By Joey Krieg, Business Manager

I’ll never forget watching UNC’s Marcus Paige hitting his famous double-clutch, game-tying 3 which – unfortunately – was overshadowed by Villanova’s Kris Jenkins’ game winning 3 on the following play in the NCAA National Championship in 2016. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament has shown me some of the best basketball games I have ever seen. Year after year it is one of the most entertaining tournaments of the year, including professional sports. 

The games played in March are full of memories for the players and the fans alike. I can recall countless game-winners, huge upsets and impressive performances from superstar players. One game I won’t forget watching was in the first round of the 2018 tournament. The 16-seed, the UMBC Retrievers, were up against the 1-seed, the Virginia Cavaliers. The game was tied at halftime, which was odd, but no one really bought into the idea of an upset. At the time, a 16-seed had never won a game in tournament history. The Retrievers came out hungry in the second half and defeated the Cavaliers 74-54. For a 16-seed to get a win was nuts alone, but for them to win by 20 made the story around the upset so much more entertaining. 

And for all the bummed UVA fans out there, there was still some good news: The Cavaliers came back the following year and won the championship, which was a good comeback story.

Every year, I fill out a bracket for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and this year is my year. Every pick was carefully thought out and I could not be more confident. Virginia Tech is my sleeper team. The Hokies are a very good-looking 11-seed and are coming off wins against UNC and Duke. The Hokies have some of the best defense in the country and they are without a doubt a top-notch shooting team.

The 6-seed in the East, Texas, which seems to always have a good squad, looks shaky this year. With two losses coming against a questionable Oklahoma team, I just don’t see them outplaying a team for 40 minutes. They also face a very talented Virginia Tech team that just won the ACC Championship.

Unlike in 2016 when they beat the star studded 5-seed of Baylor, Yale looks pretty bad this year and I’m not expecting an upset in that matchup against Purdue. Still, I am not high on Purdue at all, especially after its rough loss to Iowa in the Big Ten Championship.

I really like Montana State out of the small Big Sky Conference. The Bobcats’ near 40% 3-point shooting on the year should help them pull off an upset against Texas Tech.

I think 2-seed Kentucky will most likely win its first-round matchup against 15-seed St. Peter’s, but I have 7-seed Murray State racing past them in the second round. Kentucky has had some embarrassing losses this year and I think that narrative will continue in the big dance.

My East Championship involves 11-seed Virginia Tech and 9-seed Marquette, with Tech moving on thanks to the Hokies’ excellence beyond the arc.

I believe Iowa and Auburn will face off in the Midwest Championship, and as much as I think Iowa looks pretty bad this year regardless of the Big Ten Championship win, I see the Hawkeyes beating the fraudulent 2-seed Auburn.

One matchup I’m hoping to see in the South is 1-seed Arizona and 3-seed Tennessee. I think Tennessee is one of the only teams that can take down Arizona aside from maybe Gonzaga. I like Tennessee in this matchup due to its size and defense. 

Out of the West, I have 4-seed Arkansas and 3-seed Texas Tech meeting in the Elite Eight. Arkansas is a dangerous 4-seed and I think a lot of fans know that. The Razorbacks are by far the best looking 4-seed in the bracket. UCLA, Illinois and Providence are the other 4-seeds and they just don’t look as complete of a team as Arkansas does.

My Final Four matchups are Virginia Tech against Arkansas and Tennessee against Iowa. I think Iowa is in no way, shape or form a top four team in the country, but is blessed with a relatively easy path to the Final Four. 1-seed Kansas will be tough, but I think the Hawkeyes match up well with them.

I think Tennessee will have an easy game against Iowa and win by double digits if they get lucky enough to play them in the Final Four. 

But in the other matchup – Virginia Tech against Arkansas – it will be a dogfight most likely ending in a last-second play. This would be a fantastic game and is another matchup I’m hoping for.

In the final, it will be Arkansas vs. Tennessee, and I have Tennessee taking home the trophy with a final score of 80-78. I really enjoy watching Tennessee play. The Volunteers understand team basketball and always look for the open guy. They are a mid-tier 3-point shooting team, but I believe their aggressive defense and athleticism around the rim will lead to the victory.

Don’t be shocked when Duke falls in the first round to CSU Fullerton, either.

Senior Joey Krieg can be reached at 22kriegjo52@daretolearn.org.