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IT"S TIME... Bracket season, and nothing beats a handwritten copy. I've gone through a few copies and I feel super confident in my picks (until the first loss). I would love to put my Bryant Bulldogs or Providence Friars up further, but that's just not in the cards this season. I'll start with my upsets though however. I've posted my bracket below and gave some analysis for my Final Four, but nonetheless, it's time to go to work. The DM's are open on Twitter, @wtondo, have at it mob!
My First Round Upset Alerts
No 13. Vermont over No. 4 Arkansas
No. 13 Chattanooga over No. 4 Illinois
No. 12 UAB over No. 5 Houston
No. 11 Virginia Tech over No. 6 Texas
No. 11 Iowa State over No. 6 LSU
No. 10 Davidson over No. 7 Michigan State
No. 10 Loyola Chicago over No. 7 Ohio State
No. 10 Miami over No. 7 USC
No. 9 Marquette over No. 8 UNC
No 9. Creighton over No. 8 San Diego State
Final Four: Gonzaga, Arizona, UCLA, Wisconsin
Region Winner Odds
Gonzaga (-200)
Arizona (+140)
UCLA (+350)
Wisconsin (+900)
I am bullish on UCLA, and I think a rematch against Gonzaga is in their cards. They are a hard nosed team with high talent, and see them making it to the final four with no problem.
Wisconsin is definitely a surprise pick in the Final Four. Personally, I think they have a easier path in the Midwest region, and will shock some folks against Auburn and then Iowa. Also, it was nice to see our guy John Fanta have him there too, so I feel extra confident.
Champion: Gonzaga
Championship Odds
Gonzaga (+325)
Arizona (+675)
I did not anticipate Gonzaga as my champion, but here we are. Led by versatile big men Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren, this team can score. They come losing against Duke (a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament), Alabama (a No. 6 seed) and Saint Mary’s (a No. 5 seed) early on in the season, but boast big time double digit wins over Texas, UCLA, Texas Tech and San Francisco. It won't be easy against Arizona, who is one of the best defensive teams in the country and have one of the best rim protectors in Christian Koloko.
However, Gonzaga is far too talented, and if they make it to the championship, they aren't losing in back-to-back seasons.
** 3/17 - I have changed my pick to Alabama over Notre Dame with Rutgers losing **
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