March Madness Preview 2026

Welcome to March. Welcome to Madness. This year's bracket is shaping up to be truly chaotic with a handful of good teams having a shot at the national championship. Florida was the only sure thing in last year's bracket, and I was pretty confident in picking them to win. They did, but this year is a different story. The SEC was far more competitive this year, and Florida had their work cut out for them. The Big Ten and ACC were also extremely deep and talented conferences. My bracket will live in die by those conferences, as I'm not one to typically bite on big time upsets and potential Cinderella stories. Let's talk through the four regions as I pick my Final Four and eventual champions.

East Region

A lot of people are clamoring about how top-seeded Duke got a tough draw in this region. We all said the same thing about Auburn last year, but do you remember what happened? Auburn blew through this side of the bracket to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2019. Duke may not exactly have a cakewalk, but a lot of people are underestimating the nation's #1 team. Their path likely consists of talented foes in Ohio State, St. John's, and your choice of UCLA, Michigan State, or mighty UCONN. I wouldn't want to play any of those guys either, especially with some key players out. However, Duke is expected to get their star Center Patrick Ngongba II back in time for the big dance. Let's also keep in mind that Duke won a very tough ACC conference tournament without him. For the other teams, I'm not really buying the Michigan State or UCONN hype this time around, especially in a very weak Big East conference. St. John's is much better than they were last year, but I don't think they have the supporting cast they need to go past the Sweet 16. Keep your eye on #7 UCLA, but I have to trust my head and pick the Blue Devils to continue their hot streak.

Region Winner: #1 Duke

Midwest Region

On the other end of the public opinion spectrum, we have the Midwest Region's top-seeded Michigan with quite possibly the easiest path to the Elite 8 out of any team in this bracket. This is not a knock to anyone in the top side of their region, but it is the path of least resistance. The winner of Georgia/Saint Louis will be a tough out but nothing that Michigan can't handle. Then they will likely play either an injured Texas Tech team or an Alabama team that just kicked their second-best player out of their school. The bottom side of this region is a complete free-for-all. I could see Virginia, Tennessee, or Iowa State meeting Michigan in the Elite 8. It is really hard to pick between any of these teams, and even 7-seed Kentucky played pretty well leading up to this tournament. My gut reaction tells me to pick #3 Virginia because of their talented front court, ability to control the game's pace, and the fact that they took top-ranked Duke down to the wire. Observation is key, and I trust my first instinct. This is March, though, and one bad game could cost you the entire tournament. I really like a lot of teams to emerge victorious in this region, but like I said earlier, I have to pick the path of least resistance out of an abundance of caution.

Region Winner: #1 Michigan (or #3 Virginia)

South Region

My first reaction is that this region will bust a lot of brackets. It is wide open, and realistically there are 4 to 5 teams that could clinch a Final Four spot from the South Region. The reigning champion Florida Gators are the #1 seed in this side, but we're well aware that this year's journey will be much tougher than the last. They still have an incredible trio of players, all 6'9" and up, and each with their own various accolades in their college careers. They're led by their talented coach, Todd Golden, but he has struggled to find a viable replacement for last year's dominant backcourt. Florida has not quite looked like themselves. They're sloppy, disorganized, missing open shots, and fail to spread out or move the ball. It's a lot of solo drives to the hoop and hoping to draw a foul. That's not sustainable, and they got whooped in the SEC tournament because of it. A very dangerous #5 Vanderbilt put the hurt on them, and their paths are likely on a collision course once again. The bottom side of this region is also a free-for-all, as #2 Houston seems weaker than last year as well. I don't trust many of the top-seeded teams in this region, and a few lower seeds could easily plow their way through. Kiss your perfect bracket goodbye when this region begins its play. With that, I'm picking the efficient Illinois Fighting Illini and the great Peja Stojakovic's son to prove why they've been one of the nation's best and most complete teams all season long.

Region Winner: #3 Illinois

West Region

Remember how a lot of people were upset about Duke playing in a hard region? Well, I'm upset by how much harder #1 Arizona's region is. Their second-round matchup would be against either Villanova or Utah State, who both put up some pretty impressive numbers this season. They should make it to the Sweet 16, but then they would have to face either SEC champion Arkansas, an experienced and pesky Wisconsin team, or the red-hot, Cinderella-story High Point Panthers. And IF they survive the Sweet 16, they'll likely have an Elite 8 date with Mark Few's Gonzaga, an explosive, NBA-caliber BYU squad, or the juggernauts of Purdue. #2 Purdue were the preseason favorites to win it all before a few midseason hiccups, but they have since rediscovered themselves and beat down everyone in a very tough Big Ten tournament. Doesn't that sound like a much harder region than Duke's? I think so. I believe Arizona is up and away the best team in this bracket, but one wrong step will cost them their first Final Four appearance since 2001. My gut tells me Wisconsin and Purdue will bust a lot of brackets this year. With that being said, however, I will still put down Arizona because of their talent, but my backup brackets will vary drastically.

Region Winner: #1 Arizona (or #2 Purdue, #5 Wisconsin)

My Final Four

#1 Duke vs. #3 Illinois / #1 Arizona vs. #1 Michigan

I think these Final Four games will be spectacles and showcases for some of the best talent we've ever seen in college basketball. This season was one for the record books, and my personal opinion believes it was the best year of college basketball I've ever seen. Again, while I think Arizona is the most talented and NBA-ready squad in this whole bracket, their region is littered with landmines. Those Big Ten teams may put the hurt on them in the end. I think Michigan will too if they survive to the Final Four, but I think Duke turns the tables on the Big Ten and Illinois on the other side. Give me Duke and Michigan in the championship game because their paths feature the least resistance, but I will double-back on my preseason championship pick of Michigan to see the Duke Blue Devils win their first championship since 2015.