Jay Bilas Explained Why He Initially Picked All No. 1 Seeds to Make Final Four

Bilas was right all along.

Jay Bilas speaks during ESPN's 'College GameDay' broadcast / Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

ESPN's Jay Bilas received quite a bit of flack for picking all four one-seeds to make the Final Four in his NCAA tournament bracket. He may have had a crystal ball, however, as each No. 1 won their region and will meet in San Antonio to determine this season's champion.

Bilas published a story on ESPN Wednesday where he explained why "this Final Four is absolutely incredible," as well as the reason behind his correctly chalk-filled bracket.

"This year, I had a dilemma," Bilas wrote. "When I looked at the paths of each No. 1 seed, I really liked the one each had."

He recalled the only other time all four one-seeds made the Final Four, which happened in 2008, where he ran into a similar situation. He liked each No. 1's path to cut down the nets after their respective regional finals and selected all four one-seeds to make it through. Ironically, that Final Four took place at the same location as this year's—the Alamodome in San Antonio.

That flashback wasn't to brag, though—well, maybe a little bit. Bilas explained that while the intrigue of an upset is always there due to the nature of March Madness, some can overlook that the tournament is where the best of the best meet to decide the eventual champion.

"[The picks] might not be as splashy," he wrote. "I got a tremendous amount of guff for my picks in 2008 and again this year. But there's something to remember: While the NCAA tournament is a spectacle, it also is the national championship.

"And we're lucky enough to have the four best teams from the season fighting it out near the Alamo for the trophy and to cut the nets down."

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