Mark Kiszla
Final Four: Gonzaga, Texas, Winthrop, Illinois
Championship: Illinois beats Gonzaga
I’m so old I remember when Gonzaga was the cute and cuddly underdog that represented everything we love about the Madness. Well, look at the Zags now. All grown up. While traditional bluebloods Duke and Kentucky aren’t in the field of 68, Gonzaga is undefeated and the fave to win it all. The Zags are the most talented team in the field. But I will gladly take the field, because the laws of probability suggest Gonzaga won’t be the first team since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers to be crowned as an undefeated champ. (And I know what you’re thinking: Winthrop? Well, I don’t know if the 12th-seed Eagles can make a Cinderella run. But in this crazy season of the pandemic, doesn’t it figure there will be some havoc in your bracket?)
Sean Keeler
Final Four: Gonzaga, Illinois, Baylor, Florida State
Championship: Gonzaga beats Illinois
Having 95% of the free world picking Georgetown to upset CU has got to be music to Tad Boyle’s ears, especially after the way the Buffs faded in the Pac-12 title game. The dream could hit a wall against the Seminoles, though, as they’ve got length and speed everywhere. You want to believe in Alabama, but not the way the Tide’s free-throw shooting comes and goes. Illinois has got size and swagger, and coach Brad Underwood has long been one of the more underrated whistle-jockeys in the business. In the end, the Zags probably cement themselves as the Dookies of the West, a perennial you start to love to hate.
Matt Schubert
Final Four: Gonzaga, Colorado, Baylor, Illinois
Championship: Gonzaga beats Illinois
They say fill out one bracket with your heart, and one with your head. Well, we went with the heart on the first go-around… and got a little crazy. Yes, the same CU Buffs program that is 1-4 in its last five NCAA Tournament games under Tad Boyle is your Cinderella this spring — thanks in part to an LSU upset of Michigan in the round of 32. Insanity? Sure. Impossible? Heck no. Any team with a point guard like McKinley Wright IV has a chance. And we like the cut of Jeriah Horne’s big shot-making jib. As for the championship: Illinois is supremely talented, but Gonzaga has the size and skill to match. The Zags have gotten close before. This feels like their time.
