The West Region, headlined by Michigan State, will prove to be either the first or second most competitive bracket in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

Michigan State (21/10 odds to win the West bracket) will have no problems taking down Long Island (200/1 win the West Region) in the first round, but a likely second round showdown versus Memphis (14/1 win the West Region) will be a completely different story. Everyone seems to have a different opinion on whether or not the Tigers are a legitimate team, but here are the facts: this team won 11 of 12 to close out the year, it captured the C-USA Title and it finished with a solid 26-8 final mark. Questions about how solid the wins were and the level of competition that Memphis played against are valid; however, you can rest assured that Tom Izzo and Co. won’t look past this group. Continue reading →