I’m really focused this year because I went to a fortune teller, Madam Zorba from Brooklyn, and I talked to my friends in Brooklyn, they’re a little shaky, but they know sports — Batman, Bullhead, Three-Fingered Willie, Slice, Ice, Dice and Shorty. These were the cheerleaders.
I feel really good about my picks this year. I’ve had a bad decade, but I’m back.
FIRST WEEK
East
No. 11 Providence over No. 6 North Carolina: A hungry cat hunts best, and Providence is really hungry. Bryce Cotton is one of the top 10 guards in the country that a lot of people don’t know about. He wants to go out with a bang. The Heels’ Marcus Paige is a terrific player. Carolina wants to play a game in the 80s, Providence wants to play the game in the 60s or low 70s. Carolina doesn’t play good defense.
No. 7 Connecticut over No. 10 St. Joe’s: Great guard play by Connecticut against a terrific St. Joe’s frontcourt and also an outstanding guard in Langston Galloway. I think Shabazz Napier just takes over the game. He’s a money player who knows how to win this time of year.
No. 12 Harvard over No. 5 Cincinnati: The pregame talk is going to be interesting because Harvard’s going to talk about the Gross National Product of Bolivia in its warm-up line, and Cincinnati’s going to talk about who’s going to win The World’s Strongest Man contest. The quick guards pull off the upset.
Virginia, Michigan State, Iowa State and Villanova make it to the Garden for the Sweet 16.
South
Second-round highlights:
No. 7 New Mexico over No. 2 Kansas: The Lobos’ Cameron Bairstow is one of the best players in the tournament. He’s a wrecking machine from Australia, and Alex Kirk is another big guy. Without Joel Embiid (back), nobody can protect the rim for the Jayhawks.
No. 3 Syracuse over No. 6 Ohio State: The ’Cuse has been sleeping more than Rip Van Winkle, but I think they’re waking up. I love Aaron Craft, but he’s going to have trouble shooting over the zone. It’s a whole new season, Jim Boeheim’s a great coach and C.J. Fair’s one of the best players in the tournament. I think we’ll see the real Syracuse now. Ohio State is one offensive player short.
New Mexico, Syracuse, UCLA and Florida advance to the Sweet 16.
West
No. 11 Nebraska over No. 6 Baylor: Terran Petteway is tough to guard. I think Nebraska has enough shooters to shoot over the zone.
No. 11 Nebraska over No. 3 Creighton: Creighton pounded the Huskers at Creighton. This is a neutral site. I think Creighton is soft inside and they’ll have trouble with the zone. Doug McDermott’s going to get his, but the other guys are very erratic.
Arizona, San Diego State, Nebraska and Wisconsin advance to the Sweet 16.
Midwest
No. 4 Louisville over No. 13 Manhattan: I don’t think Rick Pitino wanted to play his former assistant for six years, and I’m sure Steve Masiello didn’t want to play his former boss. Russ Smith is the most exciting player in college basketball. The pro scouts said he couldn’t pass, but he’s one of the best passers since Bob Cousy right now. He’s a Terminator on the break, he goes right to the rim. He’s the second-best player in the country — he’s not McDermott, but he’s not too far behind. Louisvillle’s on a mission. They’re much better than a fourth seed.
No. 11 Tennessee over No. 3 Duke: Jarnell Stokes is a 6-foot-8, 260-pound Terminator. Duke doesn’t have a big guy inside who can score consistently. Jabari Parker’s going to get his 25 or 30, nobody stops him, but the other guys are up and down. Tennessee can really score, and they’re a good defensive team.
No. 8 Kentucky over No. 1 Wichita State: I think Julius Randle will be just too tough to handle.
Kentucky, Louisvillle, Tennessee and Michigan advance to the Sweet 16.
REGIONAL WEEKEND
East
No. 4 Michigan State over No. 1 Virginia: It won’t be a Picasso to watch, it might be in the 50s, and maybe 40s. Michigan State’s healthy now, they’re taking off like the space shuttle. Virginia’s got nobody to stop Gary Harris.
No. 3 Iowa State over No. 2 Villanova: They’ve got one of the best three-man combinations in the country with Melvin Ejim, Georges Niang and DeAndre Kane. JayVaughn Pinkston is terrific, but Villanova can’t stop Iowa State. I think it’s going to be a high-scoring game.
Michigan State over Iowa State: Adreian Payne is the difference inside.
South
No. 1 Florida over No. 4 UCLA: The Gators have four senior starters who have been to the Elite 8 the last three years. I think they’re ready to move. They’re very deep, and when they’re hitting 3s, they’re murder. Right now they’re shooting the ball pretty well.
No. 3 Syracuse over No. 7 New Mexico: C.J. Fair just takes over. I think Trevor Cooney’s going to come out of his shell, start shooting the ball a little better.
Florida over Syracuse: Michael Frazier’s a very good shooter and Scottie Wilbekin can knock it down over the zone. Syracuse has trouble scoring at times, and Florida plays terrific defense, so that’s a bad matchup for Syracuse.
West
No. 4 San Diego State over No. 1 Arizona: The Aztecs are the best defensive team in the country. Arizona’s going to have trouble scoring against them. Skylar Spencer is one of the best shot-blockers in the country, and the loss of Brandon Ashley hurts Arizona.
No. 2 Wisconsin over No. 11 Nebraska: Huskers coach Tim Miles is a good motivator. Nebraska won the last time at Nebraska when it was a do-or-die game for the Huskers to get in the tournament. But Wisconsin has too much scoring balance.
San Diego State over Wisconsin: Xavier Thames is a terrific point guard, and Winston Shepard is going to be one of the surprises of the tournament. He’s 6-8, very long and gangly, can score and defend. They’ll shut down Sam Dekker, and Frank Kaminsky’s not going to be able to score inside.
Midwest
No. 4 Louisville over No. 8 Kentucky: Revenge. Kentucky beat ’em during the year — at Kentucky. Nobody has a triumvirate like Russ Smith, Luke Hancock and Montrezl Harrell. Kentucky’s too young, great rebounding team, but they don’t execute down the stretch sometimes, they don’t have a point guard that can really penetrate.
No. 11 Tennessee over No. 2 Michigan: Antonio Barton has given the Vols a nice lift in the backcourt. Michigan, if they’re not hitting 3s, they’re in trouble.
Louisville over Tennessee: Smith is so quick, like an Allen Iverson. He could be the most dominating player in the tournament. He can get his own shot anytime he wants. He can score at all three levels. Steals the ball, he’s a whirling dervish.
Final Four
Louisville over San Diego State: Russ Smith’s ridiculous, and San Diego State has trouble shooting against a zone, Louisville will zone ’em.
Florida over Michigan State: A little deeper and better defensively. Florida’s shooting is more consistent. A great game.
NCAA Championship Game
Florida over Louisville: Rick Pitino is going to press, but Scottie Wilbekin is a terrific guard, I don’t think the press will bother him. The big guy inside, Patrik Young, can slow down Harrell a little bit.
I think they can slow down Smith a little bit, he’s still going to get his 25, but he’s going to have to take a lot of shots to get there, he’ll probably shoot 7-for 19, 7-for-20. They’re going to lock down on Hancock. A real war.
Florida, 70-68.