March is defined by a few things: the beginning of spring, St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness.

This year, the NCAA is experimenting by expanding the field to 68 teams with four play-in games before the “second round” begins with the field of 64 college basketball teams set.

What do sports fans love about March Madness? It’s easy. Expect the unexpected. There will always be upsets, Cinderella stories, great buzzer-beater finishes and a large quantity of college basketball to the tune of 63 games after the initial four play-in games.

I’m joined by my Assistant Sports Editor David Pedersen and Staff Writer Craig Nordquist to give our opinions and predictions on the brackets.

Which double-digit seed has the best chance for a Cinderella run?

SW: Belmont can make it to the Sweet Sixteen as they match up with Wisconsin and potentially an overrated but dangerous Kansas State team. Belmont is in the top five in scoring and leads the nation in scoring margin, which could send them on a Cinderella journey.

DP: Richmond is a senior-laden team with two players averaging over 16 points a game, and it has a favorable matchup against Vanderbilt of the SEC in the first round. We might see the A-10 champions in a matchup against top seed Kansas.

CN: I may not have picked Utah State to upset Kansas State in the first round, but if the veteran-heavy Aggies can find a way to beat a talented Wildcats team, I can see them making a run past Wisconsin and into the Sweet Sixteen—if not farther.

Which will be the first #1 seed to lose?

SW: Duke could have the toughest road for any first seed and, therefore, will be the first to lose in the tournament. It could match up with Texas, Connecticut and San Diego State on its road to Houston.

DP: Kansas seems most susceptible to lose early, and I believe the Jayhawks can get knocked out as soon as the Sweet Sixteen. Outside of the Morris twins, the Jayhawks have very few legitimate options to carry the scoring load.

CN: Ohio State will have to fight through the toughest region in the tournament, which screams upset to me. I’m picking a hot Syracuse squad to knock off the mighty Buckeyes in the East region final.

Which bracket is the toughest?

SW: Top to bottom, the East bracket is probably the toughest. George Mason could give the Buckeyes a scare. Then, Kentucky, Xavier, Syracuse, Washington and North Carolina could all make a run in this bracket.

DP: The most difficult road to the Final Four resides in the West as Duke, San Diego State, UConn and Texas are all viable Final Four contenders.

CN: The East presents the biggest roadblock for top-tier teams because of a vast pool of talented squads. West Virginia, Kentucky, Washington, North Carolina and Syracuse would all receive my consideration for an Elite Eight berth if they were in any other region, but unfortunately only one team will survive the beast that is the East region.

What is the biggest sleeper team to make a run?

SW: Purdue could be a team that slips into the Elite Eight without people thinking too much about it. Purdue was one of two teams that beat Ohio St.

DP: Georgetown will have several difficult matchups in its bracket, including potential matchups with Purdue and Notre Dame. The Hoyas ended the regular season with a four-game losing streak but may surprise people with big wins in the early rounds.

CN: Washington has the potential to bust more than just a few brackets in this year’s tournament. The Huskies just may have the speed, depth and offensive necessary to knock off a beatable North Carolina team if they can get past Georgia in the first round.

What will be the biggest upset on Friday?

SW: Marquette could upset Xavier in the East Regional. Marquette battled through the Big East this year with wins over Notre Dame and Syracuse. It has the depth at the guard position to frustrate Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year Tu Holloway.

DP: Xavier received a relatively undesirable matchup against Marquette, which comes from the strong Big East Conference. Marquette has the depth and big-game experience and may be the lowest seed to win on Friday.

CN: Xavier features one of the nation’s most dynamic players in Tu Holloway and returns to the tournament with a taste of the madness. I view Marquette as a more battle-tested squad that can take down the Musketeers with its high-scoring offense.

Which one player will make the biggest impact in the tournament?

SW: Connecticut guard Kemba Walker has the hot hand and set a record for most points scored in a conference tournament. I think Walker will continue his hot shooting and help the Huskies upset the Blue Devils to get to the Final Four.

DP: BYU’s Jimmer Fredette is the nation’s leading scorer and a national player of the year candidate. His seemingly infinite range from beyond the arc and his strong drives to the rim make make him nearly unguardable. His team will only go as far as he will take them.

CN: Without leading rebounder Brandon Davies—suspended for a breach of the school’s honor code—all eyes will be on Jimmer Fredette to see if he can carry the Cougars on his back even more than he has already this year.

Which first-year will help his team the most in the tournament?

SW: Jared Sullinger from Ohio State leads the team in points and rebounds. He can be the brute force down low that the Buckeyes will need to battle through possible opponents in Kentucky, Syracuse or North Carolina.

DP: Jared Sullinger is Ohio State’s best inside threat and makes the Buckeyes both dynamic and well rounded. Sullinger makes the Buckeyes a title contender.

CN: A national player of the year frontrunner and the most prolific player on the tournament’s overall number one team, Jared Sullinger holds the key to Ohio State’s success in the big dance. Sullinger leads the offensive threat for the Buckeyes.

What will be the best game in the tournament?

SW: Dick Vitale loves the “Diaper Dandies,” and a potential Sweet Sixteen matchup between Kentucky and Ohio State would pit Buckeyes first-year Jared Sullinger against a trio of first-years from Kentucky in Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones.

DP: A potential matchup between Texas and Duke in the Sweet Sixteen will provide high quality competition from two of the marquee programs in college basketball. Both teams were ranked number one in the nation throughout the course of this season and bring exciting quard play as well as two of the greatest current coaches in college basketball.

CN: A potential matchup between a sharpshooting Kentucky squad and a defensive-minded West Virginia team. The Wildcats sport a starting five that relies on three first-years to do its damage on offense, while the Mountaineers bring back key players from last year’s Final Four run to create an upperclassmen-heavy roster.

Who will be in the Final Four?

SW: Ohio State, Connecticut, Kansas and Pittsburgh
DP: Ohio State, Connecticut, Georgetown and Pittsburgh
CN: Syracuse, Duke, Kansas and Pittsburgh

Who will cut down the nets to win the NCAA Championship?

SW: Kansas
DP: Ohio State
CN: Duke