2009 NCAA Bracket Advice: East

Key to the region...
How the games are officiated. This is not a Tim Donaghy situation, but rather a discussion of style. Pittsburgh has the physical edge over almost any team they play and will over potential Elite Eight opponents Duke and Villanova. DeJuan Blair should have his way in this region, but the Panthers are not the same when ticky-tack calls are the norm.

First round upsets:
#11 Virginia Commonwealth over #6 UCLA. Darren Collison is considered one of the top point guards in the country, but the Bruins playmaker will meet his match - and then some - in the form of VCU's Eric Maynor. The back-to-back CAA player of the year led the Rams to an upset win over Duke as a sophomore and the now senior leader, who leads the Rams with 22.4 points and 6.2 assists, is poised to duplicate the feat. Factor in the Bruins inconsistent offense playing against a Rams defense that holds opponents to less than 40 percent from the floor, and ladies and gentlemen, we have an upset.

Best player you've never heard of: The aforementioned Maynor is the straw that stirs the drink for the Rams, but sophomore forward Larry Sanders is no mere second fiddle. The 6-9 forward averaged 11.3 points and 8.5 rebounds, but he has made his mark as a low post intimidator. Using his 91" wingspan (yes, you read that correctly), he finished among the nation's best with 88 blocked shots this season, including seven in the CAA Championship. Hey now...

Others: B.J. Raymond, Xavier, Byron Eaton, Oklahoma State; Garrison Carr, American

Sweet 16 matchups: Pittsburgh over Florida State, Villanova over Duke. The Seminoles are one of the few teams that can match the Panthers size and point guard Toney Douglas has emerged as one of the top scorers in the country. In the end, Pittsburgh's muscle will be too much in a tight one. The other ACC-Big East matchup pits guard-oriented teams. Arguments can be made for the perimeter players on either side, but the Wildcats will also have Dante Cunningham, the best interior player in this matchup.

And going to the Final Four...
Pittsburgh. I can tout the obvious merits of Blair, the Big East Co-Player of the Year, as to why the Panthers will have too muscle for the Wildcats. I can point out the versatility of the sweet shooting Sam Young as to why this time the Panthers have enough offense to survive and advance. I can focus on the leadership and ball-handling skills of point guard Levance Fields as to why this Panthers squad can be the first to reach the Final Four since 1941. In the end, I'll just go with the gut factor. The Panthers have them in spades while mine says it is just their time, 68-65 over the Wildcats.