NCAA Bracket preview: The very, deep South

The Kentucky Wildcats are the clear favourites to take the title as we head into the NCAA tournament, but it will not be an easy task for them to take home the big prize.

That is because the NCAA selection committee has done the Wildcats no favours and stacked the South region with top-notch competition, including defending champion Connecticut, Duke (who won the title two years ago), as well as Indiana, Baylor and a tough Wichita St. squad. If the Wildcats were to win the title, they will definitely have earned it.

Let’s have a quick look around the South:

No. 1 seed — Kentucky Wildcats

This team is loaded. The Wildcats are the top-ranked team and have the best player in Anthony Davis, who is expected to be the top pick in June’s NBA draft. The 6’9″ power forward can block shots and bang bodies with the best of them, plus he has a nice handle to boot. But Kentucky is not a one-man show. Aside from Davis, this team has as many as five other players who could be drafted in the first round. Coaching could be the team’s undoing, as John Calipari’s teams have been known to fall just short of the title.

No. 2 seed — Duke Blue Devils

There is a steep drop-off in talent from Kentucky to Duke, but when it comes to coaching I will take Coach K over Coach Cal any day of the week. The Blue Devils have a star point guard in Austin Rivers and great depth in the frontcourt, but they are lacking quality on the wing as they do not play with a true small forward. After Rivers and Seth Curry, this team is not too deep in the backcourt either.

No. 3 seed — Baylor Bears

It’s amazing how far the Bears have come when you think back to the 2003 scandal. In fact, this might be the best Baylor team of all time — that’s not saying much as the school’s basketball history isn’t strong. Perry Jones and Quincy Miller form a dynamic frontcourt for coach Scott Drew, but it remains to be seen if they have enough depth to make a serious run.

No. 4 — Indiana Hoosiers

It has taken a while for the Hoosiers to bounce back from the mess that Kelvin Sampson left behind, but one of America’s premier college basketball programs appears to be on the cusp of rejoining the elite. Unfortunately, senior point guard Verdell Jones III suffered a torn ACL injury in the Big 10 tourney, costing Indiana a starter at the wrong time.

No. 5 — Wichita St. Shockers

The Shockers are great value here. It would not be a huge Shocker to see them advance to the Sweet 16 and be a tough out for Kentucky. Wichita State goes eight deep with a balanced offence that sees every rotation player average at least eight points a game.

No. 6 — UNLV Runnin’ Rebels

The Runnin’ Rebels started the season with a bang by beating North Carolina, Illinois and Cal but have since cooled off. Many are picking UNLV for an early exit vs. Colorado, but U.S. President Barack Obama has them winning their opener in his bracket. Would you bet against the most powerful man in the world?

No. 7 — Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Fighting Irish have not been to the Sweet 16 since 2003. They have a tough opener with Xavier and will then likely face Duke. Expect the streak to continue if they don’t find a way to start scoring more efficiently and often.

No. 8 — Iowa St. Cyclones

The Cyclones look primed for a first-round knockout by UConn, but stranger things have happened. You can be sure of two things with this team: they will play tough, gritty defence, and they will bomb away from beyond the arc. If they sink many treys, they will survive at least one round.

More from around the region:

Canadian guard Hernst Laroche has started every game of his career at No. 13 New Mexico St… No. 11 Colorado won their first Pac-12 title in their first year in the conference… No. 12 VCU was forced to play in the play-in game a year ago and reached the Final Four as a No. 11 seed… No. 9 UConn will try to repeat out of the nine-hole — only three times has a team with a seed higher than No. 3 won the title…