2013 NCAA Tournament Predictions: East Region

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.