Final Four Predictions 2018: Duke, North Carolina, Villanova Among Best March Madness Picks

Correctly predicting early-round upsets is always fun, but picking most of the Final Four teams is what will ultimately win you your March Madness bracket pool. Sixty-eight teams are in the 2018 NCAA Tournament after Selection Sunday, but that number will be cut down to four in just two weeks.

The Final Four is guaranteed to look at least somewhat different than it did a year ago since half of the group didn’t even make the NCAA Tournament. Over the last three years, North Carolina is the only school that’s made multiple Final Four appearances. At least one No.1 seed has reached the Final Four in six straight years, and at least one team seeded No.7 or lower has won a region in each of the last five seasons.

Here are Final Four predictions for the 2018 NCAA Tournament:

No.4 Arizona (South)

The Wildcats are the region’s No.4 seed, but they are good enough to be a No.3 or even a No.2 seed. By winning the Pac-12 Championship, Arizona ended the season with 24 wins in 28 games. Sean Miller is the best coach in the tournament that’s never been to a Final Four, and now that he has the nation’s No.1 NBA prospect in Deandre Ayton, it’s time that he finally gets there.

No.1 Virginia is the best team in the country and obviously the biggest threat to Arizona’s Final Four hopes. The Cavaliers are the nation’s second-best defensive team, but their inability to score makes them a candidate to suffer an early upset. It’s why they’ve been defeated by lower seeded teams three times since 2014, and Virginia could be in trouble when facing the country’s 10th-best offense in the Sweet Sixteen.

No.2 North Carolina (West)

In a region with maybe the weakest No.1 seed, North Carolina has a real chance to get back to the Final Four. They’ve reached the national championship game in consecutive years, having been beaten by a buzzer-beater in 2016 and winning the title in 2017. Senior guard Joel Berry was a key player on both of those teams and junior forward Luke Maye is a Wooden Award finalist.

North Carolina's 10 losses won’t mean much when the NCAA Tournament begins. After losing to Duke and Miami to close out the regular season, North Carolina defeated both teams when it mattered most and just came up short in the ACC Championship Game against the country’s best team. Plenty of experts have picked No.3 Michigan or No.4 Gonzaga to win the West, though the Tar Heels have proven they’ve got what it takes to become champions.

No.1 Villanova (East)

Don’t let Villanova’s recent early exits from the NCAA Tournament prevent you from picking them to reach the Final Four. This might be the best team that head coach Jay Wright has ever had, and the Wildcats have the best odds to cut down the nets on April 2 in San Antonio with good reason. Both Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson are Wooden Award finalists, giving the Wildcats a pair of dynamic scorers that sets them apart from the rest of the region.

An Elite Eight meeting with No.2 Purdue will likely be Villanova’s toughest test. The Boilermakers have three players that score at least 14.5 points per game, and Carsen Edwards could carry them through the East if he plays the way he did in the team’s last seven games. Villanova is the nation’s best offensive team, and Purdue ranks fourth in offensive efficiency.

No.2 Duke (Midwest)

The Blue Devils are probably the most talented team in the region. Their biggest question lies in their inexperience as they enter the Big Dance with four of their top five scorers having never played an NCAA Tournament game. Freshman Marvin Bagley III is a double-double machine, and Grayson Allen and Gary Trent Jr. give Duke an elite backcourt that can certainly win four straight games.

No.1 seed Kansas ranks behind Duke in both offensive and defensive efficiency. No.3 Michigan State is the pick by several experts to win the entire tournament, but their lack of a dynamic playmaker could be their downfall. The Blue Devils even beat the Spartans early in the season, and a Sweet Sixteen matchup might produce the same result.