By Andrew Koob | National Desk The NCAA tournament has officially named its 68 participants for a chance at the ultimate prize. A championship is within the grasp of each of these teams, but while some will have a relatively clear path to the Final Four, others will have to fight and scratch to represent their respective region. Here's...
By Andrew Koob | National Desk
Virginia Commonwealth's Melvin Johnson, right, heads to the basket past Saint Louis' Jake Barnett during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The NCAA tournament has officially named its 68 participants for a chance at the ultimate prize. A championship is within the grasp of each of these teams, but while some will have a relatively clear path to the Final Four, others will have to fight and scratch to represent their respective region.
Here's a look at which teams received favorable draws and which teams have a serious bone to pick with the selection committee:
Winners
1. Georgetown Hoyas (South, No. 2 seed): The Hoyas may have the easiest path to Atlanta of the No. 2 seeds, not drawing a truly tough matchup until a possible Sweet 16 date with the Florida Gators. Georgetown forward Otto Porter Jr., despite shooting an unimpressive 4-for-13 in the Hoyas' overtime loss in the Big East tournament semifinals, certainly has the talent and ability to carry his team to the Elite Eight.
2. New Mexico Lobos (West, No. 3 seed): A popular pick to reach the the Final Four even before the brackets were released, the Lobos got a fairly generous draw in the West region. Top seed Gonzaga didn’t play against many marquee opponents, with its last game against a Top 25 team resulting in a 64-63 loss to then-No. 13 Butler on January 19. Besides a possible matchup against No. 2 seed Ohio State, the Lobos could be looking at an easy trip to Atlanta.
3. Wisconsin Badgers (West, No. 5 seed): The Badgers lucked out with a second-round matchup against Ole Miss. The Rebels' Marshall Henderson, one the most polarizing players in recent memory, is someone who will shoot and shoot until something falls. Wisconsin, which only allows opposing teams to shoot 39.4 percent from the floor (39th in the nation), couldn’t have asked for a better draw.
4. Miami Hurricanes (East, No. 2 seed): The Hurricanes, who many thought deserved a No. 1 seed with the ACC regular season and tournament championship, look to have what seems like an easy path to the Elite Eight, with a possible Sweet 16 matchup against third-seeded Marquette looming. Look for a showdown between Miami and Indiana in the Elite Eight.
Losers
1. Oregon Ducks (Midwest No. 12 seed): The Pac-12 champs got the short end of the straw, only grabbing the No. 12 seed and drawing a tough pairing with the fifth-seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys. Even with four wins against Top 25 teams, the Ducks look like they drew one of the tougher assignments of the second round.
2. Louisville Cardinals (Midwest No. 1 seed): The No. 1 overall seed drew the toughest region, sharing the Midwest bracket with the likes of Duke, Michigan State and Saint Louis. That’s not to say that they won’t be able to run the table and make the trip to Atlanta, but they certainly have a tall task if they want to make the Final Four.
3. Arizona Wildcats (West, No. 6 seed): The Wildcats could not have drawn a worse second-round matchup. Arizona lets opponents shoot 36.6 percent from beyond the arc (297th in the nation), while the Belmont Bruins shoot the three at a 38.6 percent clip (21st in the nation). Expect the Bruins to exploit that on the offensive end.
4. VCU Rams (South, No. 5 seed): "HAVOC" draws a potential third-round game that may be the worst matchup one could imagine for VCU. The Michigan Wolverines have the best turnover rate in the nation, only committing 9.2 turnovers per game. If the Wolverines can make shots on a consistent basis (which, as they’ve shown, is quite possible), the Rams will be forced to play defense in a half-court setting, where the Rams are an average defensive team at best.