Region Breakdown: Atlanta

Texas will spoil coveted Duke-UNC showdown and head to San Antonio

By Seth Davis, SI.com

Brandon Mouton andthe Longhorns fell to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game. AP NCAA Tournament Closer Looks Day 2 • Mark Beech: Pacific sticks to its guns • Phil Taylor: Bynum saves Yellow Jackets • Gene Menez: Vandy rides defense to victory • Gene Menez: Chalmers makes Muskies go Day 1 • John O'Keefe: Nelson revives St. Joe's • Grant Wahl: 'Bama can't rest after close call • Alexander Wolff: Manhattan could win again • Kelli Anderson: Mac keeps Syracuse alive SI Writers • Stewart Mandel: Now the fun starts • Stewart Mandel: Day 1 exposes pretenders • Seth Davis: Gonzaga will cut down the nets • Experts' Brackets: Our panel of writers' picks Second-round previews • Mike Jarvis's Game Plans: Saturday • Luke Winn: Second-round Pickoff More from SI.com • Printable brackets: Men | Women • E-mail Alerts | Hoops Bracket Challenge • Complete coverage | Daily schedule

Underrated: Xavier's placement as a No. 7 seed isn't just a reflection of how the Musketeers are underrated, it's a reflection of how the Atlantic 10 is taken too lightly as well. Don't look now, folks, but the A-10 sent four teams to the NCAA tournament, and its tourney champ -- which, incidentally, beat Cincinnati on Feb. 3 -- deserved more respect.

Overrated: Air Force is the least deserving at-large team in the field. So why are the Falcons an 11 seed? Air Force lost to Belmont and Texas-Pan American during the regular season and bowed out of the first round of the Mountain West tournament. Not only did the Falcons get a bid with an RPI ranking of 70, but they get to play a de facto home game in Denver!

Bracket buster: East Tennessee State is going to be a surprise first-round winner over a Cincinnati team that is very suspect in the backcourt, and the Bucs have a chance to get by an inconsistent Illinois squad in the second round. The NCAA tourney is a great event for making stars, and diminutive East Tennessee State point guard Tim Smith is ready to shine.

Home cooking: The Falcons caught a huge break by getting assigned to Denver, where they'll play North Carolina. Which is ironic for a group with so much access to air travel.

Best player you've never heard of: As exciting as Smith is, ETSU teammate Zakee Wadood earned Southern Conference Player of the Year honors. The 6-foot-5 senior forward is the Bucs' second-leading scorer, but he's also one of the best defenders in the country. He's the only player in the nation to lead his conference in steals and blocks.

Best matchup: As usual, the 8-9 tilt is the best choice. Everyone is busy breaking down the potential Arizona-Duke matchup in the second round, but the 'Cats are going to have trouble against a Seton Hall team that has one of the nation's best point guards in Andre Barrett.

The pick: I know everyone is hoping for a Duke-North Carolina regional final, but the Tar Heels are going to be badly outmatched by Texas, setting up the best game in this region in the Sweet 16 between Texas and Mississippi State. I've doubted the Longhorns for most of the season because they lack a true point guard, but they have been able to overcome that with their depth, experience and ability to score in many different ways. Duke beat Texas by 29 earlier this season, but I say the Longhorns get their revenge here and head for a major home-court advantage in San Antonio.