Jay Bilas reveals his Elite Eight, Final Four, National Championship predictions
With the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket out, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas wasted no time making his Final Four and national championship predictions. Not only that, but he also revealed which teams he believes will make the Elite Eight.
Surprisingly, Bilas predicts just two No. 1 seeds to reach the Elite Eight and has none in the Final Four.
As a Duke alumnus, it’s no surprise that Bilas has the Blue Devils making the national championship game. They won the ACC Tournament on Saturday and earned a No. 5 seed, so they’ll have to pull off a few upsets to get there.
After a potential matchup against Big Ten champion Purdue in the Sweet Sixteen, Bilas has Duke taking out Marquette in the Elite Eight to reach the Final Four. He predicts them to face fourth-seeded Connecticut out of the West region in the championship game, picking the Huskies to come out on top.
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In the South region, Bilas likes top two seeds Alabama and Arizona to meet up in the Elite Eight. However, while most experts have the No. 1 overall Crimson Tide getting to the Final Four, Bilas sees their season ending at the hands of the Wildcats.
Bilas also believes the top two seeds in the Midwest region to make the Elite Eight, predicting a matchup between Texas and Houston. He has the Longhorns, which recently defeated Kansas to claim the Big 12 Tournament title, making their first Final Four since 2003.
Below is a breakdown of the matchups Bilas predicts to take place, with the bolded team advancing to the next round. The 2023 NCAA Tournament will tip off Tuesday with the play-in matchups before the round of 64 begins on Thursday.
Jay Bilas Elite Eight, Final Four, National Championship predictions
Elite Eight
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Arizona
No. 5 Duke vs. No. 2 Marquette
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 2 Texas
No. 4 Connecticut vs. No. 3 Gonzaga
Final Four
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 5 Duke
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 4 Connecticut
National Championship
No. 5 Duke vs. No. 4 Connecticut