With March Madness beginning, the Warrior Word consulted Sports Editor Owen Ebner to share his predictions. Check in weekly to see if his predictions are correct.
By: Owen Ebner
With March Madness Brackets being such a tradition, I decided to share mine. Here are some of the reasons for my picks:
- I picked Illinois as my National Champion because they have been playing great against really tough competition. They dominated Michigan, a fellow one seed, in their last meeting, as they won by over twenty. They also narrowly beat Ohio State to capture the BIG10 championship. With their resume being so impressive, I couldn't resist picking them.
- Although Gonzaga is one of the few teams in NCAA history to be undefeated heading into the tournament, I chose not to pick them. My reasoning behind this is because I didn't want to pick the most popular team. I believe that the best chance I can win my bracket pool is by having a unique winner, so I didn't choose the undefeated Zags.
- Everyone loves a great Cinderella story in the tournament. My huge upset is 11th ranked Michigan State advancing to the Elite Eight. I have them upsetting great teams, such as third-ranked Texas and second-ranked Alabama. While they struggled earlier in the season, they picked it up towards the end and had impressive wins over teams like Michigan and Ohio State. Coach Tom Izzo is one of college basketball's best coaches and I trust putting my bracket in his hands. Of course I had to root for an underdog, and I chose Michigan State.
Good luck with your brackets and enjoy the tournament while it lasts!
