Yes, yes, it’s just November and the new NCAA college basketball season is just about to start. March is still a way’s away, but it’s never too early to start filling up some brackets. Before the college hoops season begins in earnest, let’s take a shot a predicting how the entire 64-team March Madness bracket eventually shakes out, from the round of 64 all the way to the national title game.
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Let’s start at the business end of the tourney: the Final Four.
If you haven’t noticed, the last couple years have been a tad chalk-y in terms of Final Four teams. Over the past two years, six of the eight Final Four teams have been a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. But in the previous two years, only three of the eight were a 1 or a 2. This is all a long-winded way of saying: We’re about due for chaos this March. Brace yourselves.
With that in mind, I’ve gone with a No. 2 Indiana, a No. 5 Connecticut, a No. 9 Maryland, and a No. 1 Kentucky to reach the Final Four this year.
Indiana’s instrumental point guard Yogi Ferrell may be gone, but they still have an excellent offense that can take them deep into March. Few teams in the country can contend with their 6-foot-10 twin towers of Thomas Bryant and freshman De’Ron Davis. James Blackmon Jr. is back healthy after missing most of last season, and OG Anunoby has a chance to be a breakout star. This could finally be the year for the Hoosiers to snap their three decade-long title drought.
As for UConn, did you know that since 2009, the Huskies have not gone more than two years without a trip to the Final Four? They haven’t been since their shock run to the title in 2014, so they’re due. Kevin Ollie may have lost his top three scorers from last year, but Rodney Purvis, Jalen Adams, and big man Amida Brimah are back to provide experience to a top-10 recruiting class. Don’t sleep on them Huskies, who are priced at +5,000 to win the national championship.
A similar rationale goes for picking Kentucky. Since 2012, John Calipari has not gone more than a season without reaching a Final Four. And after last season’s disappointment, he’s reloaded with yet another loaded recruiting haul led by Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox, and Malik Monk, the No. 5, 6, and 9 ranked players in this class. There has to be at least one No. 1 in the Final Four, and I trust in Cal’s Cats, who are priced at +900 to win the national title, to get there.
And finally, there’s Maryland (+6,000). A No. 7 seed or lower has made the Final Four in five of the last six years, and the Terps are my pick to be that team this year. They lost a ton of talent to the NBA, but floor general Melo Trimble returns, and he should be hell-bent on redeeming himself after a dismal 2015-16 season. There will be some roadblocks along the way (hence their low seed) but they get their act together eventually.
As for the national title game, I see Indiana upsetting Kentucky to win their first title in 30 years. Get those Hoosiers at +3,000 while you still can!
A Few More Predictions
Here are a five more fearless predictions which you will see in the bracket:
Duke is the current national title favorite at +300, but the Blue Devils won’t deliver. They undoubtedly have tremendous talent on their team with top Wooden Award contender Grayson Allen as well as stud freshmen Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum leading the way. However, there just seems to be way too much hype, pressure, and injury risk to completely trust them to go all the way.
Villanova (+1,400) will NOT be the first team since the 2006-2007 Florida Gators to successfully defend the national title. No defending champion has even reached the Final Four during that time, and that streak continues as the Cats fall early.
Washington is my lone double-digit seed to reach the second weekend. The Huskies have the look of a team that will struggle early on, only for their stud freshman Markelle Fultz to use a strong tournament run to strengthen his case as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. North Carolina State with Dennis Smith also has that sort of potential.
Virginia (+2,000) has fallen agonizingly short of the Final Four with Tony Bennett in recent years. Unfortunately, the Hoos will have to wait even longer as they become the latest No. 2 seed to fall in the first round. Kansas, meanwhile, makes its third round of 32 exit in four years.
Watch out for Creighton, which I have going all the way to the Elite Eight. The Bluejays missed the tournament for the second year in a row last season, but they scored a top transfer in former Kansas State guard Marcus Foster. He joins senior Maurice Watson, Jr. to form quite an exciting backcourt.
March is still some time away but there’s money to be made on college hoops futures. Create a betting account now and start cashing in on the new NCAA college basketball season.
