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2016 NCAA Tournament: Bracket, Preview, Breakdown & Predictions

By Nathan Giese

Mar 12, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Marcus Paige (5) and teammates celebrate on the court after deating Virginia Cavaliers in the championship game of the ACC conference tournament 61-57 at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Marcus Paige (5) and teammates celebrate on the court after deating Virginia Cavaliers in the championship game of the ACC conference tournament 61-57 at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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March 12, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks players celebrate after the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference tournament against the Utah Utes at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Ducks defeated the Utes 88-57. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 12, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks players celebrate after the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference tournament against the Utah Utes at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Ducks defeated the Utes 88-57. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

West Region

(1) Oregon Ducks vs. (16) Winner of Holy Cross Crusaders vs. Southern Jaguars

Duckies! Oregon’s selection as a top seed was a little surprising, but they’ve done the work and deserve it. As the Pac-12 regular season and tournament champs, Oregon has the resume to back up the seed. They’re young but very good.

Again, it’s a No. 1 vs. No. 16 game. Let’s spare the suspense.

Winner: Oregon by 19

(8) Saint Joseph’s Hawks vs. (9) Cincinnati Bearcats 

Saint Joe’s claimed the Atlantic 10 tournament title and has one of the best players in the country nobody seems to know about in DeAndre Bembry, who averages 16.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He has NBA capabilities.

Cincinnati had a decent showing this year, but every time they looked firmly in the field they had a surprising loss somewhere. Troy Caupain leads the team in scoring (13.7 points per game) but three other players average between 10.0 and 10.7 points. There’s balance for the Bearcats that makes them an under the radar team as a nine-seed.

Winner: Cincinnati by seven

(5) Baylor Bears vs. (12) Yale Bulldogs

A big, physical team that just couldn’t keep up with the rest of the Big 12, Baylor might be that team you look for to make that run. The Bears’ zone plays right into this meeting with Yale as the Bulldogs rely heavily on big man Justin Sears to do the damage inside. That will definitely not be easy against Rico Gathers, who hauls in 9.1 rebounds per game.

Winner: Baylor by 13

(4) Duke Blue Devils vs. (13) UNC Wilmington Seahawks

Another early exit for the Blue Devils? That appears to be a real possibility. Duke has not been great this year, much of that having to do with Amile Jefferson missing most of the season. Grayson Allen plays hard — sometimes too hard? — and Brandon Ingram is terrific, but Duke is incredible inconsistent.

You know who hasn’t been inconsistent? The Seahawks, who have lost just twice in the last 10 weeks by a combined 12 points. UNC-Wilmington forces more than 15 turnovers per game, which plays well into this game against Duke’s freshman point guard Derryck Thornton.

Winner: UNC-Wilmington by five

Feb 16, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Shaka Smart reacts against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second half at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center. Texas won 85-78. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Shaka Smart reacts against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second half at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center. Texas won 85-78. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports /

(6) Texas Longhorns vs. (11) Northern Iowa Panthers

Shaka Smart has done a great job in his first year at Texas, having a much better season with much lower expectations than last year’s squad. The Longhorns have been playing tough defense and their offense flows much better despite the team shooting just 33 percent from three.

Northern Iowa. I don’t know what they are other than in the NCAA tournament. They feel like a decent team that plays up to their level of competition, which could be great and disastrous in this setting.

Fun Fact: This is a battle between two teams that beat both Iowa State and North Carolina in the same season.

Winner: Texas by four

(3) Texas A&M Aggies vs. (14) Green Bay Phoenix

The Aggies are another team that started off hot but hit a rough patch at the midway point of the season. They figured it out again, winning eight-straight games before the overtime loss to Kentucky in the SEC championship game on Sunday. A mixture of talented freshmen and experience highlights the Aggies.

The Horizon League representative, Green Bay has won eight of its last nine games and the lone loss came at Valparaiso by two points. The Phoenix paid them back by knocking them off in the Horizon League tournament. Green Bay ranks fourth in the nation by forcing 16.86 turnovers per game.

Winner: Texas A&M by 14

(7) Oregon State Beavers vs. (10) VCU Rams

Gary Payton II is terrific and has been for the last two years. It’s nice that he’ll get his chance to show it on a wider stage. Oregon State had some good wins this season and the Pac-12 was pretty tough. How strong the Beavers can be in the NCAA tournament is something I’m not sure of.

What VCU has accomplished this year despite losing their coach, their top players and some key recruits in one summer is nothing short of remarkable. They didn’t win the Atlantic 10 automatic bid, but a regular-season title is something Shaka Smart never did in his time.

Winner: VCU by six

(2) Oklahoma Sooners vs. (15) Cal State Bakersfield Road Runners

Buddy Buckets is coming for you, America. Buddy Hield, the nation’s second leading scorer, and the Sooners struggled late in the season, but they’re still a team you should feel confident in picking. Keep in mind, you’re going to hear a lot of talk about Oklahoma similar to what you heard about Golden State last year. “A team that relies so heavily on the jump shot can’t be trusted.”

For the first time in five years, the WAC has a different representative than New Mexico State. The Road Runners got here on a buzzer-beating three by Dedrick Basile. Five different players average between 10.3 and 12.9 points per game and rank in the top 25 in defensive efficiency.

Winner: Oklahoma by 19

Next: Second Round