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NCAA March Madness is on the horizon, and many are making predictions about how the NCAA tournament will end. ESPN's Jay Bilas believes he knows how the NCAA tournament will go, including a surprise run from Rutgers.
ESPN's Jay Bilas believes that the Rutgers Scarlet Knights can make a surprising run in the NCAA Basketball tournament. The Scarlet Knights are one of the top four teams in the tournament and will face Notre Dame in the opening game. But he has Rutgers advancing past the First Four tournament game.
"I favor Rutgers because of its talent level and toughness. Rutgers is much better than its record, and with playmakers such as Ron Harper Jr."
If Rutgers' talent and toughness carry them past Notre Dame, they will have a first-round matchup against Alabama. If Alabama plays up to their potential, they could be a threat to Rutgers, but Alabama is not at their best.
"If the “good Alabama” shows up, the Tide can roll the Scarlet Knights. But Rutgers is tougher. This is an upset worth taking, because the seeds are off here."
After an upset by the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Scarlet Knights will likely face the scarlet and black of Texas Tech, which could be much more challenging. Rutgers is full of talent and toughness, but Texas Tech may possess more skill and toughness.
"Rutgers has the toughness and talent to beat Texas Tech, but I like the Red Raiders’ defense to dominate the game on the defensive end."
A run to the second round and a chance at a Sweet Sixteen is great for Rutgers, given that they were almost out of the NCAA tournament. A strong season from the Scarlet Knights would undoubtedly do right by their legendary coach Jim Valvano.
Jay Bilas predicts who will win the NCAA Tournament.
Jay Bilas may not have Rutgers reaching the Final Four, but he has an intriguing bracket. Bilas' Sweet Sixteen picks will create several exciting games at the end of the NCAA tournament.
If Jay Bilas is correct in his predictions, many elite teams will reach the Elite Eight in 2022. A showdown between the Texas Tech team that eliminated Rutgers and the overall number one seed Gonzaga Bulldogs is a rematch of a 2019 Elite Eight game and a 2021 regular-season game, but Bilas expects the 'Zags to win this time and reach the Final Four.
For what it’s worth, Bilas predicts a Final Four of Kansas vs. Arizona and Gonzaga vs. Kentucky.
A Final Four of Kansas, Arizona, Gonzaga, and Kentucky would have the four teams many people thought should have been the four number one seeds. A showdown between the number one overall and number two overall seeds may be on the horizon, as Bilas predicts Gonzaga vs. Arizona with a Gonzaga national championship.
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