Jay Bilas predicts every game of the 2026 NCAA tournament - ESPN

You already know the drill. After my fellow analysts and I have the privilege of calling the SEC championship game in Nashville, Tennessee, we move swiftly to process the men's NCAA tournament field as it is revealed. Our bosses at ESPN ask us each to fill out a bracket — while we are on the air — so we can reveal our picks before the end of the show.

They give us less than five minutes. Hardly ideal, but perhaps our first instincts are better than considered thought. I decided that I would give you more than five minutes so you can dazzle your friends and win your office pool — and perhaps our Tournament Challenge.

Last season, my bracket was chalky: I had all four No. 1 seeds reaching the Final Four, Houston and Florida advancing to the championship game, and the Gators cutting down the nets. The backlash was swift and unrelenting. I was criticized for not picking an underdog to reach San Antonio. But when the dust cleared, all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four, and the Cougars and Gators battled it out for the title. You're welcome — and I forgive you. All of you.

This season is different. Cinderella just took a year off. The top teams aren't so much better than the rest of the field, so there will be more surprises. Though picking a bunch of upsets might make you feel good when filling out the bracket, it is a much better feeling to be strategic and win. Pick only the upsets you feel strongly about, the ones you know the winner will lose in the next game. This strategy allows you the upside of early upsets, while limiting the downside if Cinderella's slipper doesn't fit later in the tournament.

Here are my best guesses for the bracket. Use your best judgment. And remember: This is supposed to be fun.

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