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Round of 64

Birmingham
1.Houston
16.Northern Kentucky
If Marcus Sasser comes back for the Cougars for this game, they should have no problem against the Norse.

8.Iowa
9.Auburn
Iowa is the better offensive team but Auburn wins this game with their defense and gritty play.

Albany
5.Miami
12.Drake
Drake is a popular upset pick but Miami’s offense will carry them to a win.

4.Indiana
13.Kent State
Indiana has been up and down this season. Facing a tough Kent State team will mean their demise and a Golden Flashes win.

Greensboro
6.Iowa State
11.Mississippi State/Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh will beat Mississippi State in Dayton and do the same to an overrated Iowa State team.

3.Xavier
14.Kennesaw State
Xavier may have been overseeded as a number three seed but they will handle Kennesaw State, who makes their first ever tournament appearance in 2023.

Des Moines
7.Texas A&M
10.Penn State
Texas A&M and Penn State are both gritty teams that use that to win games. Both lost in their conference tournament finals. Texas A&M wins a close one.

2.Texas
15.Colgate
Texas will defeat a high scoring Colgate team and set up a future SEC match up with old rival Texas A&M.

Round of 32

Birmingham
1.Houston
9.Auburn
Houston will take care of an Auburn team that struggles to score.

Albany
5.Miami
13.Kent States
Miami will end Kent State’s run in the NCAA Tournament.

Greensboro
3.Xavier
11.Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh will upset Xavier, led by Jamarius Burton.

Des Moines
2.Texas
7.Texas A&M
In a future SEC match up, Texas will win and head to Louisville.

Sweet 16
1.Houston
5.Miami
Miami will upset Houston using a teriffic offensive attack.

2.Texas
11.Pittsburgh
Texas will end Pittsburgh’s run to the south regional while coach Rodney Terry proves he is valuable enough to be the permanent head coach.

Elite 8
2.Texas
5.Miami
Texas will return to the Final Four in 2003 after beating Miami.

Midwest Regional Champion: 2.Texas

2023 Midwest Region Preview, Predictions Video

Image Courtesy: The San Diego Union-Tribune

Round of 64

Birmingham
1.Alabama
16.Texas A&M-CC/16.Missouri State
The Tide should roll over the winner of Corpus Christi and Missouri State.

8.Maryland
9.West Virginia
In what should be a highly competitive game, West Virginia will defeat Maryland.

Orlando
5.San Diego State
12.College of Charleston
College of Charleston will be a popular upset pick but San Diego State’s defense should eliminate them.

4.Virginia
13.Furman
Furman will be a popular upset pick but Virginia’s tournament experience should get them the one.

Denver
6.Creighton
11.NC State
Creighton was a pre-season top ten team but without star big man Ryan Kalkbrenner out for much of the season. With him back, the Blue Jays should handle a great NC State team, who has great guards like Terquavion Smith.

3.Baylor
14.UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara can win an NCAA Tournament game but facing a healthy Baylor team will be a chore.

Sacramento
7.Missouri
10.Utah State
In a game that could see both teams score 90, Missouri will take down Utah State with potential scoring droughts.

2.Arizona
15.Princeton
Arizona just won the Pac-12 title game and they are poised to make a run in March.

Round of 32

Birmingham
1.Alabama
9.West Virginia
Alabama got a bad draw in the south with either Maryland or West Virginia. Similarly to Alabama, West Virginia can score in bunches. Alabama should win it but it will be a different game.

Orlando
4.Virginia
5.San Diego State
In a game of NCAA Tournament mainstays and tremendous defensive teams, I lean San Diego State to win this game with a healthier roster.

Denver
3.Baylor
6.Creighton
Baylor is good and can make another run but Creighton’s balance on offense will help them to an upset of the bears.

Sacramento
2.Arizona
7.Missouri
Missouri will challenge Arizona but if the wildcats show up, they should get the job done.

Sweet 16

Louisville
1.Alabama
5.San Diego State
Alabama will have to survive periods without scoring as they face a tremendous defense in the Aztecs but star Brandon Miller should lead them to the Elite 8.

Louisville
2.Arizona
6.Creighton
Arizona and Creighton faced off in the Maui Invitational Championship earlier this season and Arizona won. I favor the team that did not win that match up, Creighton, to get the job done.

Elite 8

Louisville
1.Alabama
6.Creighton
In what would be a tremendous game, Alabama would handle Creighton and move onto the Final Four.

South Regional Champion: 1.Alabama

2023 South Region Preview, Predictions Video

Image Courtesy: State of the U

Note: No video previews this year, I am too busy.

ACC (Greensboro)
Bracket
Video Preview
The ACC was definitely down this season. North Carolina fell from the top team in the country in the pre-season to off of the NCAA Tournament bracket. Virginia and Miami shared the regular season conference title and they will be challenged in Greensboro by an up and down Clemson team, dangerous Duke, and Pittsburgh, who is having their best season in a long time. A surprise run by North Carolina will likely not happen but the talented Tar Heels could make it happen. Projected Winner: Pittsburgh

Big 12 (Kansas City)
Bracket
Video Preview
The Big 12 runs through Kansas again this season. The Jayhawks finished with the best record again in the conference and will look to be ready to win another conference title near home in Kansas City. Kansas led the best conference in the country that will likely also have Texas, Baylor, Kansas State, TCU, and Iowa State as locks for the tournament. Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech will look to have good weeks to lock up bids as well. To me, this is a tournament any team can win and there will be ripple effects on the top four seed lines with who wins the conference title. Projected Winner: Baylor

Big East (New York City)
Bracket
Video Preview
The winner between top seed Marquette and four seed Connecticut’s potential semifinal match-up will likely become the conference tournament’s winner but two seed Xavier, three seed Creighton, and five seed Providence will look to make some noise. First year Villanova coach Kyle Neptune has the Wildcats poised for a March run with just a few wins next week in Madison Square Garden as well. Projected Winner: Connecticut

Big Ten (Chicago)
Bracket
Video Preview
The Big Ten is the most average it has been as a basketball league in a long time. Purdue ran to a 22-1 record to start the season but then began losing games. Tied for second place, Indiana, Northwestern, and Michigan State all have nine conference losses while Illinois, Maryland, Iowa, and Michigan tied for third with nine losses. This conference tournament is wide open and I honestly have no idea who is going to win. Projected Winner: Indiana

Pac-12 (Las Vegas)
Bracket
Video Preview
Thoughts:
The Pac-12 has been run by UCLA this season as they have four less conference losses than second place Arizona (2 to 6). The Bruins are the easy favorite to win in Las Vegas because of their defense and veteran leadership including point guard Tyger Campbell and wing Jaime Jaquez. Projected Winner: UCLA

SEC (Nashville)
Bracket
Video Preview
Kentucky has surged into conference tournament week, winning five of their last six games. With top seed Alabama having to make second half comebacks in their last few games on their way to a regular season championship in the conference, they may not be the favorite in Nashville this week but the they are definitely dangerous. Last year’s finalists Texas A&M and Tennessee had success a lot of success in the event last season but they will be challenged by sleepers such as Auburn, who has played well of late, Mississippi State, and even South Carolina. Projected Winner: Kentucky

Image Courtesy: Burnt Orange Nation

March 4
2.Alabama at. 24.Texas A&M
12 PM ET, CBS
As Brandon Miller goes, Alabama goes. He led the Tide to an SEC regular season championship, its second in three seasons. Scoring 41, 24, and 17 in his last three games have led them to victories. If Brandon Miller is the Tide’s best player, Ohio transfer Mark Sears is the X-Factor for the Crimson Tide. Aggies guard Wade Taylor and big man Julius Marble have helped Texas A&M to a surprise second place finish in SEC play. To me, A&M can win this game at home if they limit the Tide in the first half like Arkansas did in the first half in last week’s game. The Aggies will need to come out and play well at the beginning of the second half if that is the case, as the Crimson Tide are a fantastic shooting team and can get points inside at a fast pace. Projected Score: Alabama 75, Texas A&M 70

3.Kansas at. 9.Texas
4 PM ET, ESPN
A win for the red-hot Jayhawks over Texas Tech on Tuesday has put them in great position to be the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament with the Big 12 regular season title all locked up. In their way will be a Texas team that plays much better at home than it does on the road. The Longhorns lost to TCU on Wednesday in Fort Worth. Texas must rely on the offense of guards Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice and the defense of Timmy Allen against a Kansas team that is going to be hard to stop. A win for the Longhorns puts them in play for second place in the Big 12 with losses by Baylor (hosts Iowa State) and Kansas State (goes to West Virginia) but a loss makes them the four seed in next week’s Big 12 tournament with potentially another chance against Kansas again in the semifinals. Projected Score: Kansas 78, Texas 77

25.Pittsburgh at. 16.Miami
6 PM ET, ACCN
An unlikely match-up (based off of projections at the beginning of the season) for one of the top three seeds in the ACC Tournament next week comes in Coral Gables. Miami is looking to return to the Elite 8 and go even further this season with leading scorer Isaiah Wong and leading rebounder Norchad Omier. However, Jeff Capel’s Pittsburgh team looks to lock up the ACC title with conference player of the year candidates Blake Hinson and Jamarius Burton. Projected Score: Pittsburgh 85, Miami 83

Duke at. North Carolina
6:30 PM ET, ESPN
North Carolina has gone on a three-game winning streak since a head-scratching loss to NC State in Raleigh where they had a lead for most of the game. In that streak, the Tar Heels got their first Quad 1 win of the season against Virginia. Star center Armando Bacot will have to score more than 1 point (like he did against Florida State on Monday) if the Tar Heels are going to beat Duke and even up the season series. The Blue Devils young roster has matured into a well-built machine, winning their last five games led by forward Kyle Filipowski, guard Tyrese Proctor, wing Dariq Whitehead, and big man Dereck Lively II. The Tar Heels must win this game to head to the NCAA Tournament but Duke will make it tough. Projected Score: Duke 81, North Carolina 76

8.Arizona at. 4.UCLA
10 PM ET, ESPN
Having already locked up a Pac-12 title, UCLA looks to get their third quality win this season to make its case for a one seed. Bruins forward Jaquez leads UCLA in both points and assists. Arizona three games back in conference and guard Tyger Campbell’s leadership have proven huge in an 8-0 February. In recent losses, star Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis has not shown up and as a result offense will be needed from guards Courtney Ramey and Kerr Kriisa as well as big man Omar Ballo. Arizona could use this win to move back up to a firm two line team while hurting their conference rival’s resúmé. Projected Score: UCLA 72, Arizona 67

March 5
1.Houston at. Memphis
12 PM ET, CBS
Likely one seed Houston has one Quad 1 opportunity left in the season and it happens to be on the final day of the regular season at the FedEx Forum against Memphis. Tigers guard Kendric Davis and Cougars guard Marcus Sasser, clear options for the American Player of the Year, match up as they look to prove why they are worthy of the award. In a preview of what could be next weekend’s AAC Tournament Championship, the game will come down to how well Memphis plays outside of Davis to beat such a talented Houston roster. Projected Score: Houston 76, Memphis 69

Illinois at. 5.Purdue
12:30 PM ET, FOX
Purdue has to continue to bounce back this weekend against Illinois, in a battle of two teams that have locked up their tournament spots already. Boilermaker center Zach Edey has been terrific even in their struggles, scoring 26 points and 16 rebounds in a second loss to Indiana on Saturday. Purdue will have to continue to rely on freshmen guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer as they look to improve from their tough stretch. Sharpshooter Matthew Mayer and star wing Terrance Shannon can lead the Illini to a win in Mackey Arena but the Boilermakers rarely lose back to back in their home arena. Projected Score: Purdue 72, Illinois 64

Image Courtesy: The Slipper Still Fits

In just thirty short minutes, the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Selection Committee will let us know their top sixteen seeds currently in the NCAA Tournament field on CBS just three weeks ahead of Selection Sunday, March 12.

Here are my predictions for who those sixteen teams will be:

South Region (Louisville)
1.Alabama
Despite their first loss in SEC play to Tennessee on Wednesday, they jumped back up to the top overall seed spot due to Purdue’s loss a night earlier.
2.Baylor
Baylor’s recent success (only loss to Texas in last few weeks) has them in prime position to challenge for a one seed in a historically good Big 12.
3.Marquette
Marquette has arguably been the best team in a Big East and no bad losses that is better than a lot of people think.
4.Iowa State
Iowa State’s wins over Kansas and Kansas State are helping them out a lot especially with a loss to ninth place Texas Tech in the Big 12.

West Region (Las Vegas)
1.Houston
Houston may play in a weak American Athletic Conference, but they have the quality of players like Jamal Shead and Marcus Sasser to compete at their one seed level.
2.UCLA
UCLA’s only win against a team that will likely be in the tournament is against Maryland but if the Bruins win the Pac-12 they will be in play for a one seed down the line.
3.Gonzaga
Despite losing to Saint Mary’s and their stranglehold on the West Coast Conference, the Zags have bounced back with recent wins over San Francisco, BYU, and Loyola Marymount.
4.Miami
The Hurricane’s Monday win in Chapel Hill over North Carolina and 6 Quad 1 wins ascended them to the sixteenth overall seed and last team in the reveal.

Midwest Region (Kansas City)
1.Kansas
The Jayhawks’ 12 Quad 1 wins lead the country and their exciting offensive play gets them to the one seed line.
2.Tennessee
Tennessee lost twice on buzzer-beaters a week ago but rebounded with a win over number one Alabama in Knoxville which secures a two-seed for them in my opinion as well as wins over Kansas and Baylor, two of the top three teams in the Big 12.
3.Arizona
Arizona has been in consideration for a one seed as of late with wins over two of my current two seeds, Tennessee and UCLA, but bad losses to Stanford and Utah keep them just outside of the two seed line as my number nine overall seed.
4.Kansas State
Kansas State’s win over Kansas had them up to the two-seed line a few weeks ago but recent losses to Iowa State and Texas Tech helped them fall down a bit.

East Region (New York)
1.Purdue
Purdue has lost three of its last four games after beginning the season 22-1 start to the season. If the Boilermakers win out, they will be a one seed in March.
2.Texas
Despite a loss to Texas Tech earlier in the week, Texas is still in play for a one seed on Selection Sunday with a two seed likely on Saturday morning.
3.Virginia
Virginia has been the best team in the metrics in a weak ACC and four Quad I wins including over Baylor on a neutral court.
4.Connecticut
With wins over Alabama and Iowa State included in their 6 Quad I wins, Connecticut helps itself out very well with an 8-7 Big East record.

Image Courtesy: North Carolina Athletics

February 4
8.Kansas at. 13.Iowa State
12 PM ET, ESPN
Jalen Wilson (2o points and 8 rebounds) led the Kansas Jayhawks to a second consecutive win on Tuesday against Kansas State to even the season series with the Wildcats. Guard Gradey Dick did not impact the game as well as he wanted to but the Jayhawks still took care of business. Next for the Jayhawks is a trip to Ames to face a struggling Iowa State team, losers two straight since beating Kansas State over a week ago. Cyclone guards Jaren Holmes and Gabe Kalsheur will have to play huge to get a home upset of the Jayhawks. Projected Score: Kansas 77, Iowa State 72

25.Auburn at. 2.Tennessee
2 PM ET, ESPN
Auburn has been good but not great in the SEC this season. Replacing Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler has not been easy with John Broome (8.5 rebounds per game) and Jaylin Williams (5.2 rebounds per game). But guard Wendell Green has been the veteran leader that Auburn fans have come to expect. Tennessee has been tremendous this season, led by guards Zakai Ziegler and Santiago Vescovi who have been a top ten quality team all season, despite a loss to Florida on Wednesday night in Gainesville. Projected Score: Tennessee 84, Auburn 76

10.Texas at. 7.Kansas State
4 PM ET, ESPN2
Texas and Kansas State are two teams near or at the top of the loaded Big 12. Texas comes off of a win at home against Baylor while Kansas State fell in their rematch to Kansas in Lawrence. Kansas State needs to protect home court to stay in the race for the Big 12 regular season championship and a one seed in Kansas City at the Big 12 Tournament. Wildcat forward Keyontae Johnson and guard Markquis Nowellwill make sure that happens while Texas’ dynamic guards Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice will look for a second consecutive win against a top eleven team in the country. Projected Score: Kansas State 82, Texas 78

1.Purdue at. 21.Indiana
4 PM ET, ESPN
Purdue has no doubt been the best team in the country. Big man Zach Edey has been the best player in the country while freshman guards Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith have paced the team well as freshman guards. Indiana big man Trayce Jackson-Davis has been almost as good as Edey while guard Jalen Hood-Schifino will look to add on to Jackson-Davis’ effort. The Boilermakers have only a single loss on the season while the Hoosier’s were on a five-game winning streak before a loss on Tuesday in College Park against Maryland. Indiana has to be able to make shots consistently to beat Purdue, something that will be hard to do even at home in the friendly confines of Assembly Hall. Projected Score: Purdue 75, Indiana 70

North Carolina at. Duke
6:30 PM ET, ESPN
North Carolina has won 10 out of their last 13 games but did not give the ball enough to star big man Armando Bacot in a tough one-point loss to Pittsburgh in Chapel Hill. Now, the Tar Heels will need Bacot and guards Caleb Love and RJ Davis to play consistently in Durham for a second consecutive year against a Duke team that has won three of its last four games. Duke freshman forward Kyle Filipowski has been the Blue Devils best player this season while they will need point guard Jeremy Roach (21 points) to play like he did in their recent win against Wake Forest. Duke freshman big man Dereck Lively has to be terrific defensively against Armando Bacot, who has not been as good this season as many people thought while freshman forward Dariq Whitehead continues to go through the injury bug. Projected Score: North Carolina 79, Duke 78

12.Gonzaga at. 18.Saint Mary’s
10:30 PM ET, ESPN
Throughout the years, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s have clearly been the two best teams in the West Coast Conference. Just 11 months ago, Saint Mary’s took down the number one ranked Bulldogs on a historic day in college basketball where six top ten teams lost and will look to do so again at home in Moraga. Guard Aidan Mahaney (15 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists per game) and center Mitchell Saxen (13 points and 8 rebounds per game) have been crucial in Saint Mary’s 8-0 start in conference play. The Gaels will again have to deal with talented veteran forward Drew Timme (21.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game), a much improved wing Julian Strawther (14.7 points and 7 rebounds per game), and point guard Rasir Bolton (10.5 points and 2.6 assists per game). This is a crucial game for both squads’ NCAA Tournament resumé and it will be a game that goes down to the wire. But, it is won by the Zags on the road. Projected Score: Gonzaga 87, Saint Mary’s 82

Image Courtesy: Alabama Athletics

January 28
12.Iowa State at. Missouri (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
2 PM ET, ESPN2
New Missouri head coach Dennis Gates has been a terrific hire for the tigers based off of almost the first three months of his regular season tenure. But, they will have to face Iowa State, a team near the top of the Big 12 standings coming off of a win over top five Kansas State. Missouri was blitzed by Kansas in Columbia and will look for a better performance at home against the Cyclones. Projected Score: Iowa State 75, Missouri 70

2.Alabama at. Oklahoma (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
2 PM ET, ESPN
I don’t know if there has been a better team in the country in Alabama (18-2, 8-0 SEC) or player Brandon Miller (Almost 20 points per game). While Oklahoma has not been bad in a tremendous Big 12, it is going to be a tough one at home as having to deal with Miller, Mark Sears (14 points per game), and Charles Bediako (6 rebounds, 2 blocks per game) inside. Sooners guard Grant Sherfield has been one of the best offensive players in the country while averaging almost 17 points a game. Veteran forwards Tanner and Jacob Groves will have to step up if they want to beat the Tide after their worst performance of the season against Mississippi State on Wednesday. Projected Score: Alabama 82, Oklahoma 74

Arkansas at. 17.Baylor (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
4 PM ET, ESPN
Baylor comes in after a huge win at home against Kansas in Waco on Monday night. They raced out to a big early lead and withstood every Kansas attempt to even the game with quality three point looks. Star freshman Keyonte George leads the Bears in scoring with almost 17 points a game, while point guard Adam Flagler leads them in assists at 5. Arkansas comes into Waco as winners of two straight. Despite offensive struggles the past few games, Ricky Council (17 points per game) has paced the hogs this season on that side of the ball. Devo Davis has been huge for the hogs the last week and a half. The hog veteran has been incredible shooting from the three-point line after a tough start from deep to start the season and on defense against the opposing team’s best player. If Arkansas survives the opening minutes, this game should be close. Projected Score: Baylor 82, Arkansas 79

10.Texas at. 4.Tennessee (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
6 PM ET, ESPN
ESPN’s College GameDay makes its first campus trip this season to Knoxville for a huge top ten battle in Knoxville. Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes faces the Longhorns for the second time in two seasons after getting fired in Austin following the 2014-2015 season. Tennessee’s guards Zakai Ziegler (11 points and 5 assists per game) and Santiago Vescovi (12 points per game) make the Vols go while Texas’ Marcus Carr (18 points and 4 assists per game) has kept the ‘Horns afloat since the firing of Chris Beard. This game has potential to be the game of the year in college basketball, and I cannot wait. Projected Score: Tennessee 77, Texas 73

9.Kansas at. Kentucky (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
8 PM ET, ESPN
Despite being a top ten team, former AP number one ranked Kansas has lost three consecutive games in a tough Big 12. Kentucky, after opening the season in the AP top five, struggled up until the last few weeks. Since the Wildcats have gone on a four game win streak and have beaten top ten Tennessee, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. If Kentucky wins this game, they will send a message that they, are a team that can compete for a national championship again. Projected Score: Kentucky 81, Kansas 78