Well, March Madness is right around the corner, and I know a lot of you are talking about Warren Buffet’s one billion dollar bracket challenge.  Without further adieu, here are the tournament picks from Type One’s Sports Staff.

Jacob Wolpert: Duke Blue Devils

With a 24-7 record, Duke should secure the one seed in the Big Dance if they win the ACC. While a high seed doesn’t always guarantee a ticket into the sweet 16 (somewhere Lehigh is still celebrating their second round upset over number 2 seeded Duke in 2012), for this team I believe it does. Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker are two of the most talented players in the nation and are both expected to be high NBA draft picks, should they leave early.  Parker and Hood’s contributions have been remarkable this season, providing Duke with a much needed scoring punch after losing its three previous leading scorers to the NBA. Another player that is vastly important to Duke’s title hopes is Rasheed Sulaimon, who I believe is the “X-factor” for this team. While his minutes have dropped significantly this season, you will always see Sulaimon on the court at the end of games due to his clutch shooting and scorer’s mentality (just ask Virginia and Syracuse). As long as Duke can play to its strengths-3 point shooting and transition scoring-they have the ability to beat any team in the country. Andre Dawkins has one of the nicest jumpers in the nation, and Jabari Parker’s ability to grab a rebound or steal and score in transition reminds me of Lebron James. Last but not least, I am going to talk about Duke’s big men, Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee. Neither is a dominant scorer inside, but what they lack in talent, they make up for in toughness and hustle. Marshall Plumlee has really improved as of late and Amile Jefferson has continued to give his heart and soul to team, game in and game out.  All in all, I think Duke is poised for yet another national championship with its most important person running the show, the legendary Coach K.

Tyler Shevin: Florida Gators

One of the most exciting times for sports fans is finally almost here.  The table is set for what should be a thrilling NCAA Basketball Tournament.  I’m predicting that the Florida Gators will take home their 3^rd NCAA Championship in a competitive and shocking tourney.  Coach Billy Donovan always has his team well prepared and is as good as it comes in college basketball.  Expect a big tournament from Casey Prather and Patric Young for the orange and blue.  My Cinderella pick this year is Shaka Smart’s VCU Rams, who always seem to shock the world.  I’m looking forward to an excellent month of basketball.

Jonah Scrudders: Florida Gators

This is one of the best years of college basketball I have seen in a while.  Even though my Florida Gators are ranked #1 in the nation, there is no clear number one team.  Let’s start off with sleepers.  Michigan State was ranked #1 in the country at one point this season, but has significantly slid in the rankings these past couple months with a tough Big 10 schedule.  However, veteran teams always end up prevailing in March, and I think Michigan State has the potential to really stun some people, possibly even getting to the Final Four.  My second sleeper is Arizona State.  With Jahii Carson running the point, anything will be possible for the Sun Devils.  Cincinnati is another team I believe will be going quite far in this tournament, as Sean Kilpatrick is playing better than anybody in the country right now.  My final sleeper I will mention is Michigan.  This team simply has scorers at every position and when playing their best, can beat any team in the country.

In contrast to the sleepers, I believe some teams may not have as much success in the tournament as many believe they will.  Wichita State has been a good story this season going undefeated and will surely be a #1 seed in the tournament.  However, after playing against comparatively weak teams all season, it will be difficult for the Shockers to be prepared for the extremely talented competition in the tournament.  Another team I don’t believe will go very far is Kansas.  The Jayhawks are probably the most talented team in the country and several of their players will enjoy success in the NBA.  However, Andrew Wiggins is not yet ready to lead a team through March.  Kansas is too inexperienced right now and does not have enough scoring behind Andrew Wiggins and Perry Ellis.  Another opinion I have is that Arizona is going absolutely nowhere in this tournament.  With the injury of Brandon Ashley, the Wildcats’ Nick Johnson and Aaron Gordon will not be able to carry the scoring load for Arizona.

I really believe Florida, Duke, Syracuse, and either Michigan or Michigan State are the real contenders in this tournament.  Florida and Syracuse are undoubtedly the best defensive teams in the country.  Both teams are very similar, with only one real perimeter shooter and heady point guards in Scottie Wilbekin and Tyler Ennis.  Syracuse also has CJ Fair, who I believe is a vastly  underrated player.  Duke on the other hand, in my opinion, has the best 1-2 punch in the country in Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood.  The two average over 35 points combined a game!  However, I give Florida a slight edge over both Syracuse and Duke. They are a little better defensively and have several seniors on the team that know how to win games at this point in their careers.  So, my prediction is that the Florida Gators will win the national championship this year in a tight one.  The good thing about March Madness, however, is that nobody is ever, ever, ever right.

Sam Dern: Florida Gators

March Madness is rapidly approaching, and it appears to once again loan itself to buzzer beaters, thrilling upsets, and as always, a proud champion.  A sleeper candidate to make some real noise in this tournament is the Xavier Musketeers.  Led by explosive, freshman guard Semaj Christon and experienced, coach Chris Mack, the team has quietly had a very solid season in the Big East.  In the end, senior leadership and a hard-nosed defensive mentality often prove to be crucial.  For this very reason, Patric Young, Scottie Wilbekin and their stingy pressure defense will steal the show as the Florida Gators cut down the nets in North Texas as NCAA champions.

Noah Baker: Florida Gators

It’s been a few years since the Gators had a shot at the title again, but 2014 is their year. Being ranked #1 for the past few weeks will definitely give the Gators a number one seed in the tournament. Coach Donovan and leading scorer Casey Prather will combine to lead the Gators back to their first title since 2007.

Mark Rabin: Kansas Jayhawks

Although there are a ton of good teams this year, including undefeated Wichita State, I believe that the Kansas Jayhawks are going to win it all. Led by Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, potential number one and two picks, I feel the Jayhawks have the star power, as well as the will power, to come out of the tournament on top. Although they have an outside shot at being a #1 seed, they are more than likely going to be #2 seed. The Jayhawks have all the keys to win the tournament: the offensive force in Wiggins, the defensive presence in Embiid, and most importantly one of the top coaches in the world, Bill Self.

Jake Wasserman: Florida Gators

This year there are a number of good teams. Iowa can go as far as Roy Devyn Marble can take them. One team you can never count out is Oklahoma State, especially with a fresh Marcus Smart (a potential top 5 pick in this years NBA draft) coming off a 3-game suspension. Michigan can make a deep run in March, led by Glenn Robinson and, in my opinion, the most improved player in the country, Nik Stauskas. Some of the more talented teams to keep an eye on are Duke, led by top prospects, Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker, and Kansas, led by big seven-footer Joel Embiid and player of the year candidate Andrew Wiggins. One of the most talented teams in the country is Kentucky. Some say they have the best recuiting class in history; however, they are young and inexperienced, and because of this, I do not think they will make a deep run in March. A lot of people are buying into the hype of the Wichita State Shockers- but not me. They have not played one team in the top 25 and have one of the easiest scedules in the country. However, my national championship team is the Florida Gators. The Gators have wins over Kansas and Memphis. Their only two losses of the season have come without there starting point guard and sure-to-be SEC player of the year, Scottie Wilbiken. The Gators will prevail as national champions, led by their four seniors.