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Former Xavier, Providence and Virginia coach Pete Gillen, a New York native and CBS College Sports Network analyst, shares some of his March Madness thoughts and predictions with The Post. As told to Steve Serby:
I’m on probation at The Post, I only picked two Final Four teams last year. The heat is on — I’m gonna write a book “Life Inside A Microwave Oven.”
I’m desperate. I solicited my friends in Brooklyn — Googie, Boobie, Batman, Bullhead, 3 Finger Willie, Ice, Dice and Slice — to give me advice. And those are the cheerleaders. I think I’m ready to nail it now.
This is gonna be the most exciting and most unpredictable tournament ever.
My two Cinderellas are VCU and St. Louis.
Miami will win it all.
Here’s a look at how it will all break down over the next three weeks:
EAST
I know all the people at Junior’s are rooting for LIU Brooklyn — there’s a lot of cheesecake on the line — but I think James Madison is too big, too athletic.
In the second — um, third — round, I’m picking No. 8 N.C. State over top-seeded Indiana because it’ll get Cody Zeller in foul trouble, and the Hoosiers aren’t tough enough.
No. 2. Miami has the best backcourt in the country in Shane Larkin and Durand Scott.
No. 3 Marquette plays hard but has trouble scoring.
Michael Carter-Williams and C.J. Fair will get fourth-seeded Syracuse to the Elite Eight, where Larkin, Kenny Kadji and Trey McKinney Jones will be able to shoot over Jim Boeheim’s zone, and Scott is a stud.
SOUTH
No. 11 Minnesota’s frontline will beat up sixth-seeded UCLA to get things started and the Bruins will be on the beach drinking pina coladas.
I like No. 5 VCU over No. 4 Michigan in a battle to get to the Sweet 16 because Michigan’s not the toughest team on the block, and VCU’s style is unique — it has more steals than Al Capone’s gang. The Rams come after you, 40 minutes of hell like Nolan Richardson’s old Arkansas teams. They’re streaky from 3, but when they make ’em, they’re murder.
Top-seeded Kansas is vulnerable to VCU’s style because it doesn’t have a pure point guard.
Otto Porter Jr. is one of the best players in the country, but if he’s off, No. 2 Georgetown is in trouble — the Hoyas can’t score if there’s a basket in a phone booth sometimes.
All this adds up to a second trip in three seasons to the Final Four for VCU.
MIDWEST
No. 4 St. Louis plays great defense. The Billikens get in the mud, they get in bloody-nose lane, and they’re experienced. They take 25-30 seconds to score, so it’s painful. They’ll get to the Sweet 16, where top-seeded Louisville knocks them off — St. Louis packs it in and Luke Hancock’s gonna knock down 3s.
No. 9 Missouri’s great at home — it’s like they eat eggs benedict — but on the road it’s like they’re eating three-day-old bagels, so I’ll take No. 8 Colorado State, which starts five seniors.
The Blue Devils got a wakeup call from Maryland in the ACC Tournament, and No. 3 Michigan State can’t double-team Mason Plumlee because Ryan Kelly is back, so the Spartans’ Derrick Nix will find himself in foul trouble.
When Louisville and Duke met early in the season, the Cardinals’ Gorgui Dieng didn’t play. He’s like a goalie — he can guard Plumlee in the post. Quinn Cook is Mike Krzyzewski’s one ballhandler, so I expect Rick Pitino’s full-court pressure to bother the Blue Devils. Russ Smith is a pathological shooter, it’s in his DNA. He gives Rick a little agita, but he’s a great shooter. Peyton Siva is one of the best point guards in college basketball and will lead Louisville to the Final Four.
WEST
No. 15 Iona better bring helmets against second-seeded Ohio State — the coaches better bring helmets, too. Aaron Craft is one of the best on-ball defenders I’ve ever seen in college basketball. He can give Momo Jones a lot of trouble. He’s the worst nightmare you can have if you’re a guard and he’s on you. Momo’s gonna get his points, but he’s gonna have to put a lot of shots up. He’ll shoot something like 7-for-24.
I’m picking No. 10 Iowa State over No. 7 Notre Dame because the Cyclones made more 3s than anybody in the Big 12, and the Irish don’t always defend the 3-point line.
You’ll have to drink two cappuccinos each half to stay awake during Kansas State-Wisconsin in a 4-5 matchup to get to the Sweet 16. First team to 40 wins. Bo Ryan’s a great coach and Wisconsin’s too tough upfront.
Top-seeded Gonzaga has one of the best frontlines in the country with Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris, their size will be too much for Wisconsin, setting up a showdown with Ohio State. Craft is a winner and Deshaun Thomas is one of the top-10 players in the country who can take a game over at any time.
I like Gonzaga over Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ weakness is their inside game.
FINAL FOUR
Miami over VCU because its guards can handle the full-court press, and Kadji and Julian Gamble will hurt it inside.
Louisville over Gonzaga because Dieng slows down the Zags’ big men and the Cardinals’ guards are too quick and too talented.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
Miami over Louisville because Louisville has to score off its defense, and you’re not gonna turn over Miami.