2013 NCAA Bracket Picks: East Region Odds, Predictions and Expert Bracketology Projections to Win Your 2013 Office Pool Bracket: The East Region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket has an interesting mix of overachieving and underachieving teams to go along with a top-seeded Indiana team that opened the year atop the polls. While little was expected out of second-seeded Miami and third-seeded Marquette when the year began, fourth-seeded Syracuse and eighth-seeded North Carolina State were considered preseason contenders for the national title. The beauty of the NCAA Tournament is that every team I just mentioned still has a chance to achieve their ultimate goal and will all have to get through each other to get to the Final Four in Atlanta.
NCAA East Bracket Favorites to Make the Final Four
Indiana: No team in the country has more offensive firepower than the Hoosiers. From center Cody Zeller to athletic guard Victor Oladipo, Indiana has multiple players that can score from the perimeter and in the post. The Hoosiers rank third in the country in scoring and seventh in field goal percentage, and thanks to grabbing the regular season crown in the loaded Big Ten, they earned a No. 1seed. Granted, they have been exposed as a bit soft at times, but the Hoosiers’ offensive talent is in a class by itself. A potential second-round meeting with a very talented by underachieving N.C. State team could be a serious hurdle, but if Indiana is dialed in on the offensive end, they are going to end up in Atlanta.
Miami: It has been a magical season for the Hurricanes, and they already have the ACC regular season and tournament titles under their belt. A Final Four appearance would be a nice cherry on top, and with an older roster and an aggressive defense, Miami just might have the poise and intensity needed to get to Atlanta. Not to mention the fact that the Hurricanes’ roster has a little bit of everything. From the speed of point guard Shane Larkin and the versatile scoring ability of Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott to the power of Reggie Johnson, Miami can attack opponents in a variety of ways. A few bad losses are concerning, but the Hurricanes have shown that their best effort is enough to beat just about any team out there.
Butler: Led by a balanced scoring attack, the Bulldogs will try to recapture the winning formula that helped them reach back-to-back NCAA Tournament title games in 2010 and 2011. Guard Rotnei Clarke gives Butler a game-changing scorer, but it is the team’s seemingly endless poise under pressure that allows them to compete against any team and thrive on big stages. Not to mention the fact that they beat the two teams that happen to be the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds in their region during the regular season. Whether they admit it or not, the competition doesn’t want to face Butler.
NCAA East Bracket Upset Specials
Davidson over Marquette: The Golden Eagles have already overachieved this year, earning a share of the Big East crown after being picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the conference. Marquette has been getting it done with a solid defense and an efficient offense, but a lack of explosiveness on the offensive end often has the Golden Eagles locked in close games. Meanwhile, the Wildcats bring a balanced, high-scoring offense to the table and have a lot of perimeter firepower. More importantly, Davidson is excellent at taking care of the basketball, which is going to make it tough for Marquette to generate any easy points off turnovers. The Wildcats roll into the NCAA Tournament having won 17 games in a row, and they could roll right by a Marquette team that doesn’t have the firepower on offense to put them away.
Colorado over Illinois: When Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson are knocking down 3-pointers, the Fighting Illini are the team that crushed Ohio State and also defeated Indiana, Gonzaga and Butler. When Illinois isn’t shooting well from the perimeter, they are the team that lost to Purdue and Northwestern. Plain and simple, they live and die by the 3-pointer, and with four losses in their last six games, they have been dying a lot recently. Colorado doesn’t exactly wow on the stat sheet either, but with four players averaging in double figures and a double-double machine in the frontcourt in Andre Roberson, the Buffaloes have more than enough weapons to oust the Illinois if the Illini offense continues to sputter.
NCAA East Bracket High Seeds on Alert
Miami: When Miami is locked in on the defensive end, they are one of the best teams in the country. However, there is no denying the fact that the Hurricanes’ focus can waiver at times. After all, this is the same team that dismantled Duke and North Carolina only to lose to Indiana State, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Taking games off and playing down to the competition is a horrible habit to have heading into the NCAA Tournament. Throw in the fact that this is really the first time this program has enjoyed this much success, and it could be really easy for the Hurricanes to get complacent and get bounced by a weaker opponent.
NCAA East Bracket PREDICTION: Indiana Hoosiers
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Odds to win the 2013 NCAA East Region
Indiana #1
5/4
Miami Florida #2
7/2
Syracuse #4
5/1
Marquette #3
12/1
UNLV #5
15/1
Butler #6
20/1
NC State #8
20/1
Illinois #7
25/1
California #12
40/1
Coloroado #10
40/1
Davidson #14
40/1
Bucknell #11
50/1
Temple #9
50/1
Montana #13
75/1
Pacific #15
100/1
James Madison #16
200/1
LIU Brooklyn #16
200/1
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