Last week I provided some pointers on how to fill out your bracket. Now, with the tournament field set, I’ll provide more concrete advice and reveal my pick of who will win it all.
I’m doing things a little bit differently this year. I’m not worrying about all of the first-round matchups and potential upsets, but starting with the team I believe will win it all.
Your 2022 NCAA Tournament Champions are…
About a month ago, while watching a game between Arizona and USC, I thought to myself, that’s my pick (Arizona) to win it all. As the Wildcats completed the comeback and eventually pulled away, I thought I had seen what I needed to see.
Unfortunately for Arizona, Kerr Kriisa, the sharpshooting sophomore guard, suffered a sprained ankle in the Pac-12 tournament. The ‘Cats were able to hold off UCLA in a highly-entertaining championship game on Saturday night.
Kerr Kriisa needed a little assistance cutting down the net because, you know, his ankle. pic.twitter.com/4Qd47OTrba
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) March 13, 2022
Kriisa, who was named after Steve Kerr, wears his first name on his jersey. He got permission to wear the elder Kerr’s #25 after the number was retired. It now seems a real possibility that Kriisa can rejoin his teammates in the tourney at some point.
He’s the heartbeat of, perhaps the most talented team in the nation. Flanking Kriisa is Benedict Mathurin, a likely top-5 NBA lottery pick. They also feature versatile big men Christian Koloko and Azuolas Tubelis plus do-everything wing Dalen Terry.
The Final Four
Joining the Arizona Wildcats in the Final Four (in my bracket) will be Gonzaga, Iowa, and Purdue. Gonzaga, led by potential #1 overall NBA draft pick Chet Holmgren, has been the second most impressive team I’ve seen this year. Holmgren is the perfect modern big man, a shot-blocking, three-point draining, ball-handling dynamo.
Just ridiculous @ChetHolmgren pic.twitter.com/9stu58yKck
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) March 8, 2022
Last week I wrote that I planned on selecting two number one seeds to advance to New Orleans. I will also choose another high seed, and a dark horse pick for my final four. I’ve revealed my two ones, and Iowa is my dark horse pick. They’re one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation and are paced by the NBA-bound Keegan Murray.
The team that will be joining them will be the team that lost to Iowa in the Big Ten tournament championship game, Purdue. The Boilermakers have a pro-ready star of their own in Jaden Ivey and a two-headed monster at center in Zach Edey and Trevion Williams.
Upset Specials
I had a few teams in mind that I thought could be bracket-busters. Then, of course, I watched the selection show and listened to the analysis. That information has led me to the following upset picks.
#12 New Mexico State defeats #5 UConn
#13 Vermont defeats #4 Arkansas
Vermont came within a one-point overtime loss of sweeping the America East conference. I didn’t have New Mexico St. as a potential Cinderella before the selection show, but Seth Davis likes them, so that’s good enough for me! If they both win, they would face each other to advance to the sweet 16, a game I have Vermont winning.
I actually went all chalk in the East region but I made up for it by taking three upsets in the South and Midwest regions.
#12 UAB defeats #5 Houston
#13 Chattanooga defeats #4 Illinois
#10 Loyola Chicago defeats #7 Ohio St.
Again, the analysts steered me to these picks, although Chatanooga was on my radar previously. The 12/13 upsets again present an opportunity for one of these teams to advance to the sweet 16. I’ll take the Mocs of Chattanooga to do so.
#13 South Dakota St. defeats #4 Providence
#11 Iowa St. defeats #6 LSU
#14 Colgate defeats #3 Wisconsin
The Jackrabbits of South Dakota will put their 21-game winning streak on the line and I say they extend it. Some may not think Iowa St. over LSU is much of an upset pick but the seeds say it is. Colgate beating Wisconsin would be a shocker and it’s the biggest upset on my bracket. I based it upon nothing more than a silly hunch. This should be fun.
If that actually happens, it would set up a rare 11-14 matchup between Iowa State and Colgate. The Cyclones seem like the type of team that could make a surprise run to the Elite Eight. I say they do, setting up a fun interstate showdown in the midwest regional final.
Who knows what’ll happen but it was an interesting way for me to fill out my bracket. Pick the winner, then the final four. From there establish your upset picks because you know they’re going to happen.
