The South Region has become….uh….complicated to say the least. Princeton and Furman busted brackets across the country, but there is still hope for those to salvage their redemption bracket and a new day to win some money. So without further ado, I got some picks for you and why these teams will win.

No. 5 San Diego St. vs. No. 13 Furman

Furman was a talked about upset team, and it came to fruition thanks to Virginia‘s lapse in judgment. Nonetheless, Furman has an opportunity to continue their run against a tough defensive-minded San Diego State team that narrowly avoided being upset. With that being said, the Aztecs are statistically not the best team on offense, but Furman is the lowest-ranked defensive team left in the tournament. San Diego State’s defense will be the difference in this game and will help them advance to the Sweet 16. 

Winner: San Diego St.

No. 7 Missouri vs. No. 15 Princeton

For the third year in a row, a 15 seed has upset a 2 seed with this year being Princeton over Arizona. In the past two years, a 15 seed has advanced to the Sweet 16. Can Princeton continue that trend? Well, Missouri is one of the worst defensive teams in the tournament, and they can struggle offensively unless standout guards Kobe Brown and D’Moi Hodge are consistently hitting shots. Brown and Hodge combined for 42 of Missouri’s 76 points in their first-round win over Utah State. Give me Princeton to continue their run as they will hold one of those two Missouri scorers in check.

Winner: Princeton

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 8 Maryland

Alabama crushed Texas A&M-CC putting up 96 points without their top player F Brandon Miller scoring a single point. The Crimson Tide team is looking scary already and have been one of the best teams all year despite the controversy surrounding their team. On the other hand, Maryland found a way to hold on against head coaching legend Bob Huggins and West Virginia. Forward Julien Reese played one of his best games of the season down low for Maryland while star guard Jahmir Young battled foul trouble. If Maryland can stay out of foul trouble, they may give Alabama something to think about, but give me the Crimson Tide to advance.

Winner: Alabama

No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 6 Creighton

Both Baylor and Creighton were able to pull away in their respective games, setting up one of the more interesting matchups in the Round of 32. Both teams have experienced players and coaches that have played NCAA Tournament games. Both teams have proficient offenses, however, Creighton’s defense is much better than Baylor’s defense giving Creighton a slight edge in this game. This will be the difference in this game, and Creighton will advance to the Sweet 16.

Winner: Creighton