March Madness bracket predictions 2024: Picks for every game, Final Four and more
South and Midwest Regions Second Round bracket predictions
1 Houston vs. 8 Nebraska (South Region)
Nebraska could give Houston more of a push than some might expect, but the Cougars just plainly appear to be a cut above the Cornhuskers. I expect that LJ Cryer and Jamal Shead along with Emanuel Sharpe should be able to have their way with a multi-faceted attack against Fred Hoiberg’s team and keep things rolling.
Pick: Houston advances
12 James Madison vs. 4 Duke (South Region)
Remember when we talked about Kansas’ lack of depth catching up to them? That’s the same situation here for Duke, a team with an extremely shallow bench facing JMU here. The Dukes like to push the pace a bit and limits the 3-point shot extremely well. Both of those are bad recipes for the Blue Devils who fail to make the Sweet 16 with an upset loss here.
Pick: James Madison advances
11 NC State vs. 3 Kentucky (South Region)
For as flawed as Kentucky can be, they can be equally as dangerous on any given night. NC State proved they fit the same mold with their ACC title run, but even with the Wildcats’ defensive woes, their offense and pace have the potential to simply overpower the Wolfpack and end Kevin Keatts’ hot run.
Pick: Kentucky advances
10 Colorado vs. 15 Western Kentucky (South Region)
The matchup we were all expecting right? The pace of Western Kentucky, however, should be far less of an issue for Colorado, even with their frontcourt reliance, than it was for Marquette. With momentum really getting on the side of a deep and sneaky talented Buffaloes team, they go from the First Four to the Sweet 16.
Pick: Colorado advances
1 Purdue vs. 8 Utah State (Midwest Region)
As mentioned previously, Utah State is quite an interior-oriented team in just about every facet. But Purdue with Zach Edey is a bad matchup for that as the Aggies simply can’t match up with that type of size. The Boilermakers have some flaws that can be exploited, but just not by Utah State in this matchup.
Pick: Purdue advances
12 McNeese State vs. 13 Samford (Midwest Region)
Even if this is a 12-13 matchup, get ready for some fireworks with McNeese and Samford. The Bulldogs will aim to use their pace again to force the action, but the Cowboys have proven to be extremely careful with the basketball and also great at forcing mistakes from opponents, which might ultimately work against Samford at their fast tempo.
Pick: McNeese State advances
6 South Carolina vs. 3 Creighton (Midwest Region)
Eventually, we could see some flaws, particularly with ball security, come back to haunt Creighton. However, South Carolina isn’t that team. The Bluejays efficient offense and slow pace could very quickly put the Gamecocks in a bad spot if their tendency to go cold offensively shows up once again, which is my expectation for this matchup.
Pick: Creighton advances
7 Texas vs. 2 Tennessee (Midwest Region)
Texas and Tennessee matchup up quite amusingly in March Madness with the former’s high-end offense and the latter’s elite defense. But the Volunteers offense is no slouch with Zakai Ziegler and, of course, Dalton Knecht, both of whom should be able to find consistent looks from the perimeter to put the Longhorns in a world of hurt.
Pick: Tennessee advances