Takes

Duke is guaranteed to win the national title this year

Duke is going to win the national title. Mark this down. Write this down. Post it. We'll replay this in the spring. Duke is going to win the national title. Guaranteed. Big Cat guarantee. There's nothing that will stop them.

Zion Williamson chose Duke over Kansas solely for the free education

Zion... decided not to go to Kansas for said money or whatever occupational preferences... and instead decided he wanted to go get an education for free at Duke University... Can't a young person just change their mind and say, I'd rather not have money? I'd rather play for Coach K.

Coach K has avoided the FBI investigation because his name is too difficult for agents to spell in reports

Coach K has somehow avoided all sorts of investigations and indictments because his last name is so difficult to spell if you're an FBI agent... you have to type out Krzyzewski probably 400 times... I'm saying no thank you, I'm going to investigate Bill Self.

Coach K will fake a brain aneurysm or heart attack if the FBI investigation into college basketball heats up

What injury is [Coach K] going to do if he starts to feel some heat? [PFT: Brain aneurysm is next.] They're not feeling any heat this year. [PFT: Oh, my heart. I'm having a heart attack. My brain.]

Duke basketball is entering a major championship window because of Zion Williamson

My cool throne is Duke basketball. So they're back. Zion Williamson, my guy. 6'10", 320 pounds... Dunked from the free throw line. Kyrie, Jason Tatum about to take over for the Celtics. So it's going to be a big, big window for Duke basketball.

Rick Pitino will not survive Twitter

Rick Pitino even plans to start a Twitter account. Rick Pitino, listen to me right now. Do not create a Twitter account. You are not going to survive Twitter.com. This is not going to work, Rick. He is going to hate it.

The Duke Blue Devils are definitely winning the national championship

The Duke Blue Devils are going to win the national championship. 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.

Duke will win the National Championship if the players buy in and avoid egos

This depends on if everybody buys in. They definitely have the talent. There's no doubt about that, but as long as they don't let Egos get involved, they shouldn't be beat, honestly.

Zion Williamson will be a big time bust

Zion Williamson, bust. Big time bust. That guy stinks. He's got no explosiveness. That's what I'm saying because he's got a ton of explosiveness. So if you just say it's not NBA explosiveness, people are like, wow, that guy knows something that we don't know.

Indiana basketball is back because they signed Romeo Langford

My cool throne is Indiana basketball. So they signed Romeo Langford, the number one recruit in the nation. His minister said that Romeo is like Abraham Lincoln. So, I mean, it's going to be huge.

Gino Auriemma is on the hot seat after UConn's second straight Final Four loss

We need to start asking the question if women's college basketball is bad for UConn because they're 0 for 2 in the last two years. Gino [Auriemma] on the hot seat? I think we should put him there.

I'm betting on Michigan to cover against Villanova because water always finds its level

Or you bet on Michigan like I'm going to because water always finds its level.

I love Loyola Chicago and Kansas as Final Four underdogs even though I've been ice cold

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.

I would have had a perfect bracket this year if I had filled one out

Last night, I got a little high, and I did some thinking, and I think with everything I know now, I would have had a perfect bracket if I had filled out a bracket. ... I just pick the four hottest teams in basketball. Put them in the Final Four. ... I did it.

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, ...

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.

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.

Kentucky getting to the Final Four against this weak competition in the South would 'cheapen' the accomplishment

I know a Final Four is always special. But does Kentucky really want to get there against this competition in the South? I would say it cheapens it. I mean, what's the point of going to Final Four if you beat a couple shitty teams, right?

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.

Bet on Providence to beat Texas A&M.

Jump all over Providence [against Texas A&M].

Texas will beat Nevada in their tournament matchup.

That's going to be one of their close, tight games of the day. And let's wade in on Texas to pull that one out... Jump on the longhorns.

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.

New Mexico State will upset Clemson in the first round

New Mexico State over Clemson is like the 12-5 I believe in the most... That's my one big upset.

South Dakota State will upset Ohio State in the first round

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

Arizona winning the national championship would be the ultimate 'fuck you' to the NCAA

You know what would be the absolute best, as the biggest fuck you to the NCAA, is if Arizona won the whole thing. That's what I'm rooting for. I'm standing on the table. I'm a table stander for Sean Miller.

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.

Tom Izzo is on the hot seat if Michigan State doesn't reach the Sweet 16

Final Four or bust, is Tom Izzo on the hot seat? You've got to say, if he gets bounced before the Sweet 16, he's on that hot seat.

Sean Miller is very close to owning ESPN after their reporting on him

How close is Sean Miller to owning ESPN? Very close, it sounds like. He's got the keys. He's got a swipe card to the Bristol cafeteria. He's deciding whether to just eat it all or maybe save a little for Bill Polian, who still thinks everything's free.

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.

Wichita State is a team no one wants to see in the first or second weekend of the tournament

Wichita State is not anybody I'd want to see, not only the first weekend of the tournament, but the second weekend of the tournament. Their offense, I feel like they can really get hot, and they can do it all different ways.

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.

Jeff Capel will be the 'buffer' coach after Mike Krzyzewski retires and will be fired almost immediately

He's [Jeff Capel] going to get hired after Krzyzewski, and then he's going to get fired almost immediately, and then they're going to bring in the real coach. You've got to have that buffer after a legend.

The Big 12 will struggle in the NCAA Tournament and might only send one team to the Sweet 16

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.

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

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.

The FBI is sniffing around Duke basketball

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