QUESTION OF THE WEEK #2

March Madness: Who will win it all? Who are the sleeper teams? Cinderella's?

Mason Kern (San Diego, CA):

“I think this year's bracket was very tough in terms of the first few rounds. However, I think once the elite eight hits most everyone's bracket will have the same teams. I feel as if Villanova will repeat as NCAA champs based on their experience and length along with their offensive capability. It honestly could go a number of different ways though.”

Ethan Grossman (Oakland, CA): 

“Even though I am a die-hard Michigan fan, I do really think they have a chance to make a big run or they could lose in the first round. It all really depends on their shooting. If the shots are falling, they can beat any team in the tournament.”

Vikram Nallakrishnan (Portland, OR):

“As I was filling out my lone bracket for this year, I kept two things in mind: who has a legitimate star, and who can 'get hot' at any given game. Call me foolish, naive, or just straight stupid, but Iowa State is my pick to go all the way. Where does it start? Monte freakin' Morris. His ability to control a game as a floor general, combined with his outstanding assist/turnover ratio coalesces into the 'perfect' point guard. Then there's their matchup nightmare: Deonte Burton. The Marquette transfer is in his second season with the Cyclones, and at 6'5, plays as a de facto power forward, averaging just under 15 points, six boards, two assists, two steals, and two blocks per game. Like versatility? Coach Promes can unleash the shooting prowess of Naz Mitrou-Long, Matt Thomas, and Donovan Jackson, further opening up driving lanes for the main man Morris. Oh, and I can't forget the fact that the squad is coming off a Big 12 Tournament Championship (hush all you "Josh Jackson was out" claimers). A senior point guard, 6'5 power forward, and three-point shooters all around, get ready Ames, it's Cyclone time!”

Sevrin Lavenstein (Cranston, RI):

“I've got Duke winning it in the majority of my brackets, but I worry about their interior defense and whether or not Kennard can keep up his level of play in the tournament. My sleepers are Minnesota and SMU. My Cinderella’s are Nevada and FGCU. What makes the tournament so special is how anything can happen. It's unlike so many other sports where you can predict the outcomes with a lot more ease. With college basketball, they call it March Madness for a reason.”

Zach Keenan (Cleveland, OH):

“It's Gonzaga all the way this year. I can't imagine a repeat game between UNC and Villanova, as many brackets and "experts" predict. The West region shouldn't see too many upsets (apart from Xavier, who always seems to show up in March), and Gonzaga should have a free ticket to Phoenix, and that includes a victory over Arizona if they aren't out by then. The Big East teams have been wildly successful this year, and I'd expect to see at least 2 teams from the Big East in the Elite Eight. I would put money on Butler, and despite the classic 11/6 upset, Creighton should escape Rhode Island and pull an upset over Oregon. Speaking of upsets- I wouldn't be overly surprised to see UCLA and Lonzo Ball overtake Kentucky just as they did in early December. To reiterate: Big East schools will see prosperity in the Midwest and south regions, Kentucky will find it difficult to squeeze out of the Elite Eight, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs will cut down the nets in Phoenix.”

Avi Gupta (Portland, OR):

“Before I begin, I’d like to preface this with one qualification: I know little to nothing about college basketball. I haven’t watched a single game this season, so I’m basing this off of the games I watched in the tournament last year and on the coverage I’ve read to this point. For me, it’s hard to bet against Villanova. Their offensive nucleus of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins seems unstoppable, and though they are placed in the toughest region, Nova seems to be almost a lock to make the Final Four. For sleeper teams, I’m going to cheat a little bit and pick Kentucky. Malik Monk is always a threat to score 40+, and his versatile offensive game can produce instant points for the Wildcats. I can’t wait to watch Monk take on Lonzo Ball in the battle of the nation’s two most dynamic freshman guards (with all due respect to Markelle Fultz) in the impending matchup between UCLA and Kentucky in the Sweet 16. In the realm of fairy tales, Florida Gulf Coast has a legitimate chance to make a deep run and become this year’s Cinderella team. “Dunk City”, FGCU’s 2014 Cinderella team, remains fresh in my mind as one of the most exciting teams in recent memory, and this year’s roster, led by Brandon Goodwin (18.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.0 apg), matches the offensive potency of the 2014 squad, and coach Joe Dooley has improved their defensive potential considerably.”