Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz, Isis “Ice” Young, Kevin O’Connor and 13-year NBA veteran Marcus Morris predict who will advance to the Final Four and eventually cut down the nets in San Antonio as national champion.
Video Transcript
We’ve gone this far and we haven’t given you our final 4 picks.
It feels like we should.
Let’s give our final 4 picks presented by Venmo.
If you’ve been watching the whole hour, we appreciate you.
You’ve sort of seen some of this, but we’re gonna go through the entire thing.
So what we’re gonna do, each of you will give your final 4 down to your championship game, down to your champion ice.
You get to go first.
Give us your final.
OK, let’s start it off.
I have 2 seed Michigan State advancing.
They will beat Auburn.
I love Michigan State.
I think that their defense is going to carry them throughout the tournament and Tom Izzo’s coaching, get them to a Final Four.
On the other side I have Duke.
I think they have the easiest route in terms of all the number one seeds, obviously with a healthy Cooper flag, they should.
Be good to get to a Final Four.
I have Florida, the most balanced team right now in America.
Offensively and defensively they have high powers on both sides of the basketball, and they’re battle tests in the SEC.
It’s a team that is 30-4.
They just haven’t lost much this year.
I don’t think they’re gonna lose much more.
And then I’ve got Houston.
Down with the defense on the road they’re gonna make every game look ugly, but you’re gonna wanna watch it anyway because Houston is going to win basketball games.
Uh, in the end I have got Florida and Houston playing each other for a national championship, and it is Houston that will win.
The Cougars will get a national championship 3 years in a row.
They had number 1 seed.
They will cash in on that this year.
I cannot imagine.
Being in San Antonio for the Final Four and Houston’s there, that is a home court advantage that is going to be they will make that think about that my pick, but you’re right, you’re right.
All right, Marcus down on that, yeah, I’m, and I’m, I’m gonna run out and put this money out of you.
forget the rest of the show.
y’all figure it out.
I got, I got betting to do.
Uh, Marcus, go ahead and give us your final 4 picks.
I know earlier I talked down on Auburn, but I’m switching it back.
I like Auburn to come out of there.
Janiah Broom is a great player.
I have to go back with the player of the year.
I’m gonna go with Janiah Brewer Auburn.
Then Florida, that’s my pick.
I love Florida playing really well, scoring the ball that’s extremely high level.
It’s very important to play well coming into the tournament, and I gotta go with the Blue Devils.
The young guns can play.
Coop come back if he comes back fully healthy, they’re definitely taking that one.
And then obviously the dogs.
I gotta go with Houston.
Defense first, they’ve been lights out all season, well coached, and then we get to the Final Four.
Florida versus Auburn.
I gotta go with Florida.
Auburn has been a great team, number one overall seed, but Florida is well equipped to knock Auburn off.
Duke versus Houston.
This is where it starts for the young guns.
I think Houston just just too many dogs.
The dogs are just gonna take over this game.
The veteran is gonna come out.
I got Houston and Florida in the national championship, and I’m gonna take that plus 350 and I’m gonna take Florida.
Mm mm man that is that is that’s fine he lined it up in a way he talked me into it.
I feel like I feel like I, I don’t love my pictures.
I come back, come back to Houston.
Alright, Kevin, you’re up next.
Here was your Final Four, my friend.
All right, I have 3 top defenses in my Final Four.
Duke, #1 seed, going to the Final Four.
Michigan State, Chase Richardson, we talked a lot about him earlier with what he could do offensively, but Michigan State’s defense is what makes you feel really solid on them.
Houston as man.
And just a bunch of dogs on that team, have them in the Final Four.
Texas Tech as well as a 3 seed, #6 offensive rating this year, a solid defense, top 40.
So that’s my Final Four in the finals.
I have Michigan State against Duke in the championship game with Duke and Cooper flag and all their young guys.
Tyrese Proctor is an older guy coming back, finally winning the national championship and stepped up this year.
Con Kitel, but ultimately Cooper flag is why they’re gonna win it all.
What he can do and I think the level will see him reach in this tournament.
Duke winning a national championship.
Never heard that story before.
OK, I get to go last.
I’ll give you my final four and I think if you’ve been watching this whole show, you figured out that I trust coaches that have been there before, that know what they’re doing, they can put their teams in the best situation, and that’s reflected in my Final Four out of the east, it’s impossible for me, or sorry, I should say out of the South, it’s impossible for me not to take Michigan State.
I’ve laid out why I think they have the best path to get to the championship.
Uh, that’s gonna be fine for them.
Uh, down in the west, Saint John’s.
By the way, when Michigan State advances, I will text Marcus after every one of the wins and say, you up just to see how we’re doing on this one.
Michigan State advances.
uh, Saint John’s advances.
This one was the toughest one for me to pick.
I think it’s the toughest bracket, but again, Uh, they are just, they’re playing like a bunch of dogs on the floor constantly.
I trust their coach.
That becomes a great matchup.
On the other side, Duke is just too talented all the way across the board, and I believe that Cooper flag will be Cooper Flag and if you’ve watched a lot of that this year.
It’s dominant.
So then they’re taking on Houston, and that’s where it gets really interesting to me.
I’m gonna presume that we have the best in the health of Cooper flag for this matchup.
If that is the case, then Duke, I just don’t think anybody can slow down the way that they’ll be able to win.
So Duke beats Houston and they’re taking on St. John’s.
This one was a tough one for me, but I just offensively.
Too many question marks, consistency, the ability to shoot for Michigan State taking on the St. John’s team that will swarm in every possible outlet, which means we get the ultimate villain bowl.
Like we get the ultimate you get Duke versus St. John’s.
Everybody’s going to have a side they’re not rooting for in that, which is delightful, but the ultimate villain wins.
Duke gets another national championship.