Tee Minus 24 Hours til Mayhem strikes the NCAA world. Let me break down the East bracket for you. The East Bracket is very competitive and very tricky to pick. With overall #1 Ohio St. leading the way. I see Ohio St. and Syracuse making it to the Elite 8 and Ohio St. pulling through to make it into the Final Four. Ohio St faces no real threatening opponent until the Sweet 16 with Kentucky, which will be a battle that could be the downfall of Ohio St. I feel Ohio St. has superior shooting and more experience then the young and talented Wildcat Squad. The Orange Men will have a tough time to make it to the Elite 8, relying heavily on experience to take down a possible sleeper team in Marquette or the likes of Xavier. Then go on to play a young and talented UNC squad. Experience will prevail in this battle and with Jim Boehiem’s zone defense making it difficult for the Tar Heels to disperse the ball. I see Cuse going into the Elite 8 but, falling short to the Buckeyes.

The East is filled with potential bracket busters with seeds higher than 5. Boiling it down to 1 team is tricky but, I will go with the Clemson Tigers #12 seed being a very dangerous in this bracket. Even though I have them losing in the first round to West Virginia, Clemson can be a tough team coming off a impressive ACC tourney run. If the Tigers get by West Virginia and face Kentucky, look for the Tigers to give the Wildcats some trouble. The one area that Clemson has on the Wildcats is experience, and they could just have enough to make a run into the Sweet 16.

The unamious decision on the top player in this bracket and possibly the whole tournment is Jared Sullinger but, I am going with someone else to watch out for, Harrison Barnes. Barnes was the top recruit in the country coming into this year and as of the last month is playing as good as anyone in the country. He has turned himself into a leader on a very young and talented squad. Coming off an impressive 40 point performance in an overtime win against Clemson, look for UNC’s destiny to ride on the back of Harrison Barnes.

My take on Winners of the East Bracket First Round:

(1)Ohio St. over (16)UTSA

(9) Villanova over (8) Mason

(5) WVU over (12) Clemson

(4) Kentucky over (13) Princeton

(11) Marquette over (6) Xavier

(3) Syracuse over (14) Indiana St.

(7) Washington over (10) Georgia

(2) UNC over (15) LIU-Brook

A Guest Blog By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Brian Murphy:

What a night it was in college basketball on this Wednesday!  With multiple top-25 and rivalry match-ups, it had all the makings of an early March game night.

#21 UNC 73 vs. #5 Duke 79: North Carolina absolutely dominated the first half of the first game this year between the best rivals in college basketball.  The Tar Heels took a 14 point lead into the half, but of course you can never count out Duke in Cameron Indoor.  The Blue Devils came out of the locker room like they actually visited Hell and were on fire, getting their first lead of the game with 9:14 remaining in the second half.  They did not look back the rest of the game.  Led by Seth Curry’s 22 points, Duke made clutch three after three and nailed their free throws to seal another great one between Tobacco Road’s finest.

#10 Villanova 76 vs. Rutgers 77: Looking at tonight’s games, no one would have thought that this game would be the most exciting finish of all.  Let’s fast-forward to the second half where ‘Nova had a 12 point lead with only 3:34 left and then 10 with 2:52 left.  Rutgers’ Jonathan Mitchell and James Beatty decided to do the uncanny and hit five 3-pointers combined in the final 1:50.  Now get this: the Wildcat’s James Bell hit a 3 to go up by 5 with 16 seconds left. Game over right?  Not so much in the RAC said the Scarlet Knights as James Beatty cut it to a 2-point game with 11 seconds left.  Villanova’s Corey Fisher made one free throw to go up by 3 with 9 ticks left.  Then the unthinkable happened: Jonathan Mitchell for Rutgers caught a deep pass and put up a 3 that swished in!!….AND 1!!  Mitchell was fouled on his made 3-pointer and went to the foul line with .8 left in a tied-up ball game.  Mitchell shoots it and…..Buckets!  The Rutgers fans stormed the court and craziness ensued in Jersey!

#15 Louisville 79 vs. #7 Notre Dame 89 (OT):  Many folks that follow these teams will tell you that when you match up the Cardinals and Fightin’ Irish, there is a good chance the game will go into overtime.  On Wednesday night, overtime was needed yet again to determine the winner of this classic Big East battle (5th OT game in last 9 meetings).  Louisville, led by Kyle Kuric and his 28 points, had the lead most of the game.  It was never a big enough lead that ND was out of the game and they tied it up and went up by a couple many, many times.  Louisville had the final shot to win it in regulation but it fell short. Once overtime started, Notre Dame, led by Ben Hansbrough’s 25 points, came out like wildmen and just blew out Louisville scoring the first 14 points of overtime.  Notre Dame is further strengthening its case as the best team in the Big East.  They are currently in second place in the Big East standings, only behind Pittsburgh who ND beat on the road.

#11 Georgetown 64 vs. #13 Syracuse 56: In arguably the most back and forth game of the night, the visiting Hoyas pulled away in the final four minutes to give Syracause another Big East lost.  The game had seven lead changes and numerous ties as Georgetown won its seventh game in a row.  Syracuse lost its third straight in the Dome, which is only the third time that has happened in coach Jim Boeheim’s 35 year tenure there.  This game definitely showcased two teams going in opposite directions.  The Hoyas are hot and making quite the Big East run, whereas the Orange have been struggling big time as of late in the Big East and are plummeting in the standings.

As if those four games weren’t enough for you, there were two top-25 teams not in the Big East or ACC who had scares on the road.  #14 Wisconsin needed overtime to beat the lowly Hawkeyes of Iowa on the road by only three points.  Similarly, #22 Texas A&M needed overtime to squeak by Colorado by three points.  Is this a glimpse of what college basketball in March this season will be like.  I bet yes, is it March yet?!

Giants Answered the Call: I tend to believe the Giants version of the story, that the Cards called them and not the other way around. Leinart is more hype than anything else at this point and that contract is very prohibitive in trade talks. Giants still could use a backup so I wouldn’t say talks are officially dead, but Arizona would practically have to give him away for New York to be interested.

Ohio State and Michigan Will Be Split Up: With the Big Ten (you got to change the name) adding a 12th team next year they will move to a division format. The conference will be split in two with Michigan and Ohio State in separate divisions. They will still maintain their rivalry game every year at the end of the season, but now it is quite possible they could meet again in the Conference Championship game. I personally like the plan to split up the two schools. For one thing it helps bring some balance to the divisions, for another is it allows the schools to keep the game at the end of the regular season inline with tradition. If they were in the same conference, you probably wouldn’t want year in year out for those two teams to face off right before the conference championship game if they were the two best teams in the conference. Now If they do face off as the top teams in their respective divisions they can potentially redeem themselves the next week.

UNC Suspends Austin Could Suspend More: Losing Mavin Austin is a major blow to the Tar Heels and things could get a whole lot worse. In addition to Austin it looks as though DE Robert Quinn and Linebackers Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant could also be suspended, and none of them will probably play in Saturday’s opener against LSU. Austin, Quinn, Carter and Surdivant are all top talents and potential top 50 picks in next April’s NFL Draft. While the team says this has nothing to do with the NCAA investigations into agent tampering, I don’t know if I’m buying that story. Whatever the cause, this is a huge body blow for a team that I thought had a legitimate shot of winning the ACC.

By Guest Blogger Geoff Newolet:

Villanova will edge West Virginia in a battle for second in the Big East

No. 9 Villanova is hosting No. 8 West Virginia in a Big East match up that will determine who earns second place in the regular season Big East title race. More importantly, the winner will potentially earn the two-seed in the Big East tournament – depending on Pittsburgh’s results and the tiebreakers. Villanova has already defeated West Virginia this year by the score of 82-75.

Villanova started the season on a tear. They won 20 of their first 21 games, and they were ranked as high as second nationally. As of late, they have lost three of seven – all to Big East opponents. Villanova also only has two strong victories over ranked opponents at home against Georgetown and West Virginia. They also have quality wins over Maryland, Dayton and a slew of solid Big East teams.

West Virginia is coming off a huge home victory over Georgetown, which propelled them to contention for second in the Big East. The Mountaineers are 23-6 on the year, and five of their six losses came against Big East opponents. Their other loss came against a top-five Purdue team. The mountaineers are led by forwards Da’Sean Butler, Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks. Each of the three averages over 12 points and 6 rebounds, and they have caused match up problems all year for their opponents.

The Wildcats are led by senior Scottie Reynolds who averages nearly 19 points per game. Corey Fisher also chips in at 13 point per contest, and he rounds out one of the best backcourts in the Big East. Beyond those two players, only one other averages in double figures for the Wildcats, which creates an unbalanced attack. Villanova is certainly a top-20 team in the nation, but it seems that they are not quite a top-five team, and their past ranking of second nationally came prematurely.

Villanova has already defeated West Virginia on the road this year, and they will edge them again at home. It will be a close came, though, that could end up going either way. Final score: Villanova 76 West Virginia 72

Duke will pummel North Carolina to stay atop the ACC

The troubled North Carolina Tar Heels will renew their rivalry with the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke is looking to finish undefeated at home for the season, whereas North Carolina is looking for their sixth conference win of the season. No. 4 Duke is 25-5 on the year, and they are tied for the ACC lead at 12-3. North Carolina is in the midst of one of their worst seasons in decades, and will most likely be thrilled when the season finally ends.

Duke is coming off their first loss in nine games against ACC rival Maryland. Maryland is now tied with Duke for first place in the ACC, which will give Duke even more incentive to defeat the Tar Heels. It is hard to imagine Duke losing to an inferior North Carolina team with the ACC title on the line. This certainly will not be a uninspired, unmotivated performance by the Blue Devils.

North Carolina has absolutely nothing to play for aside from bragging rights over their conference rivals. The Tar Heels are 16-14, and they have no chance of making the NCAA tournament. They will potentially receive an invitation to one of the various lesser, irrelevant tournaments such as the NIT or the CBI, but being in one of those tournaments is just as much of a disappointment for the Tar Heels as not making a tournament at all.

North Carolina, though, is slightly headed in the right direction with two straight conference wins over Wake Forest and Miami. It would be quite an accomplishment for them to finish their miserable season with a three-game ACC win streak topped by a road win against the Blue Devils.

Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, that most likely will not happen, as Duke will be too much for them with the combination of their superior guards: Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler. Not to mention, North Carolina will be without arguably their best player – Ed Davis. Duke will handle North Carolina with ease in order to keep pace for the ACC title. Final Score: Duke 80 UNC 60

By contributing Fanspeak writer Geoff Nelowet

1. North Carolina (6)

The Tar Heels do not rebuild – they reload, and that is what they are doing after winning a national title a season ago. Sophomore forward Ed Davis is a pre-season All-American pick, and he will undoubtedly be North Carolina’s best player. Sophomore PF/C Tyler Zeller, a McDonald’s All-American, will also have a big role this season, as he backed up Tyler Hansborough a year ago before suffering a major wrist injury that kept him off the court for 13 weeks. Senior forward Deon Thompson will get his shot at leading the Tar Heels. He is also a top-notch talent that would start on any team. The question marks come in the backcourt for the Tar Heels, as they are lacking experience aside from senior Marcus Ginyard, who is also coming off a major injury. Ginyard, though, will be a great asset because his defensive skills are among the best in the ACC. If Ginyard stays healthy, he could push UNC as a top-five team.

2. Duke (9)

Kyle Singler is arguably the best player in the ACC, and he is one of the best in the nation. He averaged 16.5 points and 7.7 boards a year ago, and he will improve on those numbers. He has both an inside and outside game, and he is very versatile as both a scorer and rebounder. Jon Scheyer, at point guard, is also one of the best in the ACC. His length and skills make him hard to guard, and his decision-making is nearly flawless. Duke plays very sound, fundamental basketball, but to be a one-seed come March, they will need players such as junior guard Nolan Smith and freshman Mason Plumlee to play at a very high level. Unfortunately, Plumlee recently hurt his wrist, and he will be out for the next few weeks. Smith, though, has made major strides this offseason, and his coaches and teammates expect him to have a breakout year. Should this happen, Duke could win the ACC.

3. Clemson (22)

I hesitate to rank Clemson this high because they always seem to fade at the end of the season. Last year was the only time they maintained strong play over the last few weeks. Oliver Purnell is a good coach, though, and he will have this talented team ready to play consistently. Trevor Booker at power forward is the Tigers’ best player, and he is a definite all-ACC prospect. Booker is the center of the Tigers’ success after averaging over 15 points and 10 rebounds last season. His younger brother Devin Booker has joined the Clemson roster, and he could be a contributor this year. Heralded freshman Milton Jennings will decide how far Clemson will go this year. He is a McDonald’s All-American, and he could be a big threat on the offensive end at the forward position. Clemson has an abundance of talent this year, and it will fall on Purnell to make everything work. I would expect big things from Clemson this year, and a two or three-seed in March would not be out of the question.

4. Maryland (25)

Greivis Vasquez is familiar name around the ACC, and his senior campaign comes with high expectations. After averaging over 17 points per game over the last two years, it will be hard to statistically top his past years, but he could improve in the assist category. He averaged nearly 7 assists two seasons ago, but last year that number took a dive to 5 per game. Getting his teammates involved should be a major priority. Also, Vasquez has worked on his outside shot this off-season, which has been a major weakness. Senior guard Eric Hayes is essentially the antithesis of Vasquez, as his game is based on his outside shot. He will have to become a bigger factor in the offense to push the Terps to the next level. It is important to note that Vasquez led the team in rebounding a year ago, which is problematic. Maryland lacks an inside presence, and that equates to very few easy baskets. This team will go as far as players other than Vasquez will take them. Expect a 6-8 seed in the NCAA tournament.

5. Georgia Tech (21)

Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors are the center of this team.  Forward Gani Lawal averaged over 15 points and 9 rebounds last season, and Derrick Favors is coming in as one of the most highly touted freshman in the nation. The Yellow Jackets will hard to match up with down low, and they will be the best rebounding team in the conference. Their backcourt is solid with Iman Shumpert returning after a strong freshman year averaging 10 points 5 assists and just over 2 steals per game. Those three players could all be first round NBA draft prospects next summer. It is hard to tell just how good Georgia Tech is, as one of their primary players is a freshman, but they are definitely one of the most talented teams in the conference, and they can contend with any team. They will make the NCAA tournament.

6. Wake Forest 7. Virginia Tech 8. Florida State

It would not be a big surprise if one or two of these teams made the tournament. Virginia Tech has one of the best players in the conference in point guard Malcolm Delaney.

9. Miami 10. Boston College 11. Virginia 12.  N.C. State

These are the bottom feeders of the conference. I wouldn’t be surprised if more than one of these teams has an overall losing record. The one intriguing team is Virginia. They have a first-year head coach, and they have some talent. Returning ACC freshman of the year Sylven Landesberg makes things interesting in Charlottesville.