ESPN's Jay Williams Gets Properly Roasted After Going All-Chalk With His March Madness Bracket

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There are two types of people in this world: people who fill out NCAA Tournament brackets hoping for fun in the form of upsets, and people who fall in love with the favorites, the metrics, and go chalk. ESPN's Jay Williams falls into the latter category and made it abundantly clear just minutes after the 2025 March Madness bracket was released.

While the four-letter network did not share Williams' full bracket, it did reveal his picks for the Elite Eight which consisted of No. 1 seeds Auburn, Duke, Houston, and Florida along with No. 2 seeds Tennessee, St. John's, Alabama, and Michigan State.

READ: Bracket Time: 2025 NCAA Tournament Opening Betting Odds For Every Game After Selection Sunday

One would imagine that Williams would show at least a sliver of boldness in his Final Four picks and put at least one No. 2 seed in there, but no, he stayed true to the chalk and had all four No. 1 seeds in his Final Four.

If the selection committee and metrics got things right, which is a big ask when we're talking about a 68-team field, Williams going chalk is simply playing the best odds. He played it safe, which is the opposite of fun, which is everything the NCAA Tournament is about. 

Folks on social media were quick to clown Williams for his ‘bold’ selections, which is fair game.

Now, for what you've all been waiting for, the Elite Eight and Final Four picks from yours truly, a guy who essentially only watched SEC basketball this year.

In the Elite Eight we're rolling with (1) Auburn, (2) Michigan State, (1) Florida, (3) Texas Tech, (5) Oregon, (7) St. Mary's, (1) Houston, and (7) UCLA. Houston, Oregon, Michigan State, and Florida are the Final Four picks.

I hope you're all looking forward to your brackets being absolutely cooked before the second round tips off as much as I am.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016, when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.