O'Connell predicts Stanford over Michigan State in NCAA tournament

by Brian O'Connell sports commentator

The smell of March Madness is in the air and the field of 64 is set. Now, all basketball fans have to do is fill out their brackets and BRIAN O'CONNELL sit back and enjoy the next few weeks of basketball. This year's tournament is loaded with talent and should be very entertaining, especially when the top seeds play the at large bid teams. There are some new at large bids this year who have not had a big dance in quite a while. Some of these teams include the Dayton and the St. Bonaventure Bonnies from the Atlantic 10.

The west bracket features top-seeded Arizona who should go far. Also in the west are Dayton who have had a great season and last year's Cinderella team, Gonzaga.

I have picked St. John's to come out as the winner of this bracket based on the excellent season they had and their ability to knock off some top-notch teams. They have the experience from last year's tournament that should provide them with a spark this year.

Another game to watch is the Wisconsin-Fresno State game. This should be a war, but I am taking Fresno State to come out on top. Coach Jerry Tarkanian has been there before and he knows what it takes to win in the NCAA's. Another interesting matchup is Purdue and Dayton. Dayton had a spectacular regular season with 22 wins and an appearance in the Atlantic 10 semi-finals before falling to St. Bonaventure. But make no mistake about it, this team is very good and will probably give Purdue a game.

The rnidwest bracket features top seed Michigan State facing Valparaiso. This bracket has some very familiar teams. Kentucky and Syracuse could face each other for a re-match of the championship game from a few years ago.

You can almost count on that happening because it is highly unlikely that St. Bonaventure will upset Kentucky. But at this point, who knows what will happen? St. Bonaventure could win. Remember last year when Gonzaga upset North Carolina? Nevertheless, I am picking Michigan State to capture the rnidwest title and move on to the Final Four. In the east bracket, three teams should jump out and get the attention of everyone, Seton Hall, Duke and Temple. Seton Hall is a solid team and opened eyes around the country. Their first round game with Oregon will be one to watch. Duke is the number one seed and has an excellent chance to reach the Final Four. Coach Mike Knyzewski has some great players, especially in the freshman class. With Shane Battier leading the way for the Blue Devils, the team hopes to prove to everyone they are the number one team in the land. However, they will have to watch out for