NCAA Tournament Picks: What Team Will Win It All?
By Norm Elrod
(CBS Minnesota/CBS Local) -- The NCAA Tournament played out much as expected that first weekend. The East and West regions each saw their top four teams emerge unscathed. The South and Midwest regions each advanced three of their four top seeds.
Then came the Sweet 16, and things got a little crazy. Perennial Final Four contender Duke squeaked by ACC rival Virginia Tech only to come up short against Michigan State. Gonzaga couldn't handle a Texas Tech team that squashed Michigan. Virginia, the only top seed in the semifinals, overcame a herculean 42-point effort from Purdue guard Carsen Edwards. And Auburn ran away from top-seeded North Carolina before downing Kentucky in overtime.
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Can the college basketball gods ratchet up the excitement once more this Saturday, when Virginia faces Auburn and Michigan State meets Texas Tech for a the right to play in the national championship on Monday? If last weekend was any indication, it certainly seems like a strong possibility.
To give their NCAA Tournament Final Four picks, we've once again turned to our experts... sports anchors Ryan Baker at CBS Chicago, Mike Max at CBS Minnesota, Don Bell at CBS Philadelphia and Bill Jones at CBS Dallas. Many of their picks from the Tournament's opening weekend advanced, even if the remaining four teams proved a little less predictable.
Here are the teams the experts believe will win the NCAA Tournament semifinals and advance to the title game next Monday in Minneapolis. Check out the video above for the reasoning behind these picks.
Ryan Baker, CBS Chicago
- Final Four Winners: Virginia, Michigan State
- Tournament Champion: Michigan State
Mike Max, CBS Minnesota
- Final Four Winners: Virginia, Michigan State
- Tournament Champion: Michigan State
Don Bell, CBS Philadelphia
- Final Four Winners: Virginia, Michigan State
- Tournament Champion: Michigan State
Bill Jones, CBS Dallas
- Final Four Winners: Auburn, Michigan State
- Tournament Champion: Michigan State