Jon Rothstein

TCU will beat Ohio State and push Duke in the round of 32

I am taking Jamie Dixon and company [TCU] to beat [Ohio State]. I think they could push Duke. I don't think they'll beat Duke obviously in the round of 32. But... I like TCU to beat Ohio State and pull a little game pressure on Duke.

UCLA will struggle in the tournament due to their poor rebounding and issues outside the Pacific Time Zone

UCLA has not played well out of the Pacific Time Zone. UCLA... has been such a poor rebounding team and it's at such a hole in the middle that Tarris Reed would be a tough matchup.

The South Region is the 'Region of Pressure'

This is the region of pressure. Now why is this the region of pressure? There's pressure on Florida to win a national championship... pressure on Nebraska to win an NCAA tournament game for the first time ever.

Troy will upset Nebraska and win their first-round game

I am taking Troy to break the hearts... everybody at Pinnacle Bank Arena and move on to the round of 32. Nebraska has to win an NCAA tournament game for the first time ever to break the program record for wins. But this is a really, really difficult game.

The West Region is the 'Region of Floor Generals'

The west region is the region of floor generals. And look at the point guards in this region. Jayden Bradley at Arizona, John Blackwell and Nick Boyd... Darius Acuff at Arkansas... Braden Smith at Purdue.

Purdue is facing a 'Final Four or bust' season

It's Purdue's best chance to win a national title. Yeah, it's a final four bust season. I believe in Purdue.

Akron will upset Texas A&M in a 12-5 matchup

I've got Akron and John Gross picking off Texas A&M in a 12-5 [matchup].

Purdue will defeat UConn in the national championship to 'complete the circle'

I'm taking Purdue. So for the second time in three years, it's Purdue and Yukon for a national championship. Dan Hurley against Matt Painter. And this time we complete the circle for the boilers. The team that started the year number one in the country wins a national championship.

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.

Illinois will beat Tennessee and Houston to reach the Final Four

I'm gonna take Illinois against Tennessee in the Sweet 16 and I'm gonna take Illinois against Houston in the Elite Eight. And I got Houston going on the final four. [Correction: He says Illinois over Houston at 1:48:02, but then says Houston in his Final Four at 1:48:10. Transcript is slightly contradictory but he later says Houston wins it all].

Wisconsin will make a run to at least the second weekend of the tournament

Wisconsin has enough here to at least get to the second weekend. I know you live and die with that team and they got the best off guard [in] America.

I wake up every day believing I have accomplished nothing

The only way I know how to live life is to go through every life, each and every day. Like I've accomplished nothing. And the way in life to accomplish everything is to wake up each and every day believing that you accomplish nothing.

Duquesne will upset BYU in the first round

My upset in this region is Duquesne beating BYU in an 11-6. I think we have to remember this and you guys get this. BYU for the most part was a team that was recruited to play in the West Coast Conference. And now you have a team in Duquesne who just won the Atlantic 10.

UConn will repeat as National Champions

I've got Yukon out of the region of Gladiators... I like Yukon over Purdue, Clingan against Edey, a Battle of the Titans in the title game, and Yukon led by Dan Hurley... becoming the first back-to-back national champion since Florida in 2006 and 2007.

Alabama, Houston, and Purdue will view this season as a disappointment if they don't reach the Final Four

There are certain programs that have opportunities in front of them that they're not going to have a line like this for a significantly long time. One is Alabama... Another is Houston because Houston has obviously the final four in its home city. And the third would be Purdue. Those are all programs where if they don't make it to Houston to play in a final four, you will feel like the season's a disappointment.

The 2023 Final Four will have no #1 or #2 seeds

It would not shock me if when we get to Houston for the final four, if there's no one and two seeds in the final four.

St. John's has no backup plan if they don't land Rick Pitino

St. John's has no secondary candidate. St. John's knows that in order to restore relevance, it needs Rick Pitino... St. John's has done that through back channels to his representatives. So now it's just a matter of if St. John's can obviously get a deal done.

Tom Izzo will coach as long as he is physically able to

What would Tom Izzo do though if he didn't coach? I don't think Tom Izzo would wanna, you know, be a studio analyst... Tom Izzo wants to coach. Tom Izzo wants to win... So I think Tom Izzo is going to coach as long as he can coach.

USC has more talent on their roster than Michigan State

I'll say this much from a personnel perspective, forget the name on the jersey. I see more talent on USC's roster than I do Michigan State's... I think USC doesn't just have a chance to push Michigan State, but could push Marquette in the round of 32.

Memphis is a scary matchup for Purdue in the Round of 32 if they both advance

If Memphis can get by FAU, Memphis could be a really difficult matchup for Purdue in the round of 32... I think Memphis is a scary matchup for Purdue in the round of 32.

Alabama will defeat Gonzaga for the 2023 National Championship

I've got Alabama out of the region of opportunity... I've got Gonzaga out of the region of brands and I've got Alabama beating Gonzaga for the national championship.

Texas A&M should have been in the NCAA Tournament field

I thought that Texas A&M, you know, should have been in the field. I thought the committee did a really, really good job. But I think when you look at what they've done did the last couple of days... having neutral site wins against teams, the caliber over in Arkansas and an Auburn compared to everything else. I thought it was pretty impressive.

The NCAA should allow all automatic qualifiers to advance into the round of 64 and have the final eight at-large teams play in Dayton

I firmly believe that the NCAA should allow all the automatic qualifiers to advance into the round of 64. And then the final eight at large teams should be playing in Dayton. And then it gives us an opportunity to really jumpstart the tournament with four heavyweight showdowns.

Gonzaga will beat Duke in the regional final to end Coach K's career

Setting up a Yukon Arkansas round of 32 game... I got duke moving on against Michigan state, duke playing Texas tech... duke falls to duke will duke beacon Zagat and the regional final that beat him once already. I'm going to take the zags and coach K's career ends at the chase center. So Gonzaga over duke and the regional final of the region of prospects.

South Dakota State will upset Providence in the first round

South Dakota state has not lost a game since early December, they've won 30 games. They shoot just under 45% from three as a team. I'm taking South Dakota state over Providence.

Arizona will beat Gonzaga to win the 2022 National Championship

I got an Arizona Gonzaga, Kentucky. Then I look at this region... I have an all big 10 regional final. I've got Keegan, Marie and Iowa going to the final four... setting up [the final] Against Tommy Lloyd against mark for you. And for the first time, since 1997, Tommy Lloyd in year one wins the national championship. Ben Matheran explodes in the NCAA tournament like a volcano.

UC Santa Barbara will upset Creighton in the first round

I've got Santa Barbara over Creighton in the 12-5. [They have] an American Athletic Conference caliber roster at Santa Barbara. They've got high major transfers... I've got Santa Barbara over Creighton in the 12-5. That's spicy.

Oregon is the most under-seeded team in the 2021 NCAA tournament

The most under-seeded team in the 2021 NCAA tournament is Oregon... Dana Altman, the master of the Rubik's Cube... This team is more talented than its seed. I think they're a very difficult matchup for Iowa. I have a big Pac-12 breakthrough... I've got Oregon going to the second weekend.

UConn will beat Alabama in the second round behind their size and defensive prowess

I think Connecticut, if Connecticut can get to match up with Alabama, Connecticut has the size and the defensive prowess to slow down and give Alabama fits... I'm looking right there at that UConn team with the healthy James Bouknight... to be a dangerous matchup for Alabama. I like Texas against Connecticut in the Sweet 16.

Texas will make the Final Four behind a breakout performance from Jericho Sims

I am going to go with Shaka Smart 10 years after VCU gets to the Final Four, taking Texas to the Final Four. The guy that's blossomed the last week... has been Jericho Sims of Texas. He has completely went to a different level... If Jericho Sims can play three quarters as well as he did during the Big 12 tournament, Texas has an outstanding chance to go to a Final Four.

Texas Tech will beat Arkansas to reach the Elite Eight

I've got Texas Tech moving on... I'm going to go with a Baylor-Texas Tech situation in the Elite Eight. [I have] belief in Chris Beard. I've got belief in the culture of Texas Tech and they're built for the NCAA tournament.

Illinois will beat Gonzaga to win the 2021 National Championship

Illinois... They're the team I'm going to pick to win a national championship. I have Illinois beating Baylor and then beating Gonzaga. Gonzaga will get to 31-0 and then fall to Illinois.

Good health is more important than success, money, or power

Hyman Roth when you think about everything was a hundred percent correct. Good health is the most important thing more than success more than money more than power. If you have your health, you got it all.

Kansas was the best team in the country and would have won the 2020 National Championship

I need a John Rothstein certified NCAA champion who won the tournament this year... I would have picked Kansas to win a National Championship. Kansas was the team. In the last month we saw Kansas separate, they were as the best team in the country. They were a cut above everybody else.

I would postpone my wedding if the NCAA Tournament were rescheduled for July.

What happens tomorrow morning? We wake up your wedding is July... Mark Emmert says we're having the tournament July. [Rothstein]: I gotta postpone the wedding. Wow, okay on the wedding and we're not talking about kickball here.

A VCU home game is more life-altering than a 10-day trip to Europe

Yeah, but you haven't been to a home game at the Siegel Center [VCU]. And I was like, this was peak Shaka [Smart]. This was Travion Graham, Briante Weber. Like, you want to do push-ups on picket fences when they put the press on. So this was kind of my subtle way after we broke up to kind of, like, send, you know, a shot across the bow.

Anthony Edwards could be the number one overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft

Anthony Edwards could be the number one pick in the 2020 NBA draft. I had Tom Crean on my podcast last month and I asked him, how does he compare to two other guys that you've coached, Wade and Oladipo? And he told me that from a physical perspective, he's never been around any player like Anthony Edwards.

Matt Painter is the new Bo Ryan and will win 20 to 25 games every year regardless of his roster

Matt Painter's the new Bo Ryan. Regardless of who he has, he's going to win 20 to 25 games every year. So it's death, taxes, Matt Painter.

Michigan State, Kansas, Florida, and Maryland are the four teams that can win the National Title

Michigan State and Kansas look like to me they're highly formidable. I think that Florida has a chance to take a major step in the SEC this year... I'm going to say Maryland, because I like the roster versatility.

Harvard has the most talented Ivy League roster I have ever covered

Harvard, most talented Ivy League roster I've ever covered. Tommy [Amaker] has eight high major players. You look at Harvard, you see a team that has the chops to be a second weekend type team in the NCAA tournament talent-wise.

The dry pasta appetizer at Campagnolo is more life-altering than Clear or TSA PreCheck

Dry pasta appetizer at Campagnolo is more life-altering than Clear or TSA PreCheck. They do a tri-pasta appetizer—they do a penne with a red sauce and an amatriciana, and a white mushroom and gnocchi with a pesto—it is life-altering.

Maryland will make a deep run to the Elite Eight in the 2019 NCAA Tournament

I think Maryland is vastly forgotten because of the way they played in the Big Ten tournament... [Matt Painter] thought, aside from Purdue, Michigan, or Michigan State, he thought Maryland could make the deepest run... I'm going to take Duke over Maryland in the East Regional Final.

Yale will upset LSU in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament

LSU doesn't have its coach. Yale has an NBA prospect in Miye Oni... I'm going to take Yale to beat LSU.

Florida State will beat Gonzaga for the second straight year in the Sweet 16

I've got Gonzaga against Florida State in the Sweet 16... I got Florida State for the second straight year beating Gonzaga.

Michigan will advance to the Final Four out of the West region

Out of the region of Sizzle, I've got Michigan advancing to the Final Four... Michigan's lost to Michigan State three times, but Beilein we know, great in the tournament.