It’s the most beautiful time of year! Spring has sprung, the NHL/NBA playoffs are around the corner, MLB Spring Training is wrapping up, the NFL Draft is a month away, and what’s that… do you hear the legendary Masters theme song in the distance? Here at TWN, we are PUMPED for March Madness 2019, as many of us are college students (though unfortunately our alma maters won’t be making appearances this season).
Austin Meo | George Washington University ’19 & Villanova Law ’22
Final 4: #1 UNC (2019 champion), #2 Michigan State (runner-up), #2 Tennessee & #6 Buffalo
As mentioned this week on the podcast, I am doing 2 brackets with #1 Duke winning the other (and of course poorly seeded #6 Villanova going VERY far). But this bracket feels safer with a veteran UNC squad led by Luke May, Cameron Johnson and Coby White going up against a MSU team that could have been a #1 seed any other year. Ton of irrational upsets in this bracket- including Murray State, Nevada, Seton Hall, New Mexico State and of course Buffalo’s Cinderella story.
Jeff Reni | University of South Florida ’19
Final 4: #1 Duke (2019 champion), #1 UNC (runner-up), #1 Virginia & #4 Florida State
Taking last year as a framework, mid-level teams will be the ones performing the upsets for parts of this bracket. Of course the biggest surprise is #4 Florida State making it to the Final Four, beating out #1 Gonzaga and #2 Michigan in the West. #13 UC Irvine + #7 Cincinnati will make it to the Sweet 16, and #6 Villanova will make it to the Elite 8. Overall though, it’ll be 3 #1 seeds and FSU before the dream matchup between Duke and UNC takes place in the championship- which would be the 4th time they meet this season (UNC is 2-1).
Chris Wilson | Lasell College ’19
Final 4: #1 UNC (2019 champion), #1 Gonzaga (runner-up), #6 Villanova & #2 Michigan State
Much more crazy upsets will be seen in the Sweet 16- Nova upsetting #2 Tennessee, #5 Wisconsin beating #9 Oklahoma after they defeated #1 Virginia, and not 1 but 2 #10s advancing to the Elite 8 (Florida beating #3 Texas Tech & Seton Hall beating #11 Ohio State).
