Beat the Daily Pennsylvanian's Bracket

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Here's you chance to beat our bracket with the DP's bracket challenge. Below is our analysis as we reveal our own picks for the 2014 men's basketball NCAA Tournament.

SOUTH REGION

Game to watch (Round of 64)

VCU (5) vs. Stephen F. Austin (12). Havoc? Not so fast. VCU’s all-out press may rank second in adjusted defense by Ken Pomeroy’s metrics, but the Lumberjacks’ plodding pace is designed to avoid the turnovers and transition opportunities that the Rams thrive on. A Stephen F. Austin upset will be in the cards if junior guard Jacob Parker (46.7 percent from beyond the arc) can get going early.

Game to watch (Round of 32)

Kansas (2) vs. New Mexico (7). The Jayhawks dispatched the Lobos by 17 in Kansas City back in December, but that was in large part due to the presence of freshman sensation Joel Embiid in the middle, who scored 18 points and blocked four shots. But with Embiid out due to a back injury, there’s no one available to stop powerful forward Cameron Bairstow. The Lobos pull the upset.

Sweet Sixteen

Florida (1) vs. UCLA (4). The Bruins, though, bring a much stronger backcourt to the table in Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson. Anderson lights it up from deep, while Adams can create his own shot from anywhere on the floor. UCLA’s bugaboo? It can’t board to save its life. Against glass-crashers like Florida’s Patric Young and Will Yeguete, that’s a recipe for disaster.

Syracuse (3) vs. New Mexico (7). The Orange have garnered a reputation for thrilling finishes this season. Remember Tyler Ennis’ buzzer-beater against Pitt? Or the duels with Duke? ‘Cuse will likely need some late heroics to hold off the Lobos. Look for a veteran like senior forward C.J. Fair to be the difference down on the low block.

Elite Eight

Florida (1) vs. Syracuse (3). Did the Gators coast through a soft SEC this season? Plenty of detractors have being saying that all season, and those cries will be even louder against the battle-tested Orange. But in those disturbing late-season losses to Boston College and Georgia Tech, Syracuse forgot how to shoot from deep. Look for that trend to pop up again against Florida’s relentless perimeter defense.

EAST REGION

Game to watch (Round of 64)

Cincinnati (5) vs. Harvard (12). Led by do-it-all Sean Kilpatrick, Cincy is essentially a one-man show. Harvard, in contrast, has the desirable problem of needing to figure out how to distribute the ball to its six different all-Ivy selections. The Bearcats simply don’t have the secondary scoring options needed to keep up with Siyani Chambers, Laurent Rivard and the rest of the Crimson.

Game to watch (round of 32)

Villanova (2) vs. UConn (7). There’s nothing quite like an old Big East rematch. The veterans on the Wildcats and Huskies are certainly familiar with each other, and UConn senior guard Shabazz Napier is chomping at the bit to crush coach Jay Wright’s NCAA dreams. But the Wildcats are too diverse on offense through their four-out motion to fall in the first weekend.

Sweet Sixteen

Villanova (2) vs. Iowa State (3). (DeAndre) Kane is able. Pardon the pun, but it’s been the efforts of the Cyclones’ senior guard that have resulted in coach Fred Hoiberg’s first Big 12 title. Kane has scored in double figures in 11 straight games and forms an outside-in threat with senior forward Melvin Ejim (18.1 ppg) that Villanova simply doesn’t have the firepower to keep up with.

Virginia (1) vs. Michigan State (4). No one rebounds quite like a Tom Izzo-coached team. And now that the Spartans are finally fully healthy, the preseason No. 2 team in the country is geared up to make another deep run. The Cavaliers are strong inside, but don’t have the perimeter firepower to match up with guards Gary Harris, Keith Appling and Branden Dawson.

Elite Eight

Iowa State (3) vs. Michigan State (4)

Every recruiting class of Tom Izzo’s career has made at least one Final Four appearance in its four years on Michigan State’s campus. If this year’s senior class wants to keep that streak alive, it will likely need a herculean effort from senior forward Adreian Payne (7.4 rpg) on the defensive glass against Ejim to keep the Cyclones from getting second-chance opportunities. This could be the game of the tournament.

WEST REGION

Game to watch (round of 64)

Gonzaga (8) vs. Oklahoma State (9)

The Cowboys have come alive since the return of star sophomore Marcus Smart from a suspension for shoving a fan, winning four of their last six games. Smart’s presence, combined with the sudden emergence of Phil Forte on the wing, should be enough to handle a solid Gonzaga squad that was not tested heavily in the WCC.

Game to watch (round of 32)

Creighton (3) vs. Baylor (6)

The hits just keep on coming for Sports Illustrated cover boy and Jays superstar Doug McDermott, who captured the NCAA scoring title with a 26.9 ppg average. But the Bears are one of the hottest teams in the nation, having won six consecutive games before falling to Iowa State in the Big XII tournament final. It will take a village to stop Baylor.

Sweet Sixteen

Arizona (1) vs. San Diego State (4)

The Wildcats crash the offensive glass, grabbing 35 percent of offensive rebounding opportunities, and they already beat San Diego State on its home floor by nine points, grinding it out due to the presence of freshman forward Aaron Gordon. Unless the Aztecs come up with a way to deal with Arizona’s superior inside athleticism, they’ll be going home early.

Wisconsin (2) vs. Baylor (6)

Bo Ryan’s Badgers have a history of falling to lower seeds in the tournament, but this year, his squad has caught a break. Wisconsin plays it safe, committing turnovers on only 11.1 percent of its possessions. Even though Baylor is far superior on the glass, the Bears won’t have nearly as many offensive chances as they would need to catch up.

Elite Eight

Arizona (1) vs. Wisconsin (2)

Arizona might be able to neutralize Wisconsin forward Frank Kaminsky with a combination of Gordon and forward Brandon Ashley, but can it keep up with the Badgers’ guard play? As long as junior guard Nick Johnson keeps up his high level of play, the Wildcats will be able to force the Badgers out of their tempo and earn a long-awaited trip to Arlington.

Midwest

Game to watch (round of 64)

Texas (7) vs. Arizona State (10)

Very little separates these two teams, save for Texas’ overwhelming ability to rebound. But Sun Devils guard Jahii Carson has scored at least 20 points in 12 different games this season. You can’t rebound the basketball if it’s going through the bottom of the net. Arizona State survives and advances.

Game to watch (Round of 32)

Wichita State (1) vs. Kentucky (8)

How the mighty have fallen. Once considered a foregone conclusion to win the national title, John Calipari’s Wildcats have crashed hard, as his fabulous freshmen have failed to truly coalesce. That lack of chemistry will be fatal against the talented, deep and, most importantly, united Shockers, who have been laser-focused all year long.

Sweet Sixteen

Wichita State (1) vs. Louisville (4)

Last year, the Shockers’ stunning run to the Final Four was halted by the eventual national champion Cardinals. This year, Wichita State has an even bigger target on its back that reads “34-0.” Criminally underseeded, Louisville will use the oft-spectacular play of senior guard Russ Smith to end the Shockers’ perfect season and keep hopes of a title repeat alive.

Michigan (2) vs. Duke (3)

Will it be the Jabari Parker show in March? The Duke guard has quickly proven himself to be the best of a much ballyhooed freshman class, averaging 19.3 points per game. If Parker gets hot, not only will he prevent an Elite Eight rematch of last year’s national title game, he’ll also give himself a shot at being picked first overall in the NBA Draft.

Elite Eight

Duke (3) vs. Louisville (4)

It’s tough to find too much separation between the Blue Devils and Cardinals. Both shoot efficiently from all spots on the floor and find ways to crash the boards on both ends of the floor. But Louisville is far superior at trapping and forcing turnovers, and its veteran backcourt will be able to flummox Parker and junior guard Quinn Cook.

Final Four

Florida (1) vs. Michigan State (4)

When healthy, Michigan State is the most talented team in the country. But there’s a big difference between “most talented” and “best team.” With eight different players receiving at least 10 minutes of action per game, it doesn’t matter who spreads out around elite point guard Scottie Wilbekin, the Gators will find a way to penetrate and get easy buckets.

Arizona (1) vs. Louisville (4)

The Wildcats are the beneficiaries of the weakest region in the tournament, but will run into a cardinal-red buzzsaw when they tip off in AT&T Stadium. Louisville’s forward combination of Montrezl Harrell and Chane Behanan may be the best frontcourt duo in the country, and Arizona simply won’t have enough to answer the call on the post — or outside on kick-out passes.

National Championship

Florida (1) vs. Louisville (4)

Can Rick Pitino repeat? Well, Peyton Siva isn’t walking through that door. Neither is Gorgui Deng. This year’s Cardinals are certainly comparable to last year’s champs, but the Gators have certainly proved themselves capable of fending off any challenge. The difference will likely be Florida’s superior three-point shooting, as the Gators claim the NCAA title.