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NCAA Bracket 2018: Updates on Jay Bilas, Barack Obama and Experts' Brackets
March 19, 2018
By now, every NCAA Tournament bracket has been busted and as promised, this March has been as mad as ever.
From No. 1 seeds Virginia and Xavier crashing out of the tournament to the likes of Michigan State, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Tennessee also following suit, this year's tournament as been as unpredictable as ever and features multiple Cinderella teams that will go down in history regardless of how the rest of the tournament plays out.
From college basketball experts, hardcore fans and your co-workers in the office bracket challenge, it's clear that nobody can get a grasp on how to fill out the ever-elusive perfect bracket.
Here's a quick update on how some of college basketball's experts are faring through the opening weekend of March Madness:
Expert Final Four Predictions
- ESPN's Jay Bilas: Virginia, Michigan, Villanova, Michigan State.
- ESPN's Seth Greenberg’s Final Four: Virginia, Michigan, Villanova, Michigan State.
- ESPN's Jeff Goodman’s Final Four: Arizona, Xavier, Villanova, Kansas.
- ESPN's Joe Lunardi’s Final Four: Virginia, Michigan State, West Virginia, Gonzaga.
- ESPN's John Thompson III’s Final Four: Arizona, North Carolina, Villanova, Michigan State.
- ESPN's Dick Vitale’s Final Four: Virginia, Gonzaga, Villanova, Michigan State.
- ESPN's Jay Williams’s Final Four: Arizona, Gonzaga, Villanova, Michigan State.
- CBS Sports' Gary Parrish’s Final Four: Virginia, Gonzaga, Villanova, Duke.
- CBS Sports' Matt Norlander’s Final Four: Virginia, Gonzaga, Purdue, Michigan State.
- CBS Sports' Jerry Palm’s Final Four: Arizona, North Carolina, Purdue, Duke.
- CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd’s Final Four: Arizona, North Carolina, Villanova, Michigan State.
Experts' Bracket Update
To put it simply, it doesn't take an expert to realize that all of these basketball pundits were completely wrong in picking their Final Four this year.
In fact, no ESPN expert had more than two of their Final Four selections make it through to the Sweet 16 and only one CBS Sports expert, Gary Parrish, has three of his Final Four selections in play.
Looking at some of the more notable names on the list above, it's clear to see that no matter how much basketball one has played or studied, filling out a bracket can be like pulling teeth. Jay Bilas is one of the most prominent and respected voices in college basketball and his voice carries a lot of weight.
So to see Bilas' bracket crash and burn after the opening weekend of the tournament is shocking, to say the least. Bilas selected Virginia, Michigan, Villanova, Michigan State to make the Final Four, similar to many other basketball experts. But with Virginia and Michigan State out of the picture, only Villanova and Michigan remain alive in his Final Four.
The ever-outspoken Dick Vitale is in a similar spot as Bilas, as he picked Virginia, Gonzaga, Villanova, Michigan State to make the Final Four with only Villanova and Gonzaga still in play.
While President Donald Trump didn't fill out a bracket this year, former President Barack Obama still made his picks available to the public on Twitter.
Obama's Final Four consisted of North Carolina, Virginia, Villanova and Michigan State. He also had Virginia and Michigan State in the championship game with the Spartans upending the Cavaliers.
It's safe to say that Obama missed the mark this time around, but better luck next year.