With the college basketball season starting Nov. 6, we asked sifoeeprocess.com basketball expert Andy Katz to fill out a March Madness bracket based on everything he saw this preseason.
We鈥檒l break down his picks, but first, let鈥檚 take a look at Andy鈥檚 bracket:
There are definitely some interesting choices in there. Let鈥檚 break them down.
Here鈥檚 the field Katz predicts:
| Seed | South | East | Midwest | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky | Duke | Kansas | Gonzaga |
| 2 | Nevada | Tennessee | North Carolina | Virginia |
| 3 | Syracuse | Kansas State | Auburn | Michigan State |
| 4 | Florida State | Villanova | Nebraska | West Virginia |
| 5 | Purdue | UCLA | Marquette | Washington |
| 6 | Michigan | Indiana | UCF | Loyola Chicago |
| 7 | Virginia Tech | Clemson | Oregon | Mississippi State |
| 8 | Cincinnati | TCU | Wisconsin | Minnesota |
| 9 | Butler | Davidson | Buffalo | Providence |
| 10 | Alabama | St. Louis | Florida | Iowa State |
| 11 | St. John's | LSU | Texas | Houston |
| 12 | Georgetown/USC | Harvard | St. Joseph's/Memphis | Marshall |
| 13 | Wofford | Northeastern | Rider | South Dakota State |
| 14 | Georgia State | Grand Canyon | Belmont | Stephen F. Austin |
| 15 | Montana | UC Davis | Wright State | Lehigh |
| 16 | Lipscomb/Winthrop | FDU/Bethune-Cookman | Grambling | Vermont |
Now let鈥檚 take a closer look:
Andy鈥檚 Final Four: Kentucky, Villanova, North Carolina and Gonzaga
Katz has what would be a thrilling lineup here, with a 2017 championship game rematch in UNC vs. Gonzaga in the semifinal, and the potential for a 2016 championship game rematch with UNC and Villanova in the title game. That UNC-Gonzaga game will also be a rematch of a regular season game this year, as the Bulldogs are scheduled to travel to Chapel Hill on Dec. 15.
On the other half of the bracket is a Wildcat showdown. Fun fact, since 2011, there has been a Wildcat team in the Final Four in all but two years (2013 and 2017). Each of those has been Kentucky or Villanova. In total, those two Wildcats have been in seven Final Fours since 2009, but never in the same year.
Best upset picks: Marshall and Iowa State
12-seed Marshall over 5-seed Washington
After a 30-year hiatus, Marshall was back in the 草莓网站在线看 tournament last season as a 13 seed, pulling of an 81-75 upset of 4-seed Wichita State. Katz has them with the major upset again this year, and with leading scorers Jon Elmore and C.J. Burks back (the pair combined for 42.8 points per game last year), that鈥檚 not a crazy idea.
10-seed Iowa State over 7-seed Mississippi State
After a six-year streak of 草莓网站在线看 tournament appearances, Iowa State missed out on the tournament last year. But they return a strong core this season. Two of the Cyclones鈥 top three scorers (Cameron Lard and Lindell Wigginton) are just sophomores this year. That young firepower is always volatile in March, but can definitely set the stage for an upset.
Most surprising picks: Nevada and Villanova
Katz鈥 prediction for Nevada puts a lot of faith in the Wolfpack. He has them as a No. 2 seed, which would be a huge leap for Nevada. The highest the Wolfpack has ever been seeded is 5, which came after a 27-6 season in 2006 that saw them lose to Minneapolis 87-79 in the first round of the tournament. But more than that, Katz has Nevada going all the way to the Elite Eight, beating Montana, Virginia Tech, and Syracuse along the way. In the eight 草莓网站在线看 tournament appearances Nevada has made in program history, it has made it to the Sweet 16 twice (2004 and 2018), but never advanced. But if any Nevada team can break through, it鈥檚 this one, which is ranked No. 7 in the AP Preseason poll 鈥 the highest mark in school history.
On the other end of surprising is Villanova sitting at a 4 seed. The Wildcats are ranked No. 9 in the preseason poll
One more surprise in the bracket, Katz has Grand Canyon in as a 14 seed in the East. The Antelopes are one of 44 teams that have never made the 草莓网站在线看 tournament. Katz says that ends this year.
RELATED: The 44 teams that have never made the 草莓网站在线看 tournament
Andy's Cinderella: UCF
Katz played it pretty safe in his predictions, not picking any double-digit seeds to make it to the Sweet 16. The highest-seeded team that round is UCF as a 6 seed. Katz has the Knights beating Texas in the first round, then 3-seed Auburn in the second. This would lead to a matchup with Katz鈥 Final Four-bound 2-seed North Carolina, which the Knights would lose. If UCF鈥檚 postseason plays out anything like that, Johnny Dawkins and crew should be pleased. The Knights haven鈥檛 made the 草莓网站在线看 tournament since 2005, and in their four total appearances, they鈥檝e never won a game. But under Dawkins, they鈥檝e amassed a 43-25 record over the past two years, finishing in the top half of the AAC both years.
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