Villanova will emerge after tough battle with gritty BC

	Georgetown's Brandon Bowman produced 23 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in an upset of Duke earlier this season. Rich Kane/US Presswire
	RELATED • MANDEL: Atlanta Region Breakdown • MORRILL:  Oakland Region Breakdown • WINN: Washington, D.C. Region Breakdown • MANDEL: Bracket Overview • WINN: The Tourney Blog

By Seth Davis, SI.com

Underrated: Georgetown
It's helpful to remember that this team knocked off Duke and was as consistent as any team in the Big East this season. Teams in the conference may be accustomed to playing against the Hoyas' unique style, but handling the Princeton offense in the NCAA tournament is another story. Georgetown also caught a break in being in the same region with teams, most notably Ohio State and Florida, who are especially unfit to counter its strengths.

Overrated: Ohio State
Yes, the Buckeyes won the Big Ten regular-season title, but you know what? The Big Ten was overrated. Ohio State won because it was the only team that knew how to win on the road, but that masked the fact that this team is well coached but limited in talent. Ohio State also had an extremely favorable schedule inside the league. The first hot team the Buckeyes play will knock them out.

Bracket Buster: Nevada
Everyone is loving Boston College right now, but the Eagles' guards (most notably Louis Hinnant) played above their heads in the ACC tournament. Nevada, on the other hand, has very quietly been rolling over opponents out west. Nevada has much more than Nick Fazekas. Marcellus Kemp is a strong forward who shoots 3s, Ramon Sessions is an experienced point guard and Kyle Shiloh and Mo Charles are good athletes who can score.

Home Cooking: Villanova and Ohio State
Happiness is riding a bus to your first-round NCAA tournament game. Villanova and Ohio State were assigned to Philly and Dayton, respectively. It is hard to imagine either losing a game there, though the Buckeyes will have their hands full with whoever emerges from the Georgetown-Northern Iowa game.

Best Player You've Never Heard Of: Christian Maraker, Pacific
You may remember Maraker as the tall, smooth Swedish forward from last year's regular-season darlings. He doesn't have nearly the supporting cast he did last year, but Maraker is still a matchup from hell at his position. If he finds a hot hand, he's the type of player who can shoot his team over just about any opponent.

Best Matchup: Villanova-Boston College
BC is the type of team that could give Villanova problems. The Wildcats aren't so susceptible to taller teams (everyone is taller than they are). But 'Nova really depends on being the tougher team on the court, and if they play BC that may not be the case.

The Pick: Villanova
People need to stop looking at what this team doesn't have and start appreciating what it does have. The Wildcats may have a four-guard starting lineup, but they don't get outrebounded and they are not overly reliant on 3s. Yes, they need to shoot well to beat a high-quality team, but so does everyone else in America. Give me a choice between speed and size, and I'll take speed every time.