The Midwest Region

[NickZ4UT]

...is wide open.

The Kansas upset was mind blowing and I for one honestly believe any one of the six teams left in this region can make the final four, yes, including N.Iowa.

OSU is the obvious favorite being the lowest remaining seed in the region, they're talented and dangerous from the outside.

I don't know much about Michigan State this year other than the fact that they have the pedigree to play with anyone and are the only remaining final four team from last year.

Tennessee is the giant killer of the group fully capable of beating any team in the field of 64 on any given night.

N.Iowa is a mid-major, a nine seed and by all accounts has no business being in the sweet 16 but never the less they are there and you can't overlook them. This is the time of year that the underdogs come to play (see also: George Mason, Davidson, etc.).

Living in ACC country I've seen Georgia Tech play a lot and don't let the seeding fool you these guys are scrappy, tough and they'll give you all you can handle.

Maryland is the only team in the ACC that could give Duke any kind of real trouble all year. These guys are good and they have the ACC player of the year(doesn't mean a whole lot but they have talent for sure), the game with Michigan State ought to be a real good one to watch.

 

[the.one.the.only]

Here's how I see it:

2 - OSU has Evan Turner. They don't deserve that 2 seed. I'd be more happy to see us play them over GT.
4 - Maryland is a good team, but if you shut down Vasquez, you win. UT could handle them.
5 - Michigan State. Decent team. Good, not great
9 - NIU. Well, you all know about them. Fundamentally sound, could beat anybody as long as they play their game.
10 - GT. Probably have the most talent out of anybody on this side of the brackets. Have the talent to compete with Kentucky, don't have the point guard. That's the only thing holding them back. If they start with the turnovers, you're in good shape. If they get it going, look out. I hope we don't play them just because you don't know what you're gonna get. They could either beat OSU by 10 or lose by 25. Who knows.

 

[NickZ4UT]

Here's how I see it:

2 - OSU has Evan Turner. They don't deserve that 2 seed. I'd be more happy to see us play them over GT.
4 - Maryland is a good team, but if you shut down Vasquez, you win. UT could handle them.
5 - Michigan State. Decent team. Good, not great
9 - NIU. Well, you all know about them. Fundamentally sound, could beat anybody as long as they play their game.
10 - GT. Probably have the most talent out of anybody on this side of the brackets. Have the talent to compete with Kentucky, don't have the point guard. That's the only thing holding them back. If they start with the turnovers, you're in good shape. If they get it going, look out. I hope we don't play them just because you don't know what you're gonna get. They could either beat OSU by 10 or lose by 25. Who knows.

I don't disagree with you on any point, you're absolutely right about Maryland, that's how GT ended up in the ACC finals. I don't claim to be a basketball scholar, I know enough I guess, my point was that for a layman such as myself I could see any one of those teams making the final four. I gotta tell you though I'm loving UT's chances to go deeper than we've ever been before.