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

Let’s get this out of the best way: 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 decide and completed within the a centesimal percentile (41,822nd out of over 20 million brackets) on ESPN. A yr in the past, we ran it again with UConn and as soon as once more completed within the a centesimal percentile. General, our final 4 nationwide champion picks have a minimum of made it to the Remaining 4.

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

I’ve gone backwards and forwards between Auburn, Duke and Florida for my nationwide title decide 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 decide, 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 yr.

South Area

Lots of people are claiming that Auburn received 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 imagine it’s.

UC San Diego over Michigan is a stylish upset decide for good cause. The Tritons are a prime 40 staff within the nation in line with each metric and the Wolverines, regardless of their nice run within the Large Ten match, have been profitable shut video games at a historic fee all season lengthy. Prepare to talk Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones.

Texas A&M survives the annual terrific March efficiency from an Ivy League staff, 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 in opposition to Johni Broome within the submit.

North Carolina goes full 2011 VCU on this area (or a minimum of nearly full 2011 VCU). The staff that had no professional case to be on this subject will get scorching, goes nuts and rolls all the best way to the Elite Eight. The Heels have two tremendous powers at drive right here: 1) The scorned ACC staff that no one believes in energy. 2) The scorned First 4 staff that no one believes in energy. Mix these forces and you’ve got an Elite Eight run.

Marquette, which doesn’t precisely come into this match using a excessive, pulls a “reverse Marquette” and knocks off an overachieving 2-seed in Michigan State earlier than operating into the red-hot Heels within the second weekend. Carolina’s magic runs out in a significant means is that they run right into a buzzsaw in opposition to 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 and so they push top-seeded Florida to the brink earlier than falling.

Purple-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 in opposition to Arkansas, they stun St. John’s and Rick Pitino to maneuver onto the Candy 16.

Florida and Texas Tech each deal with enterprise within the regional semifinals to arrange what I believe would wind up being the most effective recreation of the Elite Eight. The Gators get it achieved and punch their ticket to San Antonio.

East Area

There’s going to be a minimum of one tremendous chalky area this yr, 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 staff that has performed above its degree all season lengthy.

The results of this chalk is an amazing second weekend with Duke and Arizona taking part in a rematch of the 2001 title recreation, and BYU and Alabama taking part in a recreation that would 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 probably the most anticipated recreation of the Elite Eight. The efficiency solidifies the Blue Devils as everybody’s favourite heading into the Remaining 4.

Midwest Area

The final 15 years have proven us that there’s at all times a minimum of one area that surprisingly falls aside a bit of bit and produces a Remaining 4 staff seeded seventh or worse. In recent times I’ve been excellent at predicting the area, however not getting the staff proper (took James Madison final yr and Oral Roberts the yr earlier than that). As shut as I got here to creating the West that area this yr, 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 house packing after a single recreation.

Houston survives the upset decide that everybody thinks goes to occur by caring for Gonzaga and stopping the Bulldogs one win wanting changing 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 evenly 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 recreation is a type of regional finals that you may’t actually clarify (suppose Duke-NC State final yr). I believe Houston may be very, excellent. I don’t suppose UCLA is all that good. So how do I believe UCLA beats Houston and sends Mick Cronin to his second Remaining 4? I’ve no Earthly thought.

March.

Remaining 4

Duke brings UCLA again right down to Earth with a Remaining 4 beatdown within the first semifinal. The second recreation is a basic, as Auburn’s one main weak spot — its tendency to run a bit scorching 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 recreation since 2007.

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