Jon Rothstein

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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... 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.

Illinois will beat Gonzaga to win the 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.

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.

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.

North Carolina will beat Duke in the National Championship game

Duke Carolina in Phase 4... I know that Duke has Zion Williamson, and I know he's more machine than man... I think North Carolina beats Duke in the national title.