2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: Midwest Region

Kansas received the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, and the Jayhawks got a raw deal. The four seed in their region is the tenth in the country according to Kenpom and won a share of the ACC title. The two seed is fourth in the Kenpom ratings and won a share of the Big Ten regular season title as well as the Big Ten tournament. The three seed beat Duke, Villanova, and Syracuse this year and is playing their best basketball of the season.

That said, Kansas is the best team in the country, and regardless of who ended up in their bracket, they are going to have to beat quality teams to win a title.

So with that in mind, here is your Midwest bracket breakdown:



Final Four Favorite: Kansas Jayhawks

How could it be anyone else? The Jayhawks are the best team in the country and the only person that would dispute that is Kenpom himself. The most dangerous aspect of this Kansas team is that they are as balanced as any team in the country, but they start very good, if not great, players at every position. When guys like Tyshawn Taylor and Marcus Morris are the fourth and fifth options in your starting line up, you know you have a team that is scary good. The Jayhawks execute offensively, are outstanding defensively, have role players that are capable of starting while understanding the job they have to do on this team, and they have championship pedigree with Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich.


And if they lose?: Ohio State Buckeyes

With apologies to Georgetown, Ohio State is the second best team in this bracket. What the Buckeyes lack in depth, they make up for in Evan Turner. Turner is flat out the best player in the country. Not because he can go for 30 points, 10 boards, and 10 assists on any given night from the point guard spot, but because he can do that while making each player on the floor better. Jon Diebler and William Buford get so many more open looks when Turner is handling the ball. Dallas Lauderdale is not an offensive threat by any stretch, but he is good for three or four buckets a game when Turner is creating.


Sweet 16 Sleeper (10 or lower): San Diego State Aztecs

The Aztecs may actually have the best front line in this entire bracket (although Georgia Tech is really good up front as well). With Kawhi Leonard -- a name you should familiarize yourself with -- Malcolm Thomas, Billy White, and Brian Carlwell, the Aztecs are long, strong, and athletic. They get to the glass and can finish around the rim. When their back court is making plays and hitting threes, SDSU is a dangerous team.


Final Four Sleeper (5 or lower): Tennessee Volunteers

The Vols are not a team you can trust either way. Their offense is hideous to watch at times. But they have a lot of length and athleticism defensively, allowing them to force turnovers. They have a good big man in Wayne Chism and Scotty Hopson is on his way to becoming a star. They x-factor for this team is Bobby Maze at the point. He has the ability to be one of the best guards at this level, but is maddeningly inconsistent. The Vols will have a tough road ahead, with Georgetown, Ohio State, and Kansas as potential opponents, but wins over Kansas and Kentucky have proven that when this team comes to play, they can beat anyone in the country.


Seeded too high: Michigan State Spartans

Maybe not based on resume alone, but is this Spartans team really all that good? They beat a Gonzaga team by four that got embarrassed by Duke at the Garden. They beat Wisconsin early in the season as well. But they won a share of the Big Ten by beating 11 teams at the bottom of the league. Their win over Purdue came when Purdue was missing Robbie Hummel. Their losses to UNC, Florida, and Texas look much worse than they did early in the season. And later in the season, they simply did not look like a team that anyone should be afraid of. That said, the Spartans are talented, and it is difficult to bet against Tom Izzo in the tournament, but I would feel uncomfortable having Sparty in the Sweet 16, or further.


Seeded too low: Georgetown Hoyas

Again, based on resume alone, the Hoyas probably don't have much of an argument with a three seed. Their 10-8 Big East record is not all that impressive. But if the decision came down to the Hoyas and Villanova for a two seed out of the Big East, the Hoyas have as big of a gripe of anyone in the Midwest. If they switched spots with Villanova, the Hoyas would likely be the favorite to win the South region, seeing as they have a win over Duke already.


Player to Watch (8 and up): Greg Monroe, Georgetown

Outside of Evan Turner, there may not be a player more instrumental to what their team wants to do than Monroe. His ability as a passer and a threat away from the basket is what allows the Hoya's Princeton-style offense to work. He's the best all around big man in the country, and played his best basketball of the season in the Big East yournament. Greivis Vasquez of Maryland and James Anderson of Oklahoma State also deserve mention here. Vasquez's role for the Terps is similar to what Turner does for Ohio State. Anderson is as dangerous as any scorer you will find in this tournament. If you let him get hot, Anderson can go for 25 points in a half and no one would be surprised.


Player to Watch (9 and lower): Aubrey Coleman, Houston

With apologies to Derrick Favors of Georgia Tech and SDSU's Leonard, Coleman is the guy to watch here. Coleman is the best scorer in the country, literally -- he led the nation with almost 26 ppg. Coleman is a bit on an undersized guard. He's not all that explosive, and while he is a much improved shooter this season, Coleman is at his best when he puts the ball on the floor. He's crafty, understands how to create space, and is very good in the mid-range. His 30 point nights are equivalent to anyone else in the country going for 20.


Best Matchup -- 1st Round: #6 Tennessee vs. #11 San Diego State

When the brackets were released, these were two of the first round games that intrigued me the most. SDSU is long and athletic enough to play with Tennessee. The Vols don't rebound the ball all that well, but they can force turnovers, an aspect of the game that the Aztecs have struggled in. Both of these teams play very hard and both have knocked off some very good teams.


Best Potential Matchup: #2 Ohio State vs. #3 Georgetown Hoyas

Maybe it is just me, but I would love to see this game. It is a matchup of two very different systems. For Ohio State, its give the ball to Evan Turner and let him do what he does. Georgetown is much different. Rarely will you see Georgetown run a play specifically designed for a player. Its all about the Princeton offense for the Hoyas. Two very good teams playing their best basketball of the season. Who doesn't want to see that?


Upset Alert!!!: SDSU, Georgia Tech, and Northern Iowa

As we mentioned, San Diego State matches up very well with Tennessee so long as their guards can protect the ball on the offensive end of the floor. I also like Georgia Tech's chances against both Oklahoma State and Ohio State. The Yellow Jackets have some size and athleticism on their perimeter -- specifically DeAndre Bell, who is a very good defender -- to throw are James Anderson and Evan Turner. The Bumblebees also have a very big, very athletic front line, something that cannot be said for either Oklahoma State or Ohio State. As far as Northern Iowa is concerned, I think they can give Kansas some trouble. The Panthers are a deliberate, experienced team. They are well coached and they have size inside. They are the kind of team that will give any opponent trouble.


Anything Else?:

• You better believe that NBA scouts are going to descend upon Spokane. Greivis Vasquez and Aubrey Coleman are two prospects that are on the NBA radar, and while both have been fantastic at this level, their potential as pros has been called into question. Seeing as both are seniors, this may be the last chance that the NBA people get to see these guys play in a team setting.
  


• For those that care about tempo-free stats, there are eight players in the top 31 of possessions used nationally. Five of them -- Coleman, Vasquez, Anderson, Turner, and Jordan Eglseder of Northern Iowa -- reside in the Midwest.


• The Midwest is by far the most likely of the four regions to see the top five seeds advance.