The snow is melting, the flowers are blooming, the squirrels are out digging up the acorns that they stored for the winter and March Madness is finally here. Unlike previous years where there seemed to be one or two elite teams who were destined to win the tournament, this year seems very up in the air. Each region has compelling potential match-ups and upset possibilities. I will attempt to point out some key match-ups in each of the four, and identify who is poised to make a run at the big game.

Atlanta Bracket:

Look for Duke to travel a relatively easy path to the final four. The only major challenge that lies in the Dukies’ path to the elite eight is Big East Tournament Champions Syracuse, who may be the hottest team in the country right now. If the Blue Devils are able to beat Syracuse they will face the winner of the bottom half of their region, which is full of potential classics. Kevin Pittsnoggle and West Virginia may face off with Iowa in the second round and Texas, a popular pick to win it all, will face California. The winners of these two will face each other in what will be another very interesting match-up. Although the bracket is full of quality teams, I don’t see anyone but Texas who will be able to give Duke a run for their money, and Texas has to go through either Iowa or West Virginia to get to Duke.

Oakland Bracket:

Look for Memphis to fall before they reach the final four. This bracket is stacked with quality teams who are very capable of making a run. Be ready for an underrated San Diego State team to take out six-seeded Indiana in the first round. San Diego has a match up advantage due to their interior presence. The Gonzaga Bulldogs and Player of the Year candidate Adam Morrison feel they have something to prove after being given a three seed even though they finished the season ranked fourth overall. UCLA has been one of the hottest teams in the country and looks as though they may be ready to win the region, and Kansas seems to have finally woken up, beating Texas in the Big 12 Tournament finals. Look for Kansas to top Memphis in the Sweet 16 and for UCLA to win the bracket and a ticket to Indiana.

Washington D.C. Bracket:

Besides UConn, who is undoubtedly the most well-rounded and talented team in the tournament, the D.C. bracket is relatively weak. UConn should be able to make it to the final four without too much work. Tennessee and UNC, the two and three seeds in this bracket respectively, are both highly undeserving of the seeds they drew and shouldn’t be able to make it very far in the tournament, although it has never been a good idea to doubt UNC Coach Roy Williams. The dark horse in this region is definitely Michigan State University who, led by Head Coach Tom Izzo, seems to make a run every year regardless of their seed. Look for MSU to take out UNC in the second round due to their superior experience.

Minneapolis Bracket:

Although Villanova, the number-one seed in the Minneapolis region, has shown signs of weakness, losing to Pittsburgh in the Big East Tournament, this may be the strongest of the four regions. Ohio State is one of the hottest teams in the country and is poised to make a run at the final four, while fourth-seeded Boston College just barely lost to number one nationally ranked Duke in the ACC tournament finals. Look for BC to come on strong and eliminate Villanova in the Sweet 16 with their strong coaching and experienced starting lineup. This sets up a very interesting elite eight match-up between BC and Ohio State, which could go either way. I think that BC, however, due to their experience, will take the region.

Final Four Picks:Duke over UCLA, UConn over BC..Final Game: UConn 72 Duke 68.