March Madness picks I was wrong about

It takes a big person to admit when they were wrong. Well, when it comes to these three picks I made in my bracket, I was definitely wrong. But it’s key when you’re wrong to learn from your mistakes, so here’s my analysis of what happened.

No.12 McNeese over No.5 Gonzaga 

I should've known Gonzaga wouldn’t lose in the first round, especially to McNeese, who had never won an NCAA tournament game. I was fooled by their 30 wins and the fact that, in all my research, they were a popular upset pick. Plus a 12 almost always beats a 5 in every tournament so why couldn’t it be McNeese. It turns out, it’s because they weren’t that good and the 30 wins were inflated by easy competition.

No. 13 Charleston over No. 4 Alabama 

Ok, this one was because I was biased towards the CAA, which is the conference where Elon plays. Also I was spiteful because Alabama beat Maryland last year. There are no other reasons to discuss, except maybe you shouldn’t trust me when I pick the CAA champ again next year. Now Alabama is in the Elite Eight which makes this pick look even worse.

No.3 Kentucky over No.14 Oakland 

Never trust Kentucky. It’s just that simple.  For years the Wildcats, led by John Calipari, have done nothing in March besides underachieve. Kentucky's postseason record since 2019 is a disastrous 2-6, making them a distant factor in the national championship conversation since COVID-19. So yeah, never make the same mistake I made

That being said, I did get some picks right. For example, I correctly picked No. 11 Duquesne over No. 6 BYU. After watching them at the Atlantic 10s conference tournament, I saw how Duquesne could give BYU trouble. As they did in Brooklyn, the Dukes shut down good looks from three and the quick hands of their guards poked the ball away from BYU’s guards on drives to the basket. If only my friends had listen to my scouting report instead of assuming Duquesne was a first round exit waiting to happen! 

Good luck to everyone on their brackets… unless you’re facing me. Then I hope your picks fail