For their trouble, they get an invite to play Northeast Conference champions Mount St. Mary's in the opening round game in Dayton on Tuesday night -- for the honor to meet the mighty Heels in the round of 64.
Most Intriguing First-Round Matchup
The selection committee did seventh-seed Butler no favors. The Bulldogs will face the tenth-seeded Jaguars of South Alabama in a game to be played in Birmingham. That venue is the primary reason we like the Jaguars to advance.Upset Potential
I'm picking Notre Dame to advance and meet North Carolina in the round of 16. The Fighting Irish will represent a really interesting matchup for the Tar Heels -- they're a teriffic outside shooting team (Duke beat UNC with a barrage of threes earlier this season) and in Big East player of the year Luke Harangody, they have a big man who will match up remarkably well with Tyler Hansbrough.I don't think the Irish will win. I do think they'll put a real scare into Roy Williams and company.
On the other side of the bracket, St. Joe's finished the season very strong before losing in the A-10 final. I like them to knock off Oklahoma in the opening round.
The Regional Final
I think Louisville is one of the worst possible matchups for Tennessee -- the Cardinals have a deep, athletic and flexible roster that can deal with all the different looks Bruce Pearl and the Vols will use. I'm picking the Cardinals to advance to the Elite Eight, but Carolina is my pick to win this region.East Region Picks
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Sweet 16 | Elite 8 |
| 1) North Carolina | |||
| 16) Mt. St. Mary's* | North Carolina | ||
| 8) Indiana | Arkansas | ||
| 9) Arkansas | North Carolina | ||
| 5) Notre Dame | Notre Dame | ||
| 12) George Mason | Notre Dame | ||
| 4) Washington St. | Washington St. | ||
| 13) Winthrop | North Carolina | ||
| 6) Oklahoma | Louisville | ||
| 11) St. Joseph's | St. Joseph's | ||
| 3) Louisville | Louisville | ||
| 14) Boise State | Louisville | ||
| 7) Butler | Tennessee | ||
| 10) South Alabama | South Alabama | ||
| 2) Tennessee | Tennessee | ||
| 15) American |
