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The 2012 NCAA Tournament has reached the Elite Eight.
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After three weeks, the NCAA Tournament is down to one game for the championship with the Kentucky Wildcats set to take on the Kansas Jayhawks on Monday night in New Orleans.
That means 62 open bracket spots have been filled in with various levels of excitement and/or disgust around the country, leaving one blank in the middle awaiting the ink as either Kentucky or Kansas cuts down the nets. You can take a look back at how the Wildcats and Jayhawks made their way to the championship game, as well as how where other teams fell short in the tournament with SB Nation's printable 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket.
Way back in November, Kentucky beat Kansas on a neutral court in New York but naturally these teams are vastly different at this point in the season. Still, Kentucky will remain the favorite heading into Monday thanks to their strong play throughout the tournament and difference-maker Anthony Davis patrolling the paint.
For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, poke around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for tons of analysis on who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.
The NCAA Tournament has officially reached the Elite 8, and for those local men's college hoops fans still alive in their bracket contest, well, congrats. However, that could all change over the next two days, as the 2012 Final Four field will be finalized by Sunday night.
Currently, there are still three No. 1 seeds alive in the tournament -- Syracuse Orange, North Carolina Tar Heels and Kentucky Wildcats -- but there's still a few team left that can make an impact -- Louisville Cardinals, Florida Gators or Baylor Bears.
To continue to follow along, SB Nation has you covered with its fully updated 2012 NCAA tournament printable bracket, meanwhile, here's the Elite Eight TV schedule:
Saturday, March 24
Florida vs. Louisville, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Ohio St. vs. Syracuse, 7:05 p.m. ET, CBS
Sunday, March 25
Baylor vs. Kentucky, 2:20 p.m. ET, CBS
Kansas vs. North Carolina, 5:05 p.m. ET, CBS
For more coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Also be sure to check out both our men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket. And for more March Madness coverage, head to SB Nation's 2012 NCAA tournament hub page.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament continues on Thursday with the Sweet 16, as half of the final 16 will do battle for the right to be amongst the Elite 8. The Sweet 16 consists of all four No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 seeds, but also has a handful of surprising diaper dandies, including No. 13 Ohio, No. 11 North Carolina State and No. 10 Xavier.
It's likely that your bracket is busted and the SB Nation bracket you printed out before Round 2 began is riddled with red markings and misleading doodles of Wolverines devouring Bobcats, or something. If you're looking for a clean sheet starting with the Sweet 16, SB Nation again has you covered with its fully updated 2012 NCAA tournament printable bracket.
SB Nation will continue to update the bracket as the tournament progresses, so check back in after the Sweet 16 for a fresh bracket to take you into the Final Four!
For more coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Also be sure to check out both our men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket. And for more March Madness coverage, head to SB Nation's 2012 NCAA tournament hub page.
After another outstanding first week of March Madness, only 16 schools remain in the 2012 NCAA tournament bracket with a chance to reign supreme over college basketball. In just four days, we've seen a handful of favorites roll big, a couple of powerhouses slip up, and two unmistakable Cinderellas waltz casually into the national spotlight. Madness, indeed.
Because of the unpredictability of the first two days, many brackets are now busted from coast-to-coast. But why bother to hurl your red-tainted bracket into the garbage can when you can start fresh with the field of 16? Thankfully, SB Nation has you covered on this end with its continuously updated 2012 NCAA tournament printable bracket.
As games go final throughout March Madness, SB Nation will update its bracket above accordingly so you never miss a beat. So even if the games don't go down exactly like you predict, you'll always have the option of starting over from scratch without damaging your ego in the process.
For more coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Also be sure to check out both our men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket. And for more March Madness coverage, head to SB Nation's 2012 NCAA tournament hub page.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament looked like it be relatively upset free through the first half of Friday's games, but everyone got their wish when the brackets were busted with quite a few upsets happening in the final games of the first round. The show must go on, however, with the March Madness schedule continuing on Saturday.
Considering it's probably worthless to watch the games with your bracket in mind, the most important game for Minnesotans will come on Saturday evening when the Iowa St. Cyclones play the top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats in a game scheduled for 6:45 p.m. CST on CBS. Iowa State's head coach is former Minnesota Timberwolves player Fred Hoiberg and their top player is Minnesota native and Minnesota Golden Gophers transfer Royce White.
The day's scheduled will tip off with the No. 1 seed Syracuse Orange playing the Kansas State Wildcats at 11:15 followed by a game featuring everyone's favorite Cinderella -- the Gonzaga Bulldogs -- playing Jared Sullinger and the Ohio St. Buckeyes 1:45.
Saturday's full schedule is include below. All times are Eastern
No. 1 Syracuse Orange vs. No. 8 Kansas State Wildcats, 12:15 p.m. on CBS
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Len Elmore and Reggie Miller
No. 2 Ohio St. Buckeyes vs. No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs, 2:45 p.m. (tentative) on CBS
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Len Elmore and Reggie Miller
No. 3 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. No. 6 Murray State Racers, 5:15 p.m. on CBS
Announcers: Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores, 6:10 p.m. on TNT
Announcers: Spero Dedes and Bob Wenzel
No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers vs. No. 12 Va. Commonwealth Rams, 7:10 p.m. on TBS
Announcers: Brian Anderson and Dan Bonner
No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 8 Iowa St. Cyclones, 7:45 p.m. (tentative) on CBS
Announcers: Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
No. 3 Baylor Bears vs. No. 11 Colorado Buffaloes, 8:40 p.m. (tentative) on TNT
Announcers: Spero Dedes and Bob Wenzel
No. 4 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 5 New Mexico Lobos, 9:40 p.m. (tentative) on TBS
Announcers: Brian Anderson and Dan Bonner
For up-to-the-minute scores on all NCAA Tournament games, please check out SI.com's complete scoreboard.
For more coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Here's a link to both the men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
Plenty of 2012 NCAA Tournament brackets were likely busted on Friday night when the Duke Blue Devils, Michigan Wolverines and Missouri Tigers lost in their first games to make sure the phrase March Madness still applied in college basketball.
For those out there that want a complete restart with their brackets, our good friends at SB Nation have everyone covered with an updated printable bracket reflecting the upsets. Printing this one and filling it out probably isn't going to help make up for the original mess of a bracket you already filled out, but at least it'll be easier to follow without all of the crossed-out team names once projected to have great success.
The above bracket is going to be updated continuously throughout the tournament, too, so it's probably worth bookmarking this page so you can revisit when former Minnesota basketball players Royce White and Fred Hoiberg lead the Iowa St. Hawkeyes to an upset over the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night.
For more coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Here's a link to both the men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament didn't get off to a good start for the South Dakota St. Jackrabbits on the opening day as they dropped a chance to advance through the bracket with a loss to the Baylor Bears. The show must go on, however, and Friday's schedule will still be fun to watch for those interested in watching what should be exciting basketball.
Minnesotans Royce White and Fred Hoiberg helped the Iowa St. Cyclones advance through their first round matchup in the bracket with a win over the Connecticut Huskies, there aren't many games left that feature regional significance.
Chances are all of our readers filled out a bracket, however. And, when people fill out brackets, there's a good chance they're going to keep an eye on the games. With that in mind, Friday's NCAA Tournament schedule is included below (all times are Eastern).
12:15 p.m.: No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. No. 11 Texas Longhorns, CBS
2:45 p.m.: No. 3 Florida St. Seminoles vs. No. 14 St. Bonaventure Bonnies, CBS
7:20 p.m.: No. 4 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 13 Ohio Bobcats, TNT
9:50 p.m.: No. 5 Temple Owls vs. No. 12 South Florida Bulls, TNT
12:40 p.m.: No. 6 San Diego St. Aztecs vs. No. 11 N.C. State Wolfpack, truTV
3:10 p.m.: No. 3 Georgetown Hoyas vs. No. 14 Belmont Bruins, truTV
6:50 p.m.: No. 8 Memphis Tigers vs. No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens, TBS
9:20 p.m.: No. 1 Michigan St. Spartans vs. No. 16 Long Island U. Blackbirds, TBS
1:40 p.m.: No. 8 Creighton Bluejays vs. No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide, TBS
4:10 p.m.: No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 16 Vermont Catamounts, TBS
7:15 p.m.: No. 2 Duke Blue Devils vs. 15 Lehigh Mountain Hawks, TBS
9:45 p.m.: No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 10 Xavier Musketeers, TBS
2:10 p.m.: No. 7 Florida Gators vs. No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers, TNT
4:40 p.m.: No. 2 Missouri Tigers vs. No. 15 Norfolk St. Spartans, TNT
7:27 p.m.: No. 7 St. Mary's Gaels vs. No. 10 Purdue Boilermakers, truTV
9:57 p.m.: No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 15 Detroit Titans, truTV
For more coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Here's a link to both the men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
The South Dakota St. Jackrabbits have a big game on Thursday night, bigger than any game in state history. The team they're facing has some big players too, though, meaning the matchups won't be easy against the Baylor Bears.
South Dakota State won't alter its gameplan all that much, however, according to the quotes the team gave to the Sioux Falls' Argus Leader. It won't be easy, but there's not much the team can do to overcome the inevitable issues down low.
How can SDSU overcome its size disadvantage?
"I think just effort," said forward Jordan Dykstra, the Jacks' tallest starter at 6-8. "You've got to out-work them. You're not going to out-athletic them by any means. Just out-working them and try and be a little more physical."
Coach Scott Nagy agreed, too, saying the matchup problems won't alter anything they do on the offensive end.
"We're going to have to run to get some good shots," said Jacks coach Scott Nagy, who last coached in a national tournament in the D-II version eight years ago. "We're not going to try to slow the basketball game down just because they're more athletic."
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Oh, and here's a link to both the men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits will make their first-ever Div. I NCAA Tournament appearance Thursday night against the Baylor Bears. South Dakota State, the No. 14-seed, is scheduled to tip-off against No. 3 Baylor at 7:27 ET on truTV.
The winner will play the winner of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels and Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday.
The Jackrabbits, which moved from D-II to D-I in 2006, compiled a 27-7 record this season. They are in the Big Dance by virtue of their 52-50 overtime win over Western Illinois in the Summit League championship.
Baylor is also 27-7 and went 12-6 in the Big 12. The Bears, who lost to Missouri in the Big 12 title game, have plenty of top-flight talent to throw at SDSU. Sophomore Perry Jones III is projected as a lottery pick, while freshman Quincy Miller also figures to be playing in the NBA before long. Junior point guard Pierre Jackson is rock-solid with 13.3 points and 5.8 assists per game.
For the Jackrabbits to keep up, St. Cloud, Minn. native Nate Wolters is going to have to have a big game. The 6-4 guard is averaging 21.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and an even six assists on the season. He had 14 points in the Summit League title game.
For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.
Need a printable bracket for the 2012 NCAA Tournament now that the field is officially down to 64 teams following the end of the First Four on Wednesday night? Perfect, because SB Nation updated the printable bracket overnight and has it ready for everyone's last-minute March Madness needs!
The bracket doesn't feature much in the way of local talent considering the Minnesota Golden Gophers are working toward advancing through the 2012 NIT Tournament bracket, but former St. Cloud, Minn., native Nate Wolters is attempting to lead the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on a Cinderella run starting with Thursday night's game against the Baylor Bears.
If anyone was wondering which teams have already been eliminated through what is now technically the first round, by the way, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and BYU Cougars advanced on Tuesday night while Vermont Catamounts and South Florida Bulls moved ahead in the standings on Wednesday night.
For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.
South Dakota State head coach Scott Nagy cringed when Seth Davis picked Nagy's Jackrabbits to spring an upset over the No. 3-seed Baylor Bears, according to the Associated Press.
Davis, a college hoops analyst for Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports, made the prediction on CBS' selection show. And while Nagy likely doesn't mind the vote of confidence, he's worried it might galvanize Baylor.
"Well, Seth didn't help us there," Nagy said. "It was nice of him to say, but that doesn't help us, and Baylor doesn't need any extra incentive to stick it to us."...
"All the predictions and things like that really don't mean anything anyways. It's just fun banter for people to talk about."
Baylor, which spent much of the season ranked in the Top 10, is 27-7 and is fresh off an appearance in the Big 12 title game. The Bears boast at least a pair of future NBA players in Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller. Point guard Pierre Jackson was Second-Team All-Big 12, averaging 13.3 points and nearly six assists per game.
The Jackrabbits tip-off against Baylor at about 7:30 ET on Thursday.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Oh, and here's a link to both the men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament begins Thursday morning (March Madness schedule available here) and there's a good chance the majority of people are going to take a sick day from work to watch all of the happenings. For those that weren't able to convince their bosses that it was a holiday, however, the games are available online.
The official NCAA Tournament has every game available online -- whether its via the computer, iPhone, iPads or "select" Android devices -- for a pretty affordable price of $3.99. That's different from last year, when it was free, but one doesn't have many options when they're at work without a television in their cubicle (or in front of the couch, for my fellow bloggers).
If the $3.99 price tag is too steep, CBS will still be airing their games online as well. Check out their website for a schedule of which games are streaming live.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Oh, and here's a link to both the men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket was finalized on Wednesday night when the final game of the First Four was completed, meaning March Madness will begin in earnest on Thursday morning. The game that should be most important to readers in Minnesota will happen a little bit later when the South Dakota State Jackrabbits take on the Baylor Bears, but college basketball fans will probably enjoy every second of Thursday's Big Dance coverage.
The Jackrabbits enter the tournament as the No. 14 seed so their matchup with the Bears isn't going to be an easy one, especially when considering the higher seed in a bit more athletic than St. Cloud, Minn., native Nate Wolters and the rest of his Jackrabbits teammates. Whoever wins that game will advance to play the winner of Thursday evening's matchup between the Colorado Buffaloes and UNLV Runnin' Rebels.
Earlier this week, we posted where to find printable brackets for both the men's and women's 2012 NCAA Tournament.
The full schedule for Thursday, separated by location, is included below. All times are Eastern
Louisville (West Region)
12:15 p.m.: No. 6 Murray State vs. No. 11 Colorado State, CBS
2:45 p.m.: No. 3 Marquette vs. No. 14 BYU, CBS
6:50 p.m.: No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Western Kentucky, TBS
9:20 p.m.: No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Connecticut, TBS
Pittsburgh (East Region)
12:40 p.m.: No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Southern Miss, truTV
3: 10 p.m.: No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 16 UNC-Asheville, truTV
7:20 p.m.: No. 7 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 West Virginia, TNT
9:50 p.m.: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Loyola Maryland, TNT
Portland (West Region)
1:40 p.m: No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 13 Davidson, TBS
4:10 p.m.: No. 5 New Mexico vs. No. 12 Long Beach St., TBS
7:15 p.m.: No. 5 Wichita State vs. No. 12 VCU, CBS
9:45 p.m.: No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 New Mexico State, CBS
Albuquerque (East Region)
2:10 p.m.: No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 13 Montana, TNT
4:40 p.m.: No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 Harvard, TNT
7:27 p.m.: No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 South Dakota State, truTV
9:57 p.m.: No. 6 UNLV vs. No. 11 Colorado, truTV
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Oh, and here's a link to both the men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket was released on Sunday night, but things are changing every day for the rest of the week. The First Four began on Tuesday night with a pair of teams being eliminated, meaning a pair of teams have also been added to SB Nation's printable bracket!
The bracket wasn't all that confusing before it was updated it considering the only updates they needed to do were cross off Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils and Iona Gaels after losing their games on Tuesday night, but it will make it foolproof for those that haven't been keeping a keen eye on the basketball world this week (which we're sure will change by Thursday morning).
Anyway, here's the 2012 NCAA Tournament printable bracket, updated through the first two games of the First Four (Hint: Make sure to use your sleeper pick on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, the Cinderella of the South).
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Oh, and here's a link to both the men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket isn't ripe for as many upsets as is usually expected, but there are still some Cinderella teams in the mix. The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are one such team playing basketball while looking for their other shoe (or whatever it is that causes the Cinderella moniker).
Nate Wolters, a native of St. Cloud, got some good publicity on Tuesday morning when SB Nation's Bill Connelly wrote about the South region of the March Madness tourney. Connelly isn't high on anyone coming out of the South, but if there's an upset to be had, he chose the Jackrabbits.
I made a point yesterday to mention how Baylor lost only two games all season to teams outside of Pomeroy's Top 10, which makes the Jackrabbits an unlikely Cinderella pick. But the road isn't any easier for teams like New Mexico State, Colorado or last year's Cinderella VCU. If SDSU can somehow take Baylor out, they would face a semi-friendly matchup in the Round of 32. VCU, meanwhile, must take out the second- and third-best teams in the region (according to Pomeroy) to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Connelly also gave credit to Wolters by listing him as the player most likely to single-handedly take down region heavyweight writing the following about the South Dakota State star:
Nate Wolters, South Dakota State. Quite simply, the 6-foot-4 junior is SDSU's offense. He takes one-third of the Jackrabbits' shots when he is on the court (16.5 field goal attempts per game), he gets to the line (7.1 free throw attempts per game), and when he isn't shooting, he's either setting up a shooter (6.0 assists per game) or grabbing a rebound (5.2 boards per game). He isn't much of a 3-point shooter (24 percent), but he gets hot on occasion, and when he does, look out. For the season, Wolters averaged almost as many points (21.3) as SDSU's No. 2 and No. 3 scorers combined (22.0).
It was noted here earlier today that Jordan Dykstra could also surprise the Bears, but Wolters would be the one to single-handedly destroy them.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Oh, and here's a link to both the men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits aren't getting a lot of love the in the 2012 NCAA bracket predictions in their matchup against the Baylor Bears. All hope isn't lost in March Madness, however, as there are some out there that think the Jackrabbits might have the right pieces to pull off an upset.
St. Cloud, Minn., native Nate Wolters obviously gets the majority of the publicity, but there's a sleeper on the team that could create some havoc. Jordan Dykstra, the team's pick-and-pop power forward, could be a Giant Killer according to ESPN.
Nate Wolters gets all the pub with his 21.3 ppg and 6.0 apg, but Dykstra could be the difference-maker if the Jackrabbits justify the hype that's building around the program. Why? Because at 6-foot-8, he can pull opposing bigs away from the paint thanks to his 48.6 percent 3-point shooting.
Dykstra averaged 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this season while making 51 of his 105 3-point attempts.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit our 2012 NCAA Tournament StoryStream. Oh, and here's a link to both the men's and women's printable NCAA Tournament bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket was released on Sunday and, after a couple of days of research, the predictions have been posted around the web. Those that have posted their idea of the perfect bracket haven't made the pick that most affects SB Nation Minnesota, however, as none of the experts have decided that the South Dakota St. Jackrabbits have a chance against the Baylor Bears.
Seth Davis opined during the selection show that the Jackrabbits have a chance against the Bears, but since his bracket hasn't been posted yet, there's no telling if he's decided to change his mind. The Bears are an easy pick considering they're led by an extremely athletic crew featuring Perry Jones III, Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller, but that didn't stop the Jackrabbits when they were able to trounce the Washington Huskies back in December.
Baylor might end up looking past the Jackrabbits, led by St. Cloud, Minn., native Nate Wolters. That woudn't be a good idea, however, as they shot nearly 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc as a team while featuring a slew of shooters including Jordan Dykstra, Griffan Callahan, Brayden Calrson and Chad White.
It might not be the easiest pick to make, but if it were easy, they wouldn't called it March Madness.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. Here's the full 2012 NCAA bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament brackets have been released for both the men and women, meaning March Madness is officially in effect. While that means plenty of exciting basketball over the next month, the immediate concern should be finding enough printable brackets to fill out before ripping them up by Friday afternoon.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers weren't included in either version of the Big Dance -- though the men made the 2012 NIT Tournament bracket -- but our neighbors to the West are included as the South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's and women's teams both won the Summit League to earn automatic bids.
Anyway, back to the brackets. SB Nation has everyone covered with a printable 2012 NCAA men's tournament bracket while a printable women's bracket is included on the NCAA's official site.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket was released on Sunday night, and while the seeding seemed to be spot-on for the majority of college basketball's best teams, upsets are bound to occur. There might not be a matchup riper for that than Thursday night's game between the South Dakota St. Jackrabbits and Baylor Bears.
The Jackrabbits, led by St. Cloud, Minn., native Nate Wolters, have a 19 percent chance to pull out a first round victory using their role as "giant killers," according to ESPN. A "giant killer" seems like it might be a vague term, and 19 percent doesn't seem all that high, but ESPN apparently has their upset formula down to a science.
The basis of our research, then, relies on figuring out what characteristics differentiate those 71 teams from the squads who failed to pull off major upsets or the Giants who avoided an early exit. A number of similarities have emerged, and in a nutshell, successful Giant Killers tend to play a higher risk/reward game than their losing mid-major counterparts.
That means they tend to excel in at least one of a few key areas. They take a lot of 3-pointers and connect at a high percentage. They force a lot of turnovers and protect the ball when they have possession. They dominate the offensive glass and hold their own on the defensive boards. The best Giant Killers embody many of these qualities, and, when you think about it, it makes perfect sense that those strategies lead to upsets. When everything clicks, a team that plays this way generates a ton of extra possessions (and maximizes them with the 3-ball). And all it takes in the tourney is that one good day to move on to the next round.
It makes sense that ESPN thinks the Jackrabbits could be giant killers since that was already mentioned on the CBS Sports selection show, but is it really possible for South Dakota State to be a much more athletic team in the Baylore Bears?
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. Here's the full 2012 NCAA bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket was released on Sunday night, as the majority of the readers that found this likely already know. The Minnesota Golden Gophers weren't included (instead they'll be playing their way through the 2012 NIT Tournament bracket), but our neighbors to the west -- the South Dakota St. Jackrabbits -- were.
Even if the Gophers and Jackrabbits don't matter to our readers, a printable bracket is still pretty important for the office pools everyone will sign up for before Thursday morning. SB Nation has you covered with that, too, as they released the printable 2012 NCAA bracket as soon as the field was announced on Sunday night.
For those that need a little more help relating to their bracket, we've done the heavy-lifting on the Jackrabbits roster in case anyone wants to predict an upset over the Baylor Bears (like CBS Sports' Seth Davis did during the bracket selection show).
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. Here's the full 2012 NCAA bracket.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits aren't the favorites in the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, but St. Cloud, Minn., native Nate Wolters will be looking to make his team show the nation why the term March Madness was invented.
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March is always the best time of year for college hoops. But in Minnesota, the Madness is muted since the Gophers haven't been relevant for way too long.
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The South Dakota State Jackrabbits were given a No. 14 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, meaning a matchup with the fourth-seeded Baylor Bears will take place on Thursday. The March Madness game times weren't initially released with the bracket, but that changed late Sunday night.
The Jackrabbits will play the Bears in Albuquerque at 7:27 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday night, according to a press release from Turner Sports. The game will be televised on TruTV and Spero Dedes, Bob Wenzel and Jamie Maggio will have the announcing and play-by-play duties.
It's certainly worth tuning in to watch St. Cloud, Minn., native Nate Wolters and the rest of the Jackrabbits work for the upset, especially since CBS Sports analyst Seth Davis has already predicted an upset.
The biggest name predicting an upset this early is CBS analyst Seth Davis, and considering he did it during the Selection Sunday show, the Baylor coach Scott Drew took notice.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. Here's the full 2012 NCAA bracket.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits have their mind set on becoming a Cinderella team at the 2012 NCAA Tournament and they will certainly see their fair share of David vs. Goliath matchups if they hope to make a run. Not only will they see a very talented team in Baylor to begin the tournament, they could potentially face Duke, Indiana and/or Kentucky should they advance to the second weekend.
Here is their complete bracket:
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Mississippi Valley State/Western Kentucky (Thursday)
No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 UConn (Thursday)
No. 5 Wichita State vs. No. 12 VCU (Thursday)
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 New Mexico State (Thursday)
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh (Friday)
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Xavier (Friday)
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 South Dakota State (Thursday)
No. 6 UNLV vs. No. 11 Colorado (Thursday)
Certainly not easy, but if being a bracket buster was so easy, everyone would do it. The Jackrabbits need to put their focus directly towards the Baylor Bears. If they somehow pull the massive upset, then you start looking down the road a bit.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. Here's the full 2012 NCAA bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket was released Sunday evening with the South Dakota St. Jackrabbits receiving a No. 14 seed and an ensuing matchup with the Baylor Bears. The Jackrabbits certainly aren't a team many people were able to watch on a regular basis this season, but there are a few pundits already predicting an upset in Albuquerque for St. Cloud native Nate Wolters and his team.
The biggest name predicting an upset this early is CBS analyst Seth Davis, and considering he did it during the Selection Sunday show, the Baylor coach Scott Drew took notice.
Coach Scott Drew is used to his team being called underachievers. So he had to laugh when, seconds after the South Regional bracket was unveiled, CBS analyst Seth Davis said the third-seeded Bears (27-7) would lose to 13th-seeded South Dakota State (27-7) in their NCAA opener. "They barely had a chance to say our name before we're getting beat," Drew said.
If the Jackrabbits are able to defeat the Bears, they would play either the UNLV Runnin' Rebels or Colorado Buffaloes.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. Here's the full 2012 NCAA bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket was released on Sunday and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits were given a No. 14 seed. While not many will give them a chance, they could certainly become Cinderella in the coming weeks and wreck a few brackets across the country. If South Dakota State hopes to make a run, their trail to the Sweet 16 will not be easy.
Their first matchup will be with the Baylor Bears, who have the talent and skill to beat just about any team in the country. That being said, this team has a knack for falling asleep for periods of time and head coach Scott Drew does not exactly have the best track record in big games.
Should the Jackrabbits pull the huge upset, they would face either the UNLV Runnin' Rebels or Colorado Buffaloes in round three. The Rebels cooled off a bit down the stretch after once being projected for a No. 3 or 4 seed, while the Buffs made it by winning four games in four days at the Pac-12 Tournament.
The run to the Sweet 16 will not be easy, but every tournament needs a Cinderella. Why not South Dakota State?
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. Here's the full 2012 NCAA bracket.
It would be quite an upset if South Dakota State made a deep run in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, but you never know what might happen. The Jackrabbits face Baylor first, and if they spring an upset, suddenly they may have a chance. To track the Jackrabbits' run in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, you can find the printable bracket for the 2012 NCAA Tournament right here.
If you're looking for more NCAA Tournament resources, the bracket has links to team blogs corresponding to the lucky 68 who made the field. You'll find all sorts of expert analysis, commentary and communities full of discussion to help you gain that extra advantage when picking your bracket.
For those ready to move beyond the paper and pen office pools, be sure to head over to Yahoo! and fill out a bracket here.
More NCAA Tournament resources:
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For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket was released on Sunday evening and, not surprisingly, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits drew a pretty difficult matchup. The Jackrabbits, with a roster headlined by St. Cloud's own Nate Wolters, will have to play the Baylor Bears in the first round.
The Bears ended the season with a 27-7 overall record, including an impressive 12-6 record in the Big 12, before losing to the Missouri Tigers in the conference championship on Saturday. Baylor may not have the most talented team, per se, but they probably have one of the most talented lineups.
In fact, ESPN's Eamonn Brennan wrote that they could potentially make the Elite Eight:
The Bears have been inconsistent and frustrating at times this season, but with future lottery pick Perry Jones III (who played two of the best games of his life in wins over Kansas and Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament), Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller, they have one of the nation's most talented lineups. And also, let's remember one thing: We're talking about Baylor, not a national hoops power. Traditionally speaking, anything past the opening weekend is a bonus.
Wolters will have other ideas, methinks, but that's a lot of praise for the Jackrabbits' first round opponent.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. Here's the full 2012 NCAA bracket.
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket was announced on Sunday afternoon with the South Dakota St. Jackrabbits receiving a 14 seed in the South Region. The Jackrabbits' first opponent will be the Baylor Bears, with that game scheduled to be played on Thursday in Albuquerque. If the Jackrabbits can pull the upset, they will face the winner of the game between the No. 6 seed UNLV and No. 11 Colorado on Saturday
The Jackrabbits earned the 14 seed after winning the 2012 Summit League Tournament. The Jackrabbits had to rally from a 12-point deficit, forcing overtime and eventually defeating the Western Illinois Leathernecks to win the crown. St. Cloud, Minn., native Nate Wolters averages nearly 24 points per game and is obviously the man to watch for those getting a late jump on the Jackrabbits bandwagon.
The Jackrabbits weren't expected to even make the NCAA Tournament, but making a run through the Summit League Tournament as the No. 2 seed earned them the automatic berth to the Big Dance. It'll be interesting to see how many upsets they're able to pull off.
Here is a complete look at the South Region:
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Mississippi Valley State/Western Kentucky (Thursday)
No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 UConn (Thursday)
No. 5 Wichita State vs. No. 12 VCU (Thursday)
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 New Mexico State (Thursday)
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh (Friday)
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Xavier (Friday)
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 South Dakota State (Thursday)
No. 6 UNLV vs. No. 11 Colorado (Thursday)
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. Here's the full 2012 NCAA bracket.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are the first team from their state to make it to the NCAA Tournament, thanks to their automatic berth from winning the Summit League tourney. There's plenty more to be done, however, as the team patiently waits on Selection Sunday to find out which seed they'll receive.
Head coach Scott Nagy talked to the Argus Leader and, while he's holding out hope the Jackrabbits might get a coveted 12 seed, it seems South Dakota State will be given a 13 seed.
"I feel pretty strong about being able to get a 13 seed," Nagy said. "We feel like if everything fell right, we might be able to get a 12."
Landing a 12 would be encouraging from a historical standpoint in that 36 teams seeded in that spot have pulled first-round upsets since 1985. That's 13 more than No. 13 seeds.
The Jackrabbits are led by St. Cloud, Minn., native Nate Wolters, meaning the majority of Minnesotans may as well get caught up with their story and jump on the bandwagon with the Minnesota Golden Gophers not playing in the Big Dance.
For more on the Jackrabbits, visit our team page. For more coverage of South Dakota State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. Here's the full 2012 NCAA bracket.
When to tune-in and what to expect on Selection Sunday
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South Dakota State in their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance are being given a 13 seed in the first projections of Bracketology.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits earned an NCAA Tournament berth on Tuesday night with their Summit League championship victory. St. Cloud native Nate Wolters and company are worth rooting for during March Madness.
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It took overtime, but the South Dakota State Jackrabbits punched their first ticket to the NCAA tournament on Tuesday night, defeating the Western Illinois Leathernecks 52-50 in the Summit League championship game.
Senior Griffan Callahan hit a three-pointer with a little less than a minute and a half remaining in overtime to put the Jackrabbits up by two. With South Dakota State's crowd going nuts, the Leathernecks turned the ball over on a shot clock violation on the ensuing possession and failed to get a good shot off as time expired after forcing a turnover with nine seconds remaining.
Nate Wolters, a native of St. Cloud, Minnesota, struggled throughout the game, only making five of his 22 shot attempts, but he still finished with a team-high 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. Callahan added 10 points, none bigger than the three ball in overtime to send the Jackrabbits dancing.
For more college basketball, be sure to visit SB Nation's NCAA basketball hub.
SB Nation's latest bracketology post was released on Tuesday morning. If the South Dakota State Jackrabbits can win Tuesday night's Summit League championship, it seems they're looking at being seeded lucky number 13 in in the March Madness tournament.
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