(Photo by Adam Glanzman)
The March Madness is in full swing and chaotic as ever. Since most brackets are already busted, why not try to predict the rest of the tournament from the Sweet Sixteen on?
Here are my picks:
Sweet Sixteen
(9) Kansas State vs. (5) Kentucky
Pick: Kentucky 82, Kansas State 70
(11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (7) Nevada
Pick: Loyola-Chicago 70, Nevada 65
(9) Florida State vs. (4) Gonzaga
Pick: Gonzaga 83, Florida State 80
(7) Texas A&M vs. (3) Michigan
Pick: Texas A&M 71, Michigan 60
(5) West Virginia vs. (1) Villanova
Pick: Villanova 78, West Virginia 74
(3) Texas Tech vs. (2) Purdue
Pick: Purdue 68, Texas Tech 66
(5) Clemson vs. (1) Kansas
Pick: Clemson 81, Kansas 73
(11) Syracuse vs. (2) Duke
Pick: Duke 64, Syracuse 57
Elite Eight
(11) Loyola- Chicago vs. (5) Kentucky
Pick: Kentucky 78, Loyola-Chicago 65
(7) Texas A&M vs. (4) Gonzaga
Pick: Gonzaga 79, Texas A&M 72
(2) Purdue vs. (1) Villanova
Pick: Villanova 80, Purdue 69
(5) Clemson) vs. (2) Duke
Pick: Duke 82, Clemson, 79
Final Four
(5) Kentucky vs. (4) Gonzaga
This is an interesting matchup between an experienced Gonzaga squad and a Kentucky team that oozes youth and athleticism. The Wildcats’ 6’6 point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been dominant so far in March, and wing Kevin Knox, while inconsistent, has the ability to drop 20+ points any given night. I get the sense that confidence is important to Kentucky, meaning that with every win in the tournament, the Wildcats only become more fearsome.
Pick: Kentucky 77, Gonzaga, 70
(2) Duke vs. (1) Villanova
Like Kentucky vs. Gonzaga, this game pits an experienced team against a youthful one. Being the latter, Duke has incredible talent across the board with 5-star recruits Trevon Duval, Gary Trent Jr., Wendell Carter Jr., and Marvin Bagley III. ‘Nova has plenty of firepower, too--forward Mikal Bridges absolutely lit up Alabama in the second half in the Round of 32, and guard Jalen Brunson is the favorite for the Wooden Award. This one’s gonna be a shootout.
Pick: Duke 84, Villanova 81
National Championship
(5) Kentucky vs. (2) Duke
Given that these two programs have dominated college basketball over the past decade, it’s surprising that this is the first time they would meet in the postseason since 1998. Both teams started out the season with high expectations and experienced some mid-season struggles. But, like all great coaches, both Mike Krzyzewski and John Calipari have their teams playing the best ball of the year in March. How well Kentucky big man P.J. Washington matches up with Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. will determine the outcome of this game.
Pick: Duke 74, Kentucky 68
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