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March Madness Betting – 2012 South Region Preview & Picks

SOUTH REGION PREDICTIONS – 2012 NCAA Tournament Free Picks & Sleepers

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The Kentucky Wildcats dominated through the entire regular season. Coach Calipari’s team is the big favorite to cut down the nets this year. The rest of the bracket seems wide open, and some upsets are definitely possible in the South Region. Let’s take a closer look at this region.

South Bracket – The Elite

#1 Seed- Kentucky Wildcats
Odds to Win South Region from BetOnline: -175

To say that the Wildcats are heavy favorites would be a major understatement. This is a team that has NBA level talent all over the floor. Anthony Davis should be the National Player of the Year. He changes the game in a big way on the defensive end, and he has improved constantly on the offensive end. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Terrence Jones are matchup nightmares for opponents. Marquis Teague is starting to get more comfortable in this system. The fact that Kentucky has so many guys who can step up and carry the team makes them very tough to beat.

The Contenders

#2 Seed- Duke Blue Devils
Odds to Win South Region from BetOnline: +400

Duke has been a difficult team to figure out this year. They went into North Carolina and pulled off a massive win over the Tar Heels, but they have lost several games you would never expect to see a Duke team lose. They didn’t even hold onto their strong home court advantage at Cameron Indoor Stadium like they normally do. Austin Rivers is a great player, but he doesn’t always play within the system. Ryan Kelly’s health is a big question mark here. It’s tough to see Duke making a deep run in the tournament this year because they rely so heavily on the three-point shot.

#3 Seed- Baylor Bears
Odds to Win South Region from BetOnline: +600

There isn’t a team in the nation that has a more talented frontcourt than the Baylor Bears. The problem for Baylor is their talented frontcourt players don’t always play with the aggression necessary to win. Perry Jones III must be consistently great if Baylor is going to get to the Final Four. Quincy Acy is sometimes overlooked, but he is a scrappy forward who does all the little things very well. Baylor is one of those teams that could get beat in their opening game or get to the Final Four.

#4 Seed- Indiana Hoosiers
Odds to Win South Region from BetOnline: +1,200

Indiana was the only team to beat Kentucky all year until the Wildcats lost in the SEC Championship finals to Vanderbilt. Cody Zeller is one of the nation’s best freshmen, and he is great on both ends of the floor. The injury to Verdell Jones III hurts this team quite a bit, because he was an important part of their back court. The Hoosiers have the talent to beat anyone, but I don’t think they have the depth necessary to get to the Final Four. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

#5 Seed- Wichita State Shockers
Odds to Win South Region from BetOnline: +850

Ironically, the Shockers square off with VCU in their first NCAA Tournament game this year. This is a mid-major that has the depth and talent level necessary to make a nice run. I’ve been impressed every time I’ve seen this team play this year. Toure Murray, Joe Ragland, and Garrett Stutz are all capable of carrying the team through long stretches of the game. This team has the athleticism and length that most mid-majors lack. This is a team I would watch closely.

The Sleepers

#9 Seed- UConn Huskies
Odds to Win South Region from BetOnline: +2,000

Can the Huskies capture any of their magic from last year? Jim Calhoun’s teams are tough to beat in the NCAA Tournament, but it is hard to imagine them making too deep of a run. If they do make a run it will be because guys like Shabazz Napier and Andre Drummond play their best basketball of the season.

#13 Seed- New Mexico State Aggies
Odds to Win South Region from BetOnline: +15,000

New Mexico State is an extremely talented team that no high seed will want to play. The Aggies have much better team chemistry this year. They are a big and strong team on the inside, so they won’t be outmuscled. New Mexico State gets to the line more than any other team in the nation. Don’t be surprised if they pull off an upset or two.

The Pick

How can you pick anyone other than Kentucky in this region? The Wildcats most dangerous matchup would probably be the Baylor Bears, but Baylor isn’t nearly as disciplined as Kentucky. Coach Calipari and his team should be on their way to another Final Four.

South Region Free Pick: Kentucky -175

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