Raveling Takes His Pick in the NCAA

The NCAA basketball tournament begins today, and USC Coach George Raveling is taking a plunge with his predictions.

Here’s how Raveling sizes up the regionals:

“I like Iowa and Nevada Las Vegas in the final of the West; Indiana and Temple in the Midwest; Georgetown and Alabama in the Southeast, and North Carolina and Purdue in the East.”

Now, the envelope please for the Final Four.

“I’m going with Iowa, Indiana, North Carolina and, as a hunch, Alabama,” Raveling said.

Raveling said the toughest first-round games to call are Kentucky-Ohio State and Providence-Alabama Birmingham in the Southeast, Navy-Michigan in the East, and Georgia-Kansas State in the West.

And for a first-round upset in the East he picks Middle Tennessee State over Notre Dame.