SI

ESPN's Jay Williams Was Roasted Over His Unbelievably Chalky Bracket

Tim Capurso

ESPN College GameDay hosts Rece Davis, Williams and Seth Greenberg before a game.
ESPN College GameDay hosts Rece Davis, Williams and Seth Greenberg before a game. / Casey Sapio-Imagn Images

Selection Sunday arrived and the men's NCAA Tournament bracket is set, which means it's time for the yearly March Madness tradition to begin: bracket predictions. Every year, pundits put their expertise to the test, knowledgeable fans put forth their best shot at a perfect bracket and even presidents throw their hats in the ring.

ESPN didn't wait long to put their analysts to the test, as the likes of Jay Williams, Seth Greenberg and Jay Bilas all made predictions for the Elite Eight and Final Four. And Williams, whose chalky picks consisted of only No. 1 and 2 seeds, was roasted by fans for his not-so-bold bracket.

In a sense, Williams looks smart for picking the best teams on paper. But the best teams "on paper" haven't always fared well in the tournament—and, particularly in recent years, No. 1 and 2 seeds haven't been guaranteed anything as March Madness has become more and more unpredictable.

It's possible that Williams ends up looking very smart as the tourney plays out. Or he could look foolish for not trusting more underdog teams. But at the very least, fans expected some more exciting, informed upset picks out of one of ESPN's lead college basketball analysts.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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