Picking the Bracket: Houston wins, 40 years after '83 loss

If you're like most of the country, you probably didn't count on a No. 8 seed reaching the national title game last year — or a No. 15 seed making it to the Elite Eight.

Thank you North Carolina and Saint Peter's, who made sure there's nowhere for our brackets to go but up in 2023.

This season, of course, picking the March Madness bracket comes with its own set of potential pitfalls. How do you account for injuries at Houston and UCLA? Can defending champ Kansas make another run after losing handily in the Big 12 Tournament final? Is this the year you can trust the Big Ten?

Here’s one way to go with the bracket:

SOUTH REGION

First Four: Texas A&M Corpus Christi over Southeast Missouri State.

First round winners: Alabama, West Virginia, San Diego State, Virginia, Creighton, Baylor, Utah State and Arizona.

Maryland was terrific at home this season and not very good on the road. At a neutral site, the Terrapins get a tough first-round match-up against a West Virginia team ranked 17th by Ken Pomeroy.

Second round winners: Alabama, Virginia, Baylor, Arizona.

The seeds hold in round two. Bob Huggins could have some tricks up his sleeve against the Crimson Tide, but Alabama should have an advantage playing in Birmingham.

Regional semifinal winners: Alabama, Baylor.

Tony Bennett’s Virginia team seems like the ideal group to slow down a run-and-gun team like Alabama, but first the Cavaliers have to get past the first round, which is never a certainty. Time to hedge a bit by putting Virginia in the Sweet 16 but having the Crimson Tide advance.

Regional champion: Alabama.

The Crimson Tide play fast and shoot a lot of 3s, and they’re also one of the top defensive teams in the country. Turnovers could be an issue, but they have enough different ways to win that they’ll do something their football team couldn’t this year — reach the Final Four.

EAST REGION

First Four: Texas Southern over Fairleigh Dickinson.

First round winners: Purdue, Memphis, Duke, Tennessee, Providence, Kansas State, Southern California, Marquette.

At times this season the Big Ten felt like Purdue and about 11 bubble teams. That holds true in the first round of this region, with the Boilermakers advancing but Michigan State bowing out early against USC.

Second round winners: Purdue, Tennessee, Kansas State, Marquette.

Tennessee-Duke is a marquee second-round matchup between two of the better offensive rebounding teams around. As well as the Blue Devils have played recently, the Volunteers are ranked in the top five by Pomeroy and No. 8 in the country at ShotQuality.com.

Regional semifinal winners: Tennessee, Marquette.

Zakai Zeigler’s injury will catch up with the Volunteers eventually, but first they oust Purdue, avenging their overtime loss to the Boilermakers in the 2019 Sweet 16. (A refresher: Carsen Edwards was fouled on a 3-pointer in the final seconds and made two free throws to force OT.)

Regional champion: Marquette.

What a season for Shaka Smart, who coached Marquette to regularseason and tournament titles in the Big East. The Golden Eagles will force turnovers, and unlike some of Smart’s teams in the past, this is an efficient group offensively.

MIDWEST REGION

First Four: Mississippi State over Pittsburgh.

First round winners: Houston, Iowa, Drake, Kent State, Mississippi State, Xavier, Texas A&M, Texas.

Yes, that match-up between Texas and Texas A&M in the second round is happening. Also, Drake will be a popular upset pick after rolling through the Missouri Valley Tournament.

Second round winners: Houston, Drake, Mississippi State, Texas.

Texas is trying to follow in the footsteps of Steve Fisher’s 1989 Michigan team, which won the national title under an interim coach.