That’s right, Bra-Nick-tology. If President Obama can have Barack-otology or whatever ESPN is calling it, then I can certainly have my own made-up word. Take that, POTUS!

Anyways, this is a very special edition of Nick’s Picks where I will break down my picks for the NCAA Tournament. I usually do quite well with these picks, last year was awful because I hopped on the bandwagon with my Hoosiers and crashed with the rest of the heartbroken cream and crimson fans. This year, I don’t have to worry about any IU favoritism blinding my judgment!

I don’t want to go off on a tangent about how pitiful and pathetic Indiana teams were this season, but it needs to be addressed.

Indiana, you should be ashamed. Purdue, last place in football and basketball? Come on, Boilers, you’re better than that. Notre Dame, I guess you have some excuses, but not enough to justify how poor the season was, for shame! Ball State, well, you already know so I won’t hound you. Evansville, IUPUI and Butler, take a look in the mirror and get better! This is the state of basketball and all of these schools let us down! No excuse!

Also, Illinois failed to get any teams in, that too is pathetic, but funnier because it’s Illinois and we don’t like our neighbors to the west.

Indiana State, Valpo and IPFW, thank you for having some integrity and finding your way into at least some kind of postseason tournament. We thank you for your accomplishments!

Nick’s NCAA Bracket Picks

South Regional – Memphis, TN

I’m starting with the south because that is where No. 1 overall seed Florida starts its journey to the Final Four. On February 18, 2014 I told my friend while sitting in his basement that Florida would win the NCAA tourney. I stand by that claim today. The Gators are going to win it all. I’m not trying to take an easy road out by picking the top seed, but like I said, I had a hunch about this team back in mid-February and I’m sticking with it. The Gators climbed the polls all season, almost silently. Nobody talked about the Gators but people are talking now and for good reason.

One key to tournament success is good play from the guard positions. Scottie Wilbekin gives the Gators that fantastic play near the top of the key. The senior is the team’s second-leading scorer and leader in assists. Casey Prather is the team’s leading scorer at 14.2 points per game and also pulls down five rebounds per contest. Offense is not where the Gators shine, but defensively Florida wreaks havoc on other teams. The Gators are third in the nation in points scored against, giving up just 57.9 points per game. If defense wins championships, this team is in a good place.

I have the Gators beating Albany in the second round before knocking off the nine seed, Pittsburgh, in the third and UCLA in the Sweet 16. In the regional final I like Florida to get by Andrew Wiggins and Kansas for a trip to the Final Four.

As for the rest of the bracket, I have just one other upset with No. 6 Ohio State knocking out No. 3 Syracuse in the round of 32. Outside of that, my South bracket is basically chalk picks all the way through.

The Pick: Florida

East Regional – New York City

Let me go on record with saying that this will be the most exciting regional to watch because I truly believe it is a wide-open bracket for 13 of the 16 teams. Yes, I am serious, I would not be shocked to see No. 15 Milwaukee or No. 11 Providence make a run here, this is a funny bracket, which makes it dangerous.

At the top we have Virginia taking on Coastal Carolina, obviously I am taking the No. 1 seeded Cavaliers in this game. After that, it’s a crazy guessing game. I do have the Cavs out into my Sweet 16, but at that point they lose to Tom Izzo and Michigan State. I again have a nine beating eight with George Washington advancing past Memphis, but my big upset is this bracket is No. 11 Providence. I think the Friars get going early and shock No. 6 North Carolina to move on and fall to Iowa State. Which brings me to my big Final Four pick.

The Iowa State Cyclones are going to the Final Four. I may get burned on this one, but the Cyclones have been slowly building up something special the past few years and have always come close to a deep run, I think this season is finally the year the Cyclones break through and will have a chance to make some noise in Dallas after squeaking by Michigan State in the regional final.

The Pick: Iowa State

West Regional – Anaheim, CA

This is where I either become a genius or a total hack. This West bracket will make or break my entire tournament picks. I have basically blown up the seeding here and it is not pretty. I have No. 1 Arizona and No. 9 Oklahoma State facing off in what should be a fantastic game in the third round, with Arizona winning. After that it just gets crazy.

I took some risks with No. 12 North Dakota State and No. 13 New Mexico State defeating No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 4 San Diego State, respectively. That will create a 12-13 matchup that I see NDSU winning to clinch the school’s first-ever Sweet 16 birth. Skip down to the lower half of the bracket and I have No. 11 Nebraska continuing its dream season with wins over No. 6 Baylor and No. 3 Creighton and Oregon falls to No. 10 BYU. No. 2 Wisconsin should be safe against most of the teams in its bracket which is why I have the Badgers in the Elite 8 and losing to Aaron Gordon and a talented Arizona squad. This bracket will be crazy if only half of my projections play out.

The Pick: Arizona.

Midwest Regional – Indianapolis, IN

Back home again in Indiana! Next year we get the Final Four, this season we can settle for a regional championship. The Midwest regional was given undefeated Wichita State as its No. 1 seed and there are a lot of people picking the Shockers to fall short of a repeat trip the Final Four. I am one of those people.

I am not calling an upset of the Shockers in the first round, but I could see either Cal Poly or Texas Southern raining on the Wichita State parade. I don’t have much evidence to back that up, it’s just a weird hunch. Either way, I like the Shockers to win game one and game two over either Kansas State or Kentucky. Most expect it to be Kentucky, I agree that it will be. The Wildcats have all the size and talent needed to beat Wichita State, but I think the Shockers silence that haters one last time before falling to defending national champion Louisville in the Sweet 16.

I have St. Louis winning its first round game over North Carolina State before losing to the Cardinals. In the 6/11 game I like the winner of the Iowa-Tennessee play-in game to knock off No. 6 UMass. No. 3 Duke beats Mercer in a game that is a little too close for comfort for the Blue Devils. Duke beats No. 11 Iowa/Tennessee and No. 2 Michigan to get to the Elite 8. Michigan should be on upset alert with a dangerous Wofford team sitting at No. 15, but I still like the Wolverines. No. 7 Texas should handle No. 10 Arizona State with ease.

In the regional final it could be any number of teams, but I have Louisville heading back to the Final Four with a win over Duke.

The Pick: Louisville

Final Four – North Texas

Okay, I have been calling the Final Four site “Dallas” thus far but that is technically incorrect and I apologize for that. The games are held in Arlington, but whatever. That’s where the Cowboys play but we don’t say that Jerry Jones is a psycho owner for the Arlington Cowboys, do we!? No, we don’t.

Anyways, I have Florida taking on Iowa State in my first national seminal and Arizona and Louisville in my other semifinal. Again, I am sticking by my February claim of Florida winning it all. The Gators make quick work of the Cyclones and Louisville gets one more upset by defeating Arizona.

In the final I have the Gators denying the repeat bid by Louisville with 76-64 win to win the school’s third national championship since 2006.

I better start working on my gator chomp.

The Pick: Florida.