2015 Bracketology Picks: NCAA Tournament South Region Odds, Predictions & Bracket Projections

2015 Bracketology Picks: NCAA Tournament South Region Odds, Predictions & Bracket Projections: If you like offense, the South Region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket is right up your alley. Five teams currently ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring have been slotted in the region, including three teams ranked in the top six. Whichever team is going to emerge from the South Region is going to have score plenty of points to do so.

NCAA South Bracket Favorites to Make the Final Four

Duke: The Blue Devils grabbed the No. 1 seed, and while they didn’t win the ACC regular season or tournament title, they did notch several big wins during the year. They beat Michigan State and Wisconsin out of conference, and they won at Louisville and Virginia in ACC play. More importantly, Duke has been a juggernaut on the offensive end this year, and they enter the NCAA tournament ranked fourth in scoring and third in field goal percentage. Freshman center Jhalil Okafor gets a lot of the attention, but they have experience in the backcourt with Quinn Cook and plenty of athleticism with Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones. Depth is a bit of an issue, but Duke’s starting lineup is as good as any in the country.

Gonzaga: Although they haven’t faced the toughest schedule, the Bulldogs have lost just two games all year by a combined six points, and one of those losses came on the road in overtime to Arizona. Tough schedule or not, the Bulldogs can flat out score. They rank 10th in the country in scoring heading into the NCAA tournament, and they lead the nation in field goal percentage. Kevin Pangos and Kyle Wiltjer give Gonzaga a strong inside-outside scoring punch, and the Bulldogs also have plenty of size inside. In a region highlighted with powerful offenses, the Bulldogs have the firepower to reach Indianapolis.

Iowa State: Fred Hoiberg’s bunch will run and gun with the best of them, and the Cyclones are fresh off a Big 12 tournament win that showed just how dangerous they can be when they are knocking down shots. Georges Niang heads the offensive attack, but five players are averaging double figures, and Jamel McKay is an athletic shot-blocker inside. Momentum can be huge in the NCAA tournament, and after back-to-back victories over top 15 teams, the Cyclones enter March Madness on high note.

NCAA South Bracket Upset Specials

Stephen F. Austin over Utah Utes: The Lumberjacks have won 28 of their last 29 games heading into the NCAA tournament, and Thomas Walkup and Jacob Parker lead an impressive, experienced offense that ranks ninth in scoring, fifth in field goal percentage and first in assists. Meanwhile, the Utes have been a one-man show at times on offense, and while Delon Wright has been impressive, the Utes alternated wins and losses down the stretch, and seemed to play their best basketball earlier in the year. Stephen F. Austin bounced the fifth-seeded VCU Rams last year, and the fifth-seeded Utes could be this year’s victim.

Davidson over Iowa: On paper, the Hawkeyes should be a rock solid team. They size and scoring at every position, but for whatever reason, they tend to underperform. Heck, they were bounced from the Big Ten tournament by a Penn State team that went 4-14 in conference play. Enter Davidson and the Wildcats’ sixth-ranked offense that features four players averaging at least 12.0 points per game. The Hawkeyes’ inconsistent effort will haunt them in this one.

NCAA South Bracket High Seed on Alert

Georgetown: I’m not sure how the Hoyas earned a No. 4 seed to begin with, but recent history says the problem will be corrected in short order. Georgetown has bowed out of the NCAA tournament in the first round three times in the last four years, and all three losses have been to double-digit seeds. A first-round matchup against Tyler Harvey and Eastern Washington’s third-ranked scored offense could spell trouble for the offensively-challenged Hoyas.

NCAA South Bracket PREDICTION: Duke Blue Devils

Odds to win the South Region
Duke #1
7/4
Gonzaga #2
11/4
Iowa State #3
11/2
Utah #5
8/1
Georgetown #4
14/1
SMU #6
20/1
Iowa #7
25/1
San Diego State #8
25/1
Davidson #10
33/1
St. John’s #9
33/1
UCLA #11
33/1
SF Austin #12
50/1
E. Washington #13
100/1
UAB #14
100/1
North Dakota State #15
150/1
North Florida #16
300/1
Robert Morris #16
300/1