My Men's and Women's NCAA Tournament Picks
I feel so not good about them
It’s officially March Madness time, and with the men’s side starting the Round of 64 today, it feels like a great time to share my picks for each bracket.
And no, I will not go through all 63 picks on both brackets, goodness that would be terrible, but I’ll point out some fun ones I have for both.
Men’s Tournament Picks
I, as do like 30 percent of brackets, have picked Gonzaga to win it all. I tried, so hard, to talk myself out of picking the Zags, but I like too many things about this version of the Bulldogs.
They have a strong interior presence with Chet Holmgren and Drew Timmie, the former of which also shots over 40 percent from three, and they are a more battle-tested group than the one that played in the title game last year. The non-conference was tough, but it was the conference slate that was dramatically scaled up, and I think those will help the Zags be ready to make a run.
Some other picks to note:
Yes, I have LSU in my Elite Eight. Why? Well, by default pretty much. The bottom half of the Midwest is a hell hole with so many teams I can’t trust. Auburn is the best of the bunch but has not been as great as the highs from earlier in the season. Wisconsin wins games but has one good player and feels like a Big Ten Providence, so I’m going with Colgate, who is a veteran group that can really shoot the three ball. LSU I am banking on because I like the talent it has, and I am hoping that Will Wade’s firing lights a spark instead of making the team fall flat. I absolutely think the Tigers might lose to Iowa State immediately, but screw it, there’s always one team that makes an inexplicable run, so let’s make it LSU.
Davidson (10-seed) and South Dakota State (13) are my two double-digit picks in the Sweet 16. The Jackrabbits one is easy to explain: they score so much, and I think they are a legitimate favorite over Providence, then just have to outscore an Iowa team that also puts on the points. I’m hoping both teams break 100 in that game. The Wildcats are a very good, talented team that I certainly like over Michigan State. But why over Duke? Because I don’t like Duke, and I want Coach K’s final game to be as much of a fizzle out as possible. No monumental 15 over 2, no title run. Instead, just faltering in the Round of 32. What an end it would be.
You may have already noticed a theme here, but I don’t like the Big Ten. Unlike the women’s Big Ten, which is so much fun, the men’s side is a hellscape with like two fun teams. Because of that, I think the conference gets one Sweet 16 team, Purdue, and then the Boilermakers lose there. I like Indiana in an upset, but I expect nothing good for any of the other teams involved.
Women’s Tournament Picks
South Carolina has been the No. 1 overall seed the entire year, but watching the SEC Tournament, there are some real concerns to be had about the Gamecocks’ ability to close out games late. Their scoring went ice cold against Ole Miss and Kentucky, and it cost them a victory in the latter game.
Yes, South Carolina lost just two games all season, but I think this Stanford team, led by Haley Jones and Cameron Brink, has what it takes to repeat as champs.
Some other picks to note:
As mentioned on Monday, I think Michigan has a very doable road to the Final Four, and I made it even more manageable by picking Ole Miss to upset Baylor. I also have Louisville falling to Oregon, and while these might be easier matchups by seed, the Rebels and Ducks are excellent teams, as is BYU, so the Wolverines will have to earn it.
Florida Gulf Coast (12) and IUPUI (13) are my Sweet 16 shockers. FGCU is such a fun team led by a superstar in Kierstan Bell, and if the shots are falling, the group has what it takes to beat a very talented, but inconsistent Maryland squad. I fell in love with IUPUI early in the year when it took Michigan to OT and beat Iowa, so at least taking the Jaguars over Oklahoma was a no-brainer. But then I liked UMass over Notre Dame, so I thought why not, lets get IUPUI on a magical run.
Dayton (11) and Buffalo (13) are my other double-digit seeds I have pulling upsets. The Flyers are an excellent defensive team that proved they were capable of shooting the lights out against DePaul. I like their chances against Georgia.
Buffalo just went nuclear in the MAC tournament, a conference that is not without its fair share of talented teams. Tennessee is a stories program with another great roster, but I really, really like this Bulls team led by Dyaisha Fair. Buffalo has won nine straight and 14 of 15, and I think those streaks continue for this colossal upset.
Happy March Madness everyone. May the odds be in your favor, but more importantly, in mine.
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