If you’re like most of the country, you probably didn’t count on a No. 8 seed reaching the national title game last year — or a No. 15 seed reaching the Elite Eight.
Thank you North Carolina and Saint Peter’s, who made sure there’s nowhere for our brackets to go but up in 2023.
This season, of course, picking the March Madness bracket comes with its own set of potential pitfalls. How do you account for injuries at Houston and UCLA? Can defending champ Kansas make another run after losing handily in the Big 12 Tournament final? Is this the year you can trust the Big Ten?
Here’s a VERY preliminary first glance at each of the regions, with a quick Final Four pick:
South: Virginia could certainly slow Alabama down in the Sweet 16, but will the Cavaliers make it that far? They’re no stranger to first-round upsets. The Crimson Tide get through.
East: What a season for Shaka Smart, who coached Marquette to regular-season and tournament titles in the Big East. The Golden Eagles will force turnovers, and unlike some of Smart’s teams in the past, this is a Final Four-worthy group offensively.
Midwest: Obviously, the groin injury to Marcus Sasser is a big concern, but Houston should be able to make it through the first weekend even if he’s not at full strength, and assuming he returns before too long, Houston is the best team in this region.
West: Gonzaga comes into this tournament on a roll — and without the huge expectations of seasons past. The Zags reach the Final Four.
Final Four: Alabama tops Marquette in one semifinal, and Houston beats Gonzaga in the other. Then the Cougars become the one team good enough defensively to beat the Crimson Tide. On the 40th anniversary of Phi Slama Jama’s heartbreaking loss to N.C. State, Houston wins it all.