Midwest Region Breakdown: Louisville's Fast-Paced Bracket

The Louisville Cardinals weren't thought to be in line for a No. 1 seed a week ago, but the ball bounced their way -- so much so that they ended up as the top seed in the entire tournament. Their reward is what appears to be a relatively weak bracket. Michigan State is arguably the worst two-seed in the eyes of the public, for example. The bracket definitely has an up-tempo feel to it, so expect to see the points pile up, especially in the early rounds.

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Storylines

Does Arizona Belong? The Wildcats were the one team in the Dance that truly raised eyebrows across the country; many thought they were behind three or four teams who were left in the dark. They certainly have enough talent to take down the fifth-seeded Utes, but which 'Zona team will show up?

Maligned "Power" Conference vs. Strong Mid-Major. Ohio State comes in relatively hot, though it did drop the conference championship to Purdue Sunday. They get to square off against a really strong small school in Siena.

Another Final Four? Rick Pitino has led three different schools to the Final Four, making five total trips. He's got a good shot at taking his second team to multiple Final Four berths this year as the No. 1-overall seed. He's also pursuing the first Louisville National Championship since Pervis Ellison wore the uniform.

Another Viking Upset? The Cleveland State Vikings last made the Big Dance in 1986. That year, they upset Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers -- who would win the entire thing the following season -- en route to an appearance in the Sweet 16. This year, they face another strong big conference team in Wake Forest. Could history repeat itself?

Home Sweet Indianapolis? Michigan State has won one national championship under Tom Izzo (2000). It happened in Indianapolis, the same city where this region's Sweet 16 and Elite 8 round games will be played. Can the Spartans recapture the magic in Indy?

The Play-In Game. This isn't the place for an extended rant, but both Morehead State and Alabama State won their conference tournaments. This is supposed to ensure them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Taking the name of the game literally, they still have to play their way into the tournament, even though they already did -- by virtue of clinching an "automatic" bid. This is a farce. If the committee is absolutely dead-set on having 65 teams instead of 64, they should have the last two at-large teams square off on Tuesday. Wouldn't Arizona vs. Wisconsin spark a lot more national interest anyway?

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Team That'll Break Your Bracket

Other than the 12-seed Arizona Wildcats, there don't appear to be many threats in the 11-16 seeds to take down a superior opponent, so we'll have to look past the first round. After that, my eyes wander to West Virginia. The Mountaineers have the horses to take down both Kansas and Michigan State in the bottom half of the bracket if they bring their A-game.

Then again, they could also lose to a sneaky Dayton team in the first round. Tread lightly.

Team That'll Break Your Heart

I'm sure most people want me to say Michigan State, since everyone thinks the Big Ten sucks. Instead I'm going with the team seeded higher than the Spartans. That's right, I'm calling Louisville to break your heart. It's not that the Cardinals aren't a good team. They are a great team. I get that. I'd also be a lot more impressed with their resume had they traveled to Pitt, UConn, or both. They even avoided both fellow No. 1 seeds in the Big East tournament. I understand that's not their fault, but they aren't as battle tested as they could be. Whether it's Wake Forest, Michigan State, Kansas, or West Virginia, someone is going to get them before the Final Four.

Predictions

Please note: These aren't FanHouse-wide, just my personal picks. You should certainly feel free to tell me how stupid I am in the comments. That will not, however, cause me to change my picks.

Round 1: Louisville over Morgan State/Alabama State winner; Ohio State over Siena; Arizona over Utah; Wake Forest over Cleveland State; West Virginia over Dayton; Kansas over North Dakota State; USC over Boston College; Michigan State over Robert Morris
Round 2: Louisville, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Michigan State
Sweet 16: Louisville, Michigan State
Elite 8: Michigan State takes down Louisville, and Tom Izzo heads to his fourth Final Four. Is that a homer pick, considering I cover the Big Ten? Maybe, maybe not. We'll know within the next few weeks if my head was in the right place.