2026 NCAA Tournament: ESPN analyst Jay Bilas predicts every game in 68-team field

The 2026 NCAA Tournament is finally here and ESPN’s Jay Bilas predicted the entire bracket, giving us his picks for the month! Prepare for chaos!

That’s just college basketball though. Bilas picked a handful of upsets, but it seems like the best teams in the country and the ones that reign supreme.

Still, there are always surprises in the NCAA Tournament. So let’s dive into Bilas’ picks!

East Region

First Round

No. 1 Duke over No. 16 Siena
No. 9 TCU over No. 8 Ohio State
No. 5 St. John’s over No. 12 Northern Iowa
No. 4 Kansas over No. 13 Cal Baptist
No. 11 South Florida over No. 6 Louisville 
No. 3 Michigan State over No. 14 North Dakota State
No. 10 UCF over No. 7 UCLA
No. 2 UConn over No. 15 Furman

Second Round

No. 1 Duke over No. 9 TCU
No. 5 St. John’s over No. 4 Kansas
No. 3 Michigan State over No. 11 South Florida
No. 2 UConn over No. 10 UCF

Sweet 16

No. 1 Duke over No. 5 St. John’s
No. 3 Michigan State over No. 2 UConn

Elite Eight

No. 3 Michigan State over No. 1 Duke

Bilas has the Spartans getting out of this loaded region, setting up Tom Izzo and Michigan State in the Final four for the first time since 2019. We don’t get St. John’s-UConn IV as Michigan State is too good, as is Duke. But the Blue Devils’ injuries will eventually catch up in the NCAA Tournament.

South Region

First Round

No. 1 Florida over No. 16 Prairie View A&M/Lehigh
No. 9 Iowa over No. 8 Clemson
No. 5 Vanderbilt over No. 12 McNeese
No. 4 Nebraska over No. 13 Troy
No. 6 North Carolina over No. 11 VCU
No. 3 Illinois over No. 14 Penn
No. 7 Saint Mary’s Gaels over No. 10 Texas A&M
No. 2 Houston over No. 15 Idaho

Second Round

No. 1 Florida over No. 9 Iowa
No. 5 Vanderbilt over No. 4 Nebraska
No. 3 Illinois over No. 6 North Carolina
No. 2 Houston over No. 7 Saint Mary’s

Sweet 16

No. 1 Florida over No. 5 Vanderbilt
No. 3 Illinois over No. 2 Houston

Elite Eight

No. 3 Illinois over No. 1 Florida

Bilas knocks out the defending champions in the Elite Eight. This year’s NCAA Tournament officially will have a new winner! The Fighting Illini go through Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell and they’ll ultimately get Illinois to the big stage in this competition. Nebraska also gets their first NCAA Tournament win in the first round but fall short to Vanderbilt in the second round.

West Region

First Round

No. 1 Arizona over No. 16 Long Island
No. 9 Utah State over No. 8 Villanova
No. 5 Wisconsin over No. 12 High Point
No. 4 Arkansas over No. 13 Hawaii
No. 11 Texas (over NC State) over No. 6 BYU 
No. 3 Gonzaga over No. 14 Kennesaw State
No. 10 Missouri over No. 7 Miami
No. 2 Purdue over No. 15 Queens

Second Round

No. 1 Arizona over No. 9 Utah State
No. 4 Arkansas over No. 5 Wisconsin
No. 11 Texas over No. 3 Gonzaga
No. 2 Purdue over No. 10 Missouri

Sweet 16

No. 1 Arizona over No. 4 Arkansas
No. 2 Purdue over No. 11 Texas

Elite Eight

No. 1 Arizona over No. 2 Purdue

Arizona reigns supreme in this region in the NCAA Tournament, per Bilas. They are bigger and more talented than everyone else, including Purdue. Enough said. The Wildcats make their first Final Four since 2001.

Midwest Region

First Round

No. 1 Michigan over No. 16 UMBC/Howard
No. 8 Georgia over No. 9 Saint Louis
No. 5 Texas Tech over No. 12 Akron
No. 4 Alabama over No. 13 Hofstra
No. 6 Tennessee over No. 11 Miami (Ohio)/SMU
No. 3 Virginia over No. 14 Wright State
No. 7 Kentucky over No. 10 Santa Clara
No. 2 Iowa State over No. 15 Tennessee State

Second Round

No. 1 Michigan over No. 8 Georgia
No. 4 Alabama over No. 5 Texas Tech
No. 6 Tennessee over No. 3 Virginia
No. 2 Iowa State over No. 7 Kentucky

Sweet 16

No. 1 Michigan over No. 4 Alabama
No. 2 Iowa State over No. 6 Tennessee

Elite Eight

No. 2 Iowa State over No. 1 Michigan 

The Cyclones come out on top in this region, knocking off one of the best teams in the NCAA Tournament in Michigan. Bilas cited Iowa State’s defense as the difference in this matchup as this region ends up being more chalk than not.

Final Four

No. 3 Michigan State over No. 3 Illinois
No. 1 Arizona over No. 2 Iowa State

Tom Izzo and Michigan State are back in the national championship game! They’ll search for their first NCAA Tournament crown since 2000 and it’ll at least be their first finals appearance since 2009. Arizona is on the flip side as the Wildcats continue their amazing run. Bilas rolls with a fresh matchup in 2026.

2026 NCAA Tournament National Championship

No. 1 Arizona over No. 3 Michigan State

In a game that features two different droughts for these programs, the Wildcats come out a winner as Tommy Lloyd and crew will cut down the nets and hoist the trophy. This will be the best run for Izzo and crew in a long time, but they’ll fall just short of their first title in a quarter-century.