My March Madness bracket looked pretty good through the first three days of the NCAA Tournament.
Each of my Elite Eight selections was still alive, and I even scored a couple of upset calls by advancing teams like VCU, Saint Louis, and Utah State to the second round. Then, Sunday came.
When the dust settled, my sleeper Sweet 16 pick of UCLA was toast, and No. 1 Florida was gone, a team I had losing to Duke in the Final Four.
We have a few days off from the madness before the Sweet 16 starts up Thursday and Friday. This gives us a reload and a second chance at breaking down the bracket.
Here are my March Madness predictions for the remaining tournament tilts.
Jason Logan's March Madness Second Chance Bracket for 2026
East Region picks
St. John’s didn’t have the offensive firepower to put away Kansas and needed a last-second bucket to advance despite outplaying the Jayhawks all game. If the Red Storm thought KU was tough, wait until they get a load of Duke.
UConn caught a break with UCLA missing their star big man, and that sets up a date with Michigan State. The Spartans also took advantage of the shorthanded opponent in the Round of 32, but MSU has beef to battle UConn inside.
Midwest Region picks
Michigan’s best defense against Alabama is scoring efficiently and forcing the Tide to take the ball out of bounds. Getting inside on this towering Wolverines defense will be a chore, so Alabama will live and die on 3-pointers.
Iowa State scored a favor from the schedule-makers with a Friday game. That gives injured standout Joshua Jefferson an extra day to heal. If he’s back, the Cyclones will take down Tennessee.
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South Region picks
Nebraska and Iowa had their regular-season meetings go down to the wire, and a short spread for this trilogy calls for another close game. I’ll give the nod to this Cornhuskers defense.
Illinois has had an easier path to the Sweet 16, beating a banged-up Penn roster and catching VCU in a letdown. The battle between super frosh Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler is the highlight. I have Houston advancing.
West Region picks
Arkansas took a ton of momentum into the Big Dance after rolling to the SEC tournament title and roughing up mid-majors Hawaii and High Point. The break between rounds could cool off the Hogs before taking on top-seeded Arizona.
The same could be said for Texas, which had to win three games in five days to get here. Purdue is a deep and experienced team on a mission that won’t get rattled.
Final Four and National Championship predictions
| Round | Pick |
|---|---|
| Final Four | Arizona over Iowa State |
| Final Four | Duke over Houston |
| National Championship | Arizona over Duke |
