March Madness Breakdown Show (B/R)
The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament brackets were revealed Sunday evening with Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas and Baylor highlighting what is expected to be a competitive March Madness.
In addition to the bracket being revealed, NCAA men’s basketball reporter Andy Katz shared his predictions for the tournament, including his top upsets, sleepers and Cinderellas.
NCAA March Madness @MarchMadnessMBB
???? <a href=”https://twitter.com/TheAndyKatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@TheAndyKatz</a>’s Bracket Prediction!<br><br>Fill out your <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#MarchMadness</a> bracket:<br>???? <a href=”https://t.co/ZiCZiRyfFS”>https://t.co/ZiCZiRyfFS</a> <a href=”https://t.co/Nhn1H7kqa0″>pic.twitter.com/Nhn1H7kqa0</a>
Katz kicked things off by breaking down the West Region. One of the biggest upsets he had from the West came in the form of No. 3 Texas Tech defeating No. 2 Duke to advance to the Elite Eight. However, he ended up picking No. 1 Gonzaga to reach the Final Four over Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders have a talented lineup that features Bryson Williams, Terrance Shannon Jr. and Davion Warren, who could cause some significant defensive issues for the Blue Devils. However, Gonzaga is just too talented, and it’s hard to imagine Texas Tech getting past the Bulldogs.
Katz also picked No. 11 Rutgers as a sleeper to make the second round after starting out against Indiana in the First Four.
Moving on to the East Region, Katz had some interesting choices for his picks to advance to the Elite Eight after picking the top four seeds—No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 Kentucky, No. 3 Purdue and No. 4 UCLA—to reach the Sweet Sixteen. He picked UCLA and Purdue to reach the Elite Eight, with the Boilermakers ultimately winning the region to set a date with Gonzaga in Final Four.
Despite not winning the Big Ten title, Purdue has one of the best players in the nation in Jaden Ivey, who averaged 17.3 points per game this season. He was a big reason why the Boilermakers made the Big Ten tournament title game, and he will undoubtedly be a factor in any potential run the team makes this month.
Katz’s South Region picks was straightforward, as he predicted No. 1-seeded Arizona and No. 2-seeded Villanova will reach the Elite Eight. Based on the way both teams have been playing recently, those aren’t bad choices.
Katz stuck with the chalk and picked the Arizona to reach the Final Four.
The Wildcats have had a magical season under first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd. Powered by Bennedict Mathurin, Christian Koloko and Dalen Terry, Arizona has established itself as one of the teams to beat in this tournament.
Katz had more upsets in the Midwest Region, as he selected No. 5 Iowa and No. 2 Auburn to reach the Elite Eight. He really liked Iowa’s momentum toward the end of the season en route to winning the Big Ten tournament, so he picked the Hawkeyes to reach the Final Four.
Katz’s biggest upset came in the Final Four via Purdue defeating Gonzaga to reach the title game. The Boilermakers have never won an NCAA championship. Gonzaga is also hungry for its first title after finishing as the runner-up last season. With players like Chet Holmgren, Drew Timme and Julian Strawther, the Bulldogs will undoubtedly be a tough out.
As for the other half of the bracket, Katz picked Arizona to defeat Iowa to reach the championship game. He then projected the Wildcats would beat Purdue to earn their first title since 1997.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
