Andy Katz has already shared his 2022 men's NCAA tournament bracket predictions ahead of the start of the season on Tuesday. But why stop there? Here are more preseason picks, sharing his Sweet 16 teams and continuing through the national championship game.
Let's start with his Sweet 16 picks organized by conference:
| ACC | Big Ten | SEC | Pac-12 | Big 12 | Big East | WCC | American |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Illinois | Kentucky | Oregon | Kansas | Villanova | Gonzaga | Memphis |
| Duke | Michigan | Arkansas | UCLA | Texas | |||
| Syracuse | Purdue | Alabama |
In Katz's picks, the ACC, Big Ten and SEC see the most representation, getting three each. He loves Michigan and Purdue specifically, calling them "two of the most experienced teams in the country." In the ACC, it's a tale of two very different coaches. North Carolina sports first-year head coach Hubert Davis. Rival Duke has Mike Krzyzewski coaching in his 42nd and final season. Syracuse has head coach Jim Boeheim coaching sons Buddy and Jimmy.
Now onto some other interesting Sweet 16 picks. Katz tabbed Texas for a spot under first-year bench boss Chris Beard, who will be overseeing a lineup with many new transfers. Memphis will get to the Sweet 16 on the backs of the terrific freshmen class, according to Katz. It's no surprise to see Gonzaga, led by Drew Timme, back in the Sweet 16.
Final Four
Here are Katz's Final Four picks:
- Michigan
- Purdue
- Kansas
- UCLA
"Lot of experience," Katz said when talking about Michigan and Purdue, both Big Ten schools. "Juwan Howard and Matt Painter have squads that can certainly get to New Orleans."
Kansas also has a ton of experience, earning it a spot in Katz's Final Four. And then it's no surprise to see UCLA here. The Bruins ranked No. 1 in Katz's final Power 36 of the preseason.
National championship picks
Katz has Kansas and UCLA as the two teams fighting to be winner. Despite how much he likes Kansas, Katz stuck with his preseason No. 1 pick and selected UCLA as his predicted winner of the 2022 men's tournament.
BRACKET SZN: Here's the full bracket predicted
"This entire team comes back essentially," Katz said of UCLA. "Tyger Campbell at the point. Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez at the wings. Cody Riley now has help in Peyton Watson and Myles Johnson. Mick Cronin has a squad that can win the national championship and I'm saying they will get it."
