First Round

#1 North Carolina vs. #16 Iona: North Carolina and Coby White readily proceed. Pick: North Carolina
#8 Utah State vs. #9 Washington: [tests notes] Yep, Washington is still Pac-12. Select: 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 directs the Tigers to a win. Select: Auburn
#4 Kansas vs. #13 Northeastern: Kansas is. . .not good. However, they’re far better than Northeastern. Jayhawks proceed. Pick: Kansas
#6 Iowa State vs. #11 Ohio State: Ohio State is just one of those bizarre teams that you have NO idea who is going to appear. Funny enough, so is Iowa State. The Cyclones are coming off a Big-12 title, also Marial Shayok is fantastic. Good enough for me. Select: Iowa State
#3 Houston vs. #14 Georgia State: Houston will roll, but let us remember when Ron Hunter fell from his chair when his son his own a match winner. Ron Hunter is good. 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 obtained a 4-seed. The Terriers got a lousy draw with having to confront Seton Hall, a group that ended the season with wins over Villanova and Marquette, but Wofford includes a dude called Fletcher Magee who’s a flamethrower from three. Select: 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. Select: 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. Select: North Carolina
#5 Auburn vs. #4 Kansas: Can Auburn shoot well enough to win two in a row? Yeah, probably. Also, Kansas is not excellent. Select: Auburn
#3 Houston vs. #6 Iowa State: Gimme the Cyclones at a late comeback to the win. Freshman Tyrese Haliburton and Sophomore Lindell Wigginton will need to have big games to overcome Houston’s defense. Pick: Iowa State
#2 Kentucky vs. #7 Wofford: I thought for a lengthy time about my dude Fletcher Magee (can’t get over that title ) knocking out Kentucky, however I can’t pull the trigger. If this happens, I’ll be so mad (but also ok with it Wofford). Select: Kentucky
Sweet Sixteen
#1 North Carolina vs. #5 Auburn: Auburn runs out of steam and can’t keep up with the back and on of North Carolina. Coby White and Cam Johnson go off to the Tar Heels, and Luke Maye gets a double-double. Pick: North Carolina
#2 Kentucky vs. #6 Iowa State: Kentucky’s span and depth is too much for the Cyclones. Tyler Herro gets sexy, and Reid Travis is a monster down low. Iowa State puts up a fantastic fight, but falls short in the second half and loses from double-digits. Select: Kentucky
Elite Eight
#1 North Carolina vs. #2 KentuckyI know, more chalk. Kentucky gets revenge on Luke Maye’s match winner out of two decades ago, moving in the Final Four. Select: Kentucky

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