AUSTIN, Texas — With 50 days left until college basketball tips off, NCAA college basketball expert Andy Katz released his preseason March Madness bracket prediction on Tuesday.
According to the NCAA, Katz filled out nearly a dozen bracket predictions throughout the season last year, and his final prediction guessed 67 out of the field of 68 correctly.
With many local teams in the mix, I wanted to focus on his predictions regarding Big 12 schools. Last season, six Big 12 teams made the tournament: Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
How many will go dancing in 2019-20, according to Katz?
Five.
Kansas, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas Tech will make the cut, according to Katz's preseason prediction.
Texas, TCU and Oklahoma were all bubble teams that Katz thinks will miss it by the skin of their teeth.
Katz said in his prediction that Kansas has one of the most talented veteran lineups in the country alongside Michigan State – which he ranked as the top two overall seeds in the tournament.
"Kansas will have Devon Dotson and a healthy Udoka Azubuike back, along with key role players Silvio De Sousa and Mitch Lightfoot," Katz reported.
In Big 12 conference-specific predictions, Katz believes Kansas' Devon Dotson will win Big 12 Player of the Year, Texas Tech's Jahmius Ramsey will win Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and listed these five games as the most important non-conference games for Big 12 teams:
- Kentucky at Texas Tech, Jan. 25
- Baylor at Florida, Jan. 25
- Seton Hall at Iowa State, Dec. 8
- Oklahoma at Wichita State, Dec. 14
- LSU at Texas, Jan. 25
Katz's "bold Big 12 prediction" was eight of 10 teams will enter February with a chance to make the NCAA tournament. Not all eight will, but at least eight will still be in contention.
Kansas will also make the Final Four in Atlanta, according to Katz's preseason predictions.
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