2004 / 2005 NCAA College Basketball Tournament
March Madness Preview and Bracket Predictions

Jump to...   Teams with momentum on their side   Teams Ripe for the Upset?   Bracket Predictions   Things to Keep In Mind

The greatest couple of days are just days away as the NCAA tournament kicks off on Thursday. Here I'll go through my thoughts on the upcoming festivities. I'll share my upstarts, predictions and intangibles which will go along way in determining the outcome of this years tourney.

Teams with Mo on their side…

Illinois
One of the most talented teams in the country enters off their Big Ten tournament win, which was accomplished in easy fashion. They enter the tournament as a top team in FG%, three point % and most importantly Assist-to-Turnover ratio. Dee Brown is a key here. When he is on top of his game, the Illini are nearly unbeatable. Looking forward to a potential Illinois / Oklahoma State game that would definitely be a classic. If the Illini have a weakness, it is down low. A match-up with Texas would be interesting in the second round, as would a match-up with Alabama.

Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are loaded once again, but they will need Bobik to hit shots to get to the Final Four. Lucas Jr. is a very good floor commander and Joey Graham rounds them out. They are a tremendous all around basketball team. Statistically speaking, they are one of the top two teams in the tournament. Arizona would pose problems for the Pokes perimeter defense if they should meet. The Big 12 Championship has this team confident, and they should be.

Duke
I am shocked that this Blue Devil team was able to pull off another number one seed this season. They enter on a real high, but they have no depth which should be a concern. The tournament is grueling, and if the Devils find foul trouble, they could be in a world of hurt. That being said, they are a great defensive team, which was the difference in their game with Tech on Sunday. Chances are good that they’ll run out of gas eventually, but they’ll get deep into the tournament. A Duke / Kentucky game with a Final Four on the line would be a hoops fan dream.

New Mexico
An interesting team here. They won the Mountain West tournament over the weekend, and have a very nice player in Granger. They shoot the ball well from 3 and from the free throw line, but have trouble at times on the board and on defense. They have been known to turn it over in bunches at times as well, and will need to play aggressive on the defensive end of the court. All that being said, they have the horses to give Villanova everything they could want in the first round game, and are the best 12th seed in the tournament.

Florida
The Gators are rolling plain and simple. They are playing great defense, and shooting the ball well too. Roberson and Walsh are top notch along the perimeter. If they stay hot, this team will be tough to beat. Again, a great offensive team and their destiny will come down to their defense. They have played good D of late, but if they revert back to their midseason form, they become an average team. A Florida / UNC game would be an interesting matchup.

Louisville
In the spirit of Rick Pitino, Louisville gets it done from three point range, and on the defensive end. They are near the top in both categories for the entire field. This seeding makes no sense, and should provide plenty of fire for Garcia and company. Lafayette should hang with the Cards for a bit but Louisville will pull away late. Washington would have a tough time with this Louisville team.

Ripe for the Upset?

Utah
Utah has had a great season. They did however, struggle somewhat down the stretch losing twice to New Mexico. Again, Utah is a very good offensive team but not such a great team on the defensive end. UTEP is a very solid team, whose athleticism could give the Utes fits here. UTEP will have a tough time defending Bogut, but if the Miners are able to push the ball here, they just might push Utah right out of the tournament.

Boston College
BC’s struggles are well chronicled. They were playing over the heads, and their statistics merit a seven seed, not a four. They got the gift they wanted from the committee who put them in Cleveland against a weak Penn team. They’ll be very lucky to get out of the second round however. They do not match up well with Alabama whatsoever.

LSU
UAB is dangerous, and Tack Minor is an enigma for the Tigers at the point. At times, he looks like an AA. Other times, he does his best Stephon Marbury impersonation and makes his team terrible. LSU is great when they slow it down and wear opponents down with Bass and Baby Shaq. UAB, of course, plays full court press the entire game. This first-round game will come down to which team controls the tempo. Whoever does will win.

Wisconsin
The Badgers have had a strange second half to the season. They shot horribly against Illinois in the Big Ten Championship, and could have easily lost to Iowa in the semi-final. Statistically speaking, Wisconsin looks like they’re in trouble. Northern Iowa may be the superior team here, and the Missouri Valley has had loads of success in the NCAA’s. The Badgers look very beatable here.

Wunderdog's First Round Winners

Illinois
Texas
Bama
BC
LSU
Arizona
S. Illinois
Washington
Pacific
Georgia Tech
Louisville
Texas Tech
Gonzaga
West Virginia
Wake Forest
UNC

Iowa State
Villanova
Florida
Northern Iowa
Kansas
NC State
UCONN
Duke
Stanford
Michigan State
Syracuse
UTEP
Oklahoma
Iowa
Kentucky

Second Round Winners

Illinois
Alabama
Arizona
Oklahoma State
Washington
Louisville
Texas Tech
Wake Forest
UNC
Florida
Kansas
UCONN
Duke
Michigan State
UTEP
Kentucky

Great Eight

Illinois
Oklahoma State
Louisville
Wake Forest
UNC
UCONN
Duke
Kentucky

Wunderdog’s Final Four – 2005

Oklahoma State
Wake Forest
UNC
Kentucky

Final Game

Oklahoma State vs. North Carolina

Champion

North Carolina

Keep In Mind...

Great coaches are considered, just that for their performance in March. Teams who have flown under the radar like Michigan State, with HC Tom Izzo, could surprise a lot of people this weekend. Other teams who fit this mold…

Louisville
Syracuse
Oklahoma
UCONN
Texas Tech

Teams that make their free throws on a very consistent basis will do well in the tournament, provided they have some tournament experience. The better FT shooting teams are…

Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
UTEP
Michigan State
Villanova
West Virginia
Gonzaga

The tournament often comes down to guard play so turnovers are a no-no if a team wants to get to the promised land. Teams that do not turn it over a ton…

Illinois
Washington
West Virginia
UTEP
Michigan State
Texas Tech
Kansas
Syracuse
Kentucky
Boston College

Teams on the other end of the spectrum

Villanova
Wake Forest
Duke
Louisville
Texas
George Washington
Georgia Tech
Mississippi State