March Madness 2019 Bracket: Final Four Prediction, Sleeper Picks For NCAA Tournament

Picking a bunch of long shots is usually not the way to go when predicting the Final Four. At least two No.1 seeds have won their respective regions in three of the last four years, and 14 of the last 20 Final Four teams have been seeded No.3 or better.

That trend should continue in 2019 NCAA Tournament. The March Madness field appears to be very top heavy, though there’s a good chance that one sleeper will make its way out of a region. Every Final Four since 2013 has included at least one team seeded No.7 or worse.

Below are Final Four predictions, as well as one sleeper pick for each region.

East: No.1 Duke (Sleeper Pick: No.7 Louisville)

The only reason not to pick Duke to reach the Final Four is to be a contrarian. The Blue Devils are the No.1 overall seed with three lottery picks and the best player in the country. Zion Williamson is a game-changer unlike anything college basketball has seen in a long while. He was completely unstoppable in the ACC Tournament with 81 points on 43 field-goal attempts. Duke has one loss when they’ve got all their star freshmen in the lineup, and only injuries can stop them from making a deep run.

When looking for a sleeper in the East, you’ve got to take a team that will be able to avoid Duke until the Elite Eight. Louisville fits that description, and they nearly beat a healthy Duke team on Feb. 12 when they blew a 23-point lead against the Blue Devils. Maybe the Cardinals would have a prayer against Duke since they’ve already come close to upsetting the best team in the country.

West: No.1 Gonzaga (Sleeper Pick: No.8 Syracuse)

Don’t be alarmed by Gonzaga’s upset loss in the WCC Finals. The Bulldogs were due for a bad game after 21 straight wins. They aren’t likely to miss 15 of 17 three-point attempts again. Gonzaga is incredibly well-rounded, ranking first in offensive efficiency and sixth in defensive efficiency. The Bulldogs are the only team to beat a completely healthy Duke team this season.

Syracuse seems to have their most success in the NCAA Tournament after a disappointing regular season, and the Orange certainly didn’t exceed expectations this year. It was only three years ago that Syracuse reached the Final Four as a No.10 seed, and they won a play-in game and two tournament games before losing in the Sweet 16 as a No.11 seed in 2018. Tyus Battle leads an experienced backcourt, and the Orange’s zone often gives opposing offenses trouble in the postseason.

South: No.3 Purdue (Sleeper Pick: No.11 Saint Mary’s)

Much of the focus in the South is on No.1 Virginia and No.2 Tennessee. But what about No.3 Purdue, who finished with a share of the Big Ten regular-season title and had 14 wins in 16 games before being ousted from the conference tournament? The Boilermakers have proven they can beat top teams with a win over Michigan State, and Carsen Edwards is among the best players in the region. With Virginia’s early tournament exits and Tennessee’s struggles down the stretch, Purdue might be the best bet.

Saint Mary’s has to be taken seriously after cruising past Gonzaga to win the conference tournament. The Gaels don’t appear to be the same team that had a bunch of bad losses in November. Saint Mary’s makes nearly 38 percent of their threes, giving them a real chance to make a run if they get hot from behind the arc.

Midwest: No.1 North Carolina (Sleeper Pick: No.7 Wofford)

The Tar Heels are absolutely loaded. Cameron Johnson was an All-ACC first-team selection, while Luke Maye and Coby White found their way onto the second team. White has had some big games down the stretch, and he would play much better in a potential rematch with Kentucky, against whom he scored just eight points in a loss earlier this season. North Carolina nearly beat Duke for the third time in the ACC Tournament. The Tar Heels rank 44th in three-point percentage and sixth in points inside the arc per game, making them so incredibly difficult to stop on offense.

Maybe Wofford can ride their three-point shooting all the way to Minneapolis. They are the No.1 three-point shooting team in March Madness, making 42 percent of their 26.5 attempts per game. That shooting has propelled the Terriers to a 20-game winning streak. Wofford is familiar with UNC in the case of a potential Elite Eight matchup. The Tar Heels beat the Terriers 78-67 to open the season.