Takes

I love Loyola Chicago and Kansas in the Final Four

I have talked myself into both underdogs. So if you are looking to fade me because I've been ice cold, I love Loyola Chicago and I love Kansas. I think both are getting a little bit written off. I think everyone in their head has Villanova versus Michigan as their final game. And when you think something's going to happen, it's probably going to be the opposite.

Duke will win the 2019 national championship with Zion Williamson

2019 Duke national champions. No even reason to play the season. You can just mark it down right now. Duke is winning the title next year.

I wouldn't be shocked if Loyola Chicago won the whole NCAA tournament

I wouldn't be shocked if they actually won the whole thing because they are playing unbelievable offense. And I mean, like the Butler team, you know, I mean, the teams make these runs.

Duke was guaranteed to win the title this year

I spent the last month, two months, three months saying that Duke was definitely going to win the title this year... guaranteed, locked up, no matter what happens, Duke is winning the title.

John Calipari is officially on the hot seat

And Coach Cal's on the hot seat. He's definitely on the hot seat.

Duke is guaranteed to win the 2018 NCAA Tournament

We already know Duke's going to win it all. Yes. That is guaranteed. Yes. It's their year. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Kentucky has the easiest path to the Final Four in 2018

Kentucky could not have had a better bracket. Now with everyone imploding in their bracket, they have to get to the Final Four. Because they have no choice now. They have the easiest path to the Final Four.

2018 is the year Mark Few and Gonzaga finally break through to the Final Four

If it's going to be any year, Xavier's out, the one is out, and the two is out in their bracket. So Gonzaga could finally make their first Final Four, and Mark Few could finally be talked about as one of the best coaches in basketball.

A 16-seed will only ever beat a 1-seed if multiple star players on the 1-seed suffer freak injuries or illnesses.

The 16th seed is not going to win where everyone says this is the year the 16th seed wins. The 16th seed is going to win because the best player on the one seed breaks their ankle walking onto the court, and then the second best player has diarrhea, and then the third best player tears his ACL... and then maybe they will win by one.

Providence will beat Texas A&M.

Jump all over Providence.

Butler is doomed in the tournament because live animals aren't allowed in the stadium

In the first two rounds of this tournament, there will be zero live animals allowed into the buildings. So there are going to be tons of teams that don't have their live bulldog mascots. Butler's fucked.

Davidson is the perfect team to upset Kentucky

Davidson over Kentucky, even though I really like Kentucky... Davidson's red hot... They feel like the perfect upset kind of team that they have upperclassmen and a lot of different guys who can score.

North Carolina will win the West Region

I think it's North Carolina's to lose. I think Gonzaga could give them a fun game in the Elite Eight, but I think Carolina's the best team.

Duke is going to win the national championship

Duke is winning it all... Them and Michigan State are the only two teams in college basketball that are top ten defense and offense in KenPalm. It just feels like a Duke year.

South Dakota State will upset Ohio State in the first round

I'm going to take South Dakota State over Ohio State.

This is Tom Izzo's final year coaching at Michigan State

One of my who's backs is, this is Coach Izzo's swan song. I'm just going to say it. This is his final year.

Duke is 100% guaranteed to win the 2018 National Championship

We all know that Duke's winning the national championship, so we don't have to worry about that. Play one shining moment right now. Yes, it's over.

The Duke Blue Devils will win the national championship

The Duke Blue Devils are going to win the national championship. All right. And this isn't a reverse jinx. I know you're thinking, Big Cat, you hate Duke... No, no, no. They're definitely going to win the national championship. You heard it here first. It's done. They shouldn't even play it.

Villanova will lose to Duke in the national championship in overtime

I think that Villanova is going to lose in the national championship to Duke in overtime.

Oklahoma is out of the NCAA tournament

Oklahoma, they're out. Out. They're out. I was just thinking that today.

Indiana is a sleeper to make a run in the Big Ten tournament

Indiana. Indiana is a sleeper to make a move. They don't have a bad draw as it sits right now... I like the way they guard... I think Indiana has a chance to be a sleeper.

Virginia Tech is a dark horse to make a deep run in March

You know who I like? Because I think they're deep enough. I like Virginia Tech... I like their team because they can beat you different ways. Now, they've got to defend better... I think they can do that. So that would be a team just off the top of my head in that realm that I would look at.

North Carolina is not actually that good and will end up as a 4 or 5 seed

[North Carolina] is like a four or five seed is what they're going to end up being... I didn't think Carolina was that good coming into the year. I feel like they've overachieved at this point. They just have like an obvious lack of talent compared to most really good Carolina teams.

The Big 12 conference is one-dimensional and will struggle in the NCAA Tournament

The Big 12 is the best conference in college basketball, but every single team has a fatal flaw. It wouldn't surprise me if they get seven teams into the tournament and get one team to even make the Sweet 16.

Kentucky stinks and might actually miss the NCAA tournament

Kentucky, hot take. Kentucky might miss the tournament. They stink... Kentucky is terrible, and if they continue on this path they're on, they might fall out of the tournament at the last second.

Tom Izzo is overrated if he doesn't make another Final Four in the next two years

We're squatting on a take. Yeah, we're a couple years ahead of the curve. If Tom Izzo doesn't get back to another Final Four in the next two years, then he's overrated.

The 2017-18 college basketball season is Duke's to lose

I think by the end of the year, they [Kentucky] can be good. But this year, it's Duke's to lose.

Kentucky's current freshmen are not good enough to go to the NBA and will all return

I honestly think this year's freshmen aren't good enough for to go to the NBA. That's what's weird about this group. But what that means is they're all going to come back.

Tom Izzo is an overrated basketball coach

It's also the start of Coach Izzo's overrated season. We were the first ones on that bandwagon like a year and a half ago, so I'm going to restake my claim on that.

The FBI is investigating Duke basketball

I've heard that the FBI is snooping around, sniffing around Duke.

AAU coaches are the real victims in the NCAA scandal because players force them to profit off their likeness

The players are the ones who are victimizing the AAU coaches by putting them in a position to profit off of the players.

Coach K used his knee surgery as an alibi to recruit Marvin Bagley

Coach K went into surgery on Friday, and then boom, on Monday, the best recruit says, I'm going to Duke. Now, he went in surgery at Duke's hospitals, so is there a chance he just didn't go to the surgery, and that's the greatest alibi ever, and he was on a private jet greasing the wheels... for Bagley?

John Calipari intentionally finishes in the Final Four instead of winning titles to avoid NCAA sanctions

Calipari, yeah, he's crooked. He's rigged. But guess what? He's not drawing all that attention to himself by flaunting his rings. He's staying right behind. He's got his rabbit pace car that he's chasing. And he's fine. That's how he gets away with it. That's why he's slick Cal.

Kentucky has effectively won the last ten national titles if you ignore specific outcomes

Actually, Kentucky, when you really think about it, Kentucky has won the last ten national titles, when you think about it that way.

Duke bullied the refs into calling the 2015 Championship game differently at halftime

That Final Four, that championship game, would you agree with my assessment that Coach K got to the refs at halftime and basically bullied them into calling a completely different second half? Therefore, Wisconsin technically was the national champion.

Kansas will win the 2019 National Championship

I'm going to go with Kansas [for 2019 champion].

San Diego State will win the 2019 National Championship

I like San Diego State. They got a decent class this year, great class in two years.

Gonzaga will beat North Carolina 75-71 in the National Championship

I'm going to go... Gonzaga, 75. North Carolina, 71.

South Carolina is a guaranteed winner in the Final Four

Bet it on South Carolina. That's a guaranteed winner. Let's go.

The South Carolina Gamecocks should change their name to just 'The Cox' because Gamecocks is offensive

South Carolina should change its name from the Gamecocks, which is offensive, to just the Cox. Which is not. It's 2017.

Kansas is currently the best-looking team in the NCAA tournament

Purdue looked awful in the second half, but also Kansas. I mean, they are the best-looking team right now.

Bill Self and John Calipari having sons on their teams will result in a great Final Four storyline

So I guess we're tracking towards Bill Self's son, John Calipari's son, Final Four... That'll be wonderful. Good storyline.

UCLA will defeat Kentucky in the Sweet 16

I see UCLA somehow, someway, getting over the hump here and eliminating Kentucky. I would like UCLA.

Coach K will retire this offseason

Coach K's 70. Coach K's going to retire. Oh, this offseason. That's the new rumor. This is the year.

Jay Wright is a big-time choker if you take away his one ring

Jay Wright on CBS coverage... People forget if you take away that one ring, it's a big-time choker.

Michigan will win the national championship

I got them [Michigan] winning national championship. I don't know if McAfee kept it... But I got them winning national championship because of all that stuff.

Kansas is the best team left in the field besides Michigan

If I'm going to pick one team, I'm going to say what I saw today. I'll pick Kansas. I thought they were really good. I think they did. And that kid Josh Jackson, man, he's really good.

Steve Alford will be the next coach at Indiana

I think Alford's going to be the coach, but they'll probably talk to him [Marshall], probably. I would think.

Indiana will fly a plane full of money to Boston to sit down with Brad Stevens

I've always said you just fill a plane full of money and you just fly it to Boston and, you know, Brad, here you go, man. Let's figure this out together... I think, yeah, I do. I think they're going to talk to him.

Bob Huggins will have a heart attack in the finals because of the desert heat

Bob Huggins is going to have a heart attack during the game or at the end of the game. Leave it all out on the court, and they're going to win... And it's in the desert, too. Way too hot for Huggie Bear.