NCAA Bracket Preview, Predictions: No. 7 Washington Vs. No. 10 Georgia

Did any two teams in the 2011 NCAA Tournament East region have more disparate conference tourney endings than the No. 7 Washington Huskies and No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs? While the Dawgs -- I mean, Huskies -- won the Pac-10 on a buzzer-beater by Isaiah Thomas that produced a Gus Johnson moment, the Dawgs -- I mean, Bulldogs -- slumped in with a second loss to Alabama that had snuffed out all March Madness hopes, according to the experts, at least.

While the numbers favor Washington by a wide margin and across the board, Trey Thompkins has kept UGA in just about every game this season, nearly knocking off No. 2 seeds Notre Dame and Florida in double overtime. Washington has shown what it can do in tense situations, winning both of its overtime games this year. Will the bright lights be too much for a Georgia team that struggles in the second half?  

Star Watch: Thomas and Thompkins, obviously, but don't forget about Travis Leslie, Dominique Wilkins' Athens slam dunking heir apparent, or Matthew Bryan-Amaning, a big inside presence poised for a strong game after foul trouble limited much of his Pac-10 Tournament effectiveness.

Prediction: Chris Dobbertean has Washington taking care of Georgia in his NCAA Tournament predictions; I'd like to take the Bulldogs in an overtime thriller, but their tendency to crumble under pressure means just getting to the Dance will have to count as their big achievement for the year. 

More Reading: Huskies fans should visit UW Dawg Pound and SB Nation Seattle, while UGA fans should head to Dawg Sports and SB Nation Atlanta. Dawg-on-Dawg blogging, y'all.

Need help picking your bracket? Check out SB Nation's full 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions, picking every game of March Madness, or our region by region breakdowns for the East Region, West Region, Southeast Region, and Southwest Region.

Did your team miss the 2011 NCAA Tournament? We have you covered: check out the 2011 NIT bracket.