The first round of the NCAA Tournament tips off on Thursday, which gives fans around the country a couple of more days to conjure up any predictions they may have.
Predicting the results of March Madness is seemingly impossible, but ESPN’s Jay Bilas not only called the second all-No. 1 seed Final Four ever last season, but correctly picked the Florida Gators to take down Houston in the title game.
On Monday, Bilas released his official predictions for this year’s tournament. His Final Four consisted of the No. 3 seed Michigan State Spartans playing the No. 1 seed Florida Gators, and the No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats taking on the No. 2 seed Iowa State Cyclones.
When it came to the title game, Bilas had the Spartans and the Wildcats meeting up with Arizona coming out on top.
“In the battle of droughts, the West will be won: Arizona wins its first championship in nearly 20 years,” wrote Bilas.
The last time Arizona won the title was in the 1996-97 season, with the roster headlined by players like Mike Bibby, Mike Simon and Jason Terry among others. As for Michigan State, this would mark their first NCAA Tournament title game appearance since the 2008-09 season.
Anything can happen in March, but Bilas it’s hard to imagine Bilas isn’t confident after last year.
Related: Jay Bilas Predicts Major Upset in First-Round of NCAA Tournament
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.