Jon Rothstein Breaking Down The NCAA Tournament, We Have Our Brackets In Our Hands Ready For The Best Week + Who's Back Of The Week

The NCAA Tournament bracket reveal is the best non-sporting sporting event of the year

I actually think that this is the best non-sporting, sporting event of the year. I think that bracket reveal is the best sporting event that does not actually contain sports of the year. Oh, it's, it's incredible.

UNC getting into the tournament over West Virginia and Indiana is a result of committee member Bubba Cunningham being the UNC AD

UNC got into the tournament with one quad, one win. And Bubba Cunningham, who is part of the selection committee is also the ad at UNC. What I would say to that is that doesn't fucking matter at all [that he recused himself] because you spend an entire weekend hanging out with this people... Everyone in that room has to decide on UNC and then have him come back in the room and he's gonna be like, so how we looking?

The NCAA selection committee stopped working on Friday night

The committee. It's very clear they stopped working on Friday night. Maybe that's why Leonard's been sleeping because it makes no sense that UNC is in this tournament. It makes no sense that Michigan got a five. It makes no sense that Louisville got an eight.

Louisville will beat Creighton in the first round because Chucky Hepburn will stifle Steven Ashworth

Louisville being an eight seed, but if Louisville wins their first game, which I actually kind of like them to win that game. 'Cause I think Chucky Hepburn's gonna put Steven Ashworth in a torture chamber.

Michigan has turned the corner and is a dangerous team after winning the Big 10 tournament

Michigan obviously beat Wisconsin Big 10 title today. Dusty May called it correctly. He was like, our team needs a reset. They got their reset and then they won the big 10 tournament and they looked really good doing it. So maybe they've turned the corner and gotten that reset they needed.

Michigan State will win the South region

I have Michigan State winning this bracket [South Region].

Florida will crush UConn by a hundred if they meet in the second round

I'm rooting for UConn just so that I can bet Florida against UConn. Everyone's gonna be like, watch out for UConn and Florida's gonna beat 'em by a hundred... Florida will kill him. Very. Florida's would be, that would be my take on that.

St. John's is going to win the National Championship

St. John's win it all. I filled out my entire bracket. It's kind of, it's a weird final four... Michigan State. St. John's. BYU. Kentucky.

Duke is going to win the National Championship

I've come to the realization that I think Duke's gonna win the whole thing. Doesn't matter [about Cooper Flagg's injury]. They're so good. I they're gonna win it all. I've just come to accept that. I it would, they're just so well-rounded, so deep.

Oregon will beat Arizona in the second round and Caleb Love will shoot 3-for-21

I have Oregon, beating Arizona in the second round. Because that will be, I think that's gonna be the Caleb Love masterpiece. Yeah. I think he'll go three for 21 for 14 points.

Don't get cute with brackets this year; the one seeds are historically dominant

This is the year that don't be afraid to just do chalk. Only four teams since 2000 have entered the tournament [with a] plus 35 net rating... this year, four teams have 35 net rating or higher. Wow. So that's insane. Yeah. Like that, that just shows you that the one seeds this year are playing at such a high level and are so dominant... don't be afraid to just go chalk.

Alabama will beat Auburn in the National Championship game

In this bracket... I have Bama beating Wisconsin and then Duke on the way to the Final Four... And they're going to beat Auburn to win it all.

The Bengals will be a championship threat for the next 3-4 years after signing Chase and Higgins

I am very happy for Bengals fans... Bengals fans, I think were very nervous about this entire off season. Will the Bengals be cheap? ... Those two guys are really fucking good at football and they're both still young... you have Joe Burrow and you basically are saying, you know yeah they gotta make some some right decisions on defense... But they're always gonna be in the mix with those three guys. You basically guaranteed the next three to four years are gonna be fun.

Borgs (Blackout Rage Gallons) are ratchet

My other, who's back of the week is... Borg. Blackout rage gallon. Foul... I've seen... people name 'em and stuff... it's so ratchet.

The sun was switched out 40 years ago for a new, worse sun

I found guys... that think that actually this is a different sun that was, that we switched the sun out like 40 years ago and it's the new sun and it's worse for you... I gotta do some more research on the new sun guys.

Chernobyl was an inside job by Russia to discourage nuclear energy and protect their gas interests

I had one the other day that actually I completely believe that Chernobyl was on purpose. Everyone was doing nuclear power plants and Russia has a shitload of oil and gas and so they're like, Hey, let's blow up a nuclear PowerPoint plant and scare the fuck outta everyone about nuclear energy. And everyone stopped doing nuclear energy or inside job.

UNC getting into the tournament is the biggest miscarriage of justice in 20 years

This is one of the biggest miscarriage of justices that I have seen in all my years covering college basketball... North Carolina was one and 12 against quad one opponents. That is just a fact of life... My heart breaks for West Virginia, it breaks for Indiana that North Carolina got this opportunity instead of them.

Automatic Qualifiers (AQs) should always play on Thursday/Friday, while at-large teams play in the First Four

I think if you're good enough to get an automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament, you deserve to partake in the Thursday and Friday of the first week... put the last eight at large teams in the first four, it would reward these programs again at the lower level and give them the NCAA tournament experience.

Tom Izzo and Michigan State will return to the Final Four this year

I've got Auburn against then Michigan State in a regional final Atlanta. And I've got Tom Izzo getting back to the final four.

Florida will play St. John's in the West regional final

I have Florida, UConn, Colorado State, Maryland, Drake, Texas Tech... I've got St. John's against Drake in the Sweet 16. And I've got Florida against Maryland in the region of Prestige. I'm going Florida over St. John's in a regional final.

Duke will play Wisconsin in the East regional final (Elite Eight)

I've got Duke, Oregon, Wisconsin to the Sweet 16 to take on Alabama. And then I am going to take in a rematch of the 2015 national title... Duke over Wisconsin in Newark to go to the final four.

Houston will win the National Championship

I got Houston going on the final four... Houston against Duke on one side. Houston comes outta the region of toughness on the other side... I got Houston finally breaking through under Kelvin Sampson and winning the national championship.