11 and 13-Seeds Will Rule This Tournament

As promised, our “experts” will be revealing the highlights of their bracket selections to preview the NCAA Tournament. Check back over the next few days if you need some help in bracket selection. Remember, join our Chronicle Sports bracket challenge to compete for the chance to write your very own victory blog post.

Must-Watch Thursday Game:

Southeast No. 6 St. John's vs. No. 11 Gonzaga, 9:45 p.m, CBS

Mark Few has built a top-tier program at mid-major Gonzaga, but most fans forget that he did so thanks to a remarkable series of upsets in the late 1990s and early 2000s—the 10-seed Bulldogs went to the Elite Eight in 1999 and followed that up with Sweet 16 runs the next two years as a double-digit seed. And despite their struggles this year, this Bulldog team is actually more talented than those classic Cinderellas, with Steven Gray, Robert Sacre and Elias Harris all legitimate NBA prospects. Meanwhile, most of St. John's success has come in Madison Square Garden. Combine that with the loss of leading rebounder D.J. Kennedy and you have the makings of a classic Bulldog upset.

Honorable Mentions: Yet another 6-11 upset I'm picking—Missouri over Cincinnati in the West—as well as the first chance to see Jimmer Fredette as BYU takes on upset minded Wofford.

Must-Watch Friday Game:

West No. 4 Texas vs. No. 13 Oakland, 12:15 p.m., CBS

Many felt Texas was slightly underseeded as a four-seed, and as a reward they yielded Oakland, a battle-tested upstart whose schedule included West Virginia, Purdue, Illinois and Ohio State, along with a one-point loss to Michigan State and a victory at Tennessee. Oakland's Keith Benson is one of the nation's best big men, regardless of conference, and could wreck havoc on the Longhorns if they continue their late season struggles. This could be the monumental upset of the "second" round.

Honorable mentions: Eight-seed Michigan might not make a lot of noise in this NCAA Tournament, but watch them take on No. 9 Tennessee to see one of the best up-and-coming teams in the country—the Wolverines are paced by one of the best young backcourts in the country with Darius Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr. and will not lose a single senior this offseason. Also check out No. 11 Marquette against No. 6 Xavier in yet another possible 6-11 upset.

Least Interesting First Round Game: East No. 8 George Mason vs. No. 9 Villanova. The winner gets to be another appetizer for Jared Sullinger. Yawn.

Sleepers: Kansas State

I already mentioned the plethora of 11-seeds I'm picking to go far, but look for the Wildcats to also make a run past Pittsburgh and to the Final Four. Remember this was a team that many picked as a Final Four team before the season began, and they finally started to look like it towards the end of the season.

No. 1, 2 or 3 seed most likely to lose this weekend: Florida

The Gators are massively overseeded, and could end up facing Mr. March, Tom Izzo, in the second round.

Players to Watch:

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State: If Kansas State actually makes the run I predict they will, it'll be because Pullen put the Wildcats on his back. Remember, Pullen was a pre-season All-American this season, so he certainly has the talent.

Fab Melo, Syracuse: Melo was one of the highest rated bigs in this year's recruiting class, but struggled mightily early in the season. He came alive in the Big East Tournament, though, and could be an X-Factor for the Orange.

Final Four: Syracuse, Duke, Kansas, Kansas State

Final Four Most Outstanding Player: Nolan Smith

National Champion: Duke

Even if Kyrie Irving plays only 10 minutes a game, he completely changes the complexion of this Duke team. Combine that with senior leadership, a rarity in this tournament, and you have a recipe for back-to-back titles.