Men's basketball Final Four predictions

Out of the South Region, I have the Auburn Tigers. They are the one-seed and I see them handling their region pretty easily. The only real threat I see in their region is Michigan State.

Auburn has a deep squad with five players scoring more than ten points a game. They are led by Johni Broome, who is averaging 18.9 points and 10.6 rebounds a game.

My hot take is that Clemson will emerge from the Midwest region. I understand that the Midwest region is full of powerhouses, mainly Houston, Tennessee and Kentucky, but I think they can do it.

My main argument for this is that their kryptonite this season has been Louisville. Besides their losses to Louisville and an early season loss to Boise State, every single loss they have had has been in overtime.

It seems like they know how to win games, and if not, they give their opponent a run for their money.

I believe that Duke will make it out of the East. Even without Cooper Flagg, I see no scenario in which Duke doesn’t make it to the Sweet 16.

The only real threat I see in Duke’s path to San Antonio is Alabama. The Crimson Tide should be fuming after a humiliating defeat to the Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament semifinals.

I think Saint John’s will make it out of the West. Unlike Duke’s path, their second game would be tough. They would face either Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks or John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks.

Other than that, the SEC Tournament Champion Florida Gators might meet them in the Elite Eight. This could be trouble, but Red Storm coach Rick Pitino should be able to out coach any and all teams in his path.

Owen: Michigan State, Houston, Duke and Florida

In the Elite 8, I have the Spartans defeating the No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers to advance to the Final Four. Led by head coach Tom Izzo, this Spartans team has the best chemistry out of any team in this tournament.

Freshman guard Jase Richardson has proved to be pivotal in their success this season, averaging 12 points on outstanding efficiency as a freshman. After beginning the year unranked, Michigan State won the Big Ten regular-season title and has the potential to make a lot of noise in March.

This year is Houston’s year to shine after a disappointing end to their 2024 March Madness bid. Last season, they lost star guard Jamal Shead due to injury, which cost them.

They have the experience, they just need to show it. They have remained an elite defensive team and L.J. Cryer has led the team in scoring once again, but the addition of Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan in their backcourt has truly changed the way Houston can produce offensively from beyond the arc.

The Blue Devils are a wagon right now. Looking at the bracket, I can’t find a team that has a realistic chance to beat a healthy Duke.

Freshman superstar Cooper Flagg suffered an ankle injury in the ACC tournament, however, Duke was able to pull off a comeback win against an underrated Louisville team and they expect him to be back in the lineup sometime this weekend.

The question with Duke that will always loom large is, can a team led by freshmen have a shot at winning the tournament? I think this Blue Devils’ team is different though with Tyrese Proctor, Sion James, and Mason Gillis all having big-game experience.

The Florida Gators are one of the hottest teams in the country. They have proven they are at the top of the best conference in Division 1 men’s basketball by winning the SEC tournament, and they have looked like a complete team all season.

Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. has become one of the best guards in the country, averaging 17 points throughout the season.

The Gators’ offense can score in bunches and is one of the best shooting teams in the tournament. They also add a collective defensive unit led by big man Alex Condon and senior FAU transfer Alijah Martin.

Gianna: Michigan State, Florida, Duke and Gonzaga

Starting in the South Region, I have Michigan State defeating No. 1 Auburn to give legendary head coach Tom Izzo another shot at a national championship. Izzo’s squad is more than capable of making a deep run.

Offensively the Spartans are led by Jaden Atkins, averaging 12.7 points per game, and projected first-round pick Jase Richardson.

Richardson is looking to continue a family legacy, as his father Jason was a part of Michigan State’s last national championship team in 2000. The Spartans also have it locked down on defense with a top-five KenPom defensive rating.

Coming out of the West Region as Michigan State’s opponent I have Florida. The Gators are playing better basketball than any other team in the field right now and there’s no other way to put it.

Florida marched through a loaded SEC Tournament and will do the same in the big dance.

The Gators know how to put the ball in the basket, averaging 85.4 points per game. Florida could have anyone step up big, with four players averaging over 11 points. However, it certainly won’t be a cakewalk for the Gators as they could potentially face strong defensive teams such as St. John’s or Texas Tech on their way to the Final Four.

Switching over to the other side of the bracket I have Duke coming out of the East Region. The Blue Devils enter the tournament on an 11-game winning streak and have looked strong even without Cooper Flagg.

Duke has a top-five offensive and defensive KenPom rating, which is a stat that has taken teams a long way in March. The Blue Devils didn’t necessarily walk through the ACC Tournament, but they proved that they can win close games which is a key ingredient in the road to a championship.

My final pick to reach San Antonio may be considered by some as a long shot, but I prefer the term sleeper. I believe that the Gonzaga Bulldogs have a legitimate shot of coming out of the Midwest.

I’m not saying it will be easy, as the Zags could potentially face powerful teams like Houston, Tennessee, Kentucky or Clemson.

Gonzaga has made a remarkable nine straight Sweet 16s, and I think that streak could continue. The Zags have the second-highest-scoring offense in the country with 86.6 points per game.

Gonzaga also has a top-10 KenPom overall rating. The Zags are an experienced squad with a great coach in Mark Few. While Few has a reputation for never getting the big one, Gonzaga can certainly turn some heads in the tournament.

Brooke: Michigan State, Florida, Duke and Clemson

Starting in the South Region, I have Michigan State defeating No. 1 Auburn. What can I say, it’s March Madness, anything can happen. A time known for crazy upsets and legendary stories this is the matchup I think will cause the most heads to turn.

The Spartans are led by Jaden Atkins, averaging 12.7 points per game, and projected first-round pick Jase Richardson. As mentioned earlier, Richardson is looking to continue a family legacy, as his father Jason was a part of Michigan State’s last national championship team in 2000.

Coming out of the West Region Florida is my pick. The Gators have outperformed every other team, it’s as simple as that. Ending their regular season with a record of 14-4, it would be a true shock if this team didn’t find its way into the final four. Proving their worth in the SEC tournament they will no doubt do the same this March.

The Gators averaged 85.4 points per game with four players averaging over 11 points. At this current rate, Florida would go on to play Michigan State, a game that will certainly be interesting.

Switching over to the other side of the bracket I have Duke for the East Region. A personal favorite for me, but a completely justified pick nonetheless.

While yes, Duke didn’t have the smoothest path through the ACC Tournament, they proved that they could still win those big close moments, something people have doubted since the departure of legendary Coach K.

Duke has dominated this season in major thanks to Cooper Flagg. Even in the wake of Flagg's injury, the Blue Devils have continued to look just as strong without their star protegee.

My final pick is Clemson. The Midwest seems to be a major point of contention in this year's tournament however, falling in line with my colleagues' points, I believe Clemson will come out on top.

Their losses have not come from any lack of talent or effort, if anything perhaps a lack of energy. In the long run, they have shown they can play hard and find their way into those big moments.

Michael: Michigan State, St. Johns, Alabama and Tennessee

Look, I could sit here and write about how Nolan wants to pick Cinderella teams for the fun of it, but I’m gonna keep it a little more realistic and pick all of the same seeds to go to the final four.

Yes, you read that correctly. I truly believe that all of the two seeds in this tournament are about to make huge runs.

Tennessee, who played in arguably the toughest conference in the country this season, were led by their stellar defense which should provide great discomfort for the teams they play.

St. John’s is back. It’s the first time the Red Storm have won the Big East regular season title and championship since 1986. They’ve been one of the best surprises this season in all of college basketball led by Rick Pitino.

Despite not winning the Big Ten championship, Michigan State went 17-3 in conference play and won the regular season title. This is a team that is built for the big stage, well experienced and with the right man at the helm in Tom Izzo.

Alabama is a high-powered scoring machine and if they start hitting their threes, it may be over for any team they go up against. Enough said.

Even if all of these teams don’t end up making the cut, I strongly believe that a couple of them will.

Nolan: UCSD, UConn, Akron, McNeese

Look, I could sit here and write about all the 1-3 seeds that are actually going to win this tournament, but my friends above me are all really talented writers and I would just be copying everything they say.

So, let’s look at an all-Cinderella Final Four grouping that is totally going to happen.

The Tritons of UC San Diego have all the statistical makings of a darling of the dance. Great scoring, the best team in the nation playing defense on the perimeter, and elite shooting on the wings.

Their ability to cause chaos outside on both ends gives them the ability to knock off a turnover-prone Michigan.

I could tell you all the good things about UConn, but I’ll keep it simple:

March Dan Hurley.

Akron is the fourth smallest team in the nation, with their tallest rotational piece being six-foot-five. They only shoot threes if they are open, and play with an absolutely blistering pace that could give slower teams a real headache.

Slower teams like Arizona, their first matchup.

Maybe McNeese’s head coach just inked a contract to rebuild a DJ Burns-less NC State.

That being said…

Boombox aura.

Jack Harrison is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, emailjkh6603@psu.edu.

Owen Daszko is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email opd5073@psu.edu.

Gianna Dowling is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email gmd5738@psu.edu.

Brooke Casey is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email bec5457@psu.edu.

Michael Landis is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mpl5930@psu.edu.

Nolan Collery is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email njc5848@psu.edu.