The 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four tips off tonight from Phoenix, AZ. The University of South Carolina Gamecocks (26-10) take on the West’s No. 1 seed Gonzaga University Bulldogs (36-1) in the opener at 6:09 p.m. ET. Will the USC men’s team follow the lead of USC women’s team and make it into this year’s National Championship? It will be tough. Gonzaga is currently a 6.5 point favorite.
The University of Oregon Ducks (33-5) and the juggernaut University of North Carolina Tarheels (31-7) will face off in prime time, with an approximate tip time of 8:49 p.m. ET. UNC is currently a 4.5 point favorite. Both games air on CBS.
The Gamecocks and the Bulldogs are each making their first ever appearance in the Final Four. The Ducks are making their first Final Four appearance since 1939.
A perennial college basketball powerhouse, North Carolina is making its first Final Four appearance since, well, last season. Coach Roy Williams and his team lost to Villanova in last year’s national championship game. Many of the players from last year’s team are on this year’s squad, and are looking do redeem themselves.
The 2017 TVNewser Bracket Challenge field is clearing up.
CNN Early Start co-host Dave Briggs has the lead with 84 points. He correctly predicted Oregon and North Carolina to make the Final Four, but actually has Duke winning it all. Will this hurt him in the future?
Fox Business Network’s Countdown to the Closing Bell anchor Liz Claman sits in 2nd place with 77 points. She correctly predicted Oregon and Gonzaga to make the Final Four, but she has UCLA winning it all. We’ll see if that comes back to bite her.
CNBC’s evp of communications Brian Steel may have an inside track to victory. He currently sits in 3rd place with 74 points, and has Oregon and North Carolina in the Final Four. He has UNC winning it all.
NBC News national correspondent Peter Alexander and CNBC’s senior executive producer of Squawk Box Matt Quayle both have Gonzaga winning it all. They’re also both in the top 10.
No one has Oregon or South Carolina winning it all. In fact, no participant chose South Carolina to even make it to the Final Four.
Enjoy tonight’s games!
| STANDINGS | ||||||
| RANK | TEAM NAME | SCORE | CORRECT | BEST SCORE | BEST CORRECT | CHAMPION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dave Briggs | 84 | 44 | 100 | 45 | Duke (161) |
| 2 | Liz Claman | 77 | 41 | 93 | 42 | UCLA (126) |
| 3 | Brian Steel | 74 | 40 | 138 | 43 | N. Carolina (137) |
| 3 | Jessica Golden | 74 | 41 | 74 | 41 | Duke (158) |
| 5 | Sara Eisen | 73 | 44 | 73 | 44 | Duke (160) |
| 6 | Matt Quayle | 71 | 37 | 135 | 40 | Gonzaga (150) |
| 7 | Kelly Evans | 70 | 42 | 86 | 43 | UCLA (155) |
| 8 | PETER ALEXANDER | 69 | 40 | 117 | 42 | Gonzaga (147) |
| 9 | A.J. Katz | 68 | 42 | 68 | 42 | Duke (145) |
| 9 | Kasie Hunt | 68 | 41 | 68 | 41 | Kentucky (150) |
| 11 | Dominic Chu | 66 | 42 | 66 | 42 | Kentucky (129) |
| 11 | Joe Kernen | 66 | 40 | 114 | 42 | N. Carolina (139) |
| 13 | Matt Rosoff | 65 | 41 | 81 | 42 | Arizona (128) |
| 14 | Andrew Ross Sorkin | 63 | 39 | 63 | 39 | Villanova (140) |
| 14 | Janelle Rodriguez | 63 | 36 | 63 | 36 | Villanova (186) |
| 16 | Todd Bonin | 62 | 36 | 78 | 37 | Kansas (154) |
| 17 | Eric Chemi | 58 | 40 | 58 | 40 | UCLA (155) |
| 18 | Blake Burman | 57 | 38 | 57 | 38 | UCLA (152) |
| 19 | Bob Van Dillen | 56 | 33 | 104 | 35 | N. Carolina (123) |
| 20 | Brian Kilmeade | 55 | 37 | 103 | 39 | N. Carolina (149) |
| 21 | Bill Weir | 54 | 37 | 54 | 37 | Kansas (128) |
| 21 | David Westin | 54 | 33 | 54 | 33 | Michigan (167) |
| 23 | Willie Geist | 47 | 29 | 47 | 29 | UCLA (145) |
| 24 | Janice Dean | 42 | 28 | 42 | 28 | Louisville (160) |
| 25 | Steve Kornacki | 38 | 29 | 38 | 29 | Villanova (141) |