2010 March Madness Bracket Predictions: East Region

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The East region is certainly one to watch with eight conference tournament champions, and Ivy League champion Cornell (Ivy League doesn’t have a conference tournament), all competing for a spot in the Final Four. No. 1 seed Kentucky will be the pick of most to advance to the Final Four out of this region. Without any further ado, here’s my bracket picks by round for the East.

Round One: Kentucky is just too big and two talented to think East Tennessee State can be the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1. The No. 8 versus No. 9 matchup between Texas and Wake Forest is an intriguing one. Remember that Texas was 17-0 at one point. The Longhorns are very talented and I expect them to look at the NCAA Tourney as a fresh start.  I’ll take them to move on.  No. 5 seed Temple versus No. 12 Cornell figures to be a dandy as well. We saw Cornell play No. 1 overall seed Kansas as tough as anyone in Lawrence this season. Cornell is also a great three-point shooting team. But at the end of the day defense is paramount this time of year and Temple D’s up as good as anyone.  Temple moves on.  I’m not sure I think Wisconsin is deserving of a No. 4 seed, but the Badgers should take care of Wofford. In the No. 6 versus No. 11 seed matchup, I like Washington, which enters red hot, to pull off the upset over Marquette. No. 3 seed New Mexico, led by swingman Darington Hobson, should find their way into the second round with a win over No. 14 seed Montana. While No. 10 seed Missouri may not be as good as it was a season ago, it’s pressing style is difficult to prepare for, and I think it will get the Tigers past No. 7 seed Clemson. No. 2 seed West Virginia should have its way with No. 15 seed Morgan State.

Round Two: Texas has the talent to upset Kentucky, but the Longhorns didn’t show me enough down the stretch for me to believe whole-heartily that they are capable of such a feat. The Wildcats have the size inside to give both Damion James and Dexter Pittman problems. Expect to see an ugly one between Temple and Wisconsin as these are a pair of hard-nosed teams. Again, I really like how Temple defends and will send them through because of it. Washington is peaking at just the right time with Quincy Pondexter really playing well. I’ll take the Huskies to upset No. 3 seed New Mexico. Missouri’s style could give West Virginia some trouble for a while, but at the end of the day I have to go with the Big East Tourney champs.

Sweet 16: No. 1 seed Kentucky should advance here as its talent level and size will be too much for Temple. Plus, the Wildcats are a very underrated defensive team. This is where Washington’s Cinderella run comes to an end. Look for West Virginia, which has proven it can beat teams in a variety of ways, to advance to the Elite 8.

Elite 8: We should get the matchup most want to see between No. 1 seed Kentucky and No. 2 seed West Virginia. This is where Kentucky’s youth may finally hurt them. West Virginia is tough defensively and more experienced and I think it will benefit from playing in a much deeper conference in what should be a close game. I’ll take Da’Sean Butler and company to the Final Four and then into the championship game where they will meet their match with Kansas.

About the Author: Jimmy Boyd is known for his consistency. He's a proven winner in college and pro football, college and pro basketball and pro baseball. He finished as the No. 1 ranked MLB handicapper in 2007 by earning $1,000/game bettors $50,050. He also finished as the No. 1 ranked basketball handicapper in the 2008-09 season, profiting $1,000/game bettors 38,530. His basketball plays have banked $1,000/game bettors nearly $80,000 the last five years. Check out Jimmy's premium picks for tonight!
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