It’s the most wonderful time of the year for college basketball fans, as both the men’s and women’s March Madness brackets were released on Sunday.
As millions of fans fill out their brackets with hopes of winning their NCAA tournament pools or simply earning bragging rights over friends and family, Sports Illustrated compiles expert picks for the men’s Final Four from notable pundits around the college basketball world.
Howard and Wagner will tip off this year’s tournament at the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, at 6:40 p.m. ET Tuesday. That game will be followed by a matchup between Colorado State and Virginia. The tournament begins in earnest Thursday at 12:15 p.m. ET when Michigan State and Mississippi State square off in Charlotte.
Without further ado, here’s a sampling of expert picks for the men’s Final Four and national championship.
Note: Final Four picks are listed in order by region: East, West, South, Midwest
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NCAA Tournament Expert Picks
Pat Forde – Sports Illustrated
Final Four: UConn, Baylor, Houston, Creighton
National championship: UConn over Houston
Kevin Sweeney – Sports Illustrated
Final Four: Auburn, Baylor, Houston, Purdue
National championship: Purdue over Auburn
Jay Bilas – ESPN
Final Four: UConn, Arizona, Houston, Purdue
National championship: UConn over Purdue
Dick Vitale – ESPN
Final Four: UConn, Baylor, Kentucky, Tennessee
National championship: Kentucky over UConn
Seth Greenberg – ESPN
Final Four: UConn, Arizona, Kentucky, Purdue
National championship: UConn over Kentucky
Jay Williams – ESPN
Final Four: UConn, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee
National championship: UConn over Tennessee
Tom Crean – ESPN
Final Four: UConn, Mississippi State, Houston, Tennessee
National championship: UConn over Tennessee
Joe Lunardi – ESPN
Final Four: UConn, Arizona, Houston, Tennessee
National championship: UConn over Houston
UConn and coach Dan Hurley are a popular pick to win it all again as they prepare to defend their 2023 national championship.
David Butler/USA TODAY Sports
Clark Kellogg – CBS Sports
Final Four: UConn, North Carolina, Kentucky, Purdue
National championship: UConn over Purdue
Seth Davis – CBS Sports
Final Four: UConn, Arizona, Houston, Purdue
National championship: UConn over Houston
Jay Wright – CBS Sports
Final Four: UConn, Arizona, Houston, Purdue
National championship: UConn over Houston
Jerry Palm – CBS Sports
Final Four: UConn, Arizona, Houston, Purdue
National championship: Purdue over Arizona
John Fanta – Fox Sports
Final Four: UConn, Arizona, Houston, Tennessee
National championship: UConn over Tennessee
Andy Katz – NCAA.com
Final Four: UConn, Arizona, Kentucky, Purdue
National championship: UConn over Purdue
CJ Moore – The Athletic
Final Four: UConn, Alabama, Marquette, Purdue
National championship: UConn over Purdue
Dana O’Neil – The Athletic
Final Four: UConn, North Carolina, Kentucky, Purdue
National championship: Purdue over UConn
Nicole Auerbach – The Athletic
Final Four: UConn, Arizona, Houston, Creighton
National championship: UConn over Creighton
Paul Myerberg – USA TODAY
Final Four: Iowa State, North Carolina, Houston, Creighton
National championship: Houston over Iowa State
Eddie Timanus – USA TODAY
Final Four: UConn, North Carolina, Houston, Purdue
National championship: UConn over Purdue
Dan Wolken – USA TODAY
Final Four: UConn, St. Mary’s, Houston, Creighton
National championship: UConn over Houston
