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Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
Procure those brackets ready, of us.
March Madness is shut. Lower than a week away. And which blueprint you can be capable of be furiously filling out your bracket, doing your research and hoping to purchase bragging rights—and perchance a pair of dollars on the sly—with your yearly region of business or friend pool.
Trying for some stable contenders to attain the Final Four? Witness no further. In the next slideshow, we picked the in all likelihood crew to come by out of every and each space. Let the fun birth.
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David Becker/Associated Press
Let’s no longer overthink this space.
Gonzaga has already overwhelmed the No. 2 seed (Iowa), the No. 3 seed (Kansas) and the No. 4 seed (Virginia). Everyone of those wins modified into once by double-digit aspects.
Gonzaga is going to come by out of this space. The undefeated Bulldogs couldn’t smash a sweat unless the Elite Eight. Do now not be bowled over if future NBA top-5 handle Evan Mobley and USC create a deep skedaddle and create it attention-grabbing. But Gonzaga will come by to the Final Four. Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert and Drew Timme are staunch too true.
Prediction: Gonzaga
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Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
While the West is an effortless name, the South is more sturdy.
Baylor is a deserving No. 1 seed with one of basically the most attention-grabbing backcourts in the nation—Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague decide turns giving opponents migraines—a good resume and a mild total team that handled a tough Big 12 time table. But a doable 2nd-spherical matchup in opposition to both North Carolina or Wisconsin isn’t any easy assignment, whereas the Big Ten’s Purdue might maybe loom in the Sweet 16. And do not sleep on No. 12 Winthrop, both.
On the opposite facet of the bracket, Ohio Convey staunch reached the Big Ten title game, losing in beyond regular time to a red-sizzling Illinois crew. Arkansas, Texas Tech, Florida and even Colgate are tricky possible Elite Eight matchups for the Bears.
Sure, Baylor misplaced in the Big 12 semifinals to Oklahoma Convey, a disappointing consequence after successful the conference’s traditional-season match. But hello, you try beating Cade Cunningham three events in the the same season.
These Bears are real, and they have the form of guard-heavy offense and perimeter shooting—41.8 p.c from three, first in the nation—that repeatedly fares well attain March.
Prediction: Baylor
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Darron Cummings/Associated Press
No crew instead of Gonzaga is hotter than Illinois—winners of 14 of its last 15, topping Iowa (twice), Wisconsin (twice), Michigan and Ohio Convey (twice) for the length of the skedaddle—alternatively it would possibly maybe maybe face a valuable challenge as quickly as the 2nd spherical, when the defensively colossal Loyola Chicago might maybe terminate unsleeping for (first in the nation in defensive effectivity, per KenPom.com).
Oh, and then that Cunningham fella—you appreciate, the capability first total handle in the 2021 NBA draft—might maybe be awaiting in the Sweet 16.
The backside of that bracket is unhealthy too. West Virginia can play with anyone and modified into once possible the most few groups to handle things shut with Gonzaga (87-82 loss). It moreover boasts wins over Oklahoma Convey, Texas Tech (twice) and Texas.
And then there’s No. 2 Houston, supreme on both ends of the bottom (eighth in adjusted offense, 16th in adjusted protection). Quentin Grimes (17.9 PPG) is the staunch deal.
Illinois has a potentially brutal route to the Final Four, and but there’s no longer genuinely one crew that leaps out of this bracket and appears to be like to be seemingly to forestall its sizzling skedaddle. If the Combating Illini come by previous Cunningham and Oklahoma Convey—or if the Cowboys don’t live to teach the tale Liberty or a doable 2nd-spherical matchup with Tennessee—it be anxious to evaluate Illinois being stopped in this space.
Prediction: Illinois
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Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
OK, OK, it be been all chalk to this level. Dumb, lawful?
Effectively, it ends here.
Let’s talk Texas. The Longhorns began 10-1 and appeared admire one of basically the most attention-grabbing groups in faculty basketball, promptly misplaced four of their next 5 video games and ended the season on an 8-2 lunge, which incorporated wins over Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma Convey.
So, which Texas will we come by in the NCAA match? The person that began and executed sizzling, or the one which went by strategy of a midseason lull?
Bank on the ancient. This crew has a loaded backcourt and two future NBA gamers (Greg Brown and Kai Jones) in the frontcourt. Originate air of Gonzaga, no crew in the nation has Texas’ interior-outside steadiness. The Longhorns are for staunch.
It be tricky to position your money on Michigan in this bracket after staring at the Wolverines lose three of their last 5 video games. It be more sturdy to bet in opposition to an Alabama crew that gained both the SEC traditional-season and match titles. The Crimson Tide can skedaddle groups out of the fitness center and shoot previous them, too.
A Texas vs. Alabama matchup in the Sweet 16 will seemingly be fun. Take into fable the marginally extra battle-tested Longhorns to sneak out the purchase and skedaddle that momentum into the Final Four.
Prediction: Texas
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David Becker/Associated Press
You wish to admire Baylor’s supreme guard play, or Texas’ steadiness. Illinois’ extraordinary skedaddle to forestall the season and formidable total resume makes it an inspiring handle.
But set you appreciate which crew has supreme guard play, extraordinary interior-out steadiness, an fabulous resume and, oh yeah, is 26-0 this season?
Gonzaga. The solution is Gonzaga. First in adjusted offense, 10th in adjusted protection. Two future lottery picks in Suggs and Kispert. If they play admire they are capable of taking part in, they are successful this match.
It’s no longer always genuinely a foregone conclusion. Effectively, unless Gonzaga decides it is. The Bulldogs have the flexibility to create this all stare easy.
Prediction: Gonzaga
