wisconsin's. We need more Frank Kaminskys and Sam Dekkers because they give us hope that not all college basketball players only use college basketball as a stepping stone to the NBA. Sure, we've enjoyed watching teams like Arizona and even Kentucky, who shockingly brought back the core of their 2014 Final Four team. Those teams had veterans and they had experience. Kentucky even made a second consecutive Final Four run of their own. But the dynamic of those teams was not like Wisconsin's. Wisconsin didn't play any freshmen. Wisconsin was led by players that were there for Wisconsin, not their own draft stock. That's why last night's championship loss hurts a little more than normal.

Okafor and Jones have most likely played their final game for Duke

And while Wisconsin's freshmen were on the sidelines, Duke's freshmen were rising above the rest. Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow, Grayson Allen, and Jahlil Okafor scored 60 of their 68 points and showed just how talented and capable they are. It was fun to watch, right? I witnessed that game, and as I sat there in Lucas Oil Stadium and thought about how great Duke could be next year it occurred to me that the Blue Devils championship team is gone. Long gone. Jones, Winslow, and Okafor are likely to leave for the Draft while another wave of freshman talent comes in. Just like that, a championship team is torn apart as quickly as it came together. That's what's so frustrating.

I'm not a fan of Duke, never have been. But think of how much fun college basketball would be if those freshman stayed and tried to repeat? Look how anxious college basketball fans got whenever Kentucky took the floor. The Wildcats were already the villains of the college basketball world but what they did this year gave the game excitement and an edge that had been absent as of late. I dislike Kentucky as well, but watching those kids who came back evolve and lead was, and I'm ashamed to admit this, fun to experience. It goes to show how competitive the game COULD be if players would stay.

That's why Wisconsin was more than just a team trying to repeat. In a way that they may not have intended, they were a team that was trying to revive a lost concept in the world of college basketball. Had they won, they would have left a legacy that had not been achieved since the '06 and '07 Florida teams. The results are different, but the concept remains the same: both programs brought back players who wanted to get back to where they ended the previous season and, in Wisconsin's case, achieve more.

So while I watched Frank Kaminsky crouch on the sideline as the Duke players wrestled each other to the ground, I realized that Wisconsin's loss was a loss for college basketball fans. The story-book ending was there. They channeled their inner Benny Rodriguez and pickled the Beast in the semi-finals only to fall short to a team that will have an entirely new look next season. They came back to get to that moment, to seize that opportunity, and yet it wasn't meant to be. But even in the loss, Wisconsin should still be appreciated. Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker should be thanked for restoring a little faith and humanity to the college game. They gave us a glimpse of college basketball being treated the right way. Wisconsin won't be anywhere in the history books and soon they will be overlooked. But for now we need to recognize just how special this team was to a game we so deeply love.

Bracket Breakdown: The South

The South region is ruled by big men, which makes this particular quadrant of the bracket all the more exciting. The physicality and strength that the top teams in this region provide are sure to provide us with numerous memorable match-ups. Headlining this region is the top-seeded Blue Devils of Duke University and their star freshman center Jahlil Okafor. If Duke hopes to punch a ticket to Indy, Okafor and the rest of Duke's front line will have their hands full with players such as Joshua Smith (Georgetown), Winston Shepard  (San Diego State), and Przemek Karnowski (Gonzaga). But don't be fooled, the back courts in this region aren't pushovers. Yet with such talented forwards and centers, which front court will lead their team into the month of April? Zach was too busy working the Illinois State-Green Bay NIT game. So I'll take this one solo.

General Overview: Duke is number one and Gonzaga is number two. One is looking for redemption after an embarrassing opening round exit to a 14 seed, and the other is looking to advance to their first Final Four in school history. While both teams are clearly talented enough to make it to Indy, a handful of lower seeded teams will make sure that the road to the Final Four is a tough one.

We've said it before, we'll say it again: March is not about who's better on paper, it's about who's on a hot streak at the right time. Two teams in particular are rolling at a time when momentum can sometimes mean more than talent. Iowa State and SMU, both conference tournament winners in their own right, have their sights set on Final Four appearances and are equipped to make those dreams come true. Iowa State has won eight of their last ten games (including five wins over ranked opponents) and have won five straight. Southern Methodist, on the other hand, have won seventeen of their last twenty and have won four straight. Fred Hoiberg and Larry Brown will have their teams ready to roll and, while they'll take it one game at a time, will surely be focused on catching flights to Indianapolis in three weeks.

Upset Alert: You remember them as the Cinderella of 2008. You remember them as the Stephen Curry-led Davidson Wildcats. Yet this year's Davidson squad is not to be disregarded as Curry's team was pre-March Madness. Winners of ten of their last eleven, Davidson has not just beaten their opponents, they've disposed of them. Their average margin of victory is just under fifteen points per game in those ten wins and with the seventh-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes in mind, the Wildcats look to build off of their recent success. What makes this team so special is that four players average double digits in the points category, with Taylor Kalinoski (17 ppg) and Jack Gibbs (16.3 ppg) leading the charge. Even more dangerous than their balanced attack is the depth that Bob McKillop's team has. Ten players average over ten minutes a game which means plenty of fresh legs for the Hawkeyes to keep track of.

Add all of this in with the facts that Davidson's ball movement results in 17 assists per game (good for 3rd in the nation) and their ability to shoot 47% per game enables them to put up 80 points per game (good for 6th in the nation), and you have a force to be reckoned with. Fran McCaffery's team will need to be up to the challenge or an opening round exit is sure to be in store for the Hawkeyes squad that did not finish in the top 50 in points, assists, rebounds, or field goal percentage per game (Davidson was top 35 in three of the four categories). Iowa will not be an easy victory, but if there were an upset in this region that I would pay close attention to, it would definitely be this seven/ten match-up.

Player to Watch: SMU was highlighted earlier in this post, and a big part of their potential for success in this tournament is because of the stellar play of their junior point guard Nic Moore. The Mustangs offense runs through him as he averages 14 points and 5 assists per game. Aside from the numbers he puts up, Moore's mere presence on the floor is also critical for Larry Brown's team. He's the only member of the team that averages more than 28 minutes per game and is on the court for 34 and a half minutes, on average. The question remains if Moore can bounce back from a sub par performance in the American Conference championship (11 points on 3-14 shooting, 1-7 from three point range), but if he returns to form in their opening match-up against the UCLA Bruins, SMU might ride the coattails of Nic Moore deep into the tournament.

Bracket Breakdown: The East

While the teams of the East region are obviously the main focus, the talent and makeup of each team may be overlooked when choosing a bracket. Why? Because this region has coaches that, despite possibly being a low seed, know what it takes to excel in March. Don't be fooled by the four next to Louisville's name, or the seven that's placed on the left side of Michigan State. Rick Pitino and Tom Izzo are sure to be prepared to advance past this weekend, and every team in the region better take notice.

General Overview:
Nate's Take: Headlined by the revival of Villanova and the continued ascent of Virginia, the top two seeds share a physical and defensive-minded attack that will be tough to counter for the other 14 teams in this region. Yet if we take a look at the lower seeds, there is still plenty of potential for neither Jay Wright's Wildcats or Tony Bennet's Cavaliers to be sitting at home the first weekend in April. Pay careful attention to the LSUs and Daytons of the region because those teams have hung with high-caliber teams and, in Dayton's case, we know they have a love for creating mayhem in March.

Perhaps the one thing that stands out the most in the first round of this region is the 5/12 match-up between Northern Iowa and Wyoming. I tread carefully with this statement, but I believe Northern Iowa has the best chance to advance out of the five seeds in the tournament. This is not to say that Wyoming is incapable of pulling off the upset, but to watch the Panthers flirt with a top 10 ranking, take down 3 Power Six schools (Northwestern, Iowa, and Virginia Tech), as well as split the season series against Wichita State is certainly convincing enough that this team can compete at a high level. Led by Seth Tuttle's 15 points and 7 rebounds a game, the Panthers are poised for a run that will be as successful as the run in 2010, but not nearly as much of a surprise. Their only downfall is that they struggle to rebound (averaging just over 30 a game). However, UNI shoots a very high percentage at 48% per game, good enough for 16th in the nation. Perhaps a sigh of relief for the Panthers is that Wyoming ranks even lower in rebounds per game which will make the battle on the boards even more pivotal in this game. It won't be a blow out, but I have a hard time believing that Wyoming will dance into the weekend.

Zach's Take: The East region is difficult to predict because, as alluded to above, there are lower-seeded teams who know how to win in March. While Virginia is extremely stingy on defense, the injury to Justin Anderson is a concern. In addition, Louisville has been a different team without Chris Jones and questions surround their ability to make a run. Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans looked fantastic in the Big Ten Tournament and Jay Wright has had Villanova on a roll all season long. And let us not forget Northern Iowa and Oklahoma, two teams who have spent the majority of the season in the Top 25.

So who advances to Indianapolis? Virginia is my pick because of defense. Defense and pace of play is the name of the game in the East region. Northern Iowa will present major problems because of the way they slow the game down. If the Panthers advance to the Elite 8 don't be surprised, and if they meet Virginia there then the first one to 40 wins the game.

Will Villanova be the first one seed to lose? Some people believe LSU might be poised to knock off the 'Cats in the second round and there's reason to believe. The Tigers pound the glass hard and move the ball efficiently on offense.

The tallest player in the tournament, 7-6 Mamadou Ndiaye, and the UC-Irvine Anteaters have plenty of size up front which has some people thinking that they could pull off a first round upset. Clearly there are question marks everywhere in the East, but bank on Virginia's defense to carry them through.

Upset Alert:
Nate's Take: They were mentioned earlier and you certainly haven't forgotten them just yet: the Dayton Flyers. This year they have to earn their way into the field of 64 by beating Boise State for possession of the 11 seed in this region. Should the Flyers defeat the Broncos, I firmly believe that they will not only take down Providence, but they will also get the better of the Oklahoma Sooners in the round of 32. This is a team that knows what it's like to play on the big stage and they have their core still intact from last year's Elite 8 team. Archie Miller has this program headed in the right direction and another trip to the Sweet 16 looks like a very strong possibility.

Zach's Take: Contrary to Nate's pick, I have Providence as my upset alert. No, it's not an upset if Providence defeats Boise State/Dayton in the first round, but it will be if they defeat Oklahoma in the second round. I think they will and it's because of the Friars' backcourt tandem. LeDontae Henton and Kris Dunn combine to average 35 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists per game. Stopping OU's Buddy Hield is no easy task, but Providence was oh-so-close to upsetting North Carolina last season and this year Ed Cooley's squad will make some noise.

Player to Watch:
Nate's Take: A big determining factor in Oklahoma's success will be the play of big man Ryan Spangler. Spangler averages 10 points and 8 rebounds a game but is fresh off of a blown lay-up that would have sent the Sooners into the overtime against the eventual Big 12 champion Iowa State Cyclones. As physical and tough as Spangler is, it's hard to see him shying away from redeeming himself of the heart break that ended Oklahoma's conference season. He not only is a big part of what Oklahoma does, but he's also a veteran leader who epitomizes their team identity. If Spangler enters the tournament ready to dominate, the Sooners may make some noise in the East region.

Zach's Take: Malcolm Brogdon is the player to watch for Virginia. With Justin Anderson's hand injury, Brogdon shouldered much of the load during the NCAA Tournament and his second half effort against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament was admirable. If Anderson isn't his usual self, then Tony Bennett's squad will need Brogdon's best effort again. When Virginia plays, points are usually at a premium so expect Brogdon to lead the Cavs' offensive attack. The best player on one of the nation's best teams has to show up in March if they are to make the tournament. Expect Brogdon's best effort.

Bracket Breakdown: The West

Wisconsin danced all the way to Dallas last year, and with their entire squad (minus the loss of point guard Ben Brust to graduation) returning, many believe the Badgers have what it takes not just to suit up in Lucas Oil Stadium, but to celebrate under a shower of red and white confetti when the final buzzer sounds on this basketball season. Bo Ryan's team was dealt a tough hand in their region though, with possibly the toughest road to the Final Four of any of the number one seeds. The region has it all: traditional powerhouses (Arizona, North Carolina), Cinderella wanna-be's (Harvard), and giants that were once giant killers (VCU). Can Wisconsin survive a region so deep with potential? Zach and I break down their chances.

General Overview:
Nate's Take: As stated earlier, there's absolutely nothing that this region can't offer. Beginning with the enticing match-ups of VCU/Ohio State and Arkansas/Wofford, the potential for upsets runs wild. But any road that leads to Indy must go through Wisconsin. The Badgers, much like Kentucky, are nearly impossible to keep out of one's Final Four. The traditional shot clock-eating, defense-killing, stat sheet-stuffing offense that was has now turned into an in-your-face, deliberate attack that is led by Wooden Award candidate Frank Kaminsky and role-player-turned-star Sam Dekker. Barring a historical defeat to Coastal Carolina, Wisconsin is set for an appearance in the round of 32. Who will be joining them?

Smart looks to lead the 7th-seeded Rams

Much like Butler in the Midwest, the Rams of VCU took the tournament by storm in 2011 and became a fan favorite. Their fast paced "havoc" playing style has won the hearts of many and under the leadership of Shaka Smart they have now become a force to be reckoned with. They have shed the Cinderella label and are now a team with a target on their back. Unfortunately for VCU, their quest for a deep run will be challenged by the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are one of the best shooting teams in the nation, ending the regular season eleventh overall in field goal percentage (.486). That percentage translates to Ohio State putting up just under 76 points per game. High-powered offense is no issue for VCU, however, as the Rams average 10 steals a game which contributes to their ability to force 16 turnovers per game. Briante Weber is injured for the Rams, but they play a style that no Big Ten team has ever thought of playing. Thad Matta's game plan will need to be fresh and new if he hopes to take his tenth-seeded Buckeyes into the next round.

Zach's Take: The first thing that jumps out to me in the West Region is that the committee did us all a huge favor by putting Wisconsin and Arizona in the same region. Who could forget Wisconsin's thrilling Elite 8 victory last year over the Wildcats? It appears the two are on a crash course to do it again and that's going to be an unbelievable matchup. Both teams return almost their entire rosters from last season and it's a coin flip as to who moves on to Indy.

Like Nate said, the Ohio State-VCU matchup is especially enticing and, while I think the Rams will come out on top, it's a shame this Shaka Smart team doesn't have a healthy Briante Weber. If they did, you could be talking about another run deep into the tourney for VCU.

Another team I'm intrigued by is Georgia State. Coached by Ron Hunter, Georgia State features the coach's kid R.J. Hunter, a pure shooter from Pike High School in Indianapolis. In addition, Kevin Ware and Ryan Harrow give the Panthers two guys who have played at elite programs and know what March is like. GSU shoots the ball extremely well (48 percent) and has won nine of their last 10.

The other team that is a mystery is North Carolina. Which team will show up? They have been painfully inconsistent throughout the season, but looked great in the ACC Tournament, minus the championship against Notre Dame. If the good UNC team shows up then they have Final Four  potential, but if the bad UNC shows up.....keep reading...

Upset Alert:
Nate's Take: VCU and Ohio State provide one of the more intriguing match-ups in an otherwise stacked region but the game that many may overlook is the North Carolina Tar Heels first round contest against the Harvard Crimson. Everyone knows that March is not always about who's better on paper, it's about who's hot at the right time and who has the momentum. North Carolina blew a double-digit lead in their conference championship and came out as the losers against Notre Dame. Harvard on the other hand is riding into the Dance with the memory of win over arch-rival Yale fresh in mind. Toss that in with the inconsistency that Roy Williams' team seems to suffer from and you have a 13 over a 4 upset waiting to happen. Tommy Amaker is no stranger to March, and there's no doubt he will have Harvard ready to fight till that final buzzer sounds.

Zach's Take: Nate stole my pick so I'll go with the game right above it on the bracket. Wofford and Arkansas is another 5/12 matchup where the 12 could be moving on. Wofford is a quality team that defeated North Carolina State in Raleigh earlier this season. The Terriers have only lost two games since the calendar flipped to 2015 and they rank 27th in the nation in defense, holding opponents just under 60 points per game. Stopping Arkansas' duo of Bobby Portis (SEC Player of the Year) and Michael Qualls is not going to be easy, but we're talking about an Arkansas program that has been to the tournament five times since the millenium and has lost in the first round four of those years. Again, if you're looking for a 5/12 upset, this could be the one to choose.

Player to Watch:
Nate's Take: You may not know about him, but if his team performs up to their potential, you surely will. Be on the lookout for Oregon guard Joe Young, the Pac 12 Player of the Year. He leads the Ducks with 20 points, 4 boards, and 3 assists per game and, should the Ducks emerge victorious against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, is sure to give the Wisconsin back court fits. Not only is Young a threat to score from the floor, but when the game is on the line, Oregon can get the ball into the hands of one of the best free throw shooters in the nation. With his free throw percentage of 92%, any close game will surely be in his hands. And the best thing about this hard-nosed point guard? He's just waiting for that opportunity.

Hunter will be a threat against Baylor in the first round

Zach's Take: I mentioned him before and I'll say it again: keep an eye on R.J. Hunter. The 6-6 junior averages just below 20 points per game along with 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He's the kind of guy who can heat up in a hurry and his length makes him a difficult matchup (think a smaller version of Kevin Durant). As an added bonus, the kid is feeling it of late. On March 7th he dropped 35 on Georgia Southern then followed that up with a 32-point performance against Louisiana-Lafayette. Georgia State is a talented team and Hunter is the kind of player at a mid-major who could lead his team on a Cinderella run.