The 2013 NCAA men’s basketball tournament has arrived, as the 68 teams selected for the tourney are ready to compete for the national championship. With 4 regions of teams seeded 1 (best) to 16 (worst), the upsets that could occur in each round of the tournament add difficulty to filling out a tournament bracket. The following guide analyzes each region of the bracket, projecting key first round matchups, upset picks, sleeper teams, and predicting which team from each region will advance to the Final Four.

Midwest Region (Indianapolis)

Key first round matchups:

1. 9 Missouri v. 8 Colorado State: The 2^nd and 4^th best rebounding teams in the nation, respectively, both boast solid offense and have 10 double figure scorers between them. Missouri struggled mightily on the road, going just 2-7 in SEC road games. Colorado State is battle-tested after playing in a loaded Mountain West and, ultimately, Mizzou’s inconsistency will be their undoing against the Rams.
2. 12 Oregon v. 5 Oklahoma State: After finishing second in the Pac-12 and winning the conference tournament, Oregon is out to prove it deserves better than a 12 seed. The Ducks have been inconsistent, but boast one of the best defensive players in the country in Arsalan Kazemi. Oklahoma State has been too reliant on Marcus Smart at times this season, and momentum will certainly be in favor of Oregon, who should be able to stay hot and pull the upset.
3. 10 Cincinnati v. 7 Creighton: Creighton put aside its midseason struggles to win the Missouri Valley regular season and tournament. Doug McDermott averages 23.1 points per game for the high-scoring Bluejays, whose hot shooting will be too much for Cincinnati to overcome. Look out for Creighton after that, as McDermott and the Bluejays could spook no 2. seed Duke in round 2.

Upsets to consider:

-12 Oregon (won the Pac-12 tournament and has a solid rebounder in Kazemi) over 5 Oklahoma State (too reliant on Marcus Smart at times, poor 3-point shooting team)

-11 MTU/SMC (two hot teams desperate to prove they belong in the tournament) over 6 Memphis (Went 16-0 in Conference USA, but has struggled against higher-caliber opponents)

-7 Creighton (high scoring team with a monster scorer in McDermott) over 2 Duke (proved it can be beaten even with a healthy Ryan Kelly in the lineup)

Sleeper Team: Oregon

Regional Semifinals/Finals projection:
-1 Louisville v. 12 Oregon

-3 Michigan State v. 2 Duke

-1 Louisville advances over 2 Duke

West Region (Los Angeles)

Key first round matchups:

1. 12 Mississippi v. 5 Wisconsin: Ole Miss won the SEC tournament, beating Florida in the final to secure an NCAA bid. The Rebels are a high scoring squad led by Marshall Henderson’s 20.1 points per game, but Wisconsin’s methodical defense and slow-paced offense will force Ole Miss to slow down the pace. However, the Badgers’ offense has been quite inconsistent at points, and Ole Miss should be able to capitalize.

2. 11 Belmont v. 6 Arizona: Belmont is in the NCAA tournament for the 6^th time in 8 years, and the Bruins can shoot the ball quite well. Arizona is 5-5 since a 20-2 start, and although the Wildcats boast a strong offense, Belmont, hungry for its first NCAA win, should be able to come out on top.

3. 9 Wichita State v. 8 Pittsburgh: These are two teams that have struggled with consistency yet could give top-seeded Gonzaga a run for its money in the second round. Cleanthony Early and Carl Hall are a dynamic double-digit scoring duo for the Shockers, who have shown they can win in hostile environments. Pittsburgh though, is a dangerous shooting team that takes care of the ball and has the experience of playing in the rigorous Big East. The Panthers are familiar with the tournament, and should be able to send Wichita State home.

Upsets to consider:

-12 Mississippi (carrying momentum after winning SEC tournament) over 5 Wisconsin (inconsistent offense and has struggled at the free throw line)

-11 Belmont (can score well and is hungry for an NCAA win) over 6 Arizona (has lost 5 of 10 and has cooled off since a 20-2 start)

-10 Iowa State (high-scoring team that takes care of the ball) over 7 Notre Dame (takes care of the ball as well, but offense has struggled in losses)

-4 Kansas State (boasts a strong shooter in Rodney McGruder) over 1 Gonzaga (beat K-State this season, but the Wildcats have improved since)

Sleeper Team: Kansas State

Regional Semifinals/Finals projection:
-4 Kansas State over 1 Gonzaga

-2 Ohio State over 3 New Mexico

-2 Ohio State advances over 4 Kansas State

South Region (Arlington)

Key first round matchups:

1. 10 Oklahoma v. 7 San Diego State: Oklahoma has beaten Oklahoma State and Kansas, but has lost to Texas and TCU. The Sooners have been enigmatic, yet they boast a stellar shooter in Romero Osby, and a tournament-tested coach in Lon Kruger. San Diego State has lost five of nine yet played in the rugged Mountain West, and has experience in the NCAA tournament, plus a battle-tested coach in Steve Fisher. But in the end, Kruger should have Oklahoma ready to pull the upset.
2. 9 Villanova v. 8 North Carolina: Some critics believe North Carolina deserved better than a no. 8 seed. The Tar Heels have won 8 of their last 10, but have only beaten two NCAA tournament teams all season. Villanova on the other hand has beaten three teams that were ranked in the top 5 this season, including No. 1 overall seed Louisville. UNC can score, as James Michael McAdoo, P.J. Hairston, and Reggie Bullock combine for 42.9 points per game. UNC has the potential, but ‘Nova has shown more that it can play against, and beat, some of the nation’s top teams, giving the Wildcats the edge.
3. 13 South Dakota State v. 4 Michigan: South Dakota’s Nate Wolters averages 22.7 points per game, and Michigan’s Trey Burke is one of the candidates for National Player of the year. South Dakota State and Michigan can both shoot the ball well, but Michigan has simply been tested more, and the Wolverines have four double-figure scorers that should give them the edge over SDSU.

Upsets to consider:

-13 South Dakota State (a stellar player in Wolters) over 4 Michigan (has lost 6 of 12, including a loss to last place Penn State)

-11 Minnesota (has lost 11 of 16 but has experience in the powerful Big Ten) over 6 UCLA (has lost second-leading scorer Jordan Adams to an injury)

-14 Northwestern State (highest scoring team in the nation) over 3 Florida (inconsistent team that has struggled from 3)

Sleeper team: Michigan

Regional Semifinals/Finals projection:

-1 Kansas over 4 Michigan

-2 Georgetown over 6 UCLA

-2 Georgetown advances over 1 Kansas

East Region (Washington, D.C.)

Key first round matchups:

1. 12 California v. 5 UNLV: Cal has won 9 of 12, including wins over UCLA, Arizona, and Oregon. The Golden Bears pass the ball well, and Allen Crabbe can score well, averaging 18.7 points per game. UNLV is the sixth-best rebounding team in the country, and beat Cal by a point early in the season. But Mike Moser has not played as well as last season, and the Runnin’  Rebels, while talented, will need scoring and rebounding leader Anthony Bennett to give it his all in order to pull out a win.
2. 11 Bucknell v. 6 Butler: Rotnei Clarke shoots 41 percent from three, and Andrew Smith shoots almost 50 percent overall. But Butler will have a hard time handling Bucknell. The Bison have shown their talent, beating tournament team La Salle and scaring Missouri with a two-point loss in Columbia, Mizzou’s closest game at home this season. Mike Muscala leads Bucknell with 19 points per game and shoots 52 percent overall, while also snagging 11.2 rebounds per game.  Butler has wins over Illinois, North Carolina, Gonzaga, and Indiana, but the Bulldogs will have a hard time fighting off the dangerous Bison, who are more than capable of pulling the upset.
3. 10 Colorado v. 7 Illinois: Despite starting 2-7 in Big Ten play and going just 8-10 in the conference, Illinois received a no. 7 seed. Brandon Paul averages 16.6 points a game for the Fighting Illini, who have lost four of six and will have a hard time proving they deserved a 7 seed against Colorado, led by Spencer Dinwiddie’s 15.6 points per game and Andre Roberson’s 11.3 rebounds per game. Colorado has beaten Oregon and Arizona, and has the talent to send Illinois packing early.

Upsets to consider:

-12 California (hot team with a solid scorer in Allen Crabbe) over 5 UNLV (a great offense, but Moser hasn’t played to his potential and the Runnin’ Rebels have been inconsistent)

-11 Bucknell(Muscala can shoot and rebound for a team familiar with pulling tourney upsets) over 6 Butler(has beaten quality  teams, but has also struggled toward the end of the season)

-11 Bucknell over 3 Marquette (beat Syracuse and Georgetown, but lost to Green Bay and struggled against Rutgers and St John’s, also fell in Big East tournament opener)

-4 Syracuse (passes the ball well, has four double figure scorers and 2 3-point threats) over 1 Indiana (averages 80 points per game, but has lost 3 of six, and has scored below 60 points in 3 of its six losses)

-Sleeper team: Bucknell

Regional Semifinals/Finals projection:

-4 Syracuse over 1 Indiana

-2 Miami over 11 Bucknell

-2 Miami advances over 4 Syracuse

FINAL FOUR (ATLANTA):

National Semifinals projections:

-1 Louisville over 2 Ohio State

-2 Miami over 2 Georgetown

Final projection:

1 Louisville defeats 2 Miami to win National Championship