Tournament preview: Part 2

All 68 teams have been selected, and unlike Selection Sunday, we won?t learn any outcomes early from here on out.

This NCAA basketball season, ?parity? has become a household word, and it has led to one of the more exciting and competitive seasons I can remember.

No top team is infallible, with a record 23 losses among the No. 1 seeds, and much debate as to who is deserving of those top spots.

In the days leading up to the second round of the tournament which will begin on Thursday, I will preview certain aspects of the upcoming NCAA Tournament, to help you prepare your bracket for the Washington Evening Journal Tournament Challenge, presented by Pizza Hut.

Follow the instructions in the box below this article to join our group, free of charge, on ESPN.com, and battle with other area readers for bragging rights and a few free pizzas.

Each article this week will give my opinion about a team that has been dubbed a ?favorite? and detail why they will and won?t win the NCAA tournament, along with a team that I think can pull off a big upset in the early rounds and a game that everyone should make sure to tune in to this weekend.

Happy basketball, everyone.

STARTING WITH THE BEST

They?ve been one of the most talked-about favorites of this tournament, and after being spurned for No. 1 seed, Michigan State would appear to be on a mission to prove the selection committee wrong.

With the Spartans, everything starts with stud senior (and possible national Player of the Year) Denzel Valentine.

Valentine does it all, scoring more than 19 points per game, dishing out seven assists per game and grabbing seven rebounds per game, but when he missed time in the middle of the year due to injury, the Spartans had to adapt.

Since his return, Valentine and the Spartans seem to be a better team since they knocked off Kansas at the beginning of the season, and very well could meet the Jayhawks in the final game.

Aside from the chip on their shoulder from receiving a No. 2 seed, the Spartans may need to see it as a blessing in disguise, as they will play their possible Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games close to home in Chicago, while the Midwest region?s No. 1 seed Virginia, will be seeing it as a road game.

However, with Valentine?s production, teams will be keying on him, and if he is neutralized (as we saw early in the Big 10 season), teams can find a way to beat the Spartans.

Also, one reason for possible concern is to look at why the selection committee pushed the AP No. 2 ranked Spartans to the two line. Perhaps there is something there they have noticed that we didn?t. When you look at the Big 10 conference, with regular-season champ Indiana earning a five seed, perhaps it wasn?t as good as everyone thought.

UPSET CITY

With so much parity in college basketball this season, nearly any matchup could prove to be a shocking upset, but today, I?ll go with one of the popular 12-5 matchups.

Most years, a 12 seed will knock off a five seed, but the trick is figuring out where it will happen. This year, the best matchup is in the South region.

No. 12 seed South Dakota State comes into the tournament after winning the Summit League tournament, and will look to knock off Maryland in the second round.

SDSU is one of the better defensive teams in the nation, holding opponents to 41.5 percent shooting, and had a plus-5.2 rebounding differential per game.

If you look at common games between Maryland and the Jackrabbits, SDSU defeated Minnesota early in the season. The same Golden Gophers defeated Maryland.

With Maryland?s turnover tendencies (13.1 per game) and SDSU?s ability to take care of the ball, the Terps could be in trouble on Friday afternoon.

GAME TO WATCH

If you like good defense, check out Friday?s late game between Cincinatti and St. Joe?s.

The Bearcats, under Mick Cronin, play stout defense in the American Athletic Conference, and had it not been for UConn?s miracle 60-foot bank shot, could have very well been the conference tournament champions.

Their defense, which allows 62.9 points per game, will be tested against a team in St. Joe?s which doesn?t turn the ball over too often, and also holds opponents to under 70 points per game.

Cincinnati should have enough firepower behind junior guard Troy Caupain to knock off the Hawks.