Takes

Mississippi State will beat Baylor because Hubbard can shoot over the zone

I'll stick with the SEC. I'm gonna go Mississippi State. [Hubbard] leads, I think he shoots nine over nine. Threes a game and [Baylor] plays zone over 20% of the time and Hubbard will just shoot over it.

Take Colorado State to upset Memphis

I still think, you know, as a player, like I said, I, I have Maryland advancing anyway. I would just take the 12 here. So you have your 12 5.

BYU is a legitimate threat to win the National Championship

BYU's a team that everyone's picking against, but they they were on the list. [PFT: BYU can win the national title?] Yes.

Alabama and Tennessee are the two best bets to win the National Championship

I'll give you a they're on the same side. Alabama and Tennessee. I do feel different about Tennessee... they're better offensively. It's not even a question.

Ryan Odom will not be the head coach at VCU next year

This will be his last time at VCU no matter what... I'm reporting this. He will either be going to Villanova or Virginia after this year. He will, this is his last ride with VCU.

The NCAA selection committee accidentally swapped Memphis and Louisville

Memphis, I am choosing to believe this because it is crazy... people are saying that the committee, they accidentally swapped him. Louisville has a better net RPI, KenPom, T-Rank and higher in the ESPN BPI rankings in every category. But Memphis is the higher seeded team. I choose to believe that too because it makes no sense other than they just accidentally messed it up.

The disparity between Georgia's football and basketball success is the biggest in sports

Of the 10 college football national champions since 2002, seven out of 10 of them have been to a final four. All, all 10 of them have been to an elite eight... and Georgia has not won a [tournament] game. Combined 154 tournament wins for all other programs that have won a national title in football. And Georgia has had zero since 2002.

North Carolina's inclusion in the tournament is the most egregious committee decision ever

I thought North Carolina, at no point in the season did they look like an NCAA tournament team. They, they, yeah. They, their, their, their highs weren't very high. Their lows were pretty damn low. And I was, I was stunned. I was, in all the years of, you know, that's how the bracket works. It comes out, we, we lose our minds about teams that got in that didn't deserve it. We, we feel bad for the teams that were left out. This is the most egregious example that I've ever seen.

The 2025 National Champion will be a 1 or 2 seed

I think the national champion is in that group [of 11 teams meeting KenPom criteria]... I have a really good feeling that it was gonna be a one or a two. 'Cause if you watched all season, it just felt like these teams are just way better than everybody else. I feel that way this year for the first time since 2015. I have that same feeling again.

Michigan State will make the Final Four as a quintessential Tom Izzo team

I settled a, so I have Michigan State going to the final four because I think Auburn's gonna get tripped up somewhere... I do think Michigan State's gonna go to the final four. I think I settled on, they are on a, a typical Michigan State tournament run, but it just started in November.

It's disrespectful to make UConn an 8-seed after back-to-back titles

I gotta admit, it's disrespectful that UConn is an 8-seed, Mark, because they won, I don't know if you know this, they won the last two national championships... and now you're just relegating them to an 8. You're throwing 'em out like the trash. Gimme a fucking break.

Dan Hurley is an asshole, but he is important to the college basketball ecosystem

Dan Hurley's an asshole and I think that's fair... Dan Hurley is the heel... I think it's great for the sport if [Duke and Hurley] make it there... I would've been upset if college basketball lost him [to the Lakers].

St. John's will make the Final Four

I picked St. John's as the final four. I do believe in that... I do believe this St. John's team is special... When the clock hits zero and you think you've beat them, you better make damn sure you've actually beat them.

Duke is the best team in the country and has no weaknesses

I believe Duke is the best team in the country. I believe Duke has no weaknesses... I think that they're a little bit better than every other team in this field. So I, I'm, I I, I have Duke coming out of the east and I have Duke winning the national championship.

Cooper Flagg's hype is actually lower than it should be given his dominance

I think Cooper Flagg has had, I, I don't, I, for some reason he, the, the hype is somehow there, but it's also, I feel like it's not as great as it should be for this kid. 'Cause he is unfucking believable. He had an, an insane amount of hype coming in. He's delivered on all of it. He leads Duke in every single category.

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.

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.

Cooper Flagg will play in the second round of the NCAA Tournament despite his ankle injury

I have a doctor on staff... Dr. Dan... He said that probably out for the ACC tournament. March Madness... probably a Toradol shot, steroid shot. Wrap him up. He could probably go in the second round if needed.

Kansas is a broken team that everyone should bet against in the tournament

Kansas just broken. I they're not gonna be, that's gonna be one of those ones where they're gonna be a five or six and everyone's going to say, oh my God. They're go down goes Kansas. Are we ready to say we, we watched them all year. They weren't good.

Kyle Neptune's career as the head coach of Villanova is likely over

Went two for 15 in a way that ended their season, ended his [Eric Dixon's] career. And most likely ended the career of the head coach of Villanova, Kyle Neptune.

Florida is my primary sleeper team to watch in the NCAA Tournament

A team that intrigues me is Florida. They intrigue me because they got size, speed shooters, guys. Golden's a hell of a coach. He did a great job at San Francisco.

Danny Wolf's basketball ceiling is just scratching the surface

[Danny Wolf] is just scratching the surface to be honest... For his long-term future, and for us, his ability to dribble the ball, make, make difficult passes. I mean, he's, he's got a special, special gift.

NC State was right to fire Kevin Keatts because his Final Four run was a fluke

I saw NC State fired their coach off of a Final Four appearance. Everyone was like, how can you do this? Maybe because it was the fluke Final four. No, I mean it was an incredible run. No, nothing to take away from NC State. But if Virginia had fouled up three in the ACC tournament, he would've been fired last year.

Expanding the NCAA tournament too much will water it down and hurt the TV product in the second round

I worry if they expand it too much. You know, we have already, it's tough because we have Cinderella... the more you expand it, the more those kind of things happen. Which you guys all like the first day, right? But TV doesn't like it the second round. No. So it's always fun and exciting for you guys. And meanwhile I'm sitting home ready to, you know, whatever.

Villanova's Kyle Neptune has to be fired

Villanova has been dumped to the next, not even next four out. Just the next, out, out, out, out, out. Kyle Neptune's gonna get fired. Great guy, great guy, but yeah, he's gotta go. He's gotta go.

Drake deserves an at-large NCAA Tournament bid no matter what happens in their conference tournament

Texas does not to be deserved to be in. They're bad if like Drake gets kept out instead of Texas. If Drake doesn't win their conference, I'll be very upset. I'm gonna say it right now. Drake deserves to be in no matter what.

St. John's can make the Final Four this year

St. John's can make the Final Four and the statistical data backs it up... This St. John's team plays a lot like those Louisville teams [Rick Pitino's]... They are a real threat to make it to San Antonio this April.

Maryland is a dark horse to reach the Final Four

I think much like Greg Gard and his staff, Kevin Willard and his staff went to the lab... they're dangerous. They're not over-reliant on any one or two pieces... Maryland can go deep.

Duke is a defensive wagon and a national title favorite

Duke is damn good. They are, they are a spectacular team. They're a wagon defensively... If you force me to take Duke/Auburn or the field today, I would take Duke/Auburn.

T.J. Otzelberger will be the next head coach at Indiana

If I had to make a prediction right now, I would say T.J. Otzelberger... I think he makes a lot of sense. I think he's done a phenomenal job at Iowa State... He should be the guy that Indiana pursues the most.

You cannot win big in college basketball with high school kids anymore

I I don't think you can win and win big with high school kids. Huh? I don't, I really don't believe it. I wish it was true now. Good recruiting. I I think New York is more attractive away from New York than in New York. I agree that as somebody who used to live in New York.

The NCAA 20-hour rule for practice is 'absurd' in the NIL era

The ncaa, I've always said this about them, they are never proactive. They're always reactive. The fact that we have a 20 hour rule right now is, is absurd. Now, we don't spend 20 hours now this part of the season because we don't want to get injured. But in the beginning, in the summertime, they give you five hours a week. That's crazy.

Indiana should immediately hire Chris Beard without interviewing anyone else

If I was the ad at Indiana, I would immediately not even interview anybody else and hire one of the premier coaches in all of college basketball. And that's Chris Beard from Ole Miss. I wouldn't even think about another person. He's perfect for that job. He's a tough, hard-nosed coach. He's a superstar top three coach in my estimation.

The Wisconsin Badgers are good enough to make an Elite Eight run

I officially believe that this Badger team could make a make a run... I fully believe they could be a like, elite eight team and that's always a disaster for me.