If you haven’t been paying attention, Action Network analysts Mike Ianniello and Tanner McGrath have built up a rivalry over the past year.
During college football season, the two wrote a head-to-head article every week, with each taking one side of the week’s biggest college football game. The two also had a head-to-head pick ‘em competition during bowl season, which McGrath won convincingly.
But Ianniello wants his revenge. Therefore, the two are going head-to-head in a bracket challenge, with points decided by the general ESPN rules.
Outlined below are the two’s brackets and reasoning for each round’s decision. As you might be able to tell, one is a college hoops fanatic while the other is just a competitive college football fan.
Follow along to see who wins this challenge.
McGrath's Bracket Picks
Ianniello's Bracket Picks
West Region
Round of 64
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 16 Georgia State
McGrath: Gonzaga rolls.
Ianniello: Gonzaga over Georgia state, obviously.
No. 8 Boise State vs. No. 9 Memphis
McGrath: Memphis’ metrics skyrocketed once Penny Hardaway shortened the lineup. AKA once he benched Emoni Bates, Memphis started streaking. I think Boise is slightly overvalued and will ride the Tigers as the Sacrificial Lamb for Gonzaga.
Ianniello: Boise State over Memphis because the blue turf is awesome. I’m not sure if it has a blue basketball court, but it should.
No. 5 UConn vs. No. 12 New Mexico State
McGrath: UConn squeaks by New Mexico State (But I’ll probably be on NMSU +6.5).
Ianniello: UConn over New Mexico State because I am from Connecticut and college basketball is literally all we have.
No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Vermont
McGrath: Oh wow This is the dream matchup for the Vermont Catamounts. If you need details, DM me on Twitter, but Cats by 20.
Ianniello: Tanner is from Vermont, so the Cats are obviously losing. Woo Pig Sooie.
No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Rutgers/Notre Dame
McGrath: I will fade Alabama no matter who the Tide play. That team is high-variance with a bad defense.
Ianniello: My fiancé went to Alabama, so I want her to be happy.
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 Montana State
McGrath: I love Montana State, but Texas Tech is a buzzsaw right now.
Ianniello: Montana State can’t possibly be good at basketball.
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Davidson
McGrath: Sparty is so overvalued. The turnovers are a huge problem for Izzo’s squad. Davidson is an electric factory on offense with four players who average double-digits with a TS% over 63%.
Ianniello: Davidson was awesome with Steph Curry, so it knows how to win in the tournament. Tom Izzo is also overrated.
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Cal State Fullerton
McGrath: Duke squeaks this one out.
Ianniello: Duke can’t possibly let Coach K’s career end in the first round.
East Region
Round of 64
No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 16 Norfolk State
McGrath: Baylor rolls.
Ianniello: Baylor, obviously.
No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Marquette
McGrath: Tough matchup, but North Carolina is too talented for a Marquette team that struggled down the stretch. Bacot and Manek should be a tough out in March.
Ianniello: I just learned UNC has a player named Leaky Black. The whole world needs to find that out, so he will lead them to the next round.
No. 5 Saint Mary's vs. No. 12 Indiana
McGrath: Saint Mary’s is a really, really good basketball team. Matthias Tass is so underrated as a big man and should give Trayce Jackson-Davis a run for his money. Tommy Kuhse can out-play any guard in the country, especially Xavier Johnson.
Ianniello: I’m not going to pick against Saint Mary during Lent!
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Akron
McGrath: It’s tight, but UCLA over Akron.
Ianniello: I’ll go with the big upset win for Akron. When trying to predict chaos, the MAC is always a good place to start.
No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech
McGrath: Virginia Tech just won four games in four days to win the ACC title. The Hokies are coming together. They’re well-coached and analytically sound and I really like them to make a run.
Ianniello: Virginia Tech just won the ACC, and Texas never wins anything.
No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 14 Yale
McGrath: Yale should win. But Purdue will win instead.
Ianniello: I can’t go full Connecticut homer, so I’ll pick against the Ivy League nerds and Boiler up.
No. 7 Murray State vs. No. 10 San Francisco
McGrath: This is the game putting every gambler on the fritz. I think Murray State is really good, and the Racers have the interior advantage over the Dons.
Ianniello: San Francisco gets the win because Murray isn’t even a state and Francisco is fun to say.
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 15 Saint Peter's
McGrath: Kentucky rolls.
Ianniello: Kentucky is always good.
South Region
Round of 64
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 Wright State/Bryant
McGrath: Arizona rolls.
Ianniello: I know Arizona no longer has the coach that would sweat completely through his shirt by halftime, but it's still really good.
No. 8 Seton Hall vs. No. 9 TCU
McGrath: Seton Hall is a dumpster fire. Absolutely collapsed in the second half of the season. TCU is frisky defensively and has shown the ability to show up in big moments.
Ianniello: I know Jamie Dixon from his time at Pitt, so I know his team loses in the first round every single year.
No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB
McGrath: I love UAB with the points here (+8.5), FYI. But I will take Houston to advance.
Ianniello: I watched Jelly Walker by one game during the conference tournaments, and my goodness, is he electric! He is the perfect March Madness breakout player. UAB secures the upset.
No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga
McGrath: I wish I could bet Chattanooga in this game. I can’t. Trent Frazier and Alfonso Plummer make up the best defensive backcourt in the nation. They might put Malachi Smith in jail.
Ianniello: I’m very good friends with Chattanooga’s PR guy and equipment manager. Bias aside, Silvio De Sousa is a former Power Five guy, and Malachi Smith is one of the best guards in the tournament. Go Mocs!
No. 6 Colorado State vs. No. 11 Michigan
McGrath: I don’t believe in Michigan one bit. David Roddy might drop 40 on this Michigan team because he can get anything.
Ianniello: Everybody seems to hate Michigan, myself very much included. But I’ll fade the public and take the Wolverines.
No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Longwood
McGrath: Tennessee has too many advantages against Longwood on both sides of the ball.
Ianniello: I’m not going to make a Longwood joke because that would be immature. I’ll take Tennessee and move on.
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Loyola Chicago
McGrath: Chris Holtmann has never made it past the second round of the tournament. Meanwhile, this is a battle-tested Ramblers team that has seen an offensive resurgence under Drew Valentine. The defense also trended up in Arch Madness, allowing about 50 points per game.
Ianniello: Sister Jean can’t possibly still be around, so Loyola is going to win in her honor. Plus, I’m not picking Michigan and Ohio State.
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 Delaware
McGrath: Villanova wins but doesn’t cover -15.5.
Ianniello: Villanova beats Delaware in a fun little local matchup.
Midwest Region
Round of 64
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Texas Southern
McGrath: Kansas rolls.
Ianniello: Kansas obviously wins.
No. 8 San Diego State vs. No. 9 Creighton
McGrath: San Diego State over Creighton is a complex pick, but I do think Matt Bradley pushes his team past the first round — especially because the Jays are due for a letdown game after that Big East run.
Ianniello: San Diego State games always have totals that are like 110, and I love the fact it seems it plays basketball the same way it plays football. I’ll take the Aztecs (and the under).
No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 12 Richmond
McGrath: I love Jacob Gilyard and Richmond, but the Iowa offense is rolling right now. The points are coming too easy.
Ianniello: Iowa is the hottest team in the country right now.
No. 4 Providence vs. No. 13 South Dakota State
McGrath: South Dakota State beats Providence despite the whole world being on the Jackbunnies.
Ianniello: Providence is another one of those teams that everybody seems to keep saying sucks, but it always wins. I’ll fade the narratives again and take the Friars.
No. 6 LSU vs. No. 11 Iowa State
McGrath: LSU sneaks by Iowa State, but I hate both teams.
Ianniello: I know LSU just fired their coach for handing out bags of cash, but all the players who got the bags of cash are still on the team. So, I’ll back them.
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Colgate
McGrath: Wisconsin squeaks by Colgate, but I hate both teams.
Ianniello: Just like in football, Wisconsin is always in the mix but will never win the whole thing.
No. 7 USC vs. No. 10 Miami (FL)
McGrath: USC has too much length for Miami. Happy that the Hurricanes had a great season, but USC has matchup advantages and some killer players in Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Mobley.
Ianniello: Miami vs USC would be an elite early 2000s college football game. I’d much rather watch that. I’ll take the U.
No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 15 Jacksonville State
McGrath: Auburn rolls.
Ianniello: Did you know Jacksonville State is in Alabama and not Florida? That makes no sense, so I’ll take Auburn.
McGrath's Round of 32
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Memphis
Gonzaga rolls.
No. 5 UConn vs. No. 13 Vermont
Oh man. This one is so tough. I believe too much in my Cats, who have more offensive weapons than UConn.
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 Rutgers
Texas Tech is a buzzsaw.
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 10 Davidson
I think Duke is the most overvalued team in the nation. The Blue Devils dominated a weak ACC, but they didn’t impress doing so. Davidson’s offense explodes in a second-weekend run.
No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 8 North Carolina
Baylor rolls.
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 5 Saint Mary's
Saint Mary’s is a really good team. UCLA has been overvalued since the Bruins were ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll.
No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech
I love Virginia Tech over Purdue. The Boilermakers can’t guard ball-screens. Virginia Tech is getting hot at the right time.
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Murray State
Kentucky rolls.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 9 TCU
Arizona rolls.
No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 5 Houston
Illinois’ backcourt over-pressures Houston’s ball-handling, especially with Sasser sidelined.
No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Colorado State
Tennessee’s offense was reinvigorated with Kennedy Chandler running the offense. The defense is legit, and that will make the difference against the Rams.
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 10 Loyola Chicago
Villanova holds off Loyola Chicago in a jump-shooting contest.
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 8 San Diego State
Kansas rolls.
No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 7 South Dakota State
Iowa takes down South Dakota State in the highest-scoring game in NCAA Tournament history.
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 6 LSU
LSU beats Wisconsin in the lowest-scoring (and ugliest) game in NCAA Tournament history.
No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 7 USC
Auburn takes down USC mostly because of Jabari Smith, who is a big matchup advantage over a wing-heavy Tiger team.
Ianniello's Round of 32
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 8 Boise State
I hear Gonzaga is good and Drew Timme has a sweet mustache, so it'll win again.
No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 5 UConn
Again, Connecticut is great at two things: pizza and college basketball.
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 6 Alabama
It isn’t fair if Alabama is good at everything, and I love Texas Tech basketball for some reason.
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 10 Davidson
Duke beats Davidson in the Curry Family Bowl.
No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 8 North Carolina
I know Baylor made the finals last year, so it's experienced — and I hate North Carolina.
No. 5 Saint Mary's vs. No. 13 Akron
Going with Saint Mary’s again, assuming it has the higher power on its side.
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech
The Big Ten is way tougher than the ACC, so Purdue should push around the Hokies.
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 10 San Francisco
Kentucky is always good.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 8 Seton Hall
I’ll take Arizona to beat Seton Hall.
No. 12 UAB vs. No. 13 Chattanooga
As a contributing Mocs Club Member, I have to use my bias again and put Chattanooga in the Sweet 16.
No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Michigan
As long as Juwan Howard doesn’t assault anybody, Tennessee should be able to beat Michigan here.
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 10 Loyola Chicago
As a Big East guy, I know how impressive it is to win that conference. Give me Villanova.
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 8 San Diego State
Rock Chalk Jayhawk again.
No. 4 Providence vs. No. 5 Iowa
Iowa looked awesome during the Big Ten Tournament, which is basically all I watched all season.
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 6 LSU
The lack of a coach catches up to LSU with the short turnaround. On Wisconsin.
No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 10 Miami
Miami’s football program is really looking up, while Auburn’s is a complete dumpster fire. The Tigers need this win a lot more.
McGrath's Sweet 16
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 13 Vermont
Gonzaga rolls. I am sad. Go Cats forever.
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Davidson
Texas Tech is a buzzsaw. The Red Raiders have too much size and Davidson won’t overcome that.
No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 5 Saint Mary's
Last season, everyone thought Baylor was in trouble after its COVID-19 pause. Scott Drew rallied the troops and led the Bears to a championship. Drew rallies the troops again and beats Randy Bennett in this one.
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech
As much as I love Virginia Tech, Kentucky’s offense is too talented. The Wildcats overpower the Hokies.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 5 Houston
Arizona rolls.
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 3 Tennessee
Rick Barnes exorcises his demons in the Sweet 16, gets by Jay Wright and locks up an Elite Eight appearance with Arizona
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 5 Iowa
Iowa takes down Kansas. The Hawkeyes offense is rolling too well and Keegan Murray is playing like the best player in college basketball.
No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 6 LSU
Auburn beats LSU, as LSU becomes known as the worst Sweet 16 team of all time.
Ianniello's Sweet 16
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 5 UConn
My heart says UConn, but my head says Gonzaga. Huskies are much cuter than Bulldogs, but I think Gonzaga is better at basketball.
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
Coach K’s career lasts one more week, but Texas Tech sends him to the farm.
No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 5 Saint Mary's
The divine run ends here, as Baylor moves on again.
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Purdue
Kentucky always has freak athletes all over the floor, and Purdue probably still has Robbie Hummel.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 13 Chattanooga
OK, the fairy tale run ends here. Arizona is just too big for the Mocs, and the Wildcats move on.
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 3 Tennessee
How the hell is Collin Gillespie still at Villanova? Is Scottie Reynolds still there too? If that’s the case, I’m definitely picking Nova.
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 5 Iowa
This was the hardest game for me to pick on the entire bracket. Iowa is scorching hot, but Kansas is just always so good. I’ll take the Jayhawks.
No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 3 Wisconsin
I bet on Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament when it beat Auburn, and that was the first time I watched the Tigers this year. Wisconsin can beat them.
McGrath's Elite Eight
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
Too tough. But Few has more talent than Adams. Therefore, Zags roll.
No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 2 Kentucky
I’ll take Kentucky to beat Baylor. The Wildcats have a more talented roster with a higher upside, and I’m not sure who stops Oscar Tshiebwe without Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua on the interior.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 3 Tennessee
Arizona rolls. Rick Barnes is 1-12 against the spread in his last 13 NCAA Tournament games, and he can only exorcise so many demons.
No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 5 Iowa
Iowa’s offense runs too well, and the Auburn backcourt proves too inexperienced for Bruce Pearl.
Ianniello's Elite Eight
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
Chet Holmgren might be the most unathletic-looking person I’ve ever seen. I just can’t trust him to win a championship. The Red Raiders knock off the 1-seed. Wreck em!
No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 2 Kentucky
I do know Baylor has dealt with injuries and Kentucky has talent and depth — and that Oscar Tshiebwe dude is nasty. Kentucky moves on to the Final Four.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 2 Villanova
In the battle of the Wildcats, I know Jay Wright is an excellent coach. He has led Villanova to two national titles. I have no idea who Arizona’s head coach is. I’ll take the better coach and go with Villanova.
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 3 Wisconsin
McGrath: Like I said, Wisconsin is always good, but not great. It'll win the Big Ten West and then get smoked by Ohio State. This is that big game it can’t win. Kansas moves on to the Final Four.
McGrath's Final Four
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 2 Kentucky
Gonzaga vs. Kentucky is the toughest match for me to pick in my bracket. Unfortunately, I really believe this is Gonzaga’s year.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 5 Iowa
Arizona rolls Iowa, which ends the best run of Fran McCaffery’s career.
Ianniello's Final Four
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
The biggest storylines I always hear about in college basketball are the ones that cross over into national media, and that is usually scandals and drama. Like most college sports fans, I live for that. I am a firm believer, if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying. The teams that get accused of cheating the most are probably either cheating, or they’re just really good. Or both.
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 2 Villanova
I’ll take Kentucky and Kansas to meet in the title game for that reason. Yes, I know Arizona is cheating too, but it fired its coach. Kansas didn’t.
McGrath's National Championship
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 Arizona
Unfortunately, I really believe this is Gonzaga’s year.
Ianniello's National Championship
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 2 Kentucky
In the championship rubber match between Bill Self and John Calipari, I will go with Self and Rock Chalk Jayhawks.
