Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 edition of the Sweet 16 got underway last night, with Marquette, Ohio State, Syracuse, and Wichita State all advancing to the Elite Eight.

Tonight, four more teams will join them as the South and Midwest regions take center stage.

Let’s take a quick look at the two matchups from the South region:

(1) Kansas vs. (4) Michigan – 7:37 PM ET, TBS

Despite spending time at number one this season, the Wolverines weren’t a heavy favorite to advance past the second round. A lot of analysts (myself included) didn’t think Michigan would be able to handle the havoc that Shaka Smart’s VCU squad brought to the table, but they did just that…..and then some. Michigan pounded the Rams by 25 in one of the more dominating performances of this year’s tourney thus far. Mitch McGary was the catalyst in that one, as he seemed to be in all the right spots in route to a double double, but it was a total team effort from beginning to end.

The Wolverines will need a similar type of performance tonight as they take on the top seed in the South region, the Kansas Jayhawks. Of all the one seeds in this year’s tournament, Kansas has gotten the least attention. Which is probably to be expected since they haven’t particularly played their greatest basketball in their two tournament wins over Western Kentucky and North Carolina. But perhaps the most promising part of those two is that the Jayhawks’ best half came in their last half, where they erased a nine point halftime deficit to win by 12.

What fueled Kansas is what will need to fuel them against Michigan. Jeff Withey had 16 and 16 in an impressive performance against the Tar Heels, and he’ll need to bring the same type of effort in his matchup with McGary if Kansas wants to control the paint. It would also be nice if they could Ben McLelmore going with a few early makes to get his confidence up after struggling recently. If McLemore can’t find his shot though, they’ll once again need to call on Travis Releford to shoulder the scoring load.

Given what we’ve seen from the two teams, it’s hard to pick against Michigan right now. They might not have the same type of momentum they had following the VCU win due to the layoff, but there’s no doubt that this team is clicking on all cylinders on the court. They have the shooting, they have the beast inside, and they are playing like the top team that we all knew they could be. Bill Self will have Kansas ready, but I don’t think they’re playing well enough at this point in the tournament to knock off a Michigan team that is.

Prediction: Michigan 73, Kansas 67

(3) Florida vs. (15) Florida Gulf Coast – 10:07 PM ET, TBS

Everyone and their mother now knows who Florida Gulf Coast is. The Eagles are the first 15-seed to make it to the round of 16, and not only that, they won their first two games by double digits. It’s been an amazing ride for this team, with players like Sherwood Brown and Bernard Thompson taking over the headlines in the first weekend of the tournament with their outstanding play in leading this team to unthinkable territory.

Head coach Andy Enfield has done a tremendous job preparing his team for the first two challenges, and he’ll no doubt have his hands full this time around as they take on Billy Donovan and the Florida Gators. Florida is an interesting team in that most people thought before the season that they would be serious national title contenders. However, that thought changed throughout the season as the Gators proved time and time again that they couldn’t pull out victories in close games.

In one of the more remarkable stats of the season, all 28 wins for the Gators have come by double digits. Six of their seven losses have come by single digits. And that’s where worry sets in when deciding if this team is capable of winning a national championship. They certainly have the talent to do it, with Patric Young and Erik Murphy manning the middle, and Kenny Boynton, Mike Rosario, and Scottie Wilbekin all being outstanding shooters on the perimeter. But the concern still remains as to how they will react in a close game with little time left on the clock.

In going back to Enfield for a second, he’s led this team here by simply letting them play. There’s nothing fancy about what FGCU does. They run and play basketball. Florida will be the toughest challenge they’ve faced, and you know that Donovan will have his team ready. The crowd will be rooting for the underdog, so if the Eagles can get out to a hot start, it’s going to be interesting to see how this Florida team responds. But what if FGCU is the one that starts slow? We know how capable they are of making quick runs due to the way they run the floor.

I’ll probably regret picking against the underdogs, but I picked the Gators to win this region, and I’ll stick with that pick. I think it’s gonna be hard for FGCU to recapture that same type of momentum that they had going last weekend. Honestly though, I hope I’m wrong. This has been a special story and I’d like to see it continue. I’m going with the Gators though.

Prediction: Florida 75, FGCU 65

Who are you picking in tonight’s South region games?

Jamie Rhodes – USA TODAY Sports

The top overall seed in the 2013 NCAA tournament has advanced, as Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals routed North Carolina A&T in Lexington by a final of 79-48.

Instead of going the route of fellow number one seed Gonzaga, the Cardinals jumped out early and never looked back in the 31-point victory.

North Carolina A&T simply couldn’t handle the pressure defense of Louisville, committing 25 turnovers on the evening. The Aggies managed to shoot 42% from the field, but only put up 41 shots due to the massive amount of turnovers.

Meanwhile, Louisville was able to shoot 56% from the field, but will need to shoot better from the free throw line from here on out after going 13-for-22 tonight.

Pitino’s squad got production from everywhere but it was Russ Smith who led the charge in scoring by putting up 23 points. Wayne Blackshear added 11, and three other Cardinals (Gorgui Dieng, Chane Behanan, Montrezl Harrell) finished with eight points a piece.

A&T got 12 points from Bruce Beckford.

The defense is what has fueled this team over the past few months and is what will lead them all the way to the Final Four if they continue to turn people over and make them pay for their mistakes.

Now Louisville will await the winner of the 8/9 game between Colorado State and Missouri. I’m not sure it matters who wins that game if Louisville continues to play at such a high level.

This team is the top seed in the tournament for a reason, and either the Rams or Tigers will be in for a big challenge in Lexington on Saturday.

Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

While the 2013 NCAA tournament officially got started on Tuesday in Dayton, the traditional first day of the tournament has arrived, with plenty of exciting games set to take place. Michigan State and Valpo open up the action on CBS with an assortment of intriguing matchups to follow.

[RELATED: 2013 NCAA Tournament Round of 64, Day 1: Preview, Game Times and Odds]

Here’s a look at today’s tournament schedule:

(All times eastern)

#3 Michigan State vs. #14 Valparaiso, 12:15 (CBS)
#6 Butler vs. #11 Bucknell, 12:40 (truTV)
#8 Pittsburgh vs. #9 Wichita State, 1:40 (TBS)
#4 Saint Louis vs. #13 New Mexico State, 2:10 (TNT)

#6 Memphis vs. #11 Saint Mary’s, 2:45 (CBS)
#3 Marquette vs. #14 Davidson, 3:10 (truTV)
#1 Gonzaga vs. #16 Southern, 4:10 (TBS)
#5 Oklahoma State vs. #12 Oregon, 4:40 (TNT)

#1 Louisville vs. #16 North Carolina A&T, 6:50 (TBS)
#4 Michigan vs. #13 South Dakota State, 7:15 (CBS)
#6 Arizona vs. #11 Belmont, 7:20 (TNT)
#5 UNLV vs. #12 California, 7:27 (truTV)

#8 Colorado State vs. #9 Missouri, 9:20 (TBS)
#5 VCU vs. #12 Akron, 9:45 (CBS)
#3 New Mexico vs. #14 Harvard, 9:50 (TNT)
#4 Syracuse vs. #13 Montana, 9:57 (truTV)

You can follow all the action throughout the day right here on Busting Brackets, as we’ll have wall-to-wall coverage of all the action that takes place. And there will be plenty of people talking about what’s happening in all the contests, so use the comments section below to talk college hoops all day and night.

Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter  with @BustingBrackets and @FanSidedU providing all of the in-game updates, sarcasm and analysis that you need and love. Tweet to us and use #FSMadness, as we’re fully interactive.

Enjoy the games!

Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The First Four action in the 2013 NCAA tournament has concluded, with La Salle claiming victory in the final game of the evening over Boise State by a final of 80-71.

La Salle now moves into the number 13-seed spot in the West region, and will take on fourth-seeded Kansas State on Friday in Kansas City.

The Explorers pretty much controlled the game the entire night, and despite Boise State making a few runs at various points, you never felt like they would overtake a La Salle team that suddenly has people around the world changing their brackets. This team certainly looked like a team that could upset Kansas State in the first round.

Why, exactly? Because they shot 63% from the field tonight. That’s right, folks. 63%.

And it all started with junior guard Tyrone Garland off the bench. He put up 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting and simply played outstanding basketball in leading this team. Ramon Galloway wasn’t too bad himself, as he scored 21 on 8-of-13 from the field.

Sophomore Anthony Drmic led all scorers with 28 for the Broncos in the losing effort.

But again, if you’ve filled out your bracket without giving a second thought about advancing La Salle past Kansas State, you might want to look at it again. I’m not guaranteeing that they’ll pull the upset. I won’t go that far.

However, they are going to push the Wildcats to the limit in Kansas City. Kansas State is officially on upset alert.

Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports

The first night of action has concluded in the 2013 NCAA tournament, with Saint Mary’s picking up the victory in the nightcap over Middle Tennessee, 67-54.

The Gaels will now be the 11th seed in the Midwest region and will travel to Auburn Hills on Thursday to take on the Memphis Tigers.

It certainly wasn’t the prettiest game in NCAA tournament history, but it did showcase a player that we’ve been accustomed to seeing at Saint Mary’s over the last several years. Matthew Dellavedova led the way for the Gaels, scoring 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Stephen Holt added 18 and Beau Levesque came off the bench and chipped in 13.

Marcos Knight led the Blue Raiders with 16 points.

MTSU was the last team to get into this field, and there were a lot of critics that thought they shouldn’t get in. They didn’t do a lot to dispute that tonight, but you have to keep in mind that Saint Marys’ played very well. They didn’t allow MTSU to do things that they like to do. Every basket was difficult and they struggled to slow down Dellavedova.

If Saint Mary’s can shoot the ball well and manage to keep Memphis away from the basket, they can without question pull the upset on Thursday.

Personally, I think Memphis is underrated as a six-seed. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t lose to a team like Saint Mary’s, especially considering how well they shoot it. I’m still taking Memphis though.

The 6/11 matchup always offers up plenty of intrigue, so be sure to tune in for what should be a good game from start to finish. Tip-off is at 2:45 PM ET on Thursday.

Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NCAA tournament field is set, and it’s time to go region by region and make predictions as to who will be advancing to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for the Final Four.

After breaking down the matchups, here’s what my bracket looks like in the West:

FIRST ROUND

#1 Gonzaga over #16 Southern
#8 Pittsburgh over #9 Wichita State
#5 Wisconsin over #12 Ole Miss
#4 Kansas State over #13 Boise State
#11 Belmont over #6 Arizona
#3 New Mexico over #14 Harvard
#10 Iowa State over #7 Notre Dame
#2 Ohio State over #15 Iona

SECOND ROUND

##8 Pittsburgh over #1 Gonzaga
#5 Wisconsin over #4 Kansas State
#11 Belmont over #3 New Mexico
#2 Ohio State over #10 Iowa State

SWEET 16

#5 Wisconsin over #8 Pittsburgh
#2 Ohio State over #11 Belmont

WEST REGIONAL FINAL

#2 Ohio State over #5 Wisconsin

WRAPUP

Despite being a number one seed, Gonzaga still isn’t getting the credit they deserve. So of course, to back up that statement, I picked them to lose in the second round to Pitt. Go figure. I just have a feeling in my gut that Pitt has the best chance to pull off that 8 over 1 upset that we see at times. Good spot for the Panthers here.

Wisconsin scares me as an Elite Eight pick, as I believe there’s a slight chance the Badgers are ousted by Marshall Henderson and Ole Miss in the first round. I’m still picking Wisconsin, however, that’s not a confident pick. A second round matchup with Pitt would be more difficult than Wichita State, so Mark Few’s team has to be ready for that.

Belmont is my sleeper pick in this region. This is the year that Rick Byrd’s team finally wins a first round game. I see them also winning a second round game against what I believe is an overrated New Mexico team. Everyone’s gushing over Steve Alford’s squad, and don’t get me wrong, they’re good. I like Belmont taking them out though.

Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NCAA tournament field is set, and it’s time to go region by region and make predictions as to who will be advancing to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for the Final Four.

After breaking down the matchups, here’s what my bracket looks like in the South:

FIRST ROUND

#1 Kansas over #16 Western Kentucky
#8 North Carolina over #9 Villanova
#5 VCU over #12 Akron
#13 South Dakota State over #4 Michigan
#11 Minnesota over #6 UCLA
#3 Florida over #14 Northwestern State
#7 San Diego State over #10 Oklahoma
#2 Georgetown over #15 Florida Gulf-Coast

SECOND ROUND

#1 Kansas over #8 North Carolina
#5 VCU over #13 South Dakota State
#3 Florida over #11 Minnesota
#2 Georgetown over #7 San Diego State

SWEET 16

#5 VCU over #1 Kansas
#3 Florida over #2 Georgetown

SOUTH REGIONAL FINAL

#3 Florida over #5 VCU

WRAPUP

Of the four regions, this is the toughest to predict. I literally changed the possible scenarios in the Sweet 16 part of this bracket about eight times before deciding on a Florida/VCU final. I’m still not sold on it, but that’s what I’m going with.

Billy Donovan’s team has been unable to win a close game all year long. I see that changing here. They have the shooting, they have the inside game, and they have the intangibles. Now they have to find a way to pull out games down the stretch.

But again, I could see all four teams that I have advancing to the Sweet 16 making it to the Final Four.

I think we’re overlooking the Jayhawks simply because of potential matchup with VCU. The Rams are a hot pick to make a run to Atlanta. and given their excellent pressure defense, it makes sense. Georgetown is a great team, don’t get me wrong. However, I just have a feeling that they are going to stumble against the Patric Young and the Gators.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NCAA tournament field is set, and it’s time to go region by region and make predictions as to who will be advancing to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for the Final Four.

After breaking down the matchups, here’s what my bracket looks like in the Midwest:

FIRST ROUND

#1 Louisville over #16 Liberty
#9 Missouri over #8 Colorado State
#5 Oklahoma State over #12 Oregon
#4 Saint Louis over #13 New Mexico State
#6 Memphis over #11 Middle Tennessee
#3 Michigan State over #14 Valpo
#7 Creighton over #10 Cincinnati
#2 Duke over #15 Albany

SECOND ROUND

#1 Louisville over #9 Missouri
#4 Saint Louis over #5 Oklahoma State
#6 Memphis over #3 Michigan State
#2 Duke over #7 Creighton

SWEET 16

#1 Louisville over #4 Saint Louis
#2 Duke over #6 Memphis

MIDWEST REGIONAL FINAL

#2 Duke over #1 Louisville

WRAPUP

The first thing that probably stands out is Memphis advancing to the Sweet 16. Everyone and their mother is picking them to lose to the winner of the play-in game in Dayton between Middle Tennessee and Saint Mary’s. I’m a fan of both of those teams, but the more I look at Memphis, the more I like their chances to make a run. There’s so much talent on this team, and their athleticism is going to cause teams trouble.

As for the regional final, I’m going with my gut and taking Duke. Personally, I think Louisville has the tougher road to get there. Despite the fact that the Cardinals hammered Missouri earlier in the year, that’s an intriguing second round game because of the style of play. And then Louisville meets a Saint Louis team that might be the best defensive team in the country.

If you’re filling out multiple brackets, don’t be afraid to have the number one overall seed fall before the Elite Eight to either Missouri or Saint Louis.

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NCAA tournament field is set, and it’s time to go region by region and make predictions as to who will be advancing to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for the Final Four.

After breaking down the matchups, here’s what my bracket looks like in the East:

FIRST ROUND

#1 Indiana over #16 LIU Brooklyn
#8 NC State over #9 Temple
#5 UNLV over #12 California
#4 Syracuse over #13 Montana
#11 Bucknell over #6 Butler
#14 Davidson over #3 Marquette
#7 Illinois over #10 Colorado
#2 Miami FL over #15 Pacific

SECOND ROUND

#1 Indiana over #8 NC State
#4 Syracuse over #5 UNLV
#14 Davidson over #11 Bucknell
#2 Miami FL over #7 Illinois

SWEET 16

#1 Indiana over #4 Syracuse
#2 Miami FL over #14 Davidson

REGIONAL FINAL

#1 Indiana over #2 Miami FL

WRAPUP

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the two games in Lexington (Butler/Bucknell and Marquette/Davidson) might be the two most intriguing first round games in the entire tournament.

Now for the most glaring part of the predictions: I’m high on Davidson. Marquette fans (and college basketball fans in general) might think I’m high on something else, but I just love the makeup of this team. Don’t look at them as a traditional #14. They are under seeded there and they are playing a Marquette team that is over seeded. So view this as more of a 4/13 or 5/12 game. Davidson shoots the ball well from outside, and in what is always a crucial statistic come tournament, they shoot 80% from the free throw line. Someone is going to catch everyone off guard in the tournament. It happens every year. Davidson’s my pick this year.

Indiana is simply the best team in this region though. From top to bottom, the Hoosiers are the better team overall and they have the easiest path to the Final Four of the all top seeds. I’m not hating on Miami, but they have a much better chance of slipping up than Indiana does.

Tom Crean’s bunch marches on to Atlanta.

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

There were some disappointed faces around the country yesterday evening as the 2013 NCAA tournament field was announced, and a few teams finally saw their bubble burst.

But those teams now turn their attention to the 2013 NIT, which boasts a strong field of teams across the board.

Let’s take a look at the bracket:

KENTUCKY BRACKET

The casual college basketball fan probably just did a double take. Kentucky bracket? In the NIT? It’s real, folks, and it gets better. Not only is Kentucky playing in the NIT, but they are also traveling on the road in the first round due to the NCAA tournament being played in Lexington. Where they headed? Why, Robert Morris, of course. If you had this matchup in your preseason NIT bracket, give yourself a pat on the back.

All kidding aside, Kentucky’s portion of the bracket is interesting due to a potential matchup with Baylor. Scott Drew’s team went into Rupp Arena earlier in the season and won, and that was when Nerlens Noel was playing. I could see Arizona State knocking off Baylor due to their inconsistency, but I think we’re heading toward a Kentucky/Baylor rematch. That’s only if John Calipari can motivate the young guys enough to care about this tournament.

SOUTHERN MISS BRACKET

Southern Miss had their chances to lock up an automatic bid by beating Memphis in the Conference USA championship game, but they couldn’t make the plays in overtime to get it done. Joining them on this side is the team that I thought had the best case for getting into the NCAA tournament of everyone in this field, the Tennessee Volunteers. They had quality wins and won 8 of 10 down the stretch, so it bothers me that Saint Mary’s got in over them. Nonetheless, Cuonzo Martin should be able to motivate his team and have them ready to go for Mercer.

BYU and Florida State could get hot, however, it also wouldn’t surprise me if they both lost their opening round games to Washington and Louisiana Tech. The solid pick is for Tennessee and Southern Miss to meet on this side of the bracket, as I really can’t see either losing unless they play uninspired.

ALABAMA BRACKET

The Crimson Tide would have been in the field of 68 had they been able to hold off Florida in the SEC tournament, but now they enter the NIT as one of the top seeds. Alabama played in the NIT championship in 2011, so Anthony Grant knows what type of approach to take with his team in this type of setting.

But unfortunately for Bama, their road could by blocked by teams that I think have a chance to win the whole thing. One of those teams is Maryland, who played very well in the ACC tournament and is playing some of their best basketball. The other team is Denver. The country might not know much about this team, but they are balanced and shoot the ball very well. I’m taking the winner of the second round game between Maryland and Denver to get to Madison Square Garden (my gut tells me Maryland but I’d love to see Denver get a shot at it).

VIRGINIA BRACKET

Virginia was another team that had a strong case to go dancing, but instead, Tony Bennett’s squad will start off their NIT run by hosting a Norfolk State team that shocked the world last season by upsetting Missouri in the NCAA tournament. Their defense will be what fuels them in this tournament, and I think this is a favorable bracket for them.

UMass and Iowa will provide a challenge as I think they’re two teams who could possibly make a run to MSG. I’ll say that this one comes down to Virginia and UMass, simply because I don’t think Iowa will be able to put together enough to knock off the Minutemen.

NIT FINAL FOUR PREDICTIONS

#2 Tennessee over #1 Kentucky
#2 Maryland over #1 Virginia

Championship Game: #2 Tennessee over #2 Maryland

Who are you picking to win the 2013 NIT tournament?