March Madness. 68 teams. One shining moment. With over eight million brackets being filled out nation wide and across the world, everyone has something at stake during the tournament. Whether you pick based off of seed, color, or mascot, the adrenaline rush from watching a team win that you picked, is unrivaled. If you want to be more educated than your friends or get somewhat of a step ahead in your bracket, look no further. Scoop Sports breaks down each region to help you win your bracket pool with Brian Zimdars covering the East and West regions and Jack Kurtz on the Midwest and South regions!

East Region

via NOLA.com

The Favorite

The East should be a no-brainer right? The number one overall seed, Duke, have the best talent in the country. Duke is the obvious favorite to cut down the nets in Minneapolis thanks to Zion Williamson and RJ Barret. Their defense is their best offense and are dangerous in the open court. The one downfall to Duke is that they do not shoot the ball well from deep. In fact, they are one of the worst teams in the country from the 3point line, no team has ever been to the Final Four when ranked in the three hundreds in the country from deep. The one team that can overcome this is Duke, mainly due to their overwhelming talent. Duke does have the ability to get hot from 3 at times however, look to when they won at Virginia.

The Sleeper

Belmont. Why the Bruins? Every year since the NCAA tournament started the play-in games with the "First Four", at least one team has won a game each year. Belmont has the best chance out of this group to continue the streak as they play a cold Maryland team that is 2-3 in their last 5 games. Belmont plays well as a team by sharing the ball (see the backdoor sets they run) and shooting the deep ball at a very efficient rate. Two characteristics teams need in order to be able to win in March. Dylan Windler, is the heart and soul of Belmont. The senior guard averages a double-double and can be a name to remember. Another stat on the side of the Bruins? The 11 seed over the 6 seed has become the latest trend. Remember Loyola Chicago from last year? They were an 11 seed that made their way down to the Final Four. Belmont has a tougher road with a potential matchup with LSU looming in the second round. LSU could also be a bust however, as their head coach is suspended for wiretapping and are coming off a loss to Florida in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament. Belmont could have all the ingredients needed to make it to the Sweet 16.

Player to Watch

via MLive.com

Cassius Winston, Michigan State

The BIG 10 player of the year is someone to keep an eye on. While the Spartans have been injury riddled, Winston has been the constant behind their success of the season. The steady and experienced guard will help Sparty reach the Elite 8 and give Duke a true run for their money.

Elite 8: Duke (71) over Michigan State (64)

West Region

Hoping to strike gold? Head out west to find a goldmine of a region. Arguably the best first round matchup between guards, Markus Howard and Ja Morant, has NBA scouts salivating among many other key matchups and potential showdowns.

The Favorite

via fanduel.com

It's hard to bet against the number one seed in a region when you are the most efficient offensive team in the nation and have an All-American in Rui Hachimura. The Zags beat Duke at full strength back in November and show key losses against Tennessee and UNC. This veteran laden team has all the tools needed to win the first title in school history and have a very good shot to make it out of their highly competitive region. Their loss against St. Mary's will serve as a wake-up call that will be the driving force behind a deep run in this tournament.

The Sleeper

via SBNation.com

I am not sure if you can call them a sleeper, but Buffalo is a team that is built to make a deep run. Not new to winning in March (demolished Deandre Anton and Arizona last year), the Bulls have been a mainstay in the Top 25 all year and are virtually a lock to be in the second weekend. A possible matchup with Texas Tech in the second round will be close, however, the Red Raiders are coming off a loss to West Virginia and not doing well in your conference tournament is not a good sign for March. Buffalo has CJ Massinburg and Nick Perkins as a good one-two punch.

Player to Watch

Zavier Simpson, Michigan

Sticking with the theme of older guards, Simpson has the experience to lead Michigan on a deep run in March. The heady play, experience, and strong leadership skills that Simpson holds are great tools to have come tournament time.

The Bust

After one of the hottest starts to the year, this Marquette train ride has gone off the rails the last few weeks. Markus Howard looked like the player of the year after he led the Golden Eagles to a close victory over Villanova at home. After the Nova game, Marquette became a completely different team and ran into some hungry squads on their way to dropping four of their final five games. Why they are a bust includes: turnover prone (do not have a true ball handler), cold shooting, and a guy by the name of Ja Morant. Murray State is the expected Cinderella this year with Morant leading the Racers and their solid defense. Expect the Racers to throw Morant and OVC Defensive Player of the Year, Shaq Buchanan, on Howard to try and slow him. Expect a fast tempo and high scoring affair with the Racers edging the Golden Eagles 83-78.

Elite 8: Gonzaga (84) over Buffalo (76)

Final Four Prediction: Gonzaga (78) over Duke (77)

South Region

Perhaps the most uninspiring portion of this year's bracket comes in the South, with the highlights including Virginia, Tennessee, Villanova, and a rather intriguing first round matchup of Wisconsin-Oregon. While Coach Tony Bennett has guided his number one seed Virginia to another solid season, one cannot seem to forget about last year's loss to 16 seed UMBC. Tennessee is coming off a disappointing blow-out loss to Auburn in the SEC title game and Villanova has experienced a season full of letdowns and inconsistencies. Do not expect the South to produce "blow your socks off matchups", but the Final Four product will surely be a tried and tested foe coming into Minneapolis.

The Favorite

via rockytoptalk.com

Scoop's pick to run the South region and make it to the Final Four in Minneapolis is Rocky Top. Tennessee and Rick Barnes have compiled a stellar season within the SEC, coming close to winning their conference tournament this past weekend after losing to Auburn in the title game. In the semifinals, they were able to pull off an incredible come from behind win against Kentucky, showing a great deal of grit and perseverance. Tennessee also came in second place in regular season play within the SEC, behind LSU. Notable wins for this squad include Gonzaga, Memphis, aforementioned Kentucky, and Mississippi State. Watch for Tennessee to mow through teams such as Cincinnati, Purdue, and Villanova on their road to glory while relying on stars Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield.

The Sleeper

Deep cut for basketball heads out there, the Oregon Ducks are the South's sleeper team. Slotting in at a number twelve seed, the Ducks face a daunting first round matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers and a tough road to achieve much come tournament time. Looking for an upset? Pick Oregon to beat the Badgers in round one. Looking for a Cinderella? Follow the Oregon Trail. Payton Pritchard. Kenny Wooten. Dana Altman at the helm. A great defensive team and eight straight wins. The Ducks are here to shake up March.

Player to Watch

Payton Pritchard, Oregon (old guard #3)

The Oregon Hype Train rolls on…Payton Pritchard is the South's player to watch. Kyle Guy from Virginia leads a team who last year lost to a 16 seed. Grant Williams has struggled with foul trouble and stretching his range for Tennessee. In his junior year, Pritchard is averaging 19/5/5 on a 45/41/77 slash, all the while manning an Oregon offense operating without Bol Bol (out with a season ending injury). Pritchard has been the spark plug and floor general for a red hot Oregon team who will look to keep it flowing into tournament time.

The Bust

via Richmond Times-Dispatch

Virginia lost to UMBC last year, the first time in tournament history a one seed had ever lost to a sixteen. While it is a new year and new team, this is not a squad or head coach to be trusted on the tournament stage until they prove they are capable of otherwise. This is not to say Virginia is going to once again fall on the first day of the tournament, but do not put all of your eggs in one basket with this number one seed.

Midwest Region

The Midwest portion of this year's bracket is damn good. A solid number one seed in North Carolina faces a tough road to Indianapolis. SEC Tournament Champions Auburn were stifled with a five seed. An underappreciated and under-the-radar three seeded Houston team checks in here as well. Other squads to look out for here include Kentucky, Wofford, Seton Hall, and old man Kansas. A region full of Favorites and Cinderellas up and down the bracket.

The Favorite

"The ceiling is the roof." North Carolina will be making the trip to Indianapolis for their third Final Four in four years when all is said and done in the Midwest Region. There is not much to say here. This squad has every component needed in order to make a run to a title. Shooting. Rebounding. Talent. EXPERIENCE. The Tar Heels have looked like a championship team since the beginning of the year. Let us all just hope that Luke Maye is graduating in 2019 after what has to be his 79th year in college.

The Sleeper

via The State

Wofford will come into any gym and shoot the lights out. Every single light. They will shoot it out. This team can knock down shots from behind the arc at a crazy ridiculous clip and is the sole reason they find themselves with the potential to make a deep run into April. Leader of the pack and historic shooter, Fletcher Magee, looks to be the second coming of Kyle Korver as he is shooting a smooth 43% from behind the arc on 10.7 attempts a game. The Terriers face one of the worst draws in the entire bracket as a seven seed. They see Seton Hall on opening day and then face a likely matchup with Kentucky in the second round. *cue daunting scary music*

Player to Watch

via A Sea of Blue

Tyler Herro of Kentucky is a living and walking bucket. Herro, a true freshman, has displayed the ability to score from anywhere on the floor throughout the year and is Big Blue's go to man in crucial moments. The Wisconsin native is averaging 14/5/4 while slashing 47/37/94. The kid has a stroke from deep and will look to guide Kentucky come tournament time through the likes of Abilene Christian, Wofford, Houston, and eventually North Carolina.

The Bust

Kansas has been extremely disappointing all year and sadly, this will not come to an end when tournament time rolls around. This year's Kansas team was the first in fourteen years to not win the Big 12 regular season title. 14 years. The ending of that streak is all one needs to know in reference to this year's Jayhawk team. They have not lived up to expectations and will continue to disappoint come tournament time. Rock…Chalk…Lock to lose Jayhawk.

Check back with Scoop throughout the tournament for more coverage and analysis regarding all of the games and dramatic moments during March and into April!

written by Brian Zimdars and Jack Kurtz

edited by Jack Kurtz