Top-seeded UCLA has a smooth road to the Alamo

UCLA's Kevin Love aggravated a back injury in the Pac-10 tournament, but should be ready to lead the Bruins out of the West. AP

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Underrated: West Virginia. The Mountaineers are comprised of John Beilein-bred finesse players who now play with Bob Huggins-imbedded toughness, none more so than star forward Joe Alexander. They've beaten both Pittsburgh and Connecticut over the past two weeks.

Overrated: Duke. As has been the case often in recent years, the Blue Devils peaked somewhere around mid-February, and their lack of frontcourt depth has caught up to them. Freshman Kyle Singler, in particular, appears to have hit a wall, shooting 31 percent over his past six games.

Bracket Buster: San Diego. After starting the season 8-11, the Toreros won 13 of their last 15, including victories over Gonzaga and St. Mary's to capture the West Coast Conference tournament. They also beat Kentucky at Rupp Arena earlier in the year.

Home cooking: UCLA. For the third straight year, the Bruins will have the chance to play at least two NCAA games in their home state -- this time, just 45 minutes away in Anaheim. If they advance to the regional in Phoenix, they won't even have to change their watches.

Best player you've never heard of: Josh Young, Drake. Teammate Adam Emmenecker garnered Missouri Valley Player of The Year honors for his savvy ball-handling, but Young is the Bulldogs' go-to scorer. He put up 25 against Butler in Drake's BracketBusters victory and shoots 44.6 percent from behind the arc.

Best matchup: Duke-Xavier. If these two meet in the Sweet 16, it will be fascinating to watch the Musketeers' senior backcourt duo of Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell go up against more heralded counterparts Greg Paulus and Gerald Henderson. Defensive whiz Burrell has locked down the likes of Indiana's Eric Gordon and Tennessee's Chris Lofton.

The pick: UCLA. In addition to hosting two of the tournament's biggest feel-good stories, rags-to-riches squad Drake and SEC-model Cinderella Georgia, this region boasts three of the game's six winningest active coaches: Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Connecticut's Jim Calhoun and West Virginia's Huggins. UCLA's Ben Howland might not be there yet, but he's well on his way, having reached the Final Four the past two seasons. This year's team, with the addition of all-everything forward Kevin Love, is his best squad yet, and a no-brainer to advance to San Antonio.