Why Your Team (and Each Team) Can (Will) win The NCAA Tournament

Below are reasons why every team will win the NCAA Tournament. All right, let me clarify. We realize that only one team will win, but we graciously are giving you reasons why every team will win. So if you want to pick Lipscomb to win it all, below are reasons to help you fell less like a loon. And yeah, we don't have every team below, but we'll get there - maybe. Oh and yeah, we do understand there is more than 1 tournament - men's and women's. But we went with tournament, singular, above because tournaments would clearly have been confusing - I think. Hope this helps.

Wait, one other thing. If "your team" is like my team, St. Bonaventure, and did not make the Tournament, then there's a good chance that you will not find any reasons why they will win the Tournament below. But if you can come with one or two for my beloved Bonnies, let me know.

Sincerely,

Dave Barend - Grand Poobah

College Basketball Times

Akron - Men

Coach John Groce led his Akron Zips over the Miami of Ohio Redhawks (which is coached by his half-brother Travis Steele) in the Mid-American Conference tournament to gain a ticket to the Big Dance. Here is why they will win it all.

1.They look good on paper:  The Zips won 21 of their last 22 games; they dominated the MAC going 17-1; and their 28 wins is the most in school history. They are a top-25 rebounding team and score more points per game than all but seven other teams. How can they possibly lose?

2.They’ve got their “go to” guy:  Junior Guard Nate Johnson is the heart and soul of the team. He led the Zips team with 13.5 points and 1.9 steals per game, and rounded that out with 5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. But can he play on the other side of the court? Well, yes he can. The proof is in Johnson being named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year. He was the first person to be given that distinction AND to be named the MAC Player of the Year in the same season since Bonzi Wells in 1998. Nate the great, indeed!

3.Their mascot has mad hops:  You might be wondering how Akron got their nickname:  the Zips. Back in 1925, the university held a contest to select an official name for the school’s athletic teams. Unfortunately, they didn’t vote for other top contenders such as the Fighting Hillbillies or the Rubbernecks. Instead, they chose the Zippers which was inspired by a B.F. Goodrich brand of women’s rubber galoshes that used an innovative fastening device–you guessed it–the zipper! In 1950, the name was shortened to the Zips, but they didn’t have a mascot. After convening a search committee, they came up with…a kangaroo. The chairman of the search committee was supposedly inspired by a comic strip featuring a kangaroo in boxing gloves. I think people in the 1950s were either just really weird or they were on LSD or something. Anyhoo, Mr. Zip the kangaroo was soon born, the name was later changed to Zippy, and here we are (sans boxing gloves)! For any of you who remember the Looney Tunes character Sylvester the Cat battling a kangaroo that he thought was a giant mouse, you’ll understand that kangaroos can kick some serious ass. Opposing team best be wary of Zippy!

Mike Hurley

Alabama - Men

• The amount of offensive talent on the roster is almost embarrassing.  Sears, Nelson, Holloway and Philon all average double digits.  Beyond that, there is a seemingly endless pool of folks who can come in off the bench and light up the scoreboard in every imaginable way.  They average 91 points per game, 5 more than anyone in the country.  

• They were extremely successful in a historically outstanding conference.  This year’s SEC has drawn comparisons to some of the greatest conferences ever.  They are frequently mentioned amongst the likes of the 1985 Big East Conference which sent 3 teams to the Final Four. As of today, Joe Lunardi has 13 of the 16 teams in the conference making the NCAA tournament.

• I believe it was William “The Refrigerator” Perry who once quipped “defense wins championships”.  They play at the fastest pace of any team in the nation, which means they are going to give up a ton of points.  But, as they showed in their road win over the #1 ranked Auburn Tigers last week, when they need to get a stop, they get one.  They played the third highest scoring team in the nation last night and held Kentucky to 70, 16 below their average.

• They thrived against the toughest schedule in the country.  This year’s “Denny Crum Award for Masochistic Scheduling” goes to the Crimson Tide.  Hands down.  Not only did they play in the best conference in the country, they went out of conference and played Houston, Purdue, Illinois, Oregon, North Carolina and Creighton.  Nearly every game they played this season was against a team that will be in the NCAA Tournament next week. 

• Mark Sears.  Give me a choice of any player in the country who I want to have the ball in a crucial moment and I’m taking Sears. The kid has a flair for coming up huge in big moments and his game winning floater at the buzzer in overtime at Auburn last week was undoubtedly the play of the year so far.

Keith Spillett

Alabama State - Men

• Hornets are one of the hottest teams in the country, entering the tourney on a six-game winning streak and winners of 10 of 11 with the only loss since Feb. 8 being a two-point setback to Bethune-Cookman.

• Amarr Knox, CJ Hines and TJ Madlock -- the coach's kid -- form a three-guard lineup that has been potent and all can go for 20-plus on any given night.

• Best advice to give all your friends competing against you in selection pools: This is the third best Alabama team in the bracket. The other two are Final Four contenders. Anybody who knows anything about basketball will have the Hornets into the Sweet 16. 

• KenPom rated the Southwest Athletic Conference as America's worst and teams from the circuit rarely rate among the national leaders in anything, but the Hornets enter the tourney fifth nationally in turnover percentage offense, which means they won't beat themselves. 

• Coach Tony Madlock goes deep into his bench as Alabama State is 65th nationally in minutes played by non-starters.

Shawn O'Neal

American - Men

• The Eagles wiped the floor with the Navy Midshipmen in the Patriot League Championship on Wednesday. And sure, the Navy had a losing record, but who’s to say that they’re not on the same level as, like… Auburn? Until proven otherwise, we’re going with it.

  
  

• More likely than not, American U will end up a 16 seed in the tournament. Pulling off an upset seems impossible, but hey, UMBC and FDU have proved it can be done, so why not the Eagles?

  
  

• Elijah Stephens, starting guard for the Eagles, could go on a hot streak and carry the Eagles all the way. Yeah, he’s like a foot shorter than the average men’s college basketball player, but who knows, he might develop a 6 foot vertical in the next few days.

  
  

• The opponents of the Eagles will be too busy Googling where American University is to focus on the game itself. Once they figure out they’re coming from D.C. the opponents will probably realize that they can’t beat a team that is constantly surrounded by the ruthless politicians in our government that play mind games for a living.

  
  

Eli Barsoum

Arizona - Men

1. Balance: The Wildcats averaged 82.2 points per game, as well as 39.8 rebounds and 16.7 assists - while also averaging about 8 steals and 4 blocks per game

2. Marquee talent like shooting guard Caleb Love is often a difference-maker, but timely contributions from up-and-coming players like KJ Lewis and Henri Veesaar are nice, too!

3. My bracket PTSD reminds me that Arizona underachieves when favored and overachieves when underestimated. A late-season slide does not bode well for those picking an early exit for the Kitties.

4. To spite all the Arizona State fans, who are still waiting for Bobby Hurley to get them to the tournament.

Matt Carty

Arkansas - Men

1. Boogie Fland is back and he is going to be taking names.

2. D.J. Wagner and Johnell Davis are about to be used like a set of brass knuckles in Providence. Insert joke about Buddy Cianci's mansion in the 1970s. 

3. John Calipari's team doesn't have to face "Big Country" Bryant Reeves this year.

4. They get to play St. John's in the second round. The Johnnies have already been feted like a team that has won a national title. They are ripe for a rude awakening.

5. The University of Arkansas' president is named Donald R. Bobbit. Insert all of 1993's best jokes.

Clayton Trutor

Auburn - Men

1.With Cooper Flagg gimpy, Johni Broome is the best (presumably) healthy player in the nation and is having his best season as a college player in his fifth year, averaging a double-double and is also shot blocking machine. Not the best player in Auburn history -- see Barkley, Charles -- but sure as hell looks like it a lot of nights.

2.Still pissed about losing to Virginia in the 2019 Final Four on a controversial call, plays with a chip on their shoulder and grinder mentality.

3 Team was incentivized to earn overall No. 1 seed and play very close to home. Short flights are good for team that forced an airplane grounded after getting in an in-flight fight on its way to beat Houston early in the season.

4Still pissed about losing in first round last year against Yale -- of all freaking teams -- in a game where Chad Baker-Mazara was ejected on a controversial call. Also got ejected in the home loss to Alabama this year. The Dominican is a difference maker and the lessons are learned ... he'll be dialed in.

5. Broome or Baker-Mazara could be the best defensive player on most teams, but Denver Jones has that honor for the Tigers. When Davion Mitchell was at Baylor, his nickname was "Off-Night," because every player he defended had one. That's Jones, a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.

6.Everybody should root for the Tigers as, if Bruce Pearl is on the sideline, he can’t be on Twitter.

7.Bruce Pearl among the finalists to portray Frank Costanza in any potential “Seinfeld” reboot.

Shawn O'Neal

Baylor - Men

• They compete. In their last three games, they lost to #1 Houston and #9 Texas Tech, but only by a mere six points combined. Considering Tech hit 15 threes and Baylor trailed by 15, losing by two felt like a win.

  
  

• They missed a buzzer-beater to lose in the Big 12 Tournament. This might seem bad, but hear me out. I have a theory that teams get to the tournament and leave games close so they can have their March moment and be etched in college basketball history. Now that Baylor knows game-winners aren’t guaranteed, they are sure to win in blowouts. 

  
  

• They’ve won a barnburner at a neutral site. It may sound overly niche, but their double-overtime victory over St. Johns (a projected 2 seed) felt like a tournament game. 

  
  

• Norchad Omier averages a double-double. Side note: When will fast food brands use March Madness in their commercials for a ‘double-double’ meal? They could have so many spokesmen: D.J. Burns, Zion Williamson…  I probably shouldn’t be talking, I’m currently on my third ice cream sandwich of the evening.

  
  

Whit Henry

Bryant - Men

1. The Bulldogs earned their second NCAA tourney berth in four years cementing their spot as the conference powerhouse. Maine barely put up a fight in the America East final, falling 79-59. 

   
   

2. Bryant senior guard Earl Timberlake, a First-Team All-American averaging 15.2 points a game, is so good that college newspaper writers have run out of headline puns after “Timberlake In Sync Again”; “Timberlake to Critics: Cry Me A River”; and “Earl Rallies Bulldogs in Sexy (Come)Back.”

   
   

3. The student fan section of Bryant College says they are dedicating the season to the memory of Bryant Gumbel. When informed that Greg, not Bryant, Gumbel passed away last year, the students replied “Yeah, but still.”

   
   

4. Bryant's mascot, Tupper the Bulldog, is named after Earl Tupper, the businessman behind Tupperware. Bulldogs coach Phil Martelli Jr. says he keeps his starting five fresh for each game by storing them in plastic and reheating them in the microwave for 4-5 minutes.

   
   

5. There’s now a total of eight NCAA tourney appearances between Bulldogs coach Phil Martelli Jr. (1) and his legendary father Phil Sr (7), as well as a total of zero hair. Both coaches are as bald as they are bold.

David Yas.

BYU - MEN

• The Cougars are hot! I don’t mean that in a Stacy’s Mom or Zach Wilson way. I mean that to say they closed the season on an eight-game win streak, with five of those against Quad 1 teams. They continued the run in the Big 12 Tournament, defeating Iowa State for the second time this season. They did lose badly to Houston in the semifinals, but that was purely a matchup issue.

  
  

• Sophomore Townsend Tripple not only has an all-time basketball last name but also has the best eyebrow and mustache combination in the entirety of college basketball. He may not play often, but he is sure to distract opposing players. Can you imagine trying to blow by a guy and out of the corner of your eye you see a perfect cross between Eugene Levy and Ted Lasso?

  
  

• They’re so deep. They average 30.76 points off the bench which is among the top of the NCAA. Rolling out 10-11 players is a huge advantage as the tournament goes on.

  
  

• At the end of the regular season, they were leading the nation in effective FG percentage and were the 4th rated offense overall. If they can keep scoring at this clip in the tournament, they will be popping champagne when it ends, non-alcoholic champagne of course.

Whit Henry

Clemson - Men

Clemson will win because one of their players names is a palindrome. Asa.  That stuff matters.

Will win because two brothers play on the team.  Close knit teams win. 

There’s always a Tigers in the Final Four, so I like the odds.

Will win because they faced ACC iron all year, and went 18-2… they’re ready. 

Will win because  they learned from their Elite 8 loss last year, and will go further this year.

Paul Nardizzi

Colorado State - Men

• They are clicking at the right time.  They had stretches early in the season where they looked like they were a mess, typified by a lifeless loss against a lousy Washington team.  They seemed an unlikely tournament team until mid-February when they began their ten game winning streak, punctuated by dominating all three opponents on the way to a Mountain West tournament title.

  
  

• Niko Medved’s teams win ugly.  It’s not the sort of aesthetically pleasing basketball that can win the heart of the nation, but they have a roster full of grinders who can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the country.  It ain’t figure skating…bare knuckle brawling victories count just as much.

  
  

• As former Star Trek star William Shatner once opined “Defense wins championships”  This isn’t a team that will take the air out of the building every night, but they control the pace, don’t shy away from contact, and can frustrate top flight offenses.  They have the sort of roster that can keep them in the game if they have an off shooting night.

  
  

• Sitting on the bench next to Coach Medved is a fellow by the name of Ali Farokhmanesh.  If there is ever a poster child for the “One Shining Moment” vibe of the tournament, it’s Coach Farokhmanesh.  Any highlight reel of greatest moments in March Madness is incomplete if it doesn’t have the three-pointer he made for Northern Iowa against a seemingly unstoppable Kansas Jayhawks team in one of the most memorable upsets in tournament history.  If anyone knows how to summon the magic of March, it’s him.

  
  

• Nique Clifford can get buckets.  He’s been a force of nature in his last four games, averaging nearly 28 points per game.  His emergence as a star scorer has been a major component in Colorado State’s late season uprising.

Keith Spillett

Creighton - Men

• The most innovative offensive coach in college basketball is on their sideline.  Year in and year out, Greg McDermott comes up with new ways to torment defenses.  In December, it seemed like the book on how to stop Creighton was out and in wide circulation.  By the end of January, McDermott had reworked the scheme and they had developed all new, more effective ways to attack the basket.  I’d be more impressed if I hadn’t seen him do this every season since he took the helm of the Blue Jays.   They should call him The Chiropractor, because nobody adjusts better.

• Steven Ashworth is a stone cold killer.  He’s been a lethal shooter from anywhere inside the half court logo for half a decade, but he has become an incredible distributor this season, averaging 7 assists a game and making Greg McDermott’s thousand and one high pick and roll variations practically unstoppable.

• I believe it was the English poet William Wordsworth who once wrote “Defense wins championships”.  If Wordsworth were around today, I’m convinced he’d be writing nothing but poems about Ryan Kalkenbrenner’s defensive positioning.  Always in the right place at the right time, Kalk doesn’t just block shots, he eliminates almost any possibility of the other team scoring from within 10 feet of the basket.  And, like the rest of the Jays, he’s almost never in foul trouble.

• They play outstanding transition basketball. No one ever got Creighton confused with the Showtime Lakers, but all of a sudden teams that don’t get back quickly on defense are feeling their wrath.  Jamiya Neal has added a new dimension to the team with elite speed and a bonafide finisher’s touch.

• There’s just something about this team.  They were down 11 points in the first round of the Big East Tournament with 1:18 left to play against DePaul.  Incredibly, they found a way to tie the game and send it to overtime.  In the first overtime, they blew an 8 point lead in the last minute of the game to send it to another overtime.  With Ashworth fouled out and the team grabbing their collective shorts and wheezing, Ty Davis, a freshman who barely played in the past two months came out of nowhere to make several huge plays and hit four consecutive free throws to ice the game.  Before he knocked them down, he had only taken 15 free throws in his entire college career.  When stuff like that starts to happen, you start to think maybe, just maybe this is the year it finally happens.

Keith Spillett

Duke - Men

1. Cooper Flagg not really injured.  Just part of a deep state conspiracy.  FAKE NEWS!!!

2. Kon Knueppel and the rest of the Duke team. 

3. The Slim Reaper, Isaiah Evans, channels his inner Steph Curry and averages 8 made 3 pointers per game. 

4. DOGE announces that the federal government is immediately cutting all funding to the NCAA as well as any state that hosts an NCAA tournament game, creating mass confusion and delaying the tournament for a month until the administration abruptly changes course and seizes upon an opportunity to MAKE THE TOURNAMANENT GREAT AGAIN – MTTGA – to divert attention from the stock market’s continued precipitous decline.  Flagg’s ankle full healed by time tourney starts and averages a double-double.

5. Duke engineering students unveil a time machine and, much like Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, bring back a 22 year old Christian Laettner from 1992, who is granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA.  Duke beats both Kentucky and UConn en route to another Championship.

6. Cooper Flagg, on a bum ankle, still manages to be Cooper Flagg and wills Duke to a national championship.

Robb Hellwig

Duke - Women

1.                Duke gets all the calls.

2.                Kara Lawson and destiny – 6 wins in tourney gets Lawson to 100 career wins.

3.                Duke women are tough. Trust me. I dated a few. Albeit 35 years ago.

4.                Momentum – Duke continues to roll after winning ACC Tournament

5.                Depth – Duke has a deep, balanced attack

Robb Hellwig

Drake - Men

• The best player in the country you haven’t seen is Bennett Stirtz.  19 points per game and a knack for making a huge play whenever they need one.  Kid has the guts of a cat burglar.

  
  

• The best coach in the country you haven’t seen is Ben McCollum.  He has won four Division Two national championships since 2017. In his first year as a Division One coach, his team is 30 and 3 with 4 wins against power conference teams. 

• I think it was William Shakespeare who once said “Defense wins championships”.  In the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, the highest point total they gave up in 3 games was 53.  They held the normally potent Bradley offense to 48 in the final.

  
  

• They are short.  Not usually a good thing in a sport where players regularly consume pituitary glands for breakfast.  But, in a land of gawky seven foot manchildren, a team of hard-charging, fleet-footed, glass-crashing, laser-beam shooting guards are a matchup nightmare.

  
  

• Kendrick Lamar’s head would explode.

Keith Spillett

FGCU - Women

5. I just came up with the really good catchphrase, “FGseeyou later”. The team has to win so they can use that on all of their opponents after beating them.

4. Since their first season in 2002, the team has never won the championship. What may sound to you like a lack of skill sounds to me like 23 years of studying and preparation. They’re finally ready for the perfect win.

3. I love the team but I have intense personal beef with head coach Chelsea Lyles. I will not get into specifics but let’s just say nothing would make me happier than to see her get doused in a bunch of ice-cold Gatorade.

2. The team is currently first in the Atlantic Sun league. Last I checked, there aren’t a lot of numbers before 1. So unless there’s a 0th in the league, I’d say the Eagles have a good shot here.

1. I really need them to. I’ve gotten back into gambling and if they don’t win, it’s quite possible I’ll lose my house.

Trey Allwood

Florida - Men

1. Rebounds come easy for the Gators. The tall trio of Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Reuben Chinyelu rack in at least 6 rebounds per game. They rank third in the country with 42.1 rebounds per game. The entire roster crashes the boards like no one's business.

   
   

2. The SEC had the historically best season, entering 14 teams into March Madness. The Gators won the conference tournament and beat every team they played by at least 9 points. You can't tell me that's not national champion material.

   
   

3. The Florida Gators can do what the Phoenix Suns wish they could. Have a dominant trio of players be able to carry them to a championship. But wait, Florida's role players are actually good. 

   
   

4. Florida has the country's top 10 offensive and defensive efficiency; it is a well-rounded team that is not just carried by a fast-paced offense like last year. The backcourt will steal the ball and make quick threes, and the frontcourt will steal offensive rebounds and block you in the paint.

   
   

5. The Gator's margin of victory this year was 16.2, while at home, it was 23.5. The Gators are also defeating the best teams in the country by a significant amount. They beat Auburn on the road by 9. Alabama by 22. Tennessee by 30. You get the idea.

Tyler Brodie

Florida State - Women

1. This FSU team is incredibly battle-tested, fighting their way to a 13-5 mark in the ACC. This will be excellent preparation for NCAA Tournament play.

2. FSU has become one of the steadiest team in a strong league, posting three consecutive 20-win seasons.

3. This team had back-to-back road wins against nationally ranked Georgia Tech and national power Notre Dame. This is a team that nobody wants to play.

4. My 1999 US News and World Reports College Edition purports that FSU's admission rate was 51%. It is now 25%. Thus, the average FSU student is now twice as smart as they were in '99.

5. LEN's "Steal My Sunshine" music video was filmed in part at the Governor's Square Shopping Center in Tallahassee. 

Clayton Trutor

Georgia - Men

SEC

The Bulldogs were members of the Southeastern Conference this past season, which is widely considered the best in Division I. Playing such a difficult conference schedule has Georgia battle-tested and ready to matchup against anyone in March Madness.

Defense

Defense was the calling card for this team, as they held opponents to 40.9 % shooting from the field, good for fourth best in the SEC and 38th in the country. Giving up only 69.3 points per game is even more impressive when you consider the quality of their opponents throughout the season.

Asa Newell 

The five-star freshman was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs this past season, averaging 15.3 points per game on 54.1 % from the field. Newell added 6.8 rebounds per game on the way to the SEC All-Freshman team. Georgia will go as far as Newell can take them.

Choir Boys

The Georgia Men's Basketball team has avoided off the court scandals in recent seasons, which is more than the Football team can say.

Andrew Connell

Grand Canyon - Men

• This ain’t their first time dancing. The Lopes have become regulars at the Big Dance due to their recent dominance of the wiggity-wiggity WAC.  Like that annoying kid Willard that was friends with Kevin Bacon’s Ren in Footloose, eventually, if you dance enough, you get pretty good at it.  Even if you are horribly uncoordinated and can barely keep time.  Grand Canyon is highly coordinated and is always in 4/4, so that's not a problem.  If this weren’t such a tortured analogy already, I’d probably try to compare the Lopes to that unnamed kid who shows up in that final dance scene in the film having spent his life in a town where dancing is illegal, but somehow knows how to breakdance like he was an early 80s regular on Solid Gold. Grand Canyon played solid games against Gonzaga and Iowa before breaking through last year in the tournament against Randy Bennett’s perpetually tough Saint Mary’s team.  2025 is the year the Lopes become college basketball’s answer to Tony Manero.

  
  

• Their coach knows a thing or two about March Madness.  In 1998, Bryce Drew became the face of the tournament, hitting an improbable buzzer beater from near half court that has to rank as the greatest moment in the lives of all 34,192 people living in Valparaiso, Indiana.  He learned his craft at the feet of his father, mid-major legend Homer Drew and grew up having pillow fights with his brother Scott over whether the 2-3 zone or the 1-2-2 look is more effective.  Scott got the family’s first Natty coaching Baylor a few years ago.  Bryce has been outstanding since he took over Grand Canyon in 2020 and has shown the unquestioned ability to rise to the biggest of moments.  

  
  

• As vaunted American explorer Willam Clark (of the comedy team Lewis and Clark) once muttered to himself while stumbling through the Badlands of South Dakota “Defense wins championships”.  Since mid-December, the Lopes have cranked up their defensive intensity and held teams to a stingy 88.6 points per 100 possessions, which has made them the most efficient defense in the country over the second half of the season.

  
  

• Tyon Grant-Foster has done much more impressive things than win a National Championship.  A statistic rarely considered in basketball is “near-death experiences”, but Grant-Foster has been through more than his share.  Grant-Foster’s remarkable college career and life nearly ended in his first game at DePaul when he collapsed because of an undiscovered heart condition.  He had to be resuscitated by the team’s trainer in the locker room at halftime and three times on the way to the hospital.  Months later, he collapsed again trying to rehabilitate his body in a pickup game.  There were questions as to whether he would see another sunrise, let alone another tip off.  Grant-Foster has since had two major heart surgeries and spent 16 months working tirelessly in order to be cleared to play. Remarkably, he returned to the court last year and led the Lopes in scoring for the better part of the past two seasons.  He has exhibited the sort of bravery and determination that can inspire a team to believe anything is possible.

  
  

• They have a plethora of scoring options.  Besides Grant-Foster, they feature two sharp shooting forwards in JaKobe Coles and double-double machine Duke Brennan.  Add to the mix the hard-charging, basket-attacking quickness of guard Ray Harrison and the pure Sunvoldian 3-point stroke of Caleb Shaw (who shoots 43 percent from behind the arc) and you have a potent offense that can score against anyone at anytime from anywhere.

  
  

Keith Spillett

High Point - Men

• As the old saying goes, “Defense wins championships.” But in March Madness, you preferably need a high-powered offense. Eight of the last ten national champions ranked tenth or higher in offensive rating. The Panthers rank second only behind Duke, and above dominant squads like Auburn, Florida, Texas Tech and Houston. High Point will be a tough out for any team to slow down. 

  
  

• The bench is one of the unsung heroes of basketball. Whether you need to fill in for a slumping starter or get your high-five numbers up, bench players are there when you need them. High Point would agree; they rank 27th in bench points per game behind studs like Bobby Pettiford, Abdoulaye Thiam, Simon Hildebrandt and Trae Benham. If the scoring won’t get the opposing team, Benham’s mean mug will probably scare them off. 

  
  

• A lot of people tend to lean toward the older units of college basketball. The Panthers have a veteran starting lineup, featuring four upper classmen. The only “young guy,” sophomore center Juslin Bodo Bodo, happens to be one of the best rebounders in the country. Simply put, these five are ready for the big stage. 

  
  

• Many love to look at the numbers when it comes to the “upset” picks. But national champions always have one player who comes from out of nowhere to will the team to eternal glory. Enter Bobby Pettiford; the Kansas and East Carolina transfer is averaging a career high in points, rebounds and steals. He recently won the Big South Tournament MVP, highlighted by his 17-point performance in the final vs. Winthrop. At 6’1”, Pettiford rises above all when the Panthers need him most. 

  
  

• Teams love to turn up the ante defensively; the on-ball defense you see in March Madness is some of the fiercest at any level. But High Point treats defenders like flies; they ranked fourteenth in opponent steals and eighth in opponent steal percentage this season. They say pressure makes diamonds, and High Point has been shining through opposing defenders all season. Don’t expect the Panthers to cough up many loose balls. 

Colin Bish

Houston - Men

• Underrated part of coaching is getting college-aged men to show up and perform consistently night after night. Nobody does that better than Kelvin Sampson. Dude's been in the Big 12 two years, been Coach of the Year in both.

• Back as high seed after missing chance last year when Jamal Shead was lost to injury in tight Sweet 16 loss to Duke. Dominated the Big 12 again. Won by two games last year, four this year.  With all eyes on the SEC and Duke, feels like the Coogs are getting slept on.

• Second best defense in the nation according to KenPom and only four teams play a slower pace. A date with Houston is as enjoyable as getting your wisdom teeth removed. 

• Last year's Coogs were the second best defensive team in America behind Iowa State, per KenPom. This year's is No. 2 behind St. Johns ... but this year's team is potent from 3-point range, fourth nationally with three high-volume shooters (LJ Cryer, Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp) hitting at better than 40%.

• No coach is as hungry for a title as Sampson, with his 21st NCAA Tournament team. His first was in 1994 when another group of Cougars -- Washington State -- clinched a berth with a win in the regular-season finale over Cal. The Golden Bears point guard? Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.

Shawn O'Neal

Illinois - Men

The Fighting Illini gained an at-large bid to the tournament after going 21-13 on the season. Here is why they will win it all.

Live by the Three…:  Coach Underwood has refused to let up on the three-point shooting. So they’ll live by the three…or die by it. They put up more shots from behind the arc (30.1) per game, than all but three other teams, but they are ranked 315th in 3-point %. But this team can score and score big from all over the floor. Their starting five are all averaging double digits in PPG, and the team put up more points in one game against Iowa (106) than any other team in Division I in the past 10 days. If Coach Underwood’s gang can shoot straight, they’re gonna be tough to beat. 

Windex Index:  Illinois is number two in the nation in rebounding at 42.5 per game. And now that stud freshman Morez Johnson Jr. is back in the rotation after suffering a broken wrist, the team is at its best on the boards. In his first two games back from injury, he had 17 rebounds. As Hans Gruber might say, “Putze das glas!” ("Clean the glass"), if you want to win. 

It’s a Young Man’s Game:  At least the Illini hope it is. Illinois has one of the youngest rosters with first year college players Ivisic, Jakucionis, Riley, and Johnson playing huge roles. After a season of playing against Big Ten competition, these are not little weasley freshmen, but rather battle-hardened warriors. Okay that might be a stretch, but they won’t see anything in the tournament they haven’t seen during the season having faced one of the top ten toughest schedules in Division I. I believe the children are our future.

Mike Hurley

Iowa State - Men

• When fully healthy, this has looked like one of the best teams in the nation, with the backcourt duo of Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert as good as any you're likely to see in March.

• The Cyclones are tall, experienced and balanced, coming into the tournament in KenPom's Top 25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency despite struggling down the stretch, doing a break even 7-7 in their last 14.

• One of the more annoying teams you're likely to play as no Big 12 team turned their opponents over more often or took more steals.

• If in an alternative universe, forced to pick one Big 12 coach to fist fight for your life, we're not sure who you should pick, but do not pick T.J. Otzelberger, who looks ripped up like a young Dan Gable. Here is what AI has to say: The head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team is known for his compact, sturdy frame, described as resembling that of a wrestler, with a lean to musclebound build and a sturdy upper body. Also, he's old, but avoid Kelvin Sampson, too. Dude is tough.

• Scoring inside against the Cyclones is a nightmare, with the height of Dishon Jackson and Joshua Jefferson quickly closing out interior threats. The overall length means if you don't pop the 3, you're not beating this team.

Shawn O'Neal

Kansas - Men

• The Jayhawks were the number 1 team in the country in the preseason. Maybe they can revive that type of energy for the tournament, using stars like Dajuan Harris and Hunter Dickinson.

  
  

• If anyone references the historic, 35 point blowout loss to BYU, just remind them that they only lost by 7 to unranked Utah a few days before. It’s all about your perspective.

  
  

• Joe Lunardi has the Jayhawks going up against the Utah State Aggies in the first round, And if Kansas can win that one … they can overcome any challenge, right?

  
  

• The Jayhawks have one of the best defenses in the Big 12, blocking about 5 shots a game and holding their opponents to 39.3% from the field. Remember, defense wins championships.

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Eli Barsoum

Kentucky - Men

• There is an asteroid-sized chip on their shoulder. This team has wins over Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Missouri, and two wins over Tennessee. Sure, it has a bad loss or two, but this is March. All regular-season mistakes are forgiven. All that matters is that you can beat the best. Clearly, they can.

  
  

• Their hypothetical route to the Elite 8 is Troy, UCLA, and Tennessee, which they’ve knocked off twice already. They would then play Houston, which does not have the size to guard Kentucky. Then Duke, which they’ve beat already, and Florida, which they’ve beat already. These are hypotheticals, but it looks pretty good for the Wildcats.

  
  

• Senior Amari Williams is from Nottingham, England. This feud is nationalistic for him, he’s playing for the UK after all.

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Whit Henry

Lipscomb - Men

1. "Lips-Come Dancing!" Think of all the music puns waiting to happen: "Lips-Come on feel the Noize," "Lips-Come and Get Your Love," "Lips-Come Out and Play."  I could do this all day.

2. Nashville's Lipscomb Bisons had a 24-9 record, winning the Atlantic Sun conference and earning their second-ever invite to the Big Dance

3.  Forward Jacob Ognacevic leads the way with more than 20 points and 8 rebounds per game

4. The team has momentum, winning twelve of their last fifteen contests with a scoring margin of +14 points in those wins.

Matt Carty

Liberty- Men

1. Liberty gets offensive contributions up-and-down the lineup. Eight different players average at least 8 points per game.

2. Zach Cleveland is a genuine point forward, averaging better than 5 assists per game

3. Sid Bream is a Liberty alum. Sid Bream is the first person that I ever saw hit a home at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. He was playing for the Braves at the time. 

4. Liberty is located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Lynchburg is known as the city of seven hills: College Hill, Garland Hill, Daniel's Hill, Federal Hill, Diamond Hill, White Rock Hill, and Franklin Hill. There's a city in Italy that makes a similar claim.

5. If there was a bracket for the college town with the best skyscraper, Lynchburg, Virginia would be a great sleeper pick. The Allied Arts Building is a gorgeous gold-colored Art Deco structure with apartments currently available.

Clayton Trutor

Louisville - Men

• If you fall under the bracket-filling philosophy of “More shots equals better chance to win,” the Cardinals are your team. They love the three ball – averaged 28.8 threes attempted per game, 20th in NCAA – and put up 79.2 ppg as a team.

  
  

• If you fall under the bracket-filling philosophy of “Hot teams stay hot entering the tournament,” the Cardinals are your team. The team has won 20 of their last 21 games, including a current 10-game winning streak that goes back to Feb. 5, and are headed to their first ever ACC Tournament semifinal game.

  
  

• If you fall under the bracket-filling philosophy of “A team needs a good storyline to win it all,” the Cardinals are your team. Their 2023-24 campaign saw them at the bottom of the ACC with an overall record of 8-24. An iconic figure in Cardinals’ basketball and the city of Louisville, Junior Bridgeman, died on Tuesday. Now sitting at a record of 26-6, the team is poised to complete the underdog story, along with a “JB” patch sewed to their jersey.

  
  

• If you fall under the bracket-filling philosophy of “I like teams led by seniors, not freshmen,” look no further than Chucky Hepburn (on the Cardinals). The senior guard is having his best season statistically and added ACC Defensive Player of the Year and All-ACC First Team to his resume. Also, this.

Theo Franz

Louisville - Women

5. That pesky gnat that keeps flying around your face, disrupting everything, and then comes back with more of his friends?  Yeah, that’s UofL head coach Jeff Walz

4. With a record of 21-10, they come into the tourney with LESS expectations than normal, which might actually work in their favor

3. Accolades—senior guard Jayda Curry was named First Team All-ACC while freshman guard Tajianna Roberts garnered Second Team All-ACC and All-Freshman Team honors

2. Homer pick—I live just outside Louisville

1. Past success—2009, 2013 Finals runner-up; 2009, 2013, 2018, 2022 Final Four; 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 Elite Eight

GO CARDS!

Michael Dinga

LSU - Women

• Coach Kim Mulkey was the first person in NCAA history to win a championship as a player, assistant coach, and head coach. With a superhuman like that writing up your plays like that, the Tigers will be able to breeze right on through the tournament.

  
  

• Angel Reese probably left some trash talking tips behind for her fellow Tigers. LSU won’t just embarrass their opponents this March but they will make it stick with them for a long time.

  
  

• LSU star Aneesha Morrow is shooting 49.5% from the field and averages nearly 14 rebounds per game. To top it off, she’s also 6’1.

  
  

• Coach Mulkey’s outfits will blind her opponents. They’ll be too distracted by her flair to execute an actual game plan.

  
  

Eli Barsoum

Marquette - Men

1.  I watched Marquette obliterate  Providence by 30 a few weeks ago. Providence stinks but Marquette was impressive nonetheless. 

2.  There is nothing to do in Wisconsin so the players won’t be distracted by things like night clubs and strippers. 

3. The Big East is a weekly slugfest, so Marquette will be battle tested for the tournament.

4. Their mascot isn’t just an eagle, it’s a golden eagle.

5.Kam Jones is the kind of scorer that can carry a team that otherwise isn’t that talented.

Mike Rusconi

Maryland - Men

1.  I’ve actually heard of Maryland, out of the gate something I cannot say about everyone else. 

2. They have a cool mascot.  That terrapin is objectively a good mascot, the mascot gods are fickle and going into the tournament, having them on your side is a bonus. This is why Providence is not in the tournament.  

3. The ghost of Len Bias.

4. Maryland has been kind of a wagon lately, winning 11 in a row and the only losses were by the thinnest of margins.  

Mike Rusconi

Maryland - Women

1The Lady Terps won the National Championship in 2006 under current Head Coach Brenda Frese so why couldn’t they do it again.  In 2006 the Lady Terps still played in the ACC and now they play in the Big Ten but the Coaching Staff has already cut down the nets once and is primed to do it again in 2025.

2.Maryland has had a great season and even though the Lady Terps lost in the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament it could be a blessing in disguise as it gives the Team a break and time to reset before the NCAA Tournament begins in earnest later this coming week.

3.Maryland hopes for a lucky draw when the NCAA Women’s Tournament Bracket is revealed on Sunday evening 3/16.  Unfortunately that is one day early as St. Patrick’s Day is on Monday 3/17.  So close but the Terps don’t have the best luck – lol.

4.Maryland has the required depth and versatility as well to cut down the nets in Tampa in early April.  The Lady Terps have eleven players who play significant minutes each game and can use a variety of lineups to wear the opposition down.

5.Maryland went 13-5 in the Big Ten this Season and only lost to top Teams such as UCLA, USC, Ohio State, etc.  The Lady Terps will be ready for any tough matchup that awaits them in the NCAA Tournament as they are battle tested.  

Steve Hiegel

Memphis - Men

1. This is the Memphis Tigers' third trip to March Madness since Head Coach and NBA great Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway took over in 2018

2.  The TIgers are 27-5, and notched big wins against ranked opponents including Clemson and Ole Miss

3. When they win they can celebrate by shooting hoops on Elvis Presley's court at Graceland

4. Standout Guard PJ Haggerty is among five finalists for the Jerry West award, which recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I Men's Basketball.

Matt Carty

Michigan - Men

• The man at the helm, Dusty May, knows what it takes to make a run in the NCAA tournament. Two years ago, he took 10 seed Florida Atlantic to the final four and has more on-paper talent now. 

  
  

• This squad has arguably the best inside presence of the entire field. Center Vlad Goldin is a scoring machine (almost 17 PPG) and Forward Danny Wolf is a do-it-all unicorn. Two seven-footers leading the team gives them a distinct advantage. 

  
  

• While they all transferred in last year, Michigan’s top three contributors (Goldin, Wolf, and guard Tre Donaldson) all played in the 2024 tournament and are upperclassmen. Experience is important this time of year, and the Wolverines have it. 

  
  

• As we all know, March Madness has its fair share of tightly-knit contests. Dusty May's bunch knows how to win these kinds of showdowns, with an 11-4 record in tilts decided by less than 4 points, including a 6-game win streak in games of that category. 

  
  

• Connor Stalions may be banned from Michigan Football, but nobody ever said anything about basketball. They could hire him ahead of the tournament to get some extra insight on the other team if you catch my drift. 

Mason deLisser

Michigan State - Men

5. They were the clear top dawg in a top-heavy, top-tier B1G, ending the regular season with a full 3-game lead

4. They may have lost their conference semifinal v. Wisconsin, but they didn’t flame out, either

3. They’re due, not having won an NCAA title since (checks notes…) 2000!

2. They’re coming in hot, winners of their previous 8 games prior to the Wisconsin loss

1. They have Tom Izzo, and you don’t

GO SPARTANS!

Michael Dinga

Mississippi - Men

• I’m not going to lie, I have watched about two Ole Miss games. Both times they lost to Auburn. If they avoid facing Auburn in the tournament, look out.

  
  

• There are several stats I like to watch out for when predicting how far a mid-seeded team can go, one of them being assist-to-turnover ratio. That ratio sits at 1.60 for the Rebels, good for 12th best in the nation. Well damn, Auburn is fourth.

  
  

• The old “SEC has the toughest competition” cliche is slowly making it’s way into the basketball world. With it come two schools of thought: a team is a victim and should be readily rewarded for giving it their all against objectively better teams (in other words, “experience”), or a team is a contributor. The Rebels find themselves at a near-perfect medium with a Quad 1 record of 8-10 and an in-conference record of 10-8. If I had to choose, however, I believe Ole Miss is a contributor. Whichever line of thinking you fall into, Auburn is in the other with a fast pass.

  
  

• Chris Beard has a beard. Where are your pearls, Bruce?

Theo Franz

Mississippi State - Men

1. Colleges with the word “State” attached to it are usually the red head stepchild of their state of residence, and therefore have a chip on their shoulder. This does not apply to Ohio State. 

2.  They have a bulldog for a mascot, you can reference my old columns about bulldogs being useless and the laziest mascot ever.  This is not a reason why they will win but it needed to be included. 

3.  The SEC is a loaded conference this year, so it stands to reason that Miss State could knock off a higher seed in the tournament strictly due to their level of competition this season.

4. There is nothing to do in Mississippi, so there are probably less distractions all season and the team is likely well disciplined.  

Mike Rusconi

Missouri - Men

 1. Mizzou is an SEC team that will be battle tested for the big dance.

2. The tiger is a blue chip mascot. It’s impossible to mess up. I’d say “Are there seriously tigers in Missouri” but after watching Tiger King on Netflix, apparently nothing is impossible.

3. They are undefeated in their Quad 2-4 games, with their only losses coming in quad 1, again, SEC is loaded. 

4. One of my favorite Simpsons lines of all time involves Missouri..when asked why the flag he is hanging up behind Homer only has 49 stars in Homer’s attempt to clear his name on public access TV, he responds “I’ll be dead in the cold, cold ground before I recognize Missour-ah.”  Gold.

Mike Rusconi 

Montana - Men

• This team can shoot the heck out of the basketball. The Grizz shot 63.6%(!) from three in the Big Sky Conference Championship to upset number one seed Northern Colorado. Any squad getting that hot behind the arc should be feared in March, as three-point-heavy teams are known to pull upsets come tournament time (did somebody say Oakland?).

  
  

• Montana has just flat-out been getting it done on offense all year especially of late, putting up over 70 in 13 of their last 15. 

  
  

• The Montana Grizzlies are red-hot folks, with wins in 14 of the last 15. If you want any shot of winning in March, you have to show the ability to play a bunch of games in a row and be consistent, and the Grizzlies fit the bill. They have a clear offensive identity, which has led to consistent results. Nobody wants to face a team on fire and is aware of who they are this time of year. 

  
  

• Experience is important, even for a head coach. Travis Decuire has made the tournament twice before, in his first two seasons, and has been left out of the March Madness since (. I would imagine he will be hungry to get back to the big dance and go on a big run. Quick side note, no first-year head coach has ever won a national championship, so Decuire checks the box there too. 

  
  

• The selection committee could pass a measure where instead of competing in a game of basketball to decide the champion, they let the mascots fight it out. In that case, the Montana Grizzly would be pretty damned hard to beat. I have not heard this is happening, but I also have yet to hear it is not happening, so keep your ear to the ground. 

  
  

• Bonus reason: It is pretty hard not to believe in a squad that has a guy named Money Williams as their leader in scoring and assists. 

Mason deLisser

Mount St. Mary's - Men

1The Mountaineers are no stranger to the NCAA Tournament as they have made it to the Big Dance seven times since 1995.  They finished in 4th place in the MAAC Regular Season Standings but still won the MAAC Conference Tournament.

2Mount St. Mary’s has won eleven of their last fourteen games and four straight so the Mountaineers are playing their best Basketball at the right time.

3.Mount St. Mary’s plays their Home Games at Knott Arena which is in Emmitsburg, MD.  No – movie buffs - that is not where the movie the Blair Witch Project was filmed – that is Burkittsville, MD – lol.

4Mount St. Mary’s won’t be scared by any Power 5 opponent they draw in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament as the Mountaineers have already played at Maryland, Georgetown, Miami, and George Mason during their non-conference schedule.

5.Mount St. Mary’s has the requisite depth to win 6 games in 3 weeks as the Mountaineers have eleven players that average at least seven minutes per game and just won three games in three days in Atlantic City to claim the automatic bid for the MAAC Conference.

Steve Hiegel

NC State - Women

1.May the chalk be ever in their favor. If the women’s tournament goes chalky for the first few rounds, the Wolfpack will just have to win three games as underdogs to win it all. 

2They won’t see Duke again. Or North Carolina. N.C. State’s in-state rivals, whom they lost to once each, are both on the other side of the bracket. The Wolfpack wouldn’t see either team again until a potential national championship game. 

3.Hook ‘em, ears! N.C. State can band with Texas over their eerily similar battle symbol, both of which feature raised pinky and index fingers. A one-seed and two-seed, the Longhorns and Wolfpack, respectively, have easily the best combined potential among teams with similar gestures. 

4.Home cookin’. N.C. State will stay home the first weekend as a two-seed. Then, the regionals will be in Spokane, Washington, where a wolfpack should thrive. As someone who spent five days in the Cascades against my will, I can attest that I would not have enjoyed meeting a wolf. Much less a wolfpack. 

5.All that said, a Baylor Bear or a U.C.L.A. Bruin wouldn’t have been a welcome sight in the woods either. I suppose N.C. State has its work cut out for it. 

Steven Miller

New Mexico - Men

1Leadership. Donovan Dent, Mountain West Player of the Year, averages over 20 points per game. Head Coach Richard Pitino is the conference’s Coach of the Year. If the dynamic duo can ignite their team, they may have a run in order.

2.Frustration. Dent ripped off 18 points in the second half of New Mexico’s loss to Boise State in the MWC Tournament after he was held to just five points in the first half. If he’s as frustrated by UNM’s tournament loss as he was about his own first half performance, he has the ability to cement himself in tournament lore.

3.Experience. The Lobos boast two redshirt seniors and two juniors in their starting lineup. Maturity and wisdom reign supreme and often eclipse younger talent in this tournament.

Clutch history. One of those redshirt seniors, Mustapha Amzil, hit a game-winning buzzer beater as a freshman at Dayton in 2021 against No. 4 Kansas during a Thanksgiving tournament. Can he bookend his collegiate career with tournament magic?

4.Conditioning. No team higher than New Mexico in the NET is higher in elevation. That is, the Lobos oxygen deprivation in Albuquerque (over a mile high) will keep them fresher than their opponents.

Steven Miller

Norfolk State - Men

March Madness is here, and if you’re looking for a Cinderella to back, might I introduce you to the Norfolk State Spartans? This team isn’t just happy to be in the Big Dance—they’re here to bust brackets and make history. Here’s why you should be on the Spartan bandwagon.

1. Battle Tested

Norfolk State didn’t take the easy road to March. Their non-conference schedule featured matchups against NCAA Tournament teams like Tennessee, Grand Canyon, High Point, and Alabama State. They won three of those games, proving they can hold their own against quality competition. High-stakes basketball? Been there, done that. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that experience matters when the pressure is on.

2. Winning is Tradition

The Spartans know how to win when it counts. Just last year, after falling short in the MEAC Tournament, they regrouped and stormed through the College Insider Tournament, becoming the first HBCU to win it. Fast forward to this season, and they’re riding a four game winning streak straight into the NCAA Tournament after a hard-fought MEAC Championship victory over South Carolina State.

And let’s talk upsets. Between 1985 and 2017, a 16-seed had exactly a zero percent chance of beating a No. 1 seed. But in the last seven years? It’s happened twice. Norfolk State isn’t showing up just to get a participation ribbon—they just need a chance.

3. Will to Win

Since taking over in 2013-14, head coach Robert Jones has built a powerhouse at Norfolk State. He’s led the Spartans to three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last five seasons, proving he knows how to win when it matters most. Then there’s the backcourt trio of Brian Moore Jr. (18.4 PPG), Christian Ings (11.9 PPG), and Jaylen Darden (10.6 PPG). If teams sleep on these three, they’ll wake up to a shocking SportsCenter headline about the Spartans’ latest upset.

4. No Ego, All Grit

The best teams aren’t just talented—they buy into the system, trust their coach, and play unselfish basketball. Norfolk State checks all those boxes. With seniors and grad transfers leading the way, this squad is on a mission to extend their college careers as long as possible. Nobody is worried about personal stats—they’re worried about surviving and advancing.

5. This Year’s Cinderella

It’s time for an HBCU to make the Sweet 16. Norfolk State is built for the moment, and they’ve shown it all season. The best part? Their opening-round matchup is against No. 1 Florida in Raleigh, N.C.—just a three-hour drive from campus. That means Spartan fans will be out in force, creating a home-court advantage that could make things very interesting.

And if Norfolk State shocks the Gators? That South Region is officially on notice. Give the Spartans an inch, and they’ll take a mile.

Matthew Cooper

North Carolina - Men

• Senior star RJ Davis is scoring 17 points a game in his fifth season with UNC. With his talent and his experience, the guard will lead the Tar Heels to their seventh national championship.

  
  

• Many basketball fans will point to their three losses against Duke to justify the ridiculous idea that the Tar Heels won’t win it. Well, I don’t want to hear a peep from them because the Tar Heels sent Coach K into retirement in 2022. If that’s not a sign of UNC’s ongoing March Magic, then I don’t know what is.

  
  

• The Tar Heels have been unbelievably hot lately. They have eight out of their last ten games (including the ACC tournament) and have blown out every single one of them.

  
  

• The only reason the Tar Heels didn’t go on to face Louisville in the final of the ACC tournament is because of the stupid lane violation. I mean c’mon, they won’t actually make mistakes like that when it counts. (No one cares about Duke so they don’t count).

Eli Barsoum

Notre Dame - Women

The Notre Dame women last won the whole thing in 2018. Here are the five reasons why they are going to do it again this year. 

1. They are tested: earlier this season, they took down three teams ranked in the top five in a two week stretch including Texas, USC, and UConn.

2. They are rested: hear me out - they lost three of their last five games and didn’t even make the ACC tournament final. This is classic rope-a-dope. 

3. They will be doing the Texas Two (er, Three) Step: despite the slide, Notre Dame earned a three seed and the first two rounds are in South Bend. They will likely have to (really, get to) beat three Texas-based teams on their way to the final four; Stephen F. Austin (the programs have never met), TCU (revenge game for earlier loss in the Cayman Islands Classic), and No. 1 seed Texas (who they’ve already defeated once - see #1 above).

4. The Irish backcourt can ball: Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles are one of the best backcourt tandems in the country. They combined to average over 40 points per game and were both recently named semi-finalists for the Naismith Women’s Player of the Year.

5. Luck o’ the (Fighting) Irish: The tournament is kicking off in the same week as St. Patrick’s Day. So what if that sentence is true virtually every year? That good omen is coming through this year!

Let’s dance.

Rick Condon

Ohio State - Women

1. Two of Ohio State’s losses came to UCLA. If they meet their kryptonite again, which Ohio State can do later in the tournament, it’s hard to take the same talented team down 3 times. 

2. The best team in the Birmingham Region 3 is Texas, who lost by 19 to South Carolina. Ohio State has the excellent opportunity to knock them out in the Sweet Sixteen, basically a cakewalk.

3. Cotie McMahon has multiple years of tournament experience. The leading scorer of the Buckeyes, with 16.6 points per game, has made it as far as the Elite Eight in her freshman year, and, well, considering she was knocked out in the round of 32 last year, the third time the charm.

4. The supporting cast duo of Jaloni Cambridge and Chance Gray is a hard duo to stop, let alone McMahon. Their playmaking, defensive presence and leadership create a well-run machine that will not be stopped easily.

5. Ohio State legend Katie Smith is on the coaching staff. She will tell them to win, and they will. She has that type of power, simple as that. 

   
   

   Tyler Brodie

   
   

   Oklahoma - Men

   
   

6. The Oklahoma Sooners gained an at-large bid to the tournament after going 20-13 on the season. Here is why they will win it all.

   
   

   They made it…it’s a start:  In order for great things to happen, you have to show up. For most schools, if they came in 13th place in their conference with a 6-12 record, the selection committee wouldn’t even give them a look. But this is the SEC whose teams have taken more than 20% of the available bracket spots in this year’s tournament. It took former Loyola Chicago coach Porter Moser four years to get Oklahoma to the tournament after taking the Ramblers to a Final Four and a Sweet Sixteen. But this team had seven Quad I wins, and they can hang with the best teams in the country (i.e. the SEC). 

   
   

   Opponents will be shedding Tears for Fears:  18-year old freshman guard Jeremiah Fears is the real deal. Projected to be a top-ten pick in the upcoming NBA draft, this young man is quick and can score in bunches. He’s no longer a raw freshman. Playing a season in a crazy competitive SEC makes you mature fast. In the last eight games of the season, he averaged 22.6 points and 5 assists per game. And in the two biggest games of his young collegiate career during the SEC tournament, he averaged 28.5 points and 3 steals per game. Everybody wants to rule the world, but for teams in this tournament, they’ll have to go through Fears to get there. 

   
   

   This is my fight song…about death:  Oklahoma has a few different fight songs that can easily intimidate opponents (I’m not including the pansy ass “Oklahoma!” song from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical here).  In their “Boomer Sooner” song, they sing,

   I'm a Sooner born and Sooner bred

   and when I die, I'll be Sooner dead.

   
   

   They ratchet it up in the “O.K. Oklahoma” song when they sing, 

   Dig in and fight for the Red and White of Oklahoma,

   So we'll take home a victory or die! 

   
   

   Take home a victory or die? Oh, that’s good. I’m putting my money on the Sooners!!

   
   

   Mike Hurley

Oklahoma - Women

Score, Score, and Score some more.

The Sooners were one of the best offensive teams in the country this year, as they averaged 85.2 points per game, the fourth most in the country. It will be a struggle for whoever they play to slow them down.

Rebounding

Only one team cleaned the glass better than the Sooners this season, as they ranked second nationally with 46.6 rebounds per game. 

Raegan Beers

An All-SEC First team selection, Raegan Beers was Oklahoma’s best player and one of the best in the country. She averaged 17.5 points per game, 8.9 rebounds per game, and shot 66 % from the field while draining 37 % of her threes.

Fan Support 

I have no doubt Oklahoma will become America’s team during March Madness. After all, there is nothing Americans love more than Beers. 

Andrew Connell

Oklahoma State - Women

1. The Cowgirls have as impressive guard play as any team in the country. The trio of Stailee Heard, Micah Gray, and Anna Gret Asi make steady contributions on both ends of the floor.

2. OSU head coach Jacie Hoyt seems like a rising star. She seems awfully good at rallying the troops in difficult situations.

3. When in doubt, quote a New Kids on the Block trading card: "The New Kids on the Block still consider themselves “regular guys.” When Jonathan, Jordan, Joey, Danny, and Donnie think about their superstar status, it really blows their minds (GET IT?).   They are glad that their celebrity status gives them the chance to make their fans aware of important social issues like education, crime, and drugs. Donnie’s favorite subject in school is math because “it almost always has a solution.” Danny’s favorite cartoon character is Woody Woodpecker. Jordan is quite the comedian! He cracks up the guys with his impressions of Elvis Presley."

4. One summer I got really into eating passenger pigeons. I cooked them in my Showtime Rotisserie as I stood atop Devil’s Tower. I collected basketball cards of Big Country Bryant Reeves and I hoarded Trader Joe’s bags until I had enough of each to make a parachute that served as my salvation one chilly August evening.

5. When it comes to Oklahoma State golfers, I say stick with David Edwards. That boy made All-American in 1977 and 1978. He won the national title in 1978 by shooting a 65 at the Great American Bash. When it comes to Oklahoma State tennis players, I say stick with Lori McNeil. She was part of the Big Eight doubles championship teams both in ’82 and ’83. Ike Groce really put a great team together there in Stillwater in those days. That was back when Garth Brooks was working as a bouncer at a bar right there in Stillwater called “KASH BEAUCHAMP’S.” He met his first wife when kicking her out of “KASH BEAUCHAMP’S” for fighting with these two fellers from Arkansas who said that Buddy Ryan was a better guard for the OSU Cowboys football team in the mid-1950s than John “Marmaduke” Ward was in the mid-1960s.

Clayton Trutor

Oregon - Men

• They aren’t in the top 50 in D1 basketball in any of the following categories: Field goal percentage, scoring offense, turnover margin, three-point percentage, defensive efficiency, rebounds per game, bench points per game, or any of the other 21 stats the NCAA officially tracks, except one. The one that matters, winning percentage. Unexplainable as it may be, Oregon finds a way to win.

  
  

• They have a player named Supreme Cook. Those boys have to be eating well.

  
  

• 7’0 senior Nate Bittle is a force to be reckoned with down low. 

  
  

• They’re unpredictable. They lose games they should win (UCLA, Minnesota), but they also win games they should lose (Wisconsin, Alabama). Even if I weren’t completely sure they would win the title, which I am (coincidentally I’m also 100% confident that every other team I’m writing about will also win it all), I would be scared to bet against Oregon. 

  
  

Whit Henry

Purdue - Men

• Braden Smith is a pretty good basketball player. It really should be as simple as that, but I got stats to back it up. During Big Ten competition, the six-foot guard averaged 17.4 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.6 rebounds. He is the second player in the Big Ten to ever total 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals in a season. The other was Magic Johnson. However, this is Smith’s second time doing so. To top it off, Smith was also named semifinalist for the Naismith Player of the Year on Friday.

  
  

• Two-time NBA All-Star Glenn Robinson’s former college teammate, Matt Painter, got over the hump last year and finally coached his “perennial contending” team into contention. That experience could prove valuable if they return to the Sweet 16.

  
  

• If numbers, names and previous experience doesn’t move the needle, hopefully the media’s opinion can change your mind. The Boilermakers closed out the regular season ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press poll.

Theo Franz

San Diego State - Men

Fifth straight appearance -- and would have been a sixth were it not for Covid -- for what is clearly one of the best programs in the west. Weathered significant transfer losses and ready again to do damage well beyond the First Four.

• Coach Brian Dutcher's program is always one of the better defensive teams in America and comes into the tournament No. 13 nationally in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric. Aztecs are top 20 nationally in stopping the 2 and 3 and are No. 1 nationally in blocked-shot percentage.

• That rim protection is keyed by the nation's best defensive player you've never heard of, freshman Magoon Gwath, who blocks 14% of all shots when he is on the floor and will most certainly not be offered bags of cash by North Carolina interests in Dayton. Overall, the Aztecs block nearly 19% of all shots.

• Officially became America's Team on Selection Sunday when slotted to play committee chairman Bubba Cunningham's North Carolina Tar Heels. SDSU has five wins over tourney teams, UNC has one. They just made it in -- largely based on an offense that is just not very good at all -- but has non-conference wins over Creighton and Houston. This is not a happy pairing for anybody.

• Nick Boyd and Miles Byrd form a good -- and tall -- backcourt, both making MW All-Conference. Byrd also made all-defense, so funnels drivers right into Gwath, while Boyd is the Florida Atlantic transfer and Aztec most likely to go off for a big night scoring.

Shawn O'Neal

SIUE - MEN

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars gained their first ticket ever to the Big Dance by defeating Southeast Missouri State in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship game. Here is why they will win it all.

Ted Lasso Vibes:  When Brian Barone was named head coach six years ago, he put a pair of scissors in a glass frame with instructions to break the glass and use them to cut down the nets once his team made it to the NCAA tournament. I like that even better than Coach Lasso’s “Believe” sign. 

Woof:  To win it all, you have to have a stud player–a BIG DOG, as Bill Raferty would say–and SIUE has one in Ray’Sean Taylor who led the OVC in scoring at 19.3 per game. He was named the conference player of the year and became SIUE’s all-time scoring leader with 1,952 points. Big Dog gotta eat!

Alumni Power:  One of SIUE’s “famous” alums is MLB pitcher Clay Zavada. Although he only played one year in the majors (2009 for the Diamondbacks), he will be remembered for his amazing mustache with his awesomeness recognized by winning the 2009 Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year award from the American Mustache Institute. Fear the Stache!

Mike Hurley

South Carolina - Women

5. The element of confusion. Their mascot is the Gamecock. The other team won’t even notice South Carolina scoring like crazy because they’ll still be wondering “what the hell is a Gamecock?”

4. They’re the number 2 ranked team and have gone 30-3 overall. That’s wild, I can hardly even COUNT that number of wins. In fact, typically I can only count to 4, so I had to put a lot of effort into this list.

3. Their Gatorade cooler has “cool blue” Gatorade. Everyone knows that’s the best Gatorade. It’s not trying to be a fancy blend of fruit flavors like “cucumber lime” or “glacier cherry”. It literally just tastes like the color blue. Delicious.

2. They’ve already won NCAA championships in 2017, 2022, and 2024. And as far as I understand, they’re not stopping until they have enough trophies to start using them as bowling pins.

1. I mailed the entire team PEDs.

Trey Allwood

St. John's - Men

St. John’s. will win becuz Pitino knows how to win in March.

Will win becuz Pitino must rise from the ashes, win, then thrill us with another tabloid restaurant affair.

A New York team has to win something , sometime this century.

Will win so Slick Rick can slide back into the NBA for his dream job, coaching the Charlotte Hornets.

Will win because God roots for "Saints" teams . 

Paul Nardizzi

St. Mary's - Men

1.Saint Mary’s boasts the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation, holding its opponents to 60.7 points per game. In a tournament that frustrates shooters (maybe due to over-inflated basketballs?), the right draws can reward a defensive team.

2.Saint Mary’s is 4-3 in Quad 1 games this year. No NET top-30 team has fewer than three Quad 1 losses. Now the Gaels just have to keep that number at three. 

3.The Gaels went 0-16 from three against Gonzaga in the WCC Championship Game. They’re clearly saving their made threes for the tournament that matters. 

4.What is a Gael? A person of Celtic origin. St. Patrick’s Day kicks off tournament week. The Luck of the Irish knows no bounds.

5.Saint Mary’s men’s basketball might be the last notable sports team in the Oakland metro area. They’ll be backed by an entire, desperate, the-Raiders-left-to-get-milk-and-never-came-back city. 

Steven Miller

TCU - Women

• To be blunt, this team is damned good. The 31-3 record and getting as high as 6th in the AP poll speaks for itself. 

  
  

• The Horned Frogs have one of, if not the best, dynamic duos in the country. Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince have a plethora of experience and are both averaging over 17 points a game. The intimidating one-two punch is capable of taking down any and everyone. 

  
  

• This squad is very careful and precise with the basketball. Possessing the fourth-best assist/turnover ratio in the country, the passing game alone will help TCU win a lot of games in the tournament. 

  
  

• Experience is vital in March Madness, and the Frogs have it. Van Lith, Prince, and third-leading scorer Madison Conner are all fifth-year seniors averaging 15 (rounded up) or more. 

  
  

• The team is full of star power with Sedona Prince and Hailey Van Lith. It is very possible every squad they face might be too starstruck to focus. I would say this group has it in the bag if they decided to do the tournament based on Instagram followers, but Paige Bueckers and UConn would have something to say about that. 

  
  

Mason deLisser

Tennessee - Men

1. I have declared them the honorary team of College Basketball Times' writers - The Volunteers

2. Head Coach Rick Barnes has the Vols in their sixth consecutive tournament, and they reached the Elite Eight in 2024. 

3. Did you know All-American shooting guard Chaz Lanier is the son of Bob Lanier's nephew?

4. Defense wins championships. The Vols bring the D - featuring two Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalists - Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack

Matt Carty

Tennessee - Women

1. It is impossible to discount the team that has made it to every single NCAA Women's Tournament.

2. The Lady Vols have such diversity of scoring options. They've got five different players that average in double figures and several more that could do the same if given the chance.

3. I have never been to Knoxville. The winners of the last three women's champs in odd numbered years are also located in cities I've never visited: Baton Rouge, Palo Alto, and Waco.

4. The University of Tennessee has incorporated food trucks of their own creation into the dining plan. They are just serving UT food but it's in a food truck so it is supposed to seem more authentic or something, I appreciate this Truman Show aspect to campus life in Knoxville.

5. I've always liked Tennessee's colors. I'm not one to buy apparel for schools to which I am unconnected but I could see a situation where I bought a t-shirt depicting either the inner life of Phil Fullmer or Smokey rooting on his teams.

Clayton Trutor

Texas - Men

Their coach, Rodney Terry wears little John Lennon type glasses. You don't see them often, but the man pulls them off. That should not be discounted. I, however, have always preferred Elvis over the Beatles. But how about a combo? They are unbeatable if Coach will tak emy advice and add some sideburns.

They are in the First Four. Yes, that kind of sucks. But someone from the First Four always gets hot. Texas is that hot team this year. If you can't feel it, then disrobe.

They just beat Vanderbilt - a good team. And Texas A&M - a very good team. So that makes them better than very good. I believe that to be unassailable logic.

Tre Johnson is a fantastic 3 point shooter. Kind of has to be with the name Trey. He drains them at an impressive 39.2%. But teammate Jamie Vinson is shooting 100% from behind the arc. Yes, 100%. This team will truly be unstoppable once coach lets him take his second shot.

Texas is in Austin which is one of the best cities on the planet. That has to rub off on the players. Austin is also considered the most liberal city in Texas. Though in Texas a liberal is someone who only has two guns.

Dave Barend

Texas - Women

• Before their conference championship loss to South Carolina on Sunday, Texas was Associated Press’ No. 1 team in the nation for two weeks in a row. And after some number crunching, I’ve found that rank to be a good indicator of a successful basketball team with a good chance to win the tournament.

  
  

• Two of the Longhorn’s three losses on the season were to SEC powerhouse South Carolina. The other was to Notre Dame in early December. That level of competition won’t be seen until at least the Elite Eight. A couple of upsets in Texas’ favor beforehand would mean a cake walk to the sunny beaches of Tampa Bay.

  
  

• They said the lights are too bright for you, Madison Booker. They said you shouldn’t have been SEC Player of the Year. They said Bree Hall owns you. They said others deserved to be Naismith Trophy semifinalists over you. Prove them wrong.

  
  

• I heard somewhere that if you pick Texas to win the tournament, you can add Vic Schaefer to your resume.

Theo Franz

Texas A&M - Men

1. Wade Taylor IV and  Zhuric Phelps - Might be the best backcourt in College Basketball

2. #1 Offensive Rebounding team in College Basketball

3. The 1-2-1 Defense is trouble for everyone who can't shoot 3's

4. Leadership- 8 seniors on this hungry team

5. Most Physical Team in the NCAA- The Fightin' Texas Aggies just beat you up and wear you down!

Bo Swayze

Texas Tech - Men

• They’ve got that one special player who can put the whole thing on his back.  JT Toppin has grown by leaps and bounds in the past year.  The New Mexico transfer could be this tournament’s Danny Manning, as anyone who watched his 41 point, 15 rebound double OT performance against Arizona State earlier in the year can attest.  He has some off-nights, but when he’s in rhythm, it’s hard to stop him.

  
  

• Grant McCasland is extremely effective at controlling the tempo of the game.  During his impressive tenure at North Texas and in his first two years at Texas Tech, McCasland's teams have shown the ability to play uptempo when necessary, but are able to slow things down to the basketball equivalent of a doom metal riff when it comes down to crunch time.  They can play the sort of deliberate, “every possession is a matter of life or death” sort of basketball that has historically translated well in March.

  
  

• I believe it was General William Tecumseh Sherman who first uttered the words “Defense wins championships”.  It was a strange thing to say for a guy who was in the process of setting the entire state of Georgia on fire to say, but he had a point.  And as always, Texas Tech plays a repressive, nasty style of defense that inflicts suffering and turnovers on all foes.

  
  

• They can score.  Texas Tech teams in past years have looked almost annoyed by the fact that they couldn’t just play defense for the entire game.  KenPom ranks this year's squad in the top 10 in terms of offensive efficency.

  
  

• Federiko Federiko is one of the best names in all of college basketball.  Humans with the same first name as last name are rare, but if memory serves, Duany Duany from Syracuse was the first and only tautonymically named player ever to play for a National Championship.  Folks with this sort of name are 1-0 in title games.

Keith Spillett

UCLA - Men

1.The Bruins are no stranger to the NCAA Tournament as they have made it to the Final Four nineteen times and have won the National Championship an amazing eleven times.  They most recently made the Final Four in 2021 under current Head Coach Mick Cronin.

2UCLA is one of the few Teams to go from the First Four to the Final Four as the Bruins did it back in 2021 and lost a heartbreaker to Gonzaga on a buzzer beating three pointer by Jalen Suggs.

3.UCLA stands for University of California Los Angeles – not Upper Corner of Lower Alabama - lol.

4.UCLA is playing their best basketball the last few months having won eleven of their last fifteen games with their most recent loss being to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.

5.UCLA has the requisite depth to win 6 games in 3 weeks as the Bruins have ten players that average at least nine minutes per game and three players that average double figures in scoring.

Steve Hiegel

UCLA - Women

• They are the best team in the country.  It’s a little known fact, but the team ranked #1 at the end of the season often achieves that ranking by being better than everyone else.  Since they spent 13 weeks at the #1 spot, it’s pretty safe to say that they are really great at this whole basketball thing.

  
  

• They beat everybody.  Their only losses this year were to USC and they avenged those by overwhelming the Trojans in the Big Ten Final. South Carolina is the #2 team in the country and they ran them out of Pauley Pavilion by 15 back in November. 

  
  

• I think it was William Makepeace Thackery who once said “Defense wins championships.”  Lauren Betts is Greg Oden with nicer hair.  They are overwhelmingly physical, stunningly quick and only gave up more than 70 or more points 4 times this year.  Ohio State was averaging about 79 points per game. UCLA held them to 46 last week.

  
  

• Coincidentally, offense also wins championships.  First and foremost, they grind out bucket after bucket in the paint, with Betts dropstepping and steamrolling defenders to the tune of 19.2 points per game. But Kiki Rice is the driving force on offense, constantly finding unique ways of getting to the basket and distributing to a seemingly endless array of scorers.  UCLA also averaged about 79 points per game. Nobody is holding them to 46.  Ever.

  
  

• Coach Cori Close has created a culture of toughness and tenacity that rivals any program in the country.  Remember when the knock on West Coast basketball was that teams out there were soft?  UCLA rolled into the rough and tumble Big Ten and yanked out more teeth than Jack Lambert’s dentist.  Soft?  This team is harder than me trying to park a Cybertruck. 

  
  

Keith Spillett

UConn - Men

UConn will win because I have them losing early.

Will win because there’s nothing else to do in Storrs, CT but practice basketball.

Danny Hurley turned down the lakers , now they have Doncic….he's coaching pissed off.

Will win because they gotta keep up with the women’s team

Will win because they will sneak up on teams for a change.

Paul Nardizzi

UConn - Women

1. Few programs have the pedigree of UConn, and they have a real husky as a mascot, not a fake one like Washington. 

2. Paige Bueckers is healthy now.

3. I met a famous UConn bball player in a bar maybe 20 years ago she was meeting up with one of my friends that knew her from UConn.  Another friend tried to hit on her, she said “You couldn’t even wash my panties, boy. “  It is to this day the funniest thing I have ever seen in person. 

4. UConn probably has a chip on their shoulder now that SC is getting all the love.

5.  UConn has missed exactly 1 final four in 16 years. 

Mike Rusconi

UCLA - Women

• They are the best team in the country.  It’s a little known fact, but the team ranked #1 at the end of the season often achieves that ranking by being better than everyone else.  Since they spent 13 weeks at the #1 spot, it’s pretty safe to say that they are really great at this whole basketball thing.

  
  

• They beat everybody.  Their only losses this year were to USC and they avenged those by overwhelming the Trojans in the Big Ten Final. South Carolina is the #2 team in the country and they ran them out of Pauley Pavilion by 15 back in November. 

  
  

• I think it was William Makepeace Thackery who once said “Defense wins championships.”  Lauren Betts is Greg Oden with nicer hair.  They are overwhelmingly physical, stunningly quick and only gave up more than 70 or more points 4 times this year.  Ohio State was averaging about 79 points per game. UCLA held them to 46 last week.

  
  

• Coincidentally, offense also wins championships.  First and foremost, they grind out bucket after bucket in the paint, with Betts dropstepping and steamrolling defenders to the tune of 19.2 points per game. But Kiki Rice is the driving force on offense, constantly finding unique ways of getting to the basket and distributing to a seemingly endless array of scorers.  UCLA also averaged about 79 points per game. Nobody is holding them to 46.  Ever.

  
  

• Coach Cori Close has created a culture of toughness and tenacity that rivals any program in the country.  Remember when the knock on West Coast basketball was that teams out there were soft?  UCLA rolled into the rough and tumble Big Ten and yanked out more teeth than Jack Lambert’s dentist.  Soft?  This team is harder than me trying to park a Cybertruck. 

Keith Spillett

UC San Diego - Men

The UC San Diego Tritons beat UC Irvine 75-61 to earn its first Big West Conference tournament championship, and with it, its first invitation to the NCAA tournament. Here is why they will win it all.

1.They don’t know what they don’t know…and that’s a good thing:  Five years ago, UC San Diego was a Division II school. They transitioned to a Division I school by joining the Big West Conference, but this was the first season they were eligible for the tournament. Coach Eric Olen took a team that two seasons ago went 10-20 (5-13 in conference) to a team that this year went 30-4 (18-2 in conference). 30 wins! So now they get to go to THE SHOW, but they don’t really know what that is. Sometimes it's better not to know. Just keep racking up those W’s and don’t overthink it.

2.Turnovers are bad, even when they’re good:  When I think of turnovers, I naturally think of delicious Pepperidge Farm apple turnovers that my mom would bake in the oven. I’d take them out while dismissing her warning that “they are still hot,” and I’d proceed to burn the crap out of the roof of my mouth with 400 degree apple goo. Then I’d have a little flap of skin hanging down from the roof of my mouth for the next three days that I’d play with with my tongue. The burning apple goo was worth it though; those things are delicious! But in basketball, turnovers are mostly bad. But they are good for the Tritons, because they mostly happen for the other team. In fact, UC San Diego leads the nation in turnover ratio with their opponents giving it up 7 times more per game than they do. They force their opponents into 16 TOs per game (#8 in Div I) while only giving it up 8.7 times per game (#2 in Div I). Mmm…delicious turnovers!

3.Let’s go streaking!:  The Tritons haven’t lost a game since Trump was inaugurated, which to many people may seem like a lifetime. They hold the nation’s current longest winning streak at 15. Leading the streaking Tritons is native New Zealander AniwaniwaTait-Jones who tops the roster in points (19.5), rebounds (5.5), and assists (3.7). 

Mike Hurley

UNCW - Men

1.UNC Wilmington will win the NCAA Tournament due to their toughness and grit.  The Seahawks played an extremely tough non-conference schedule with their toughest tests being at Kansas and at East Carolina.  The Seahawks are battle tested and won’t be scared of any opponent and that particular opponent’s potential home court advantage during the Tournament.

2UNC Wilmington is playing their best basketball at the right time and that is a key to going on a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.  The Seahawks have won 17 of their last 20 games including three games in three days in Washington, DC to win the always difficult CAA Conference Tournament.  

3UNC Wilmington could also call on a former player to help them if needed.  Does anyone remember Michael Jordan who grew up in Wilmington, NC?  He was a pretty good player back in the day and still has one year of eligibility left.  The former UNC star could be called on to help the Seahawks in their quest to win it all – especially if they have to play Duke on their journey to the Final Four in San Antonio – lol.

4UNC Wilmington has plenty of depth with the rotation going 9 and sometimes 10 players deep which gives the Seahawks a great advantage in the NCAA Tournament.  The Tournament is broken into three sets of two games in three days and there is little time to reset after each game so the Teams that have depth have a sizable advantage over the rest of the field.

5UNC Wilmington can cut down the nets in San Antonio due to their Head Coach Takayo Siddle who is a rising star.  Siddle was an Assistant Coach under Kevin Keatts from 2014 to 2017 who left with Keatts to North Carolina State.  Siddle returned to UNC Wilmington in 2020 and quickly turned the program back around winning the CBI Tournament in 2022 and now getting the Seahawks back to the NCAA Tournament in 2025.  Siddle’s experience and in game adjustments will prove invaluable for UNC Wilmington during the NCAA Tournament.

Steve Hiegel

USC - Women

1. They've got Juju: If there's a name you need to know in Women's College Basketball right now, it is Juju Watkins. She's the Big Ten Player of the Year, and is the first women's college basketball player to sign a merch and collectibles deal with Fanatics. Yeah - she's good.

2. They have a score to settle with UCLA. After winning the Big Ten regular season title, the Women of Troy were overtaken by their rivals for the tournament win.

3. No shortage of NIL portal cash with all the Lakers and Dodgers in town

4. USC is a legit contender- but don't say they are "on fire." It is WAY too soon for that.

Matt Carty

Utah State - Men

• Utah State is one of the most efficient shooting teams in the country. They are top 15 in field goal percentage at 48.95%. I feel bad for any school matching up with an offense that relentless. 

  
  

• The precision on the offensive end spreads to the passing too, as the Aggies are 10th in the land in assists per game and 11th in turnover/assist ratio. A team capable of spreading the ball the way they do combined with their shooting should definitely be feared. 

  
  

• Speaking of offensive efficiency, Utah State is rated 17th there in KenPoms’ ratings. Yet another testament to what a machine this squad can be on that end of the court. 

  
  

• Experience and effective guard play are the hallmarks of a group capable of making a run in March. The Aggies have both of these. This bunch has made four of the last five tournaments and two of their top three scorers (who are all guards) were on last year’s team that got to the second round. 

  
  

• Utah State’s student section, The Hurd, is notoriously rowdy and known as one of the best and loudest student sections in the country. I could see them causing the other team to go deaf or insulting them to death. Either way, looking forward to seeing what chaos you can cause, Hurd. 

• 
  

Mason deLisser

Vanderbilt - Men

The Vanderbilt University Commodores received an at large bid after going 20-12 in the regular season. Here is why they will win it all!

They can beat anybody on a given day:  The Dores have already proven they can beat a 4-seed, a 3-seed, and even a 2-seed, as they proved during the regular season by defeating the likes of Texas A&M, Kentucky, and Tennessee. 

Their coach is so hot right now:  If “Just Win Baby!” is the benchmark for a head coach, then Vandy is lucky to have Mark Byington at the helm. The dude just wins wherever he goes. He took Georgia Southern from 15-17 to three straight 20+ win seasons, then he took James Madison from 15-14 to 32-4 in two seasons. He’s now got Vandy back in the tournament for the first time since 2017. So hot. 

They’ve got a taste for winning: This year, the Vandy football team beat #1 ranked Alabama, and the Dores faithful lost their collective minds. They stormed the field, ripped down the goalpost, and marched it over 3 miles through downtown Nashville to dump it in the Cumberland River.  They stormed the court and whooped it up after beating Tennessee in hoops earlier this year. This fanbase is fired up and ready for a big win. Bring on Bama in round 2 baby!

Mike Hurley

Vanderbilt Women

1. Vandy has a 1-2 punch like few others. Guard Mikayla Blakes averages 23.2 points per game while forward Khamil Pierre averages 20.5.

2. This team can force turnovers. The Commodores average nearly 13 steals per game. Khamil Pierre averages better than 3.

3. Vanderbilt defeated Tennessee twice, whom I also made the case would win the NCAA Tournament.

4. William Harrison, the author of Roller Ball, attended Vandy. If the Commodores bring some of that James Caan Roller Ball spirit to the tournament, they are sure to make a deep run.

5. Once, I was on a flight with Vanderbilt alum, US Senator, and actor Fred Thompson. He was really tall and really handsome. Much handsomer than he appeared on television. I'm not one for going up to celebrities unless it is someone of whom I am a huge fan. Several people approached him during the flight and they seemed to all have long, cordial conversations with him. I could see why he was such a successful politician. I would think it would be tough for such a tall guy to seem so approachable but he just exuded a comfort in talking with strangers. I wish I was better at that.

Clayton Trutor

VCU - Men

• The Rams are as scrappy as they come. They rank 18th in offensive rebounds and eighth in blocks. Three out of five starters are under six-foot-five, but that doesn’t stop the heart of this VCU squad. We might have to rename them the VCU Chihuahuas; cause once they start going, they aren’t going to let up. 

  
  

• If you fall under the “defense wins championships” moniker, VCU is a great squad to back. They ranked fifth nationally in defensive rating, tied with Duke and below conference champions UC San Diego, Houston and St. John’s. 

  
  

• A lot of people nowadays complain about the style of basketball being played. “They shoot too many threes,” the critics cry out. VCU agreed; they hate three-pointers too. The Rams were fourteenth in opponent three-point field-goal percentage, which will pay huge dividends come tournament time. 

  
  

• Everyone has something they consider “old reliable.” VCU has two: Joe Bamisile and Max Shulga (would that make them old reliables? That just sounds weird). Bamisile averaged 15 points, five rebounds and one steal a game as an All-Atlantic-10 performer. Max Shulga, or as I like to call him, “Ukrainian Luka Doncic,” tore up the Atlantic-10 averaging 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals a game as the conference’s Player of the Year. 

• The awards keep flooding for VCU, as they not only have the conference’s Player of the Year, but the A-10 Sixth Man of the Year. Zeb Jackson does whatever you need him to do; he can turn up the scoring like he did against St. Bonaventure with 14 points. Or he can help his teammates, notching eight points, four rebounds and four assists against Loyola-Chicago. Jackson is the resident A-10 handyman, and I know Ryan Odom is very glad to have him in tow.

  
  

  Colin Bish 

Wisconsin - MEN

5. They were clearly kickstarted by a regular season home loss finale to Penn State—sure, PSU class of ‘86, but ball don’t lie

4. This is not your father’s Wisconsin team—they actually score points, averaging more than 80 ppg

3. Their coach—no not Bo Ryan, you know the one that replaced Bo Ryan—well he’s pretty good 

2. They are playing some quality hoops in the B1G tourney, with wins against Northwestern and then against higher seeds UCLA and Michigan St. on the way to a championship final game v. Michigan 

1. John Tonje, John Tonje, John Tonje

GO BADGERS!

Michael Dinga

Xavier - Men

• Sean Miller's last three Xavier NCAA Tournament teams have advanced to at least the Sweet 16 and this version had to win its way in after a mid-season swoon, entering the Big East Tournament on a seven-game winning streak before losing a tight game to Marquette in MSG that they led by as many as 14. This is a good First Four team.

• Zach Freemantle appears healthy after missing all of last season and dealing with a knee injury earlier this season with six of the team's 11 losses happening either while he was out or getting back up to speed. The team is 12-4 in its last 16 games with a road loss to Villanova its only setback against a team not in the field.

• Ryan Conwell is a third-team All-Big East selection and the designated gunner on a team that doesn't shoot a ton of 3s,  but makes them when they do, connecting at the sixth best clip in America. Conwell is both shot taker and maker, with a 41% clip on 232 attempts on the season.  

• Xavier's offense is driven by attacking the basket as no Big East team converted their shot attempts more into free throws and the Musketeers shot 80% as a team from the line.

• As the only Ohio entry in the tourney -- where you at Bucks, Flyers and Bearcats? -- security measures are being put in place for the seeming inevitability of JD Vance jumping on the bandwagon.

Shawn O'Neal

Yale - Men

• This wouldn't just be a cute little David overcoming 6 Goliaths story. The Ivy League has become a regular giant killer in the Big Dance.  Arizona was the hip pick to win it all two years ago.  Princeton ran them ragged with backdoor cuts and bounced them in the first round.  Last year, this Yale team knocked off a fantastic Auburn squad that has morphed into the #1 team in the country for several weeks during this season.  Ivy League kids regularly transfer to power conference teams and become immediate contributors and, in some cases, stars.  The Ivy League isn’t a bunch of intramural level groups with 6 foot 3 centers who make sure to throw at least 5 passes before they take a shot; it’s a premier mid-major and this is one of the best teams it has ever produced.

  
  

• James Jones is a fantastic coach.  His teams regularly win about 20 games a season and are frequently participants in the NCAA tournament.  He’s the third longest tenured active coach in college basketball and there isn’t a scenario he hasn’t seen and isn’t ready for.

  
  

• As Yale alum, former President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Howard Taft stated in his widely cited Ex Parte Grossmann decision “Defense wins championships”.  Taft was suffering from a case of severe hallucinatory gout during the writing process and legal scholars have long puzzled over what defense has to do with the Separation of Powers as outlined in the US Constitution, but his words have been prophetic.  Every team to win a National Championship since Taft issued the ruling has played defense.  A Yale National Championship would continue this long and storied tradition of success for teams who try to stop the other team from scoring when they don’t have the ball.

  
  

• They have really good players.   Bez Mbang is not only a fun name to say, he is a shutdown defender who excels in every area of the game from scoring to distributing. The nickname "The Bez Dispenser" has not stuck, but that didn't stop him from earning both the Ivy League Player of the Year and Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year awards this season. Nick Townsend is a tremendous rebounder and scorer who averaged 15 points and 7 boards a night.  John Poulakidas is one of the best three-point shooters in the country averaging over 40 percent from behind the arc for the last three seasons.  The roster is stocked to the gills with outstanding players who contribute to a balanced and battle-tested team.

  
  

• Weird things happen. In 1876 in Olympia Springs, Kentucky, gigantic chunks of red meat fell from the sky for nearly 15 minutes.  Some say it might have been beef.  Others believe it was goat.  But as completely improbable as it sounds, The Great Kentucky Meat Shower really happened.  It has been well-documented but never explained to this day. In a world where meat can simply fall from the sky in the middle of an average Kentucky morning in March, does a Yale National Championship really seem THAT improbable?

  
  

Keith Spillett