4 years ago

Favorite 12 vs. 5 upset? Who is Cinderella? Who is going home early? Our experts predict the 2021 NCAA Tournament

Immediately after the reveal of the 2021 men’s NCAA Tournament bracket, we asked 15 of our experts for their picks on who would make the Final Four and win the national championship. Pat Kelsey’s crew goes crazy deep and plays crazy fast, and unusual systems generally produce the best chance for upsets.” — Brian Hamilton “Winthrop over Villanova. But let’s also recognize that Winthrop is 23-1 and scores at a high rate.” — Joe Rexrode Preston and Ohio are looking to win a big game in the first round Name another team seeded 11th or below you are locking in to win its first-round game. But getting by North Texas won’t be easy in itself, and Winthrop in the second round might rattle a young rotation not accustomed to that tempo.” — Brian Hamilton “Virginia. There are other great players, but I’ll take that guy.” — CJ Moore “Ayo Dosunmu is clutch and has saved his team on numerous occasions this season.

Team Michigan Oklahoma Ohio Virginia Tech Tournament State Ncaa Pick Georgetown Net Maryland Villanova Winthrop Illinois Utah State Michigan State Colgate Iona Upset Dosunmu Top Pick 4 Votes Jason Preston 1 Each state ncaa virginia tech upset cinderella pick dosunmu michigan predict going early team winthrop favorite vs tournament experts

History of this topic

March Madness: How to win your NCAA women’s tournament pool and a look at what history tells us

Trending News

1 week ago

March Madness: How to win your NCAA women’s tournament pool and a look at what history tells us

Associated Press

Congratulations to the 12 teams left in the chase for the women’s Division I national championship. Technically, yes, there are 68 teams in the women’s tournament field, but history tells us that only 12 — at the most — have a chance to be the last team standing in Tampa in a few weeks at the Final Four. So, using …

1 week, 1 day ago

2025 NCAA Tournament bracket picks: Why CJ Moore has Florida topping Duke for national title

New York Times

The men’s basketball selection committee had an easy job at the top of the bracket this year. We will look back at last year’s tournament as an inflection point in college basketball history: No true mid-major advanced past the second round. We are only two years removed from both Florida Atlantic and San Diego State reaching the Final Four, but …

1 week, 1 day ago

March Madness 2025 upset picks: The 10 teams most likely to pull off first-round shockers

New York Times

After our first glance at the 2025 men’s NCAA tournament bracket, all we can say is if you like upsets, look out. The result: eight games with a 30 percent upset chance or greater, compared to six last year. Our study of advanced metrics to find key statistical markers for the types of teams that pull off March surprises — …

1 week, 4 days ago

Florida’s motivation in the SEC Tournament: locking up the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA field

Associated Press

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — There’s only one way for No. “We’re going to give it all we got.” Florida will play Missouri, LSU or Mississippi State in the quarterfinals Friday in Nashville, Tennessee. “But at the same time, I’m not sure how big of a difference our path would truly be whether we’re the third or fourth 1 seed, or the …

First and last spots in March Madness riding on outcome of conference tournaments

Trending News

2 weeks ago

First and last spots in March Madness riding on outcome of conference tournaments

Associated Press

The first spot and last spot in the NCAA Tournament are riding on what happens in conference tournaments this week. “We’ve really been about finishing what’s right in front of us, doing our best in the moment,” said Duke coach Jon Scheyer, whose team climbed to the top spot in the AP poll for the first time since November 2021 …

3 weeks, 4 days ago

UCLA, Texas, USC, Notre Dame earn No. 1 seeds in second NCAA women’s hoops top-16 reveal

New York Times

With Selection Sunday less than three weeks away, the NCAA selection committee released the top 16 seeds for the second time this winter. Ohio State Early look: 2025 bracket Spokane 1: UCLA, LSU, UNC, Kansas State Birmingham 2: Texas, NC State, TCU, Ohio State Spokane 3: USC, UConn, Duke, Kentucky Birmingham 4: Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma USC, Texas …

3 months, 1 week ago

Who’s playing where? A cheat sheet on college sports realignment

Associated Press

Scores of schools have changed conference affiliation over the past century, but the pace has quickened as schools search for more stability and more revenue in the college athletics arms race. 2024 : Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest. 2023 : …

3 months, 3 weeks ago

AP Top 25: Ohio St, Miami, Clemson drop; Texas, Penn St, Notre Dame, Georgia in line behind Oregon

Associated Press

Ohio State, Miami and Clemson plunged in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Sunday following their losses during a wild weekend, eight of the top 10 teams moved up one spot and Oregon was No. Ohio State, which lost for the fourth straight time to Michigan and was knocked out of the Big Ten title game, dropped five …

4 months, 3 weeks ago

College Football: A Cheat Sheet on Conference Realignments

Associated Press

A dozen schools have changed conference affiliations in the past year, impacting the landscape of college athletics. The Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences have seen significant changes, with the Pac-12 acquiring two teams and the Mountain West losing one. The Big Ten, ACC, and SEC conferences have also experienced changes, with several schools switching conferences.

5 months ago

Kennesaw State, the College Football Playoff hope crusher, plus Week 9 viewer guide

New York Times

Until Saturday Newsletter 🏈 | This is The Athletic’s college football newsletter. The previously winless Kennesaw State Owls recorded their first win last night against the PREVIOUSLY UNDEFEATED Liberty Flames and 2023 Conference USA Player of the Year Kaidon Salter. 17 Boise State at UNLV : Friday’s best game features two of the four teams tied atop the Mountain West …

7 months, 1 week ago

Oddly specific predictions for every Top 25 college football team (with another title for the Big Ten!)

New York Times

I read the comments, and you laughed at me. Let’s go over my greatest hits: • I told you the ACC would get left out of the four-team College Football Playoff and that Duke would upset mighty Clemson in the opener. But assuming nothing short-circuits Moore’s availability to coach, the Wolverines will be the third and final Big Ten team …

9 months, 1 week ago

Breaking down the teams playing for national championship at the College World Series

Associated Press

A look at the eight teams competing in the College World Series, which starts Friday at Charles Schwab Field. The Cavaliers’.336 season batting average is the best among teams in Omaha.. Their 116 homers are 33 more than the previous program record of 83, set last year. They scored the winning run or runs on their last at-bat in three …

11 months, 2 weeks ago

March Madness guide: Odds, upset picks, projections for all the NCAA Tournament action

New York Times

Follow live coverage as UConn, Purdue play for the national championship today Welcome to your 2024 March Madness Hub. South Carolina, Iowa and LSU form top tier Bracket Picks: CJ Moore has UConn winning the title March Madness best future bets for teams to reach Sweet 16 and Final Four of men’s NCAA Tournament Key stats, betting trends and facts …

1 year ago

NCAA tournament bracket picks: Bill Plaschke’s prediction for every game

LA Times

A long shot is not going to win the NCAA men’s basketball championship. As you fill out your brackets, go ahead, inaugurate James Madison, camp out in Grand Canyon, brush hard with Colgate, embrace all kinds of double-digit dreamers throughout the opening weekend. Feel free to play the annual lock of at least one 12-seed beating a 5-seed, bank on …

1 year ago

Led by No. 1 seed USC, the Pac-12 has 7 teams in the NCAA Tournament in its final run

Associated Press

The Pac-12 Conference could be poised for a strong showing in its final March Madness run. Led by Pac-12 tournament champion Southern California and regular-season champion Stanford, the conference got seven teams into the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, including the Trojans as a No. 3 seed, which plays Eastern Washington in the Albany 1 bracket; fifth-seeded Colorado takes on Drake …

1 year ago

March Madness brackets are here. Here’s how to pick your teams

Associated Press

March Madness this year comes at a time of great uncertainty in college sports. Let us explain: EAST REGION Gonzaga players celebrate after defeating San Francisco in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference men’s tournament Monday, March 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. First round winners: North Carolina, Michigan State, Saint Mary’s, Alabama, New …

1 year ago

NCAA Tournament upset picks: Oregon, McNeese look to bust brackets in Midwest Region

New York Times

If you’re looking for chaos in this year’s bracket, start in the Midwest. Upset Chance: 30.8 percent Spread: Gonzaga favored by 6.5 points We’ve been on the McNeese bandwagon for much of the season, and now Slingshot wants to come along for the ride. 14 Akron Zips Upset Chance: 20.4 percent Spread: Creighton favored by 12.5 points When targeting upsets, …

1 year ago

Who will make a Final Four run in March Madness? Our experts make their picks

New York Times

Follow live coverage of South Carolina, NC State and Iowa, UConn in women’s Final Four today Who’s in your Final Four? GO DEEPER NCAA Tournament bracket picks: CJ Moore picks UConn over Purdue for the title Dana O'Neil Region Team East UConn West North Carolina South Kentucky Midwest Purdue Runner-up UConn Champion Purdue There’s a reason no one has repeated …

1 year ago

Purdue begins another NCAA tourney atop the Midwest Region after losing to a 16-seed a year ago

Associated Press

Purdue coach Matt Painter, reigning AP player of the year Zach Edey and the rest of the Boilermakers have had to carry with them all season the stink of becoming the second No. 1 seed on Sunday, one day after losing to Wisconsin in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, and will begin their trek toward their first Final …

1 year ago

March Madness upset picks: Bracket Breakers chooses its 10 most likely first-round stunners

New York Times

Follow live coverage of South Carolina, NC State and Iowa, UConn in women’s Final Four today Welcome back to Bracket Breakers! More Bracket Breakers: Midwest Region Preview | West Region Preview | South Region Preview | East Region Preview | Women’s Top 10 Upsets For more Underdogs, listen to Peter and Jordan’s podcast. 10 Most Likely First-Round Upsets Upset Chance: …

1 year ago

2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: North Carolina will be the fourth No. 1 seed

New York Times

It only took until the day before Selection Sunday, but finally we can say for sure who the top eight seeds will be in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. New Mexico beat Colorado State in the Mountain West semis and should be safely in. Colorado finally gets over the hump on our bracket by beating Washington State in the Pac-12 semifinals …

1 year ago

2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: New Mexico’s in, Indiana State is out

New York Times

Usually, right around this time, we find ourselves saying, “Do any of these bubble teams actually want to play in the NCAA Tournament?” Not this season. • New Mexico, which beat Boise State in the Mountain West tournament for its fourth Q1 win after entering the day 25th in the NET. Meanwhile, three teams in our First Four — Virginia, …

1 year ago

March Madness: How to watch and what to watch for in the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four

Associated Press

March Madness is racing toward the national championship game. The beloved annual tradition that is the NCAA Tournament opened with bracket busters and overnight stars — Oakland’s Jack Gohlke and Oregon’s Jermaine Couisnard, anyone? Last year’s Final Four, remember, included two 5 seeds, the fourth-seeded Huskies and 9 seed Florida Atlantic. The Final Four Utah State forward Great Osobor celebrates …

1 year ago

Women’s basketball Bracket Watch: South Carolina dominates. Who else deserves No. 1 seed?

New York Times

The full women’s NCAA Tournament bracket has been set with South Carolina as the No. First Four Columbia 16 Sacred Heart 16 UT Martin Corvallis 11 Marquette 11 Miami Los Angeles 16 Holy Cross 16 Presbyterian Baton Rouge 11 Arizona 11 Texas A&M Albany 1 Columbia 1 South Carolina 16 Sacred Heart UT Martin Columbia 8 Michigan State 9 Kansas …

1 year, 1 month ago

College basketball power rankings: The best games left for all the best teams

New York Times

Welp, those tiers last week worked out great. — Brendan Marks Best game left: at Alabama on March 2 There are so many to choose from here, since the SEC’s second-place Volunteers still have games left against all four of the other top-five teams in the league. Iowa State Best game left: vs. BYU on March 6 There’s absolutely no …

1 year, 1 month ago

College basketball power rankings: UConn and Purdue lead our tiers of contenders

New York Times

We say this with about as little confidence as possible, and it almost feels like we ought to whisper it, but here goes: Maybe a pecking order is finally beginning to take shape within this off-the-rails college basketball season? Dan Hurley’s undaunted team has won 13 in a row overall and six straight Big East road games — in a …

1 year, 1 month ago

2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: Who’s fourth No. 1 seed? And hello, Virginia

New York Times

The full NCAA Tournament bracket has been released with UConn leading the way as No. Team A Team B Team C Team D NET 4 5 10 12 KenPom 6 5 8 13 BPI 3 7 9 14 KPI 6 2 5 9 SOR 12 4 9 7 Noncon SOS 9 17 29 43 Road 3-3 4-2 5-1 2-4 Q1 …

1 year, 1 month ago

UConn, Purdue, UNC lead our midseason college basketball national title picks

New York Times

It’s rare in life that you get a do-over. Jon Scheyer’s team has finally rounded into form after a rough first month of the season, but Duke’s lack of size, its dependence on shooting well, and a few injury concerns have given me pause. With a roster boasting championship experience and a standout player like Newton, a likely All-America candidate, …

1 year, 2 months ago

College basketball viewers’ guide: Crucial tests in Big 12, Big East and SEC races

New York Times

As January winds to a close, a few potential Cinderellas are coming into focus. FAU, still hovering in the Top 25 after last year’s surprise run to the Final Four, remains an elite offense under head coach Dusty May and led by junior guard Johnell Davis. 13 Wisconsin, Friday, 8 p.m., FS1 Michigan State continues to be one of college …

1 year, 2 months ago

2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: Bear of a week shakes up the 68-team field

New York Times

A major plot point in last year’s best TV show unexpectedly involved college basketball. In Season 2 of FX’s “The Bear,” ambitious young chef Sydney is given a copy of Mike Krzyzewski’s motivational book “Leading With the Heart.” She carries it everywhere and uses the book’s wisdom as she prepares to lead the kitchen staff at a new restaurant in …

1 year, 2 months ago

AP Top 25 Reality Check: How will the teams in final AP poll look heading into the 2024 season?

Associated Press

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! 1 Michigan 2024 key games: vs. Texas, Sept. 7; vs. USC, Sept. 21; at Washington, Oct. 5; at Ohio State, Nov. 30. 3 Texas 2024 key games: at Michigan, Sept. 7; vs. Oklahoma at Dallas, Oct. 12; vs. Georgia, Oct. 19; at Texas A&M, Nov. 30. …

1 year, 2 months ago

2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: Purdue, Arizona, Houston, Kansas are top seeds

New York Times

We might remember 2023 as the year America went back to the movie theater. No, not Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” or Beyoncé’s “Renaissance.” We’re talking about the restoration and re-release of Talking Heads’ 40-year-old masterpiece “Stop Making Sense,” which Roger Ebert once perfectly described as 90 minutes “of enormous energy, of life being lived at a joyous high.” We …

1 year, 4 months ago

College basketball rankings: Alabama, UCLA, Iowa State among 5 newcomers

New York Times

Read The Athletic’s latest college basketball rankings. Tennessee In the first month over the last four seasons, only one team has scored over a point per possession against Tennessee’s defense. Kansas Dajuan Harris Jr. scored a combined two points in KU’s first two games then went for 23 on Tuesday against Kentucky. Kentucky One perk of John Calipari’s new souped-up, …

1 year, 4 months ago

College Football Picks: SEC divisions on line with No. 13 LSU-No. 8 Bama, No. 14 Mizzou-No. 1 UGA

Associated Press

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! 8 Alabama The Tigers’ surprising victory against the Tide last year sent them to the SEC championship game in Brian Kelly’s first season as coach. 10 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State The Cowboys have turned their season around with three straight victories, fueled by RB Ollie Gordon, …

1 year, 5 months ago

AP Top 25 Reality Check: No. 1 Georgia’s margin on No. 2 Michigan shrinks, but ‘Dawgs set for bounce

Associated Press

The margin between No. Reality check: The Sooners’ defense has been taking on water lately, allowing 6.0 yards per play the last three weeks. Reality check: Even after allowing 42 yards passing on 15 attempts while blanking Army, the Tigers’ pass defense ranks 88th in the country in yards per attempt and efficiency rating against. Reality check: The Tar Heels’ …

1 year, 5 months ago

College football picks: ‘Hoops’ schools No. 17 Duke, No. 24 Kansas, Kentucky try to stay unbeaten

Associated Press

It feels a little like March Madness in September as basketball blue bloods command the spotlight in Week 5 of the college football season. If the Buffaloes can pull off another TCU-type upset Saturday — the Horned Frogs were a three-touchdown favorite in the opener — the volume around Coach Prime’s team will crank up again. Boise State at Memphis, …

1 year, 6 months ago

College football picks: No. 1 Georgia steps into SEC play, No. 11 Tennessee heads to The Swamp

Associated Press

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! 11 Tennessee at Florida The Vols broke a five-game losing streak to the Gators last year, and haven’t won two in a row in the series since 2004. 8 Washington at Michigan State Michael Penix Jr. and the Huskies’ offense announced their arrival last season in …

1 year, 6 months ago

AP Top 25: Colorado, Duke ranked in latest poll; Florida State moves up to No. 4

New York Times

Colorado and Duke both entered the AP Top 25 college football rankings on Tuesday after impressive Week 1 upsets, while Florida State received three first-place votes after beating LSU. Full AP Top 25 Georgia Michigan Alabama Florida State Ohio State USC Penn State Washington Tennessee Notre Dame Texas Utah Oregon LSU Kansas State Oregon State North Carolina Oklahoma Wisconsin Ole …

1 year, 11 months ago

2024 men’s college basketball national title odds: Duke, UConn, Kentucky early co-favorites

New York Times

Connecticut just won its fifth national title since 1999 and already the Huskies are among the favorites to win the title in 2024. 2024 men’s college basketball national title odds All odds from BetMGM. Team Odds Duke +1200 Connecticut +1200 Kentucky +1200 Kansas +1600 Alabama +1600 Arizona +1800 Purdue +1800 Houston +1800 Kentucky had the worst season of the eight …

2 years ago

Analysis: Chalk rules in women’s March Madness bracket picks

Associated Press

The women’s NCAA Tournament field is set and now the fun begins with 68 teams vying for the national championship and cutting down the nets in Dallas. There’s a new format to March Madness, with two regionals in Seattle and Greenville, South Carolina, instead of the usual four. And now the picks: GREENVILLE REGION 1 Analysis: South Carolina won’t have …

2 years ago

NCAA Tournament upsets: Bracket Breakers examines Providence, Oral Roberts vs. Duke and the East Region

New York Times

The Athletic has live coverage of the finale of March Madness and the National Championship game. Here’s the first installment of our first-round analysis for Bracket Breakers 2023, as we take a game-by-game look at the potential for upsets in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament. East Region Upset chance: 21.3% Yes, Providence won us over, too, with their …

2 years ago

Women’s NCAA Tournament Cinderella picks: Watch out for bracket-buster Princeton

New York Times

After months of speculation, the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket is now complete. Looking over my women’s college basketball bracket, I’ve highlighted one potential squad from each region with upset potential as well as four dark horse teams that could reach the Final Four. 12 Portland Pilots Greenville 1 Region The Pilots haven’t earned an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament …

2 years ago

2023 March Madness upsets: Bracket Breakers picks its 10 most likely first-round upsets

New York Times

The Athletic has live coverage of UConn vs. Miami in the Final Four. As always, we’ll have detailed analysis of every game with giant-killing implications in the lead-up to Thursday’s action, plus our annual lookahead at potential second-round Bracket Breaker matchups. So, below, you’ll find the list of the top-10 most likely first-round upsets according to our statistical model. East …

2 years, 1 month ago

NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch: Illinois is up, UNC is down and Michigan is (maybe) back

New York Times

Every win is its own win. Locks: Virginia, Miami Should be in: Duke, NC State Work to do: North Carolina, Pittsburgh Duke : The Blue Devils haven’t played since Monday night’s win over Louisville, so the read here remains the same: This team sheet remains pretty average, but Duke has been trending in a positive direction for much of the …

2 years, 1 month ago

NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: Arizona ascends to No. 1 line, and 4 gnarly seed calls

New York Times

The fishing village of Nazare, Portugal, was long known for welcoming beachgoers in the summer and then rolling up its sidewalks during the sleepy offseason. The next three contests — vs. North Carolina on Saturday, followed by road games at Miami and Virginia — should go a long way toward determining the eventual seed placement. Yes, the Crimson Tide — …

2 years, 1 month ago

NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: Who joins Purdue and Alabama as No. 1 seeds?

New York Times

The next time you’re feeling unlucky, pause and pour one out for Motoyuki Mabuchi. Fold ’em: A mere three Quad 1 wins are counterbalanced by two curious Quad 2 losses. Fold ’em: Arizona has lost to three non-tournament teams, including at home to Washington State, and its range of metrics don’t look like a No. Big 12 wild cards: Kansas …

2 years, 2 months ago

NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: Kansas State, TCU and Providence make big moves

New York Times

When we look back, we might remember 2022 as the year artificial intelligence began its ascendance. And let’s face it: Computers already have a big say in how the NCAA Tournament is put together, through the NET system and other metrics like KenPom, BPI, Sagarin and the like. Kansas State rose five seed lines after back-to-back Quad 1 wins, including …

2 years, 2 months ago

NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: UConn, Purdue, Kansas and Arizona are No. 1 seeds in first mock

New York Times

Two weeks ago in Barcelona, the pinnacles of the Mark and Luke towers of Sagrada Familia basilica lit up the night sky for the first time. But projecting the NCAA Tournament before teams have manufactured any body of work would be a bit like Gaudi declaring Sagrada Familia done at the blueprint stage. Last year, our final mock bracket had …

2 years, 3 months ago

Gonzaga’s brutal slate continues with No. 6 Baylor up next

Associated Press

Gonzaga coach Mark Few always builds an ambitious nonconference schedule, helping not only harden his team for March but also to balance the Bulldogs’ weaker West Coast Conference slate when it comes to the NCAA selection committee. “Every time I see Baylor playing,” Bulldogs guard Julian Strawther said, “I just kind of think to that national championship game. They’ve really …

2 years, 4 months ago

College basketball picks: Baylor-Virginia, UCLA-Illinois, Indiana-Xavier and more

New York Times

A year ago, I agreed to a bit of larky college basketball gambling prognostication against the spread. We feel pretty confident suggesting Scott Drew’s latest Baylor blend, comprising the usual balance of developed veterans and incredible freshman talent is among the best three or four teams in college hoops. The Cavaliers — who were atypically just OK on both sides …

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