In the words of ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale, “It’s March Madness, baby!”
The unveiling of the 2012 NCAA tournament bracket Sunday had me glued to the television in anticipation like a kid waiting for Christmas morning.
If you’re still looking over your bracket trying to find a few upsets, don’t fear.
Here are my five upset picks for the second round of the tournament:
1. No. 14 Belmont over No. 3 Georgetown The last time the Hoyas were a No. 3 seed, they were embarrassed in the opening game by the Ohio Bobcats. Those Hoyas had big-name players Greg Monroe and Chris Wright.
The 2012 Georgetown team doesn’t.
Belmont is led by junior guard Kerron Johnson, the team’s leading scorer with 14.1 points per game. The Bruin’s balanced squad will be too much for young and unproven Georgetown.
Belmont is no stranger to the tournament. They won’t be intimidated.
Oh, and don’t forget the Hoyas lost in the second round last season to VCU.
2. No. 13 Ohio over No. 4 Michigan Staying in the Midwest regional, I’d like Ohio to duplicate the results of the beating they put on Georgetown in 2010 in the opening round.
Michigan got drubbed by Ohio State, 77-55, in the Big Ten tournament, and the team isn’t playing its best basketball at the most critical point in the season. The Wolverines have a young, talented backcourt, but they can sometimes shoot themselves out of games.
Bobcats juniors D.J. Cooper and Walter Offutt pace the offense and will have to keep their team composed to pull the upset. I see Michigan losing for the second-straight game to a team from the state of Ohio.
3. No. 13 Montana over No. 4 Wisconsin
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge fan of Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, but not in this matchup.
Ryan’s Badger teams, which make deep runs in the tournament, lacks a legitimate post presence. They’ll have a hard time dealing with Montana’s 7-footer, Derek Selvig.
The Badgers just don’t have enough firepower to get it done against a red-hot Montana team that hasn’t lost since Jan. 14. The Grizzles impressed me when they blew out Weber State, 85-66, in the Big Sky tournament final. I love teams that come into the tournament firing on all cylinders, and the Grizzlies definitely fit that bill.
4. No. 11 Colorado State over No. 6 Murray State
I’m not taking anything away from Murray State. The Racers have had a terrific season up to this point.
I’m just a firm believer that some teams play better when they’re the lower seed. Murray State pulled off an upset of Vanderbilt in the 2010 tournament when they were the No. 13 seed.
Colorado State is a dark horse coming out of the Mountain West that’s capable of taking down the Racers before they even get a chance to try on the Cinderella slipper.
5. No. 12 Long Beach State over No. 5 New Mexico Long Beach State guard Casper Ware is good. Really good. And he’s got a cool name.
The senior guard is averaging 17.4 points per game and has a chance to single-handedly send New Mexico home.
Although the Lobos have been streaking as of late, when it comes to picking games, I like to go with the best player on the court.
Ware will be the best player in this matchup. Don’t be surprised to see the 49ers take down the Lobos.
Micah Bedard is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Houma. Follow him on Twitter @DardDog.
 
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