NCAA Tournament Bracket: No. 5 Illinois vs. No. 12 Western Kentucky

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers became one of the Cinderella stories of last season’s tournament by advancing to the Sweet 16. (AP Images)"]

As the No. 12 seed, Western Kentucky opens against an Illinois Fighting Illini team that might be without point guard Chester Frazier.

If a good set of guards is vital in March, that makes Western Kentucky a threat to pull off another first-round upset. They are an athletic group with good perimeter players that can get hot from outside and carry the team.

It’s all about defense for the Illini, who hold foes to less than 30 percent from 3-point range and less than 40 percent from the field. Illinois is at their best in a grind-it-out game and their lack of firepower will catch up to them sooner or later.

Still, this will be a successful season regardless, considering Illinois was supposed to finish in the bottom third of the Big Ten. Get your NCAA basketball odds with Bodog now!