March Insanity bracket predictions from our school basketball professional, with 1 massive shock

Let’s get this out of the way in which: We’ve had a few actual good years in a row on this area. Two years in the past, we nailed the UConn nationwide championship choose and completed within the one centesimal percentile (41,822nd out of over 20 million brackets) on ESPN. A 12 months in the past, we ran it again with UConn and as soon as once more completed within the one centesimal percentile. General, our final 4 nationwide champion picks have a minimum of made it to the Ultimate 4.

Principally, we’re lengthy overdue for a large regression. Fade this bracket.

I’ve gone forwards and backwards between Auburn, Duke and Florida for my nationwide title choose the final three months. I settled in on Florida a number of weeks in the past, and now they’ve turn into arguably the trendiest champion choose, which I hate. I initially picked the Gators to get knocked off by UConn within the second spherical, however thought higher of it seconds later, and so right here we’re.

If UConn winds up pulling it off, that’s your annual reminder to belief your intestine this time of 12 months.

South Area

Lots of people are claiming that Auburn obtained a uncooked cope with this bracket. Whereas I agree that getting both Creighton and Ryan Kalkbrenner or Louisville in Lexington within the second spherical is unfair, I’m not satisfied that the underside half of this bracket is as stout as some consider it’s.

UC San Diego over Michigan is a classy upset choose for good motive. The Tritons are a high 40 workforce within the nation in response to each metric and the Wolverines, regardless of their nice run within the Large Ten match, have been profitable shut video games at a historic charge all season lengthy. Prepare to talk Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones.

Texas A&M survives the annual terrific March efficiency from an Ivy League workforce, after which takes care of UCSD to arrange a Candy 16 showdown with Auburn, which will get the higher of Creighton in a Saturday afternoon thriller that pits Kalkbrenner towards Johni Broome within the publish.

North Carolina goes full 2011 VCU on this area (or a minimum of virtually full 2011 VCU). The workforce that had no legit case to be on this discipline will get sizzling, goes nuts and rolls all the way in which to the Elite Eight. The Heels have two tremendous powers at power right here: 1) The scorned ACC workforce that no person believes in energy. 2) The scorned First 4 workforce that no person believes in energy. Mix these forces and you’ve got an Elite Eight run.

Marquette, which doesn’t precisely come into this match driving a excessive, pulls a “reverse Marquette” and knocks off an overachieving 2-seed in Michigan State earlier than working into the red-hot Heels within the second weekend. Carolina’s magic runs out in a significant approach is that they run right into a buzzsaw towards Auburn within the regional remaining.

West Area

As talked about, I really feel like UConn nonetheless has some March magic left in them, which suggests they in all probability lose to Oklahoma. I’m assuming they don’t they usually push top-seeded Florida to the brink earlier than falling.

Crimson-hot Colorado State is favored over Memphis, and double-digit seeds as first spherical favorites are usually unstoppable on this match. They race previous the Tigers after which take down Maryland’s “Crab 5” (who get pushed by Grand Canyon) to make their first Candy 16 since 1969.

Drake pulls the upset of Missouri, the nationwide love for Ben McCollum intensifies, however then screeches to a halt after they run into Texas Tech. Kansas lastly performs to its potential for the primary time in two years, and after an in depth name towards Arkansas, they stun St. John’s and Rick Pitino to maneuver onto the Candy 16.

Florida and Texas Tech each care for enterprise within the regional semifinals to arrange what I feel would wind up being one of the best sport of the Elite Eight. The Gators get it finished and punch their ticket to San Antonio.

East Area

There’s going to be a minimum of one tremendous chalky area this 12 months, and the East is my wager.

Baylor over Mississippi State and Vandy over Saint Mary’s are the one first spherical “upsets,” and each of these groups are one-and-done. BYU pulls the one upset of spherical two, taking down a Wisconsin workforce that has performed above its degree all season lengthy.

The results of this chalk is an incredible second weekend with Duke and Arizona taking part in a rematch of the 2001 title sport, and BYU and Alabama taking part in a sport that might flirt with 200 complete factors. The favorites prevail as soon as once more, and Duke faces ‘Bama in the one 1 vs. 2 marchup of the match.

Duke makes an enormous assertion right here and manhandles Alabama in essentially the most anticipated sport of the Elite Eight. The efficiency solidifies the Blue Devils as everybody’s favourite heading into the Ultimate 4.

Midwest Area

The final 15 years have proven us that there’s all the time a minimum of one area that surprisingly falls aside somewhat bit and produces a Ultimate 4 workforce seeded seventh or worse. Lately I’ve been excellent at predicting the area, however not getting the workforce proper (took James Madison final 12 months and Oral Roberts the 12 months earlier than that). As shut as I got here to creating the West that area this 12 months, I’m going with the Midwest.

The insanity begins within the first spherical with Excessive Level taking out Purdue and Troy pulling the stunner of the match by as soon as once more sending Kentucky dwelling packing after a single sport.

Houston survives the upset choose that everybody thinks goes to occur by taking good care of Gonzaga and stopping the Bulldogs one win wanting turning into the primary program in NCAA match historical past to make 10 straight Candy 16s.

The actual stunner occurs on the backside of the bracket, the place flippantly considered UCLA provides to Tennessee’s prolonged historical past of March distress with a second spherical stunner. The Bruins then reap the benefits of the chaos above them to take out Illinois within the Candy 16 and arrange a regional remaining date with highly-favored Houston.

The Elite Eight sport is a kind of regional finals that you may’t actually clarify (suppose Duke-NC State final 12 months). I feel Houston may be very, excellent. I don’t suppose UCLA is all that good. So how do I feel UCLA beats Houston and sends Mick Cronin to his second Ultimate 4? I’ve no Earthly concept.

March.

Ultimate 4

Duke brings UCLA again all the way down to Earth with a Ultimate 4 beatdown within the first semifinal. The second sport is a traditional, as Auburn’s one main weak spot — its tendency to run a bit sizzling at key moments — lastly bites it. The Tigers soften down within the closing moments of regulation and open the door for Florida to advance to its first nationwide title sport since 2007.

The Gators be part of school basketball’s elite three-timers membership after topping Duke in a traditional. Walter Clayton Jr. proves as soon as and for all that guards matter essentially the most in March, as his monster efficiency is an excessive amount of for Cooper Flagg and firm.