March Madness 2017: ESPN analyst Dick Vitale talks NCAA Tournament
And who does Vitale like to win it all? Not surprisingly, it’s a team that many have had pegged as a tournament favorite all season, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Pass the envelope maestro my NATIONAL CHAMPION will be NOTH CAROLINA ! @UNC_Basketball @jksports @leefitting @TomWJones
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 13, 2017
But why the Tar Heels, a team who lost to the red-hot Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament recently? Vitale says they have all the parts in place.
"“You know, I’ve liked Carolina from day one, I’ve liked that team. They’ve had a little slippage at times defensively. But they’re a tremendous rebounding team, they get on the offensive glass with Hicks and Meeks. The kid Justin Jackson has been a superstar all year, and Joel Berry. I mean [Berry] got in foul trouble, and that really hurt them against Duke. But I’m telling you, they got the parts and they can score. My only question mark is will they be consistent enough defensively, and not go through some lulls that they go through during the course of a game. That hurts them, you know. Rather than putting people away — people on the ropes, down 12 or 14, you gotta go for the jugular — and they’ve had a tough time doing that.”"
Outside of North Carolina, Vitale says there are some keys for other teams who want to climb the ladder and cut down the nets.
"“If you have a team that defends well, you’ve got a chance. If you have a team that doesn’t turn the ball over, you’ve got a chance. If you have a team with a 3-point shooter to give you momentum with the big three, and team that makes free throws. If you’ve got those four you’ve got a grand slam and a chance to advance.”"
Now if you want to have some success in your bracket, it might be a good idea to head over to the Allstate Mayhem Bracket Predictor, which Dickie V. told us holds the keys to making some great picks by using stats and probabilities to decide some tough matchups.
Next: Which No. 1 seed reaches Final Four?
Vitale is excited as ever, and we’re all looking forward to hearing some of his signature calls as March Madness progresses, beginning with the First Four playing on March 14 in Dayton, Ohio.
You can listen to our entire interview with Dick Vitale right here.