Once again, it’s time for March Madness! The NCAA men’s basketball tournament will begin on March 17, pinning 64 of the best programs in the nation against each other in a six-round single-elimination tourney to crown a new college basketball champion.
Every year, millions of people try to pick the perfect bracket, predicting who they believe will win each of the tournament’s 63 games. But with the odds of picking the perfect bracket being 1 in 9.2 quintillion, according to USA Today, no one should ever expect to get it right! There’s just too many variables to predict, such as lower-ranked teams upsetting high seed teams—infamously known as “bracket busters.”
That said, here’s my official attempt, use it to create and compare with your own:
ROUND OF 64
South:
No. 1 Kansas over No. 16 Austin Peay
No. 2 Villanova over No. 15 UNC Asheville
No. 3 Miami over No. 14 Buffalo
No. 4 California over No. 13 Hawaii
No. 5 Maryland over No. 12 S. Dakota State
No. 6 Arizona over No. 11 Wichita State
No. 7 Iowa over No. 10 Temple
No. 9 Connecticut over No. 8 Colorado
West:
No. 1 Oregon over No. 16 Holy Cross
No. 2 Oklahoma over No. 15 Cal State Bakersfield
No. 3 Texas A&M over No. 14 Green Bay
No. 4 Duke over No. 13 UNC Wilmington
No. 5 Baylor over No. 12 Yale
No. 6 Texas over No. 11 N. Iowa
No. 7 Oregon State over No. 10 VCU
No. 8 Saint Joseph’s over No. 9 Cincinnati
East:
No. 1 North Carolina over No. 16 Florida Gulf Coast
No. 2 Xavier over No. 15 Weber State
No. 3 West Virginia over No. 14 Stephen F Austin
No. 4 Kentucky over No. 13 Stony Brook
No. 5 Indiana over No. 12 Chattanooga
No. 6 Notre Dame over No. 11 Michigan
No. 7 Wisconsin over No. 10 PITT
No. 9 Providence over No. 8 USC
Midwest:
No. 1 Virginia over No. 16 Hampton
No. 2 Michigan State over No. 15 Middle Tenn
No. 3 Utah over No. 14 Fresno State
No. 4 Iowa State over No. 13 Iona
No. 5 Purdue over No. 12 Little Rock
No. 11 Gonzaga over No. 6 Seton Hall
No. 7 Dayton over No. 10 Syracuse
No. 9 Butler over No. 8 Texas Tech
ROUND OF 32
South:
No. 1 Kansas over No. 9 Connecticut
No. 2 Villanova over No. 7 Iowa
No. 3 Miami over No. 6 Arizona
No. 5 Maryland over No. 4 Cal
West:
No. 1 Oregon over No. 8 Saint Joesph’s
No. 2 Oklahoma over No. 7 Oregon St
No. 6 Texas over No. 3 Texas A&M
No. 4 Duke over No. 5 Baylor
East:
No. 1 UNC over No. 9 Providence
No. 2 Xavier over No. 7 Wisconsin
No. 6 Notre Dame over No. 3 WV
No. 4 Kentucky over No. 5 Indiana
Midwest:
No. 1 Virginia over No. 9 Butler
No. 2 Mich State over No. 7 Dayton
No. 3 Utah over No. 11 Gonzaga
No. 5 Purdue over No. 4 Iowa State
SWEET 16
South:
No. 1 Kansas over No. 5 Maryland
No. 2 Villanova over No. 3 Miami
West:
No. 1 Oregon over No. 4 Duke
No. 2 Oklahoma over No. Texas
East:
No. 5 Kentucky over No. 1 UNC
No. 2 Xavier over No. 6 Notre Dame
Midwest:
No. 1 Virginia over No. 5 Purdue
No. 2 Mich State over No. 3 Utah
ELITE EIGHT
South:
No. 1 Kansas over No. 2 Villanova
West:
No. 2 Oklahoma over No. 1 Oregon
East:
No. 5 Kentucky over No. 2 Xavier
Midwest:
No. 2 Mich State over No. 1 Virginia
FINAL FOUR
No. 1 Kansas over No. 2 Oklahoma
No. 2 Mich State over No. 5 Kentucky
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
No. 2 Michigan State over No. 1 Kansas