NCAA Tournament Bracket 2010 May Yield Major Showdowns

The NCAA tournament bracket 2010 has 32 first round games to go over. Yet the NCAA tournament bracket is also good for projecting the future. For pundits and office pool contestants, just looking ahead to the first round isn't enough. They also have to anticipate every possible future match up all the way toward picking a national champion. Along the way, they have to figure out the juiciest and most enticing potential showdowns ahead. In the 2010 NCAA tournament bracket, there are already more than a few big showdowns people can hope for.

In the Midwest region, Kansas is the favorite since they are the No. 1 team. Yet there are many potential pitfalls in their NCAA tournament bracket even before the Final Four. A showdown with Evan Turner and the Buckeyes in the Elite Eight would be the most appetizing regional final, to be sure. There's even an outside chance they could meet Tennessee, which gave the Jayhawks their first loss.

But first, there could be a few juicy rematches in this region for the Sweet 16. Kansas could face Michigan State, who came back to beat them in last year's Sweet 16. Ohio State might meet Georgetown on the other side in their first game since they met in the Final Four three years ago.

The NCAA tournament bracket 2010 already has a rematch in the South Region. Syracuse will face 16th seed Vermont five years after the Catamounts upset them in round one. Assuming history doesn't repeat itself, Syracuse could go far - but they could face a familiar foe in third-seeded Pitt for the Elite Eight.

In addition, the Orange might face Gonzaga in the second round, as the Zags are back to being NCAA underdogs again. Pitt and Xavier could meet in the second round after their Sweet 16 thriller last year. But the NCAA tournament bracket 2010 could yield an all Big 12 national semifinal, as Kansas State would meet Kansas for a whopping fourth time if they win their regions.

On the other side of the 2010 NCAA tournament bracket, the possibilities are even more endless. Two former No. 1s could meet in the second round in the East if Kentucky and Texas win. Big East rivals West Virginia and Marquette may clash in the Sweet 16 as well.

In the South, Duke and Villanova could meet in the Elite Eight a year after the Wildcats destroyed the Blue Devils in the Sweet 16. Texas A&M and Baylor might both be in the Sweet 16 and play in front of a home crowd in Houston.

The Final Four could have match ups like Duke-Kentucky, Kansas-Syracuse, West Virginia-Villanova, or Syracuse-Georgetown. The title game might have Kansas-Kentucky, Syracuse-Kentucky, Syracuse-Villanova, or some other power match up.

But the NCAA tournament bracket 2010 will yield some big showdowns one way or the other - even if it's not the ones fans expect or even hope for.

Sources

NCAA.com- "2010 NCAA DI Men's Basketball Championship Bracket"