Arizona Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament: What are the “Experts” Predicting?

Brackets NCAA Via Fansided.com

Sports Broadcasters are picking their brackets and making them public, most have Arizona making it past Wisconsin, but losing to Kentucky in the semi-finals, all except ESPN’s Jay Williams!

Surfing the internet, and we found out what the “expert” college basketball analysts are predicting as far as the NCAA Tournament winners and losers; most are picking the Wildcats! No, not the Villanova Wildcats. No, not the Arizona Wildcats. Yes, they are all picking the Kentucky Wildcats, all but Jay Williams. Here is what they are saying…can you guess?

ESPN College Basketball Analysts:

Jay Bilas (@JayBilas): Chose Kentucky

ESPN Jay Bilas Picks https://twitter.com/ESPNCBB/status/577274298718633985

Next: What does ESPN's Rece Davis say?

Rece Davis (@ESPN_ReceDavis): Chose Kentucky

https://twitter.com/ESPNCBB/status/577274298718633985

Next: What does ESPN's Seth Greenberg say?

Seth Greenberg (@SethOnHoops): Chose Kentucky  

https://twitter.com/ESPNCBB/status/577274298718633985

Next: What does ESPN's Jay Williams say?

Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams), Chose ARIZONA! “You’ve got to be different.”

https://twitter.com/ESPNCBB/status/577274298718633985

Analysis: Jay has gotten a ton of flack on his pick for the NCAA tournament winner: Arizona. Coach Sean Miller has already proven he knows how to coach. In his 11 seasons as a head coach with Arizona and Xavier, he has made eight trips to the NCAA Tournament which includes three trips to the Elite Eight. After almost beating Wisconsin last year in overtime, it seems this year’s Wildcat team will have a great chance against almost the same Wisconsin team this year.

Next: What does ESPN's Myron Medcalf and David Purdum (Las Vegas Odd's) say?

http://espn.go.com/chalk/story/_/id/12491606/kentucky-wildcats-open-even-money-win-ncaa-tournament-according-westgate-las-vegas-superbook

Myron Medcalf, ESPN – Chose Kentucky – has Gonzaga in the finals playing Kentucky even though Gonzaga played in a very easy WCC division, and Arizona beat them this season. Not loving Myron here but here’s his opinion:

"Wisconsin will win the Elite Eight rematch over Arizona. Last season, Wisconsin and Arizona staged one of the most competitive match-ups in the NCAA tournament. The Badgers beat the Wildcats in a game that included a controversial foul call against Nick Johnson. The two will meet again in the Elite Eight. This time in Los Angeles. And it will be one of the best games in the entire NCAA tournament again. But Frank Kaminsky & Co. will squeeze out another victory and a second consecutive trip to the Final Four."

David Purdum | ESPN.com  – No prediction we can find, but he does give us the odds in Vegas.

Kentucky is even money according to The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook odds published on Thursday, Arizona owned the largest spread and is favored by 23 points over Texas Southern and are 8-1 odds to win it all:

"Ten teams — Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Villanova, Georgetown, Iowa State, Arizona, Virginia, Oklahoma, Kansas and Wisconsin — opened as double-digit favorites, not including the match-ups awaiting winners from the First Four games. Double-digit favorites are 64-7 straight-up in the first round and 81-9 straight-up overall in the past six NCAA tournaments, according to Spreadapedia.com."

Next: How about CBS and Fox and Herm Edwards? What do they say?

The rest…..

Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow), CBS Sports: Chose Kentucky I believe and gave props to Arizona in a Tweet:

“Arizona owns the west coast- I realize that Portland isn’t close to Tuscon, but Zona travels so well, Damon Stoudamire back home.”

Gary Parrish, College Basketball Insider @GaryParrishCBS has Arizona winning the West, chose Kentucky going to the finals against Duke and winning.

“Yes, they’re [Kentucy] beatable — if they don’t play well and their opponent performs unbelievably. But the smart prediction, at this point, has UK going unbeaten.”

Matt Norlander, College Basketball Writer @mattnorlander: Chose Kentucky but has Arizona winning the West, with Kentucky going to the finals against Duke and winning.

"“I hate that I’m going with Kentucky, because everybody in their right mind is going with Kentucky. But at a certain point you have to bow to logic. Why try to out-think yourself when the answer’s staring at you in the face? I worked myself up trying to pick Arizona, or Villanova, or Duke, but in the end it’s silly to go against the best team in the country — a team that’s beatable but hasn’t shown much of that vulnerability for most of the season.”"

Reid Forgrave, Fox Sports Analyst: Chose Kentucky, although today he tweeted: “Ugh. I hate my bracket. It’s like the day after a fantasy draft & I’ve already decided I hate my team.”

"“There are teams that could beat Kentucky. If you’re going to get cute, here are the teams that I think have the best shot against Kentucky (in order from the one I think has the best shot to the one I think only has a tiny chance): Wisconsin, Arizona, Gonzaga, NorthernIowa, Notre Dame, Iowa State. The Elite Eight is going to be fun. In the West region, I picked Arizona to avenge its most-gut-wrenching-loss-of-all-time loss to Wisconsin in last year’s Elite Eight. I can’t believe these two are in the same region again. Wisconsin was worried it was going to be a two-seed and put into Kentucky’s region in the Midwest, but it can’t be thrilled at the possibility of having to play Arizona in Arizona’s backyard in the West.”"

Herm Edwards, ESPN Football analyst (via our own Wildcat Miles Simon): Chose Kentucky, only Kentucky, here he is in his own words. (And Mike Golik this morning on Mike and Mike, only had Kentucky in his bracket as well)

Hanging with my guy Herm Edwards talking hoop and here’s his tourney prediction. This guy is the best pic.twitter.com/PPBh9Yq7d3

Next: Did you know our ZonaZoo Student Section is Ranked?

Our Student Section the ZONAZOO is also ranked, No. 1!

And just so you know, no one has anything on our fans, who will hopefully all travel to Portland and Los Angeles to cheer on their Wildcats, including our Student Section, the ZonaZoo which is ranked No. 1 in the Tournament:

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