Joe Lunardi’s 2022 Men’s NCAA Tournament Picks, Final Four Predictions

Find out who ESPN’s insider is taking in the Big Dance.

March Madness kicked off Thursday afternoon, and brackets across the country are sure to bust within the coming hours. Even for the college basketball’s top analysts.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi released his full bracket before Thursday’s games kicked off, and while he went mostly chalk, he did pick a handful of upsets. The nation’s premier bracketologist tabbed Davidson to beat Duke in the second round, and he also picked North Carolina to advance to the Elite Eight. 

So who else did Lunardi pick to survive-and-advance through March? Check out his fill crop of picks below. 

WEST

First Round

No. 1 Gonzaga over No. 16 Georgia State
No. 8 Boise State over No. 9 Memphis
No. 5 Connecticut over No. 12 New Mexico State
No. 4 Arkansas over No. 13 Vermont
No. 6 Alabama over No. 11 Notre Dame
No. 3 Texas Tech over No. 14 Montana State
No. 10 Davidson over No. 7 Michigan State
No. 2 Duke over No. 15 CSU Fullerton

Second Round

No. 1 Gonzaga over No. 8 Boise State
No. 5 UConn over No. 4 Arkansas
No. 3 Texas Tech over No. 6 Alabama
No. 10 Davidson over No. 2 Duke

Sweet 16

No. 1 Gonzaga over No. 5 UConn
No. 3 Texas Tech over No. 10 Davidson

Elite Eight

No. 1 Gonzaga over No. 3 Texas Tech

EAST

First Round

No. 1 Baylor over No. 16 Norfolk State
No. 8 North Carolina over No. 9 Marquette
No. 5 St. Mary’s over No. 12 Indiana
No. 4 UCLA over No. 13 Akron
No. 11 Virginia Tech over No. 6 Texas
No. 3 Purdue over No. 14 Yale
No. 10 San Francisco vs. No. 7 Murray State
No. 2 Kentucky over No. 15 Saint Peter’s

Second Round

No. 8 North Carolina over No. 1 Baylor
No. 5 St. Mary’s over No. 4 UCLA
No. 11 Virginia Tech over No. 3 Purdue
No. 2 Kentucky over No. 10 San Francisco

Sweet 16

No. 8 North Carolina over No. 5 St. Mary’s
No. 2 Kentucky over No. 11 Virginia Tech

Elite Eight

No. 2 Kentucky over No. 8 North Carolina

SOUTH
First Round

No. 1 Arizona over No. 16 Bryant
No. 9 TCU over No. 8 Seton Hall
No. 5 Houston over No. 12 UAB
No. 4 Illinois over No. 13 Chattanooga
No. 11 Michigan over No. 6 Colorado State
No. 3 Tennessee over No. 14 Longwood
No. 10 Loyola Chicago over No. 7 Ohio State
No. 2 Villanova over No. 15 Delaware

Second Round

No. 1 Arizona over No. 9 TCU
No. 4 Illinois over No. 5 Houston 
No. 3 Tennessee over No. 11 Michigan
No. 2 Villanova over No. 10 Loyola Chicago

Sweet 16

No. 4 Illinois over No. 1 Arizona
No. 3 Tennessee over No. 2 Villanova

Elite Eight

No. 3 Tennessee over No. 4 Illinois

MIDWEST
First Round

No. 1 Kansas over No. 16 Texas Southern
No. 8 San Diego State over No. 9 Creighton
No. 5 Iowa over No. 12 Richmond
No. 13 South Dakota State over No. 4 Providence
No. 6 LSU over No. 11 Iowa State
No. 14 Colgate over No. 3 Wisconsin
No. 10 Miami (Fla.) over No. 7 USC
No. 2 Auburn over No. 15 Jacksonville State

Second Round

No. 1 Kansas over No. 8 San Diego State
No. 13 South Dakota State vs over No. 5 Iowa
No. 6 LSU over No. 14 Colgate
No. 2 Auburn over No. 10 Miami (Fla.)

Sweet 16

No. 1 Kansas over No. 13 South Dakota State
No. 2 Auburn over No. 6 LSU

Elite Eight

No. 1 Kansas over No. 2 Auburn

FINAL FOUR

No. 1 Gonzaga over No. 2 Kentucky
No. 1 Kansas over No. 3 Tennessee

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

No. 1 Gonzaga over No. 1 Kansas

Even Joey Brackets couldn’t help but do some last-minute tinkering, evidently. His ESPN men’s tournament challenge submission has a few differences from the picks he gave to Jason Fitz. 

Notably, he has Purdue beating Virginia Tech before falling to Kentucky in the East Region. In the same region, he also has Murray State instead of San Francisco, in the South Region he went with Colorado State instead of Michigan in a game the Wolverines won on Thursday. 

His biggest switch, however, came in the West, where he has Wisconsin fending off Colgate in the first round and reaching the Elite Eight against Kansas instead of South Dakota State, a wise pick as the Jackrabbits lost to Providence on Thursday. The ESPN.com bracket also has Miami upsetting Auburn, while his bracket with Jason Fitz has Auburn in the Elite Eight.