Midwest and West Region 1st round predictions.

As mentioned in my post on Monday, the number 1 seeds will go on because there will be no competition from the 16 seeds. In fact, in the past 25 years, there have been 100 games between the 1 and 16 seeds, and the closest anyone has come is 13 points, which is still a blowout loss for the 16 seed. In the midwest and west regionals, Lehigh faces a huge uphill battle versus probably the favorite in Kansas, so that's a loss. Then, in the West, where Syracuse is because of rule regulations, they face a completely overmatched Vermont team, another loss, but that will probably be the closest of the 4 this year.
The top seeds in both regions face stiff tests in their second round games no matter who goes on, in my bracket, it's Northern Iowa, who won the second best mid-major conference in the Missouri Valley. UNI would face Kansas in the second round.
Syracuse would face always scrappy and every year since 1999, when Gonzaga jumped on the national radar to stay. But, I will not move past the second round, as that's another blog coming on Friday night after midnight.
Now, onto the picks.
MIDWEST
1Kansas vs. 16Lehigh: Kansas
2Ohio St. vs. 15 UC-Santa Barbara: Evan Turner leads the Big Ten tournament champs to huge blowout victory.
3Georgetown vs. 14Ohio: God hlp me on this pick, as I picked the MAC champs to advance aganst a perennial Big East contender. Can't go against my locked ESPN Tournament challenge picks.
4Maryland vs. 13Houston: Maryland big over a way overmatched Houston team who ran a host strea to win the C-USA tourney title.
5Michigan State vs. 12New Mexico State: Kalin Lucas and Chris Allen roll past the WAC champs easily.
6Tennessee vs. 11San Diego State: After being on the bubble the past 2 years, San Diego State proves why it is in the big dance with a close victory over the Vols.
7Oklahoma State vs. 10Georgia Tech: James Anderson and is pinpoint accuracy wins a game winner for the Cowboys.
8UNLV vs. 9UNI: See above

WEST
1Syracuse vs. 16Vermont: 'Cuse
2Kansas State vs. 15North Texas: Kansas State lets North Texas go home again without a turnament victory.
3Pittsburgh vs. 14Oakland: While Oakland is a street ad neighborhood in Pittsburgh, it's not going to be enough versus the size and depth of Pitt.
4Vanderbilt vs. 13Murray St.: 13 is becoming the new 12, as I've picked 3 of the 4 number 4 seeds to go down in the first round. Vandy goes back to Nashville.
5Butler vs. 12UTEP: While UTEP is not goin to have the magical run it did in 1960, it will beat the team with the longest winning streak in the nation in the first round.
6Xavier vs. 11Minnesota: Minnesota continues its hot streak in the big ten tournament to beat Xavier.
7BYU vs. 10Florida: Jimmer Fredette will continue his high scoring against Florida and beat them.
8Gonzaga vs. 9Florida St.: See above, Gonzaga advances.

Be sure to check back Friday night after all the games are done for a full second round preview/predictions for all 4 regions.