5 bold predictions for the NCAA tournament

While Thursday, March 17 is traditionally celebrated as St. Patrick's Day, there's a second reason to rejoice as the clock turns this year.

The NCAA tournament's first round officially kicks off just past noon. Duke and UNC Wilmington will do the honors, tipping off in Providence, R.I. This year's event comes following one of the most unpredictable regular seasons in recent memory.

Whether that trend continues into March Madness is yet to be seen, but here are five predictions that are 100 percent guaranteed to occur in this year's edition.

America is about to fall in love with Buddy Hield

To those who followed college hoops throughout the entire regular season, Oklahoma star Buddy Hield is a household name. The nation's second-leading scorer has torched the nets to the tune of 25 points per game in his senior season, and is rightly one of the finalists for the Wooden Award. A 46-point effort against Kansas in early January was his coming out party, and the "almost" buzzer-beater against West Virginia showed he can shine on the big stage. Hield hits 46 percent of his threes on the season, and the Bahamas native is widely regarded as one of the nicest players in the country. Outstanding range on the jumper, and an all-world personality? Sounds like a certain Mr. Curry in Golden State, doesn't it?

Kansas won't make the Final Four

As the No. 1 overall seed and odds-on favorite in the tournament, Kansas is a popular pick to take the court in Houston for the Final Four. The Jayhawks enter the event on fire, winning their last 14 games, but don't expect to see them in Texas the first weekend of April. While Kansas has a deep team, it lacks the one superstar who can take over a game. A potential second-round matchup with UConn likely looms. The Huskies were thought to be a bubble team until a 75-foot buzzer-beater helped get them into the tournament. If Kevin Ollie's bunch can't pull of the upset, look for a loaded Maryland team, which is probably under-seeded at No. 5, to do the deed.

Virginia will hold Hampton to 45 points or less

We hear it every year - a No. 16 has never beaten a No. 1. But don't look at the Virginia-Hampton matchup as the one that will break that streak. Not only will the Cavaliers handle the Pirates, but they'll totally shut them down, holding their offense to 45 points or less. Hampton ranks 141st in the nation, averaging 74.8 points per game, but shoots just 30 percent from beyond the arc. This will be a beatdown against one of the top defensive units in the country. You won't be seeing any wild celebrations by the Hampton coaching staff in the first round.

Kentucky will navigate a murderer's row and reach the Final Four

For Kentucky to reach the Final Four as the 4-seed in the loaded East Region, It will have to potentially go through heavyweight programs Indiana, North Carolina, and either Xavier or West Virginia. Sounds daunting, but John Calipari's all-world backcourt of Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray are up to the task. While top recruit Skal Labissiere has disappointed all season, recent flashes will lead to a breakout performance and a Drake sighting on the sidelines during the final weekend in Houston.

Maryland will cut down the nets on April 4th

Maryland hung around the top of the rankings throughout the season, before a late-season plunge landed it as a 5-seed for the tournament. Despite a difficult road in the South Region, the Terrapins will push aside all comers and win the program's first national championship since 2002 behind Most Outstanding Player Melo Trimble's domination. The finals will be littered with camera shots of Juan Dixon, Steve Francis, Lonny Baxter, and Steve Blake, as CBS' Jim Nantz punctuates the victory by ripping off LeBron James' "Win one for the Land" slogan.