Top 10 Missed NCAA Basketball March Madness Predictions (Michigan St, Virginia, Wichita State, Duke)

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This year’s March Madness was full of surprises. Many big name teams that were expected to make it to the Final Four were knocked out in the first and second rounds. Only one top seed made it to the Final Four. Many of the predictions missed the mark completely, and many brackets were busted early. Here is a list of 10 March Madness predictions that were completely wrong.

Michigan State Will Win it All

Pundits completely missed the mark on this one. Michigan State was the odds-on favorite to win the National Championship. Many experts thought Michigan State should have been a No. 1 seed. MSU was knocked out in the first round with a 90-81 loss to Middle Tennessee.

Kansas Will Beat UNC for the National Championship

This was President Obama’s pick, and the Kansas Jayhawks were the No. 1 overall seed. Unfortunately, the President missed the mark on this one. Villanova, the eventual champ, knocked out Kansas in the Elite 8.

Syracuse Did Not Deserve an at Large Bid

Well, Syracuse made it to the Final Four and played UNC tough in the Final Four. The ACC was a dominating conference this year, which accounts for much of Syracuse’s average record. Coach Jim Boeheim finds a way to prepare his players for the NCAA tournament

Virginia Will Advance to the Final Four

Well, Syracuse was not supposed to be in the tournament anyway, so why not knock out top seed Virginia. Virginia dominated most of the game, but Syracuse made a furious comeback to steal what looked like a sure win for the Cavaliers.

UNC-Wilmington Will Knock Out Duke in the First Round

Although UNC-Wilmington played Duke tough, they were just outgunned by Duke’s formidable size. Duke has too much tournament experience, and a bold prediction such as this one is really a shot in the dark.

The Final Four Will Consist of All No. 1 and No. 2 Seeds

This looked like an easy prediction prior to the tournament, but Syracuse busted that prediction with its win over top-ranked Virginia.

Arizona Will Advance to the Final Four

This prediction was busted early as Wichita State easily dispatched the UofA in the first round. This game was never in doubt and Arizona was not competitive from the start.

Texas A&M Will Upset Oklahoma in the Sweet 16

This was a popular prediction among bracket followers. However, Buddy Hield and Oklahoma had no trouble dispatching the Aggies in the Sweet 16.

Duke Defeats Top-Ranked Oregon in the Second Round

On paper, this looked like a smart choice. This was Oregon’s first No. 1 seed in school history, and Duke usually advances to the Sweet 16 in every tournament. However, Oregon easily dispatched the Blue Devils in a game that was never competitive.

Wichita State Advances to the Sweet 16

This was another fine choice, and Wichita State rolling over Arizona in the first round made the pick even sweeter. The problem is Miami was a strong team and they had no trouble dispatching Wichita State in the second round.

In the world of basketball, it is tough to make accurate predictions, especially at the college level. Based on the enormity of the teams in the NCAA, making accurate predictions is close to impossible. Many experts believe predictions of NCAA basketball odds and the over/under is far easier at the professional level. Of course, this is up for debate, but if this year’s March Madness is any indication, then predicting NBA odd  probably have an easier job than those who follow college basketball.