Trusting your instincts is a skill we learn early on and are expected to carry throughout our lives. This intuition guides us in making critical decisions, whether it’s choosing a job, a house, or even picking the right upset in a bracket. This applies to NCAA tournament brackets as well. For the past 30 years, I’ve filled out my bracket by hand the moment it’s announced, whether it was from the morning paper or printed off ESPN.com. With all the information available at that time, there’s no need to second-guess or overthink.
In the South region, I predict Colorado will beat Boise State 75-69. Moving on to the first round picks, I have UConn defeating Stetson and Florida Atlantic beating Northwestern. Drake will edge out Washington State, and Iowa State will outscore South Dakota State. In the second round, UConn will prevail over Florida Atlantic, Auburn will conquer San Diego State, Illinois will defeat BYU, and Iowa State will outlast Drake. In the Sweet 16, I see UConn beating Auburn and Illinois taking down Iowa State.
In the Elite 8 match, I predict UConn will emerge victorious against Illinois. In the West region, North Carolina will overpower Howard and Michigan State will defeat Mississippi State in the first round. Nevada will beat Dayton, and Arizona will triumph over Long Beach State. Moving forward, North Carolina will beat Michigan State, Alabama will outscore Saint Mary’s, New Mexico will upset Baylor, and Arizona will defeat Nevada. In the Sweet 16, I predict Alabama will edge out North Carolina and Arizona will triumph over New Mexico. In the Elite 8, I see Arizona defeating Alabama.
In the Houston region, I predict Houston will beat Longwood and Texas A&M will defeat Nebraska. Florida will outscore Colorado, and Marquette will triumph over Western Kentucky. Moving on, Houston will beat Texas A&M, Duke will defeat James Madison, Kentucky will outlast Texas Tech, and Florida will edge out Marquette. In the Sweet 16, I predict Houston will beat Duke and Kentucky will triumph over Florida. In the Elite 8, I see Houston emerging victorious against Kentucky.
In the Midwest region, I predict Purdue will beat Montana State and TCU will defeat Utah State. Texas will edge out Colorado State, and Tennessee will outscore Saint Peter’s. Moving forward, Purdue will beat TCU, McNeese will upset Samford, Creighton will defeat South Carolina, and Tennessee will outlast Texas. In the Sweet 16, I predict Purdue will beat McNeese and Creighton will edge out Tennessee. In the Elite 8, I see Creighton defeating Purdue.
In the Final Four, I predict UConn will beat Arizona and Houston will defeat Creighton. In the National Championship game, I predict UConn will emerge as the victor against Houston. UConn has shown dominance over the past two seasons with a strong team and excellent coaching, making them the favorites to win back-to-back championships. Trust your gut and make your picks confidently!
