As March begins, postseason basketball is about to begin. On March 17th the 2020 NCAA Tournament also known as March Madness is set to tip but the official slate of teams will be announced two days before the tournament on March 15th. My selection of teams and their seed is included and I will give you a brief rundown of why I made my bracket.Â
The four names, Gonzaga, Kansas, Dayton, and Kentucky are all one seeds. As the season is coming to a close conference tournaments start with all of these teams as the favorites. Gonzaga will easily win the West Coast Conference and Dayton will win the A10 without much competition. It is a different story for Kansas as they may have to take down a tough Baylor squad in the competitive Big 12 while Kentucky led by legendary Coach Kalipara looks to cruise by Auburn and other foes in the SEC. Kentucky as of March 8th is not in the top four teams in the country according to the AP Top 25 but will change as San Diego St and Baylor both lost this weekend.Â
Looking deeper into teams in Nebraska that may get a bid to the NCAA Tournament will be the Creighton Bluejays as they beat Seton Hall to gain the 1 seed in the Big East Tournament. In my bracket, they will be a third seed playing North Dakota St in the first round. Nebraska under first-year Head Coach Fred Hoiberg is currently ranked last in the Big Ten Conference with a record of seven wins and 24 losses. If the Huskers do not win the Big Ten Tournament they will not get a bid to the NCAA Tournament.Â
One of the most hyped sporting events each year is the Final Four, this takes the best team from each of the four brackets to decide who will play in the National Championship Game. In my bracket, the Final Four will include Michigan St, Florida St, Creighton, and Baylor. You might think it is strange that I have not chosen any 1 seeds to be in the Final Four but in the 2017 and 2018 there were only two one seeds and in last years Final Four Virginia was the only 1 seed to get all the way to the semi-final and then eventually win the National Title. Only one time have all 1 seeds been in the same Final Four, which happened in 2008. Michigan St is my pick to attend the Final Four and then win the National Championship, and that is because they seem to be a great tournament team every year. Tom Izzo leads the Spartans every year no matter what seed to a great finish, but with senior guard and National Player of the Year Candidate, Cassius Winstin at the helm they seem like they are destined for a championship.Â
National Championship
Michigan St -71
Baylor- 65
Photo courtesy of the NCAA
