Well it is finally here; the best part of the year has arrived. Get your brackets ready and kick your feet back because the madness is about to get started! Since late October, college basketball teams have been fighting it out on the court to position themselves for the NCAA Tournament. With the brackets officially released, The Harriton Banner is going to give you five teams that could go on a deep run, five teams that could surprisingly disappoint, and five teams seeded 7^th or higher that could make a surprising run.

Five teams that will go on a deep run

1. Florida– This is not a team loaded with NBA talent but they run Billy Donovan’s system to perfection and they play well as a team. Florida also has an easy road to the elite eight since they are situated in the South Region where the 4 through 12 seeds are rather weak. It would be a real shock if Florida is not still playing on March 29^th when the elite eight rolls around. 
2. Duke– Despite being under-seeded, the Blue Devils should be able to make a deep run with the one-two punch of Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood. They have arguably the best supporting cast to two superstars in the nation with slasher Rasheed Sulaimon, floor general Quinn Cook, sharp shooter Andre Dawkins, and rebounding and defensive specialist Amile Jefferson. Unfortunately for the Duke faithful, they lie in the toughest region. However, beating Michigan earlier in the season should solidify the confidence of Duke fans and put the Blue Devils to at least the elite eight.
3. Iowa St.- Boasting Big 12 MVP Melvin Ejim and Big 12 Newcomer of the year Deandre Kane, the Cyclones are going to be poised to make a deep run. Their offense is ranked fifth in points per game and their defensive numbers are inflated due to their fast style of play. They are situated in the East region where the 1 seed (Virginia) and 2 seed (Villanova) are more than beatable. They have the perfect combination of overall talent and favorable positioning on the bracket to make a push for Arlington.
4. Kansas– The Jayhawks are one of the most talented teams not to get a one seed in recent memory. They possess future pros at four out of their five starting spots. The big X factor is Joel Embiid. The future top three pick has had an ailing back issue that kept them out of the Big 12 tournament. Still, Kansas only lost to a very talented Iowa St. team by ten without their star center. It is a safe bet that Embiid is at least a ten-point swing. Jayhawk fans and believers alike should be confident in a deep run.
5. Arizona– Despite losing their conference championship game, bracket doers should not worry about the Wildcats when the round of 64 begins.  Wooden Award finalist Nick Johnson is one of the most underrated players in the country. The cast around him boasts future lottery pick Aaron Gordon and floor general TJ McConnell. Although they could be upset by Oklahoma St. in the round of 32, it is unlikely because they play well as a team and cause mayhem on the defensive end. This is one of the safe picks to at least get to the sweet sixteen, but don’t be surprised if they go even further.

Five teams that could surprisingly disappoint

1. Michigan– Despite comprising a roster of three recipients of Big Ten postseason awards, the Wolverines have arguably the toughest road of any 1, 2, or 3 seed in the bracket. Assuming they beat Wofford, the 7 vs. 10 matchup of Texas vs. Arizona St. will cause problems to a team that looked very vulnerable against Michigan St. on Sunday. They also lack any offense on the low block with Mitch Mcgary out. On top of all this they will potentially have to face Duke and Louisville in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight respectively. Don’t be surprised if you see a lot of red on your bracket if you have them going far.
2. Wichita St.– Yes, I know they are undefeated, but they have only played one team that is currently playing in the NCAA tournament (St. Louis). They are also in the toughest region on the bracket and look to be facing a very difficult 8 seed vs. 9 seed matchup in Kentucky or Kansas St. Both of those teams are far more athletic and come from better conferences. It is hard to pick Wichita St. to beat either opponent. The Shockers may shock the world and not even reach the Sweet Sixteen.
3. Syracuse– They have come a long way in a bad sense from their incredible start to the season. Going into the tournament off of a quarterfinal upset to NC State in the ACC tournament does not help their case. They have been on a downward slide since their shocking loss to Boston College. They also are failing to win the close games that they won in the beginning of the year. Boeheim has to get his talented team to play the way they did in the beginning of the year or Ohio State or Dayton can easily win right off the bat in the round of 32.
4. Villanova– This is a team that never seems to get the respect it deserves but this year I can see it more than ever. The loss to Seton Hall is deeply concerning, and at times they rely way too much on the three. When their shots are not falling, they have trouble finding ways to win. Also, whomever they get from the St. Josephs vs. UConn game will pose a huge threat. Both teams are athletic and talented and could force the Wildcats to find more of a post presence with Pinkston and Ochefu. Don’t let the Philly bias get in your way when you choose your bracket.
5. Virginia– The Cavaliers probably deserve more respect than they will get but despite winning the ACC regular and postseason championship, there are still some glaring concerns. Virginia is not a very good offensive team with their highest scorer, Malcolm Brogdon, averaging a pedestrian 12.6 points per game. When a team is feeling their stroke it will be very difficult for Virginia to muster up enough offense.

Five teams seeded 7^th or higher that could make a surprising run

1. Oklahoma St.- The Cowboys have been one of the year’s biggest disappointments up to now. Many expected them to win the national championship at the start of the season. But do not sleep on the Cowboys. They boast three future NBA players in Markel Brown, Le’bryan Nash, and future lottery pick Marcus Smart. The Cowboys have made a nice push into the big dance after having to rebound from the infamous Marcus Smart incident with the elderly Texas Tech fan. Their toughest test to the Final Four will be getting by Arizona, who is poised to go on a deep run. If they win the road looks rather favorable since the west region is not particularly strong.
2. Kentucky– Similar to OSU, the Wildcats were one of the more over-hyped teams at the beginning of the year. They brought in the best recruiting class in the nation and some said could have been the best ever (still the Fab Five).  After a midseason stumble, Kentucky is poised to go on a deep run. They face Wichita St. right off the bat if they beat Kansas St. in the 8 seed vs. 9 seed matchup.  Kentucky’s freakish athleticism will provide problems for the Missouri Valley Conference champion Shockers! In fact, I would be rather shocked if Kentucky did not end up winning this matchup.
3. Nebraska– Unlike the first two on this list, Nebraska had zero expectation going into this year and was supposed to be the laughing stock of the Big Ten. They have come a long way for sure and their run may not end there. Nebraska is more than capable of beating Baylor who has struggled with consistency all season. Next they would probably face Creighton, a very strong team out of the Big East but a squad more than beatable because their only consistent threat is Doug McDermott. From there they would either face Wisconsin, a team they beat already, or Oregon, a mediocre team at best. Watch out for Nebraska not because of their talent but because of their matchups.
4. Connecticut– The team of Harriton’s beloved Mr. Olster also has a chance to shock some people around the country. Shabazz Napier is a gamer and one of the best players in the country. They also matchup well with Villanova because of the ability of their guards to get to the basket. This is not an unfamiliar role for the Huskies. In 2011, they shocked the world and won the entire tournament despite finishing ninth in the Big East that year. It is a new team under a new coach but they possess many of the same team dynamics as that 2011 squad.
5. New Mexico– Do not be fooled by the fact they are a 7 seed, because this team was disgracefully under-seeded (Louisville style). They finished second in the Mountain West and almost beat the more vaunted team from their conference, San Diego State, twice. In their round of 32 matchup they may get lucky and face Kansas without Joel Embiid. This is a team motivated by the fact they were disrespected by the infamous committee and ready to prove to the world why they deserved a higher seed.

Good luck to all you folks who filled out a bracket. I hope this information will be useful and think wisely about all your decisions before the Big Dance gets rolling.