2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Picks

It's that time of year again, what I like to call, "the Awesomest Time Ever of the Year." That's right, March Madness. Each year as the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship approaches I become more and more filled with glee.

Sorry, Super Bowl, but March Madness is by far the best sporting event of the year in America. No big salaries, no BCS, no teams with an official beer sponsor. It is the purest, most passionate championship we have. This is the only tournament where there's the potential for anything to happen. A 12 seed might make the Final Four. The next Michael Jordan might step forward and lead his team to greatness. Sure, the favorites usually win, but at least there's the potential of a big upset, and the pure drive of college athletes to compete.

Now that I can't stop thinking about how AWESOME this year's tournament is going to be, let's get to some picks. Here are the teams I think are destined for success in the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament:

2010 Men's NCAA Championship Picks: Major Upsets

Some big upsets are inevitable during March Madness, and everyone will be rolling the dice this year trying to figure out which Cinderella is going to take out a traditional powerhouse.

The only major upset I'm picking this year is in the West regional bracket. Murray State, a 13 seed, has the ability to make a serious run. With a 30-4 record they are no joke. I don't care what conference you're in, 30 wins is legit. Vanderbilt, a 4 seed and Murray State's first round opponent, has played sketchy defense all year long. They are prone to the outside threat of Murray State.

2010 Men's NCAA Championship Picks: Final Four

This year I'm picking Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky, and the surprise out of the South region, Texas A&M, for the Final Four..

Kansas is the clear favorite, with a dominating regular season. With Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins leading the way as veteran team leaders, the Jayhawks have all the tools to claim the final shot of the "One Shining Moment" montage. Watch for Sherron to explode when needed, but it's the balanced, multi-faceted depth of Kansas that will carry them through a tough region.

Syracuse has arguably one of the easier roads to the Final Four. Kansas State is a strong team, and has the ability to get hot, but ultimately will not have the depth to beat The Orange.

Kentucky is the only team that has approached the dominance of Kansas in 2010. Calipari has some excellent tools at his disposal with John Wall in the backcourt and Derek Cousins down low. New Mexico should be able to make a deep run in the East bracket, but does not have the depth to take on Kentucky.

Texas A&M is the most tested team in the South region. Duke slipped in with a number 1 seed thanks to an unusually weak ACC. Plus, I hate Duke. Donald Sloan has the ability to carry the battle-tested Aggies all the way to the Four. The Big 12 was one of the toughest conferences in college basketball this year. A&M is simply too tough, too powerful and too balanced to lose to the soft Blue Devils.

2010 Men's NCAA Championship Picks: Tournament Champion

Kansas will take home the crown. I think they'll meet Kentucky in an epic Calipari-Self rematch. As a Jayhawk fan, Kentucky scares me the most. But this could be a redemption year for Kansas. They can beat Syracuse in the Final Four, who knocked the Jayhawks off in the Finals in 2003, and then take Calipari down without any chokes from Derrick Rose.

There's also a strong chance Kansas will meet Michigan State in the Sweet 16, who ousted Kansas in the same round last year. Kansas may then have a shot at Tennessee in the Elite 8, one of only two teams that beat Kansas during the 2010 regular season.

2010 Men's NCAA Championship Picks: Conclusion

Bracketelogy is not an exact science - in fact, it's not a science at all. And those schmucks on ESPN that pretend to know that they're talking about? They're making it up! And they'd probably admit it. After Kansas, Kentucky, and Syracuse it's all a crapshoot.

In the end, I think that 2010 could be the year that decides once and for which is the best order of letters: KU or UK.

Sources:

Espn.com

Cbssports.com

Kusports.com