Bracket predictions: Virginia is going to win it all

One year after heartbreak, Virginia has the talent to win the national championship.

We’re officially underway in the 2019 NCAA tournament as Fairleigh-Dickinson and Belmont picked up wins in the First Four to join the official bracket. FDU’s Jahlil Jenkins and Darnell Edge lit it up in the first game, getting the tournament off to a spicy start as the Knights overcame a 13-point deficit to earn a shot at Gonzaga. In the second game, Belmont and Temple traded the lead until the Bruins pulled away down the stretch.

This season’s bracket fascinates me because the top eight teams all have extremely legitimate shots at a national title. While I think there could be a ton of upsets in the early rounds, things are going to get super chalky in the Elite Eight.

Last year, I, like many, had a terrible bracket that was decimated after Virginia lost to UMBC. This year, I’ll learn nothing and pick the Wahoos all the way to the championship game.

Let’s get to it!

East Region

First Round

#1 Duke vs. #16 North Dakota State/North Carolina Central: We don’t know yet who Duke is going to play, but it doesn’t matter because neither ND State nor NC Central have Zion Williamson. Duke does. Pick: Duke

#8 VCU vs. #9 UCF: As is the case with every 8/9 game, this one is a tough pick. UCF has Tacko Fall, and while I desperately want to see him matchup against Zion, I think VCU’s defense does enough to hold on in this one. Pick: VCU

#5 Mississippi State vs. #12 Liberty: The Flames will give Mississippi State a game, but I don’t think they have enough to overcome Quinndary Witherspoon and the Bulldogs. Pick: Mississippi State

#4 Virginia Tech vs. #13 Saint Louis: The Hokies get Justin Robinson back after a toe injury that sidelined the star guard for the last 12 games of the season (including the ACC tournament). With Robinson back, VT will be able to move Nickeil Alexander-Walker back into more of a pure shooter role than a distributor role. Pick: Virginia Tech

#6 Maryland vs. #11 Belmont: Maryland is one of the Big Ten teams limping into the tournament as they lost three of their last four games played. Belmont will keep this one close, but can’t get their second NCAA tournament win. Pick: Maryland

#3 LSU vs. #14 Yale: I really want to pick the Bulldogs. Like, really, really want to pick them. Miye Oni is a baller, and the Elis have the 10th best eFG% in the country...but, their defense is not great. LSU still won’t have Will Wade on the sidelines, but I think the Tigers are just too much in this one. Pick: LSU

#7 Louisville vs. #10 Minnesota: I mean, Louisville I guess? The most interesting thing about this game is that the committee put Richard Pitino against Poppa Pitino’s old squad. Jordan Nwora is the real deal and a ton of fun to watch, so...yeah. The Cards. Pick: Louisville

#2 Michigan State vs. #15 Bradley: Michigan State without a doubt. Pick: Michigan State

Second Round

#1 Duke vs. #9 VCU: [checks rosters] Yep, Duke still has Zion Williamson. Pick: Duke

#4 Virginia Tech vs. #5 Mississippi State: Sticking with the Hokies moving on to the Sweet 16. Kerry Blackshear has been great in the post and Ty Outlaw is one of the best three point shooters in the country at 46%. Pick: Va Tech

#6 Maryland vs. #3 LSU: Battle of the bigs. I’m extremely here for this game. Maryland’s Jaylen Smith and Bruno Fernando are as good a frontcourt as any in the country, and they’ll have their hands full with LSU’s Naz Reid. The Terps won’t have enough outside shooting, so I’m going with LSU to move on in a close one. Pick: LSU

#2 Michigan State vs. #7 Louisville: The Cardinals somehow squeaked out an OT win over the Spartans back in late November, but I don’t think they get the season sweep. Ryan McMahon had 24 points in the win. MSU most likely won’t have Kyle Ahrens in the tournament due to an injury in the Big Ten title game, but the Spartans have enough with Cassius Winston, Nick Ward, and Matt McQuaid. Pick: Michigan State

Sweet Sixteen

#1 Duke vs. #4 Virginia Tech: Now things are getting interesting. Duke lost to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in the regular season when Duke was without Zion and VT was without Robinson. The Hokies will make a game of it, but Duke’s superstars are too much down the stretch. Pick: Duke

#2 Michigan State vs. #3 LSU: So much chalk. MSU takes this one in an extremely physical matchup. Pick: Michigan State

Elite Eight

#1 Duke vs. #2 Michigan State: If we don’t actually get this game, I will be furious. Some were surprised MSU got stuck in the East Region with Duke as the Spartans could have reasonably been a No. 1 seed themselves. Instead, they got matched up with the No. 1 overall seed in the Blue Devils. MSU will make Duke pay for their mistakes, but Zion hits a game winner late. Pick: Duke

West Region

First Round

#1 Gonzaga vs. #16 Fairleigh Dickinson: Jahlil Jenkins and Darnell Edge were awesome in the First Four, but the Zags have too good of an offense. Pick: Gonzaga

#8 Syracuse vs. #9 Baylor: What’s that you say? Syracuse in the NCAA tournament? Gotta go with the Orange. Pick: Syracuse

#5 Marquette vs. #12 Murray State: I literally looked like the heart eyes emoji when they announced this game. Ja Morant vs. Markus Howard. Superstar vs. Superstar. Can we just keep whichever one loses and replace one of the Pac-12 teams? No? Fine, let’s go with the Racers as the Golden Eagles closed the regular season with four straight losses. Pick: Murray State

#4 Florida State vs. #13 Vermont: FSU is very, very good. They should be a No. 3 seed. The Catamounts aren’t bad, but the length and athleticism of the Seminoles will be too much for them to overcome. Pick: Florida State

#6 Buffalo vs. #11 St. John’s: Buffalo is under-seeded, in my opinion. The Bulls are No. 22 on KenPom, and have the No. 19 offense and No. 29 defense. CJ Massinburg is a legit star, and I think the Bulls are just too much for St. John’s. Pick: Buffalo

#3 Texas Tech vs. #14 Northern Kentucky: DE-FENSE [CLAP CLAP] DE-FENSE [CLAP CLAP] The Red Raiders have both the No. 1 defense AND Jarrett Culver. Their offense has struggled at times, but they won’t have a problem with the Norse. Pick: Texas Tech

#7 Nevada vs. #10 Florida: KenPom has this as a pick ‘em (one point Nevada win), and Vegas favors the Wolfpack by two. Nevada is prone to falling behind early and using drives and threes from the Martin twins to climb back in. The Gators have finished the season strong and seem to be peaking at the right time. Despite Jordan Caroline being one of my favorite players, I think Florida gets this in a close one. Pick: Florida

#2 Michigan vs. #15 Montana: Michigan got a bad draw in having to play the same team they faced in the opening round last year. That Montana team was much better than this one, and the Wolverines rolled. They’ll roll again. Pick: Michigan

Second Round

#1 Gonzaga vs. #8 Syracuse: Syracuse against Gonzaga. No history there, right? In 2016, the Orange snuck by Gonzaga by three to make the Elite Eight where they upset Virginia to make a Final Four. This year, the Zags get revenge. Pick: Gonzaga

#5 Murray State vs. #4 Florida State: The Ja Morant Cinderella story ends here. Mfiondu Kabengele and the Seminoles do just enough to slow down the Racers and move to the Sweet 16. Pick: Florida State

#3 Texas Tech vs. #6 Buffalo : UPSET PICK. BUFFALO TO THE SWEET 16. The Bulls have a tough defense and will make things hard enough for TTU to score that they move on. Pick: Buffalo

#2 Michigan vs. #10 Florida: I’ve seen this bowl game before. Iggy Brazdeikis, Jordan Poole, Charles Matthews, and Jon Teske are just too much for the Gators in this one. Pick: Michigan

Sweet Sixteen

#1 Gonzaga vs. #4 Florida State: Sticking with FSU’s length and their ability to disrupt the Zags on offense. The Seminoles don’t have the best offense, but they are strong enough to keep Gonzaga honest. This should be an amazing game, so I hope we get to see it. Pick: Florida State

#2 Michigan vs. #6 Buffalo: After seeing the No. 1 defense in TTU, things only let up slightly for Buffalo with Michigan’s No. 2 defense. It’s too much for the Bulls in back-to-back games and they run out of steam in the second half. Pick: Michigan

Elite Eight

#2 Michigan vs. #4 Florida State: Another great game if we can get it. I like Michigan’s defense here as the big men inside can bang with the best of them. I don’t trust FSU’s shooting enough for them to get enough on Michigan’s defense. Pick: Michigan

South Region

First Round

#1 Virginia vs. #16 Gardner-Webb: THIS IS NOT REMOTELY AN EXCITING GAME, OK? MOVE ON LET’S JUST NOT TALK ABOUT IT. WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Pick: Virginia

#8 Ole Miss vs. #9 Oklahoma: [long pause] Umm, Ole Miss? Pick: Ole Miss

#5 Wisconsin vs. #12 Oregon: I refuse to pick a Pac-12 team, and Oregon’s best win of the season was against Syracuse on a neutral court. Their defense is good, but the offense is not. That won’t be enough to get it done against Wisconsin. Pick: Wisconsin

#4 Kansas State vs. #13 UC Irvine: This is the bad combo of a hot double-digit seed meeting a Power 5 school with injuries. The Anteaters beat up on the Big West Conference, winning both the regular season and conference tournament titles. K-State won’t have Barry Brown, meaning they’ll have to make up for his scoring and game management somewhere. Oh, and UC Irvine has a dude named Max Hazzard. MAX HAZZARD!!! Pick: UC Irvine

#6 Villanova vs. #11 Saint Mary’s: The Wildcats are nowhere near the team they were last year when they won the tournament, but they can still shoot threes pretty well and shouldn’t have any issues with St. Mary’s. It’ll be close, though. Pick: Villanova

#3 Purdue vs. #14 Old Dominion: LET’S GET CRAZY. Old Dominion over Purdue after Carsen Edwards has a quiet day, while BJ Stith and Ahmad Caver go OFF. Pick: Old Dominion

#7 Cincinnati vs. #10 Iowa: This is the yelling coach game as Fran McCaffrey and Mick Cronin are known for their...fiery personalities on the sidelines. Iowa has been leaking every type of fluid down the stretch and are limping into the tournament. Cincinnati takes it in a physical, gritty game. Pick: Cincinnati

#2 Tennessee vs. #15 Colgate: Colgate has about as much of a chance here as an actual tube of toothpaste. The Volunteers are big, physical, and Tennessee moves on easily. Pick: Tennessee

Second Round

#1 Virginia vs. #9 Ole Miss: The Cavaliers are too much on both offense and defense as they’re the only team in the nation in the top-5 in both on KenPom. Pick: Virginia

#5 Wisconsin vs. #13 UC Irvine: Wisconsin’s outside shooting goes cold and UC Irvine’s run in the postseason continues. Am I just picking this because literally no one wants to see Virginia-Wisconsin in the Sweet 16? Maybe. Pick: UC Irvine

#12 Old Dominion vs. #6 Villanova: Cinderella’s ball is cut short. Nova shoots ODU out of the gym. Pick: Villanova

#7 Cincinnati vs. #1 Tennessee: CINCY VS TENNY IN COLUMBUS. Ok, fine, I won’t call them “Tenny” again. This one is a brutal battle, but Tennessee squeaks one out late thanks to a big play from Jordan Bone. Pick: Tennessee

Sweet Sixteen

#1 Virginia vs. #13 UC Irvine: The Cavaliers have building confidence as they cruise to the Elite Eight. De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, and Kyle Guy are too much for the Anteaters, moving them one win away from the promise land. Pick: Virginia

#6 Villanova vs. #2 Tennessee: Another game that I desperately want to see. Finesse vs. braun. Villanova slows things down enough and gets hot from outside as Paschall has a big day in the paint. Pick: Villanova

Elite Eight

#1 Virginia vs. #6 Villanova: Villanova is worn out after a tough game with Tennesee and can’t figure out the Pack Line defense. It’ll be close through the first half, but the Hoos pull away down the stretch. Pick: Virginia

Midwest Region

First Round

#1 North Carolina vs. #16 Iona: North Carolina and Coby White easily move on. Pick: North Carolina

#8 Utah State vs. #9 Washington: [checks notes] Yep, Washington is still Pac-12. Pick: Utah State

#5 Auburn vs. #12 New Mexico State: Auburn is rolling after their SEC tournament title. Chuma Okeke is so much fun, and he leads the Tigers to a win. Pick: Auburn

#4 Kansas vs. #13 Northeastern: Kansas is...not good. But, they’re better than Northeastern. Jayhawks move on. Pick: Kansas

#6 Iowa State vs. #11 Ohio State: Ohio State is one of those weird teams that you have NO idea who is going to show up. Funny enough, so is Iowa State. The Cyclones are coming off a Big-12 title, and Marial Shayok is great. Good enough for me. Pick: Iowa State

#3 Houston vs. #14 Georgia State: Houston will roll, but let’s all remember when Ron Hunter fell off of his chair when his son his a game winner. Ron Hunter is great. Houston wins, though. Pick: Houston

#7 Wofford vs. #10 Seton Hall: Wofford is No. 19 on KenPom and got a 7-seed. Kansas is No. 20 on KenPom and got a 4-seed. The Terriers got a bad draw with having to face Seton Hall, a team that finished the season with wins over Villanova and Marquette, but Wofford has a dude named Fletcher Magee who is a flamethrower from three. Pick: Wofford

#2 Kentucky vs. #15 Abilene Christian: PJ Washington is reportedly in a walking boot, but that won’t be enough for Abilene Christian to overcome Kentucky. Pick: Kentucky

Second Round

#1 North Carolina vs. #8 Utah State: I love this game. UNC will win it with a late push, but the Aggies will hang out long enough to keep things interesting. Tar Heels move on. Pick: North Carolina

#5 Auburn vs. #4 Kansas: Can Auburn shoot well enough to win two in a row? Yeah, probably. Also, Kansas is not good. Pick: Auburn

#3 Houston vs. #6 Iowa State: Gimme the Cyclones in a late comeback for the win. Freshman Tyrese Haliburton and Sophomore Lindell Wigginton will have to have big games to overcome Houston’s tough defense. Pick: Iowa State

#2 Kentucky vs. #7 Wofford: I thought for a VERY long time about my dude Fletcher Magee (can’t get over that name) knocking out Kentucky, but I can’t pull the trigger. If this happens, I will be so mad (but also ok with it because, Wofford). Pick: Kentucky

Sweet Sixteen

#1 North Carolina vs. #5 Auburn: Auburn runs out of steam and can’t keep up with the back and forth of North Carolina. Coby White and Cam Johnson go off for the Tar Heels, and Luke Maye gets a double-double. Pick: North Carolina

#2 Kentucky vs. #6 Iowa State: Kentucky’s length and depth is too much for the Cyclones. Tyler Herro gets hot, and Reid Travis is a monster down low. Iowa State puts up a good fight, but falls short in the second half and loses by double-digits. Pick: Kentucky

Elite Eight

#1 North Carolina vs. #2 Kentucky: I know, more chalk. Kentucky gets revenge on Luke Maye’s game winner from two years ago, moving into the Final Four. Pick: Kentucky

Final Four

#1 Duke vs. #2 Michigan: Michigan falls short of back-to-back trips to the NCAA final after Duke controls the game from start to finish. The Wolverines stay within 6-8 points for the whole game, but the Blue Devils get a big shot every time they need one. Pick: Duke

#1 Virginia vs. #2 Kentucky : Virginia shoots well from outside, and Mamadi Diakite matches a career high in blocks with four as he makes things hard on Kentucky’s big men. The Wildcats struggle with the Pack Line, but the two keep it close throughout. Virginia hits free throws to make the finals. Pick: Virginia

National Championship

#1 Virginia vs. #1 Duke: Duke vs. Virginia, part three! Virginia gets the rematch, and unlike the first two meetings this season, both teams shoot their average from three. Zion does most of the work for the Blue Devils, but Virginia’s Big Three of Hunter, Jerome, and Guy get it done. The Hoos are cutting down the nets in Minneapolis. National Champion: Virginia Cavaliers

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