It is that time of year. One of the best tournaments in all of sports has finally arrived. Last year, UConn defeated Purdue in the National Championship. This year, it is anybody’s chance for the title. First are Pascack Valley faculty members’ predictions on who will win March Madness. After that, I looked at each of the first-round matchups and predicted who would win.
Teachers Predictions:
Mr. Buchanan: Michigan State
Mr. Cofrancesco: Houston
Mr. Coleman: Auburn
Mr. Conrad: Gonzaga
Mr. Cusamano: Auburn
Mrs. DiStasi: Houston
Ms. Ely: Duke
Mrs. Galka: Auburn
Mr. Grier: Kentucky
Mr. Guianta: St. Johns
Mr. Jasper: Houston
Dr. Jerome: Houston
Mr. Koch: Florida
Mrs. Lombardo: Houston
Mrs. Marchiano-Rauscher: Houston
Mr. Morone: Duke
Mr. Villone: Duke
Mr. Sarajian: Michigan State
South Region Bracket Breakdown
No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 16 Alabama State/Saint Francis
Auburn is the overall number-one seed for a reason. Auburn has been dominant all year. Even though to close out the year, Auburn lost three of its last four games, the losses came to Texas A&M, Alabama, and Tennessee, all of which earned top-four seeds in March Madness. The duo of Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara, along with Tahaad Pettiford coming off the bench will be too much for Alabama State to handle.
My Pick: Auburn, 86-51
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Bryant
With Michigan State losing to Wisconsin in the Big Ten semi-finals, Michigan will win this game by 30 points. The Spartans have won eight of its last nine games. Michigan is a very hard team to score on, and if their shots are falling, they can beat any team on any given night.
My Pick: Michigan State, 73-42
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Lipscomb
Iowa State has struggled as of late, as it lost four of its last seven games. Meanwhile, Lipscomb has won 11 of its last 12 games. Lipscomb team is coming into this game hot, while Iowa State is coming in cold. However, Iowa State will still win. Curtis Jones will lead the Cyclones to a first-round victory, but Jacob Ognacevic on Lipscomb could make this game closer than people think.
My Pick: Iowa State, 65-53
No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Yale
Yale was in the same exact spot last year as it is now. The team was the 13 seed in the South Region and took down the four-seed Auburn Tigers, 78-76. This game will be a battle between the guards. Texas A&M has Wade Taylor IV, who is averaging 15.7 points, while Yale has John Poulakidas, who is averaging 19 points. This game will come down to the wire, with Texas A&M coming out on top.
My Pick: Texas A&M, 74-70
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego
Now this is the matchup everyone will be picking as an upset. Michigan, who recently won the Big Ten Championship, is going against UC San Diego, who has not lost a game since Jan. 18th, as they are riding a 15-game win streak. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jone is averaging 19.5 points for UC San Diego, and will lead to an upset win.
My Pick: UC San Diego, 65-59
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 San Diego State/North Carolina
Even though North Carolina has a Quad 1 record of 1-12, anything can happen in March. UNC took care of San Diego State in the First Four, winning 95-68. They will beat Ole Miss, advancing to the Round of 32, and then beat Iowa State as well in the Round of 32. After their performance against SDSU, they look unstoppable.
My Pick: North Carolina, 71-62
No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 New Mexico
This game will be a guard battle. Marquette has Kam Jones, who is averaging 19.3 points per game, while New Mexico has Donovan Dent, who is averaging 20.3 points per game. Both teams average over 75 points per game, and I think this game will exceed that. Both teams will be close to 100 points, but New Mexico will win.
My Pick: New Mexico, 93-89
No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton
Louisville is seeded way too low. Louisville just made it to the ACC finals, and is rewarded with the eight-seed? Louisville should be a five-seed. With Louisville being ranked this low, I see the team beating Creighton, with the help of its veteran leadership.
My Pick: Louisville, 59-48
East Region Bracket Breakdown
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 American/Mount St. Mary’s
Duke will win this game by 40 points. Neither of these teams stands a chance against Duke. These teams do not have anyone to guard Isaiah Evans, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, or Khaman Maluach.
My Pick: Duke, 89-42
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Robert Morris
Alabama should not be worried about Robert Morris. Bama had 18 games where it scored over 90 points this year, and most, if not all those games, have been against teams better than Robert Morris. Alabama has six players who average over 10 points per game, with Mark Sears leading the team with 18.7 points.
My Pick: Alabama, 96-58
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Montana
Montana is coming into this game winning 14 of its last 15 games. Wisconsin is coming off a Big Ten Championship loss. I think Wisconsin will get off to a slow start, where Montana will come out firing. After burning an early timeout, Wisconsin will settle back in and win this game by 15 points.
My Pick: Wisconsin, 61-46
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 Akron
Arizona is coming into this game losing six of its last 11, while Akron has won 21 of its last 22 games. In my opinion, Arizona is very overrated and depends heavily on Caleb Love, who is averaging 16.6 points per game. Akron is a very balanced team, with eight players averaging seven or more points per game. I think this game will result in an Akron win.
My Pick: Akron, 56-49
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Liberty
Oregon’s Nate Bittle controls the paint for this team, as he averages 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Guard Jackson Shelstad, who is averaging 13.2 points per game, is very similar to former Oregon Duck Payton Pritchard. Even though many experts like Liberty to pull off the classic 12 versus five upset, I do not see it happening.
My Pick: Oregon, 67-53
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 VCU
In 2011, VCU made the Final Four as an 11 seed, but I do not see any of that magic happening again. BYU plays an average of 10 players per game, which will be very helpful in March Madness. BYU will be able to keep players fresh and not let them get tired. Last year, BYU lost as a six-seed, but I see the team winning this time.
My Pick: BYU, 70-55
No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt
Saint Mary’s is the most overrated team in America. Yes, they are 28-5, but Saint Mary’s has not beaten a single ranked team this year. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt had to play in the SEC, the toughest conference this year. Vanderbilt has wins over Tennessee, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Missouri. All those teams earned six seeds or higher. I think Saint Mary’s will keep it close, but this will be a low-scoring win for Vanderbilt.
My Pick: Vanderbilt, 58-51
No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Baylor
This game is a toss-up. Either team can win. Mississippi State is led by Josh Hubbard, who is averaging 18.7 points per game. Baylor is led by Norchad Omier, who is averaging 15.9 points. I think Baylor will win by 2 points.
My Pick: Baylor, 67-65
Midwest Region Bracket Breakdown
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 SIUE
Houston has one of the best defenses in the country and has a much-improved offense from years past. SIUE is going to struggle to score the ball. Houston went 30-4 this season, with its last loss coming on February 1st. Houston will win and hold SIUE to under 45 points.
My Pick: Houston, 77-43
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Wofford
Coming off a loss in the SEC Championship, Tennessee will come out firing. Last year, Tennessee was led by Dalton Knecht, who was a transfer from Northern Colorado. This year, Tennessee is led by Chaz Lanier, who is a transfer from North Florida and will be too much for Wofford to handle.
My Pick: Tennessee, 68-41
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Troy
Kentucky will get deja vu from last year. Kentucky was a three-seed, who lost to the 14-seed. This year, the team will not let it happen. This year’s team is completely different from years past. Kentucky has experience, whereas in the past, Kentucky has been led by freshmen. Experience gets you through March, and I see the Kentucky Wildcats making a deep run.
My Pick: Kentucky, 81-55
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Point
After the team’s National Championship run last year, Purdue returns Braden Smith, who is averaging 16.1 points and 8.7 assists per game. High Point will be a tough matchup for Purdue. High Point has a deep bench, along with three players shooting above 39% from the three-point mark. This will be a close game, but Purdue will come out on top.
My Pick: Purdue, 71-57
No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 McNeese
After losing 86-65 last year to Gonzaga in March Madness, McNeese will not let that happen. McNeese has five players averaging double figures, led by Alyn Greed, averaging 17.5 points per game. However, McNeese did not get a favorable matchup with Clemson. Clemson has veteran leadership from its guards and was the only ACC team to defeat Duke this season. Clemson will win by around 10 points.
My Pick: Clemson, 74-64
No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 11 Xavier
After defeating Texas 86-80 in the First Four, Xavier’s run in March Madness will come to an end. Illinois has too many scoring options for Xavier. Xavier’s goal was to stop Texas’ freshman Tre Johnson; yet, he still had 23 points.
My Pick: Illinois, 84-73
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 Utah State
Utah State is led by Ian Martinez and Mason Falslev, both averaging more than 14 points per game, while UCLA is led by Tyler Bilodeau, Eric Dailey Jr., and Sebastian Mack, all averaging 10 or more points per game. Utah State comes from the Mountain West Conference, which is gaining more respect each year, and Utah State will gain more respect for its conference by winning over UCLA.
My Pick: Utah State, 61-57
No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia
Gonzaga had a rough start to the year, but has picked it up as of late. Gonzaga plays an average of eight players per game, with all eight meshing well. This team showed it could play defense, as it held Saint Mary’s to 51 points and zero three-pointers in their Conference Championship. Gonzaga will win this game, and then go on to beat Houston, seeded number one, to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
My Pick: Gonzaga, 65-52
West Region Bracket Breakdown
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Norfolk State
Florida has been unstoppable as of late, finishing the regular season with a record of 30-4. Florida went undefeated in non-conference play, and beat Tennessee twice, Alabama twice, and Auburn once, all earning top two seeds in March Madness. Florida is my pick to win March Madness, so Florida will have no problem with Norfolk State.
My Pick: Florida, 90-53
No. 2 St. John’s vs. No. 15 Omaha
With arguably one of the best defensive teams in the country, St. John’s will hold Omaha to under 45 points. The Red Storm are led by RJ Luis Jr., who is averaging 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. St. John’s also has Seton Hall transfer Kadary Richmond, who is averaging 12.7 points and 5.4 assists per game.
My Pick: St. John’s, 69-41
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNCW
Even though I am not a fan of Texas Tech, the team still deserves credit where credit is due. Texas Tech defeated Houston in overtime this year. JT Toppin is averaging 18.1 points and 9.2 rebounds. Texas Tech will easily defeat UNCW.
My Pick: Texas Tech, 77-49
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon
Maryland is a team that would go much further in this tournament if it didn’t have to face Florida in the Sweet 16. Big Ten Freshman of the Year Derik Queen is averaging 16.3 points and nine rebounds per game. Ja’Kobi Gillespie is averaging 14.7 points and five assists per game. This duo is going to be hard for Grand Canyon to handle.
My Pick: Maryland, 83-58
No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 12 Colorado State
This will be another 12 versus five upset. Memphis is very overrated and comes from the overrated American Athletic Conference (AAC). Nique Clifford will lead Colorado State to a win, as he is averaging 19 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game and will be a problem in this game.
My Pick: Colorado State, 75-61
No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 Drake
Last year Drake was in the seven versus 10 matchup against Washington State, and a lot of people had them pulling off the upset. Drake didn’t, but I think this year, the team will get it done. Drake closed the year on an 18-1 record, to finish with an overall record of 30-3. Bennett Stirtz is the team’s leader, averaging 19.1 points and 5.7 assists per game.
My Pick: Drake, 67-57
No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas
This is the best matchup of the first round. You have Bill Self going against John Calipari in a coaching duel. There is Kansas, who began the year ranked number one in the AP Poll, against Auburn, which has a lot of Kentucky transfers and freshmen who were committed to Kentucky, but switched to Arkansas to follow Calipari. This is going to be an amazing game, with Arkansas coming out on top, as they are also getting their star guard, Boogie Fland, back from an injury.
My Pick: Arkansas, 82-71
No. 8 UConn vs. No. 9 Oklahoma
Nobody expected UConn to be ranked this low, after being the first team to win March Madness two times in a row since the 2007-2008 Florida Gators. UConn has struggled this year, but in March, Dan Hurley is something special. He will lead UConn to a blowout win against Oklahoma and then will give Florida a run for their money in the Round of 32.
My Pick: UConn, 76-54
