Who’s in your Remaining 4? Who’s profitable all of it? These are the one questions price asking for the subsequent couple of days.
So, naturally, we requested our employees to reply them. Not surprisingly, UConn was the most well-liked nationwide championship choose, however the Huskies aren’t unanimous amongst our school basketball consultants.
GO DEEPER
NCAA Match bracket picks: CJ Moore picks UConn over Purdue for the title
Dana O’Neil
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There’s a motive nobody has repeated as nationwide champion since 2007: It’s actually exhausting. Admittedly, UConn is absolutely exhausting to choose towards, however I’ve stated Purdue because the begin of the season and I’m not altering my thoughts. Everyone seems to be studying catastrophe into the Boilermakers’ loss to Wisconsin within the Huge Ten event; they stated the identical when Virginia misplaced in its convention semifinals in 2019. The Cavaliers went on to win all of it.
Brian Hamilton
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UConn and Purdue are probably the most full groups within the nation. I do know the Boilermakers simply stumbled within the Huge Ten event semifinals, however primarily based on their vibe within the locker room, that they had their eyes on an even bigger prize anyway. I don’t belief Houston to final by way of the assorted well being points and Marquette with a wholesome Tyler Kolek has all the time been a Remaining 4 contender. As for the Saint Mary’s flyer? This can be a burly, skilled top-20 KenPom group that’s actually exhausting to play towards. Everybody within the West Area is flawed. Why not go together with the Gaels-force choose? And it’s not simple to repeat. It’s additionally not simple to be probably higher than the nationwide championship group that preceded you. UConn managed it. Why can’t it hoist the trophy once more?
Brendan Quinn
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After seeing the Huge East get hosed with three NCAA Match bids, the gods will collude to guarantee a Huge East vs. Huge East nationwide title sport towards two groups that cut up their season sequence. Then the gods will determine the universe can’t deal with Dan Hurley having two nationwide titles underneath his belt, and can determine as a substitute to crown a primary Jesuit nationwide championship since 1984.
Kyle Tucker
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Connecticut has simply felt inevitable to me all season. Dan Hurley is a drive of nature and so is his group. In as wild and unpredictable a 12 months as I can bear in mind in school basketball, the one fixed has been the Huskies wanting completely able to repeating. I’m undecided that I truly consider Purdue will meet them within the ultimate, however I positive need it to be true so the haters will shut up about Matt Painter, who is a superb coach. Within the South and West areas, I actually haven’t a clue who will get out. Flirted with the concept of Kentucky within the South, however that’s the least reliable group of any which have a roster adequate to get there.
Brendan Marks
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I went with an excellent outside-the-box choose to win the entire thing: Connecticut — who, if we’re being severe, has been the very best group within the nation most of this season. (Purdue has the very best participant within the nation; large distinction.) Tristen Newton is perhaps probably the most well-rounded guard within the nation, Donovan Clingan has been enjoying like a possible lottery choose, and both Stephon Fort or Alex Karaban are liable to go off any given evening. It could take an epic taking pictures evening — like when Creighton hit 14-of-28 3s — to down the Huskies; I don’t see that taking place with their protection.
As for the remainder of my Remaining 4: I’m manifesting the Caleb Love Bowl between North Carolina and Arizona within the Elite Eight, and I’m inclined to favor the sport’s most-motivated particular person. I’m most at a loss with the South; I’m nervous about how banged-up Houston is … and the identical with Marquette … and Kentucky’s (lack of) protection … and Duke struggling the final week. Perhaps Wisconsin has rebounded, in any case? And within the Midwest, I’ve Purdue knocking off Samford to satisfy Tennessee within the Elite Eight … solely to fall to the very best switch within the America, Dalton Knecht, and his (I consider) superior supporting solid.
Connecticut is the very best, most full group I’ve watched all season. As a lot as I like each Illinois and Iowa State, I don’t see the Huskies getting tripped up earlier than Glendale. I feel the bracket units up properly for Kentucky — Marquette will get upset early, Duke takes out Houston — and I’m banking on the Cats and all that expertise getting sizzling on the proper time and having sufficient offense to masks the dangerous protection for a pair weeks. Tennessee is a balanced group with positional versatility, a stout sufficient protection to maintain Purdue in verify and a scorer in Dalton Knecht who can take over a sport and assist Tennessee overcome the Edey Impact. North Carolina has been my sleeper title choose for a number of weeks now. Inside-out potential, expertise from Armando Bacot, versatility from Harrison Ingram, a possible breakout freshman in Elliot Cadeau and a bona fide, game-changing, Kemba-candidate bucket-getter in RJ Davis. UNC has simply sufficient expertise and firepower to clip UConn; it’s exhausting to repeat. Rick Barnes lastly will get Tennessee males’s basketball over the hump and to the Remaining 4 and the brink of a championship. However Heels over Vols within the title sport. Davis and Bacot cement legend standing in Chapel Hill.
Brian Bennett
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I tinkered with a chaos bracket — Grand Canyon! Auburn! Utah State! Let’s get bizarre! — as a result of, um, did you guys see final 12 months’s event? Or, like, final weekend? Chalk is boring. Nonetheless, UConn simply has too many solutions. I might like to see Purdue get to Phoenix, however it’s so exhausting to belief the event historical past there. So I went with a extra positive factor in March out of the Midwest Area: Tennessee. (Hey, wait a minute …) I needed to choose one bomber, so I went with No. 7 seed Florida. Sure, the Gators simply misplaced large man Micah Handlogten, however I really like this group for its guard play, and going smaller may not be the worst factor. If Tyler Kolek is wholesome, give me Marquette, however an indirect damage can linger or flare again up any time. These picks will all be mistaken anyway. Effectively, aside from UConn.
John Hollinger
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UConn was the very best group all 12 months, even with accidents to Donovan Clingan and Stephon Fort, and has already proved what it will possibly do in March a 12 months in the past. Whereas a troublesome bracket and the randomness of March may conspire to journey them up in some unspecified time in the future, the Huskies need to be the closest factor to a favourite at this level.
Nicole Auerbach
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The Huge East might solely have despatched three groups to the NCAA Match, however these three groups are among the many absolute best within the nation — after they play their “A” sport. So, I’ve all three advancing to the Elite Eight, with two persevering with onto a collision course and assembly within the nationwide championship sport. When all is alleged and achieved, although, the group that’s been the very best group in school basketball all 12 months would be the one reducing down the nets. UConn will win back-to-back titles for the primary time since Florida did in 2006 and 2007.
UConn is poised to hitch the elite ranks because the eighth NCAA program to safe consecutive championships. They boast a roster mixing veteran gamers together with glorious younger expertise, making them probably the most full group within the nation. Their potential to excel on each offense and protection, coupled with a deep bench and a defensive mentality, units them aside. They’ve weapons at each spot on the ground and with only one loss in 2024 and a clear invoice of well being, they’re primed for fulfillment as they enter the postseason event.
Joe Rexrode
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I’m not altering from my preseason choose, as a result of Purdue hasn’t given me any motive to vary. True, these guards weren’t at their finest towards Wisconsin, however that’s the exception, not the rule, and I feel they’ll get a superb begin within the NCAA Match and get rolling. Purdue 2024 is Virginia 2019. The Boilers will probably be challenged by Tennessee within the Elite Eight, and Auburn is a really tempting option to upset UConn within the Candy 16. Kentucky might be an early flameout, however we’ve seen sufficient stretches of first rate protection from the Cats currently that I consider probably the most gifted perimeter group within the nation will take them to Arizona. Talking of Arizona, search for these Wildcats to beat North Carolina to earn a de facto Remaining 4 house sport.
(Picture: Sarah Stier / Getty Pictures)