The Perfect Bracket? Joe Giglio tries again to pick the NCAA tournament

Gotcha!

You thought “Perfect Bracket” meant picking all of the winners? Ha! Sure, that’s the traditional, accepted definition of “perfect.”

Mine? Picking all of the losers. N.C. State, UNC, Xavier. Check. Michigan State (again? You’re dead to me, Sparty). Check. Virginia. Double check for being the first No. 1 seed to ever lose to a No. 16 seed.

My picks were bad. Really bad. Mea culpa.

But picking the “Perfect Bracket” is not for the weak. It’s also not for anyone who actually watches a lot of college basketball, either. I covered the ACC regular season, I was in New York for the ACC tournament. Not once did I think, “You know, Syracuse is really good!” Yet the Orange are in the Sweet 16.

Not once, during two losses to UNC, did I think, “You know, it’s just going to suddenly click for Duke when the tournament lights come on.” Yet the Blue Devils looked like a fire-breathing war machine in the first two rounds.

And then there is Virginia, winners of 20 out of 21 ACC games. The Cavaliers looked so good in January and February and the first 10 days of March. Yet Tony Bennett is now synonymous with epic bracket failure.

In all the total damage from my pre-tournament picks: First Four (2 of 4 correct), first round (22 of 32), Second round (8 of 16).

Ouch. Double ouch.

Since the first swing went so well, let’s try this again.

How will the next 15 NCAA tournament games go? One man’s guess:

South region

Semifinals

▪ No. 11 Loyola vs. No. 7 Nevada (Thursday, 7:07 p.m., CBS): Never mind Dennis Smith’s finances, the FBI should investigate Mark Gottfried for thinking Maverick Rowan was better than the Martin twins. The tenacious former Wolfpack (one word, lower case “p”) guards lead the Wolf Pack (two words, space, capital “P”) into the Elite Eight. Pick: Nevada.

▪ No. 9 Kansas State vs. No. 5 Kentucky (Thursday, 9:37 p.m., CBS): Bracket luck is real and it favors the rich. Of course, Kentucky is in the most upside down quadrant ever without the No. 1, No. 2. No. 3 or No. 4 seeds — and Big Blue didn’t have to beat any of them. Pick: Kentucky.

Final

▪ No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Nevada: The power of the brush cursive font finally meets its match. Kevin Knox (remember him?) carries the Wildcats, who lost their first four games in February, into John Calipari’s seventh* and most unlikely Final Four trip.

(*I know, I know, two were “vacated”)

West region

Semifinals

▪ No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 7 Texas A&M (Thursday, 7:37 p.m., TBS): The Aggies looked great in Charlotte but now they have to listen to everyone tell them how great they are. Plus, Michigan has some size to offset Tyler Davis. Pick: Michigan.

▪ No. 9 Florida State vs. No. 4 Gonzaga (Thursday, 9:59 p.m., TBS): All those years of trying to push through in the tournament and the floodgates suddenly open up for Mark Few and the Zags. Pick: Gonzaga.

Final

▪ No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 3 Michigan: In a year of scandal, two of the most honest and respected coaches in the business meet for a spot in the Final Four. The Zags aren’t the same team they were a year ago but they have enough remaining parts (Johnathan Williams, Josh Perkins, Silas Melson) to push through to San Antonio. Pick: Gonzaga.

East region

Semifinals

▪ No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 5 West Virginia (Friday, 7:27 p.m., TBS): The Wildcats have looked like the best team in the country in the first two rounds. This is a high-danger game but guards Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo handle the Mountaineers’ press. Pick: Villanova.

▪ No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 2 Purdue (Friday, 9:57 p.m., TBS): The Boilers are the only Final Four team I picked in my original “Perfect Bracket” that are still alive. Clearly, they didn’t get the memo. The Red Raiders don’t need my karmic help. Pick: Texas Tech.

Final

▪ No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 3 Texas Tech: Jay Wright led the Wildcats to the Final Four through Boston in 2009. He does it again. Only this time, it’s not UNC waiting for him in the Final Four (spoiler: it’s Duke). Pick: Villanova.

Midwest region

Semifinals

▪ No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 5 Clemson (Friday, 7:07 p.m., CBS): Clemson just emptied the bank account in that thrashing of Auburn (the “FBI teams,” by the way, went 1-3 in the tournament). What are the odds the Tigers can reload for the Jayhawks? Pick: Kansas.

▪ No. 11 Syracuse vs. No. 2 Duke (Friday, 9:37 p.m., CBS): Syracuse is still here because other teams couldn’t figure out the zone. Seeing as how Duke stole the zone from Syracuse, that won’t be an issue here. Pick: Duke.

Final

▪ No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 2 Duke: Duke is the most talented team in the field. It was only a matter of caring. The Blue Devils clearly care. Pick: Duke.

Final Four

Semifinals

▪ No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 4 Gonzaga: Will the Zags be 2010 and ’11 Butler — return to the title game and lose? — or 2016 and ’17 UNC — return to the title game and win? Pick: Gonzaga.

▪ No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 2 Duke: Took long enough but we finally get a genuine matchup of two great teams. Wright will watch the UNC games and stick Mikal Bridges in the middle of Duke’s zone. The Wildcats’ experience edges Duke’s talent. Pick: Villanova.

Championship

▪ No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 4 Gonzaga: A second straight title shot for the Zags but it ends with the Wildcats’ second title in three years. No Kris Jenkins’ heroics necessary. Nova continues Philly’s banner championship year. Pick: Villanova.

This story was originally published March 20, 2018 at 10:56 AM with the headline "The Perfect Bracket? Joe Giglio tries again to pick the NCAA tournament."