NCAA March Madness 2026 Predictions
Houston guard Emanuel Sharp (21) loses the ball as he attempts to shoot against Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) in the second half of the 2025 national championship game of the men's NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome in San Antonio (Photo: USA Today).
With the weather getting warmer, that means March is right around the corner. This is one of the best college basketball seasons in recent years. The talent level is through the roof. On top of that, the freshmen class is unreal. The top 25 has changed almost every week. There are upsets nightly. This all leads to one question however. Who will win it all? There are multiple teams that have the talent and the potential. The bracket will be made and released March 15th. 68 teams will make the field. In my opinion however, there are about 6 or 7 teams that can win it all.
The first team I will talk about is the Duke Blue Devils, with a 29-2 record. The current No. 1 team in the country and most likely the No. 1 overall seed. The Blue Devils have been battle tested this year, recently beating Michigan. The 3rd ranked team in the county and at the time No. 1. With a top 3 NBA draft prospect in Cameron Boozer, averaging a double double. Duke is destined to make a deep run in March.
The next team that I want to talk about is the Arizona Wildcats. The current No. 2 team in the country with a 29-2 record. The Wildcats have the potential to make a deep run this March. However, there is a trend that most people seem to talk about. The west coast can’t get it done. The last time a team from the west coast won March Madness was Arizona in 1997. Could they repeat history after 29 years?
The third ranked team in the country is the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan also has a 29-2 record. The Wolverines are one of the best teams in college and they are battle tested. They have lost to the No. 1 team (Duke) in a close, late season, non-conference team. Unfortunately however, backup point guard LJ Cason, rated as one the the best backups in the country, is out for the season with an ACL injury. Michigan does have a National Player of the Year candidate in Yaxel Lendeborg. Averaging 14.7 PPG and shooting over 50%. With his help, the Michigan Wolverines can win their second ever national championship.
The last team I will talk about is the Florida Gators. The defending champs are looking to be the 8th team to win back to back titles. Also, to be the second team to go back to back two different times. With some of the best guard play in the country, the Gators will be rolling into March as the No. 4 ranked team. The only thing that might hold Florida back is their defense. They allow 71.7 points per game. Can Florida go back to back again?
There are a few honorable mentions that I would like to mention as well. Houston, UConn, Iowa State, Gonzaga, and Kansas. All of these teams have potential to win March Madness. They are a high risk, high reward teams to pick in your bracket.
In my bracket, I will be picking the Michigan Wolverines to win it all. Coach Dusty May has the Wolverines in a great spot. If there is a rematch, Michigan and Duke, it’s hard to beat a good team twice. In a rematch, Michigan may have the upper hand because of that. The Wolverines have outstanding size with elite guard play. I predict that the Michigan Wolverines will win it all and Dusty May will win his first championship as a head coach.
This is my March Madness bracket with the full predictions.