Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsThursday, June 25, 2026

NCAA Tournament Predictions, Part 8: Someone Hates Opening-Round Upsets

It’ll be a rematch of the coaches from 2008 National Championship in this season’s title game. But in Indianapolis, John Calipari will get the best of Bill Self this time around.

Book it: Missouri is going to the Sweet 16, beating West Virginia along the way. The Mountaineers would be playing their fifth game in 11 days (three of which came in a tough Big East Tournament), and facing the Tigers’ “40 Minutes of Hell” just seems like too much to overcome. That’s about where my logic ends. I also came really close to putting Louisville in the Final Four. When’s Opening Day?

Hudson_bracket_medium

Final Four: Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky, Villanova

Title Game: Kansas vs. Kentucky

Champion: Kentucky

Biggest First Round Upsets: Utah State over Texas A&M; and, uh, that’s it. Whoops.

See More:

More in General

GeneralFromPosting and Toasting
An SB Nation New Yorker needs our helpAn SB Nation New Yorker needs our help
GeneralFromPosting and Toasting
General
Sabastian Sawe breaks 2-hour barrier, shatters marathon world recordSabastian Sawe breaks 2-hour barrier, shatters marathon world record
General

The mythical two-hour mark was broken at the London Marathon.

By Bernd Buchmasser
A Huge Dog
THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 1THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 1
Play
General
Super Bowl 60 coin toss resultsSuper Bowl 60 coin toss results
General

The Seahawks and Patriots will open the Super Bowl with the coin toss to determine who starts with the ball. We have the full coin toss results for Super Bowl 60.

By David Fucillo
General
Marc Marquez completes a comeback for the agesMarc Marquez completes a comeback for the ages
General

MotoGP’s Marc Marquez completed a comeback for the ages with his 2025 title

By Mark Schofield
General
How to make sure SBNation.com appears in your Google search resultsHow to make sure SBNation.com appears in your Google search results