Rarely is the Ivy League conference champion a popular pick to upset the SEC tournament champions, but the Harvard Crimson are not your average Ivy League champ.

Harvard spent a lot of time this season in the top 25, and the Crimson's first-round opponent, the Vanderbilt Commodores are a streaky team capable of great feats (upsetting Kentucky in the SEC tournament championship) or lowly disappointments (a 61-55 loss to Indiana State, which finished under .500 in the Missouri Valley Conference).

With that in mind, SB Nation's Bill Connelly picks the No. 12 seed Crimson to win a first-round upset in his NCAA Bracket Predictions 2012. Connelly predicts the Crimson to fall to No. 4 seed Wisconsin in round two of the East region, with No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Florida State and No. 8 Kansas State joining Wisconsin in Connelly's sweet sixteen.

Yes, that means Connelly chose Syracuse to be knocked off in round two.

For more on this region and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to our StoryStream for more Harvard recaps, previews and news updates.