The Brackets, with barometric Pressure.

March Madness tends to bring all of the so-called "experts" out of the woodwork, and that's no different at News 14 Carolina. Mind you, I'm not lumping myself in as the resident Bracketologist, but there is one guy that thinks he's got the M.D. after his college hoops name.

Weather guy Joshua McKinney. Yeah, the weather guy.

Now, he knew I was gonna dig the needle in a little bit, but I will give him props for winning the News 14 Carolina bracket challenge a couple years ago, so in the interest of giving you more free advice for your brackets, Josh knocked out some thoughts about how he sees the field of 68 playing out. Enjoy.

Mike Solarte

"I know, I know! Why is a weather brain adding his two cents on the NCAA Tournament and attempting to forecast who wins? Shouldn't you just focus on the weather? Not like you get that right, so why are you weighing in on sports?

I get it. I'm out of my league and stand no chance to make the right picks. That's exactly where I want to be, overlooked like a lot of the field. Call me Villanova '85 edition, I'm Butler, compare me to George Mason that's perfectly fine in my book. I'm the epitome of a Cinderella thinker in a world of Ohio State and Kansas sports royalty at News 14 Carolina.

East Region: A chalk baller, but the top three seeds survive the first weekend. My only roundhouse right is West Virginia upending Kentucky in the second round. The second weekend will be appointment TV when Ohio State plays West Virginia and Syracuse squares off against North Carolina. The Mountaineers are not the same team from last year, so Ohio State marches on. A tough game to forecast, but I see Syracuse having all the right answers against UNC. Syracuse in a nail biter, but the energy spent winning the game takes a bite out of the Orange. Ohio State takes advantage of the UNC/Syracuse fight and proceeds to Houston.

West Region: I agree with Swami Solarte giving Duke and Michigan a date in the second round. However, I've spent a lot of time comparing schedules and notes. I keep coming back to the belief the selection committee has a devil for the details in this probable match up. I'm leaning upset here. Will I pick Michigan? Probably not since it's in Charlotte, but it's so tempting, stands out on my radar and is not getting a lot of national attention. I'm also on the Big Ten gravy train for Penn State. Can the Nittany Lions shock the basketball world and upend San Diego State? “Do you believe in miracles, yes!”. At the moment I have a partly cloudy vision of Texas and Connecticut in the Regional Final and UConn advancing to the Final Four.

Southwest Region: Rock, all chalk in this region. I'm thinking Kansas, Louisville, Purdue and Notre Dame in the second weekend. The Purdue, Notre Dame match up is a rivalry game and may be one of the most physical of the entire tournament. If this game pans out, it will be a battle! I'll lean Notre Dame. Kansas survives a close one with Louisville and will take down a rivalry weakened Irish earning a trip to the Final Four.

Southeast Region: Everyone is talking upset city in this bracket. I like the early match ups here, but believe Gonzaga lives long enough to meet Florida in the bottom of the bracket with Wisconsin facing Pitt in the upper half. Call it luck, or overall stupidity, but Pitt faces Florida with Florida (who is taking a beat down for being highly seeded) stealing a trip to Houston.

Ohio State vs Connecticut goes to Ohio State

Kansas vs Florida goes to Kansas

Kansas vs Ohio State... Drum roll please... Kansas as the 2011 NCAA Champion.

- Joshua McKinney