We’re just hours away from the start of the 2024 NCAA Tournament proper and people are still finalizing their picks and brackets for The Big Dance. With an all-chalk Final Four becoming increasingly rare, CBS Sports’ Andy Katz has named his Final Four “Darkhorses.”
This morning, the NCAA March Madness account on X posted Katz’s picks to surprise people and potentially reach the Final Four. His picks were New Mexico (11 W), Oregon (11 MW), San Diego State (5 E) and Wisconsin (5 S).
New Mexico came out of nowhere to win the Mountain West tournament and reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. The 26-9 Lobos are headed by Richard Pitino, an experienced hand in March Madness and the son of Rick Pitino. They play Clemson on Friday at 3:10 p.m. ET on truTV.
The Ducks surprised many by winning the Pac-12 Tournament as the No. 4 seed, finishing the season 23-11 overall. But they’re now riding a four-game winning streak, which includes a win over No. 9 Arizona in the Pac-12 Semifinals. They play South Carolina at 4 p.m. ET on TNT.
San Diego State were the national championship runner-ups last year but were not quite as dominant in the regular season this year. They lost to New Mexico in the Mountain West Championship Game but still made the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid. The 22-9 Lobos play UAB on Friday at 1:45 p.m. on TNT.
Wisconsin have had an up-and-down season but finished 22-13 after losing to Illinois in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Badgers have notched some big wins over big teams this season though, so we already know they’re dangerous. They play James Madison on Friday at 9:40 p.m. ET on CBS.
Who are your Final Four darkhorses?