National Champion Winner Predictions (Updated)

Story posted March 23, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by CommRadio Sports Staff

The initial field of 68 teams has shrunk down to the Sweet 16.

There have been many major upsets that have taken place during the first two rounds of action that have shaken up the field.

Here’s a look at which of the remaining teams the CommRadio sports department believes can complete the run to a national championship.

Logan Bourandas

Arizona Wildcats

Nope, not gonna change anything after the last version of this article.

Despite a major scare in the round of 32, the Wildcats managed to stay alive against TCU in overtime.

Some of the Wildcats’ potential top opponents in the South region have already been taken down as the No. 3 seed Tennessee got knocked out against Michigan in the round of 32 and No. 4 seed Illinois got knocked out by Houston in the same round.

Now the Wildcats take on those same Cougars in the Sweet 16 and will look to continue a winning streak that has gone on since late February. - Logan Bourandas

Justin Ciavolella

Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Red Raiders might just have the hardest path to the championship, but that does not mean they cannot get through it.

Texas Tech displayed its offensive explosiveness in the first round against Montana State, but lost a little bit of its edge in a six-point victory over the Fighting Irish in the round of 32.

Mark Adams' team will need to regain its offensive attack against the Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet 16. If they can end Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching career on Thursday, the Red Raiders would still need to take down the winner of Gonzaga and Arkansas to reach the Final Four.

While the offense for Texas Tech can be a question mark behind leading scorer Bryson Williams, the defense is not. The Red Raiders have the seventh best scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 60.2 points per game to opponents.

The runner-up from 2019 looks ready to get through the gauntlet that is their schedule and bring back their first ever championship trophy to campus. - Justin Ciavolella

Aidan Torok

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga has always had enough talent but has never won the big dance. However, the 2022 NCAA tournament seems like this is finally Gonzaga’s year.

Last year was supposed to be their year as well, what’s the difference this year? Well, his name is Chet Holmgren.

Gonzaga has had phenomenal top recruits in the past such as Jalen Suggs and Domantas Sabonis. However, Holmgren is a difference maker on both ends of the floor. Holmgren added four blocks to go along with his nine points in Gonzaga’s victory against Memphis Saturday night.

The star of Saturday’s close win was not Holmgren though, it was Drew Timme. Timme after being denied in the National Championship game last year, looks to be like a man on a mission this tournament. Timme had 25 points and was absolutely crucial late in the game.

Timme has become this year’s Christian Laettner. Everyone seems to hate him, but he keeps on producing when the lights are the brightest and stars are what matters in March.

Gonzaga should be the favorite in every matchup the rest of the way. - Aidan Torok

Jakob Schnur

UCLA Bruins

The previous 20 teams to win the NCAA tournament have been top-39 in offensive efficiency and top-22 in defensive efficiency. On top of this, the last 12 teams to win, besides UConn in 2014, have been top 15 in the preseason AP Poll and top 15 in the first AP Poll of the season.

The only teams to meet this criteria are Gonzaga, UCLA and Baylor, but with Baylor being eliminated by the Tar Heels in the Round of 32, the champion should come down to one of UCLA and Gonzaga.

The Bruins went on an impressive Final Four run last year and with the same starting five leading the team this year, they have the experience and talent to go far once again.

Coupling this with Gonzaga’s recent struggles against Memphis and UCLA could be looking at their first National Championship victory since 1995. - Jakob Schnur


Logan Bourandas is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lxb5412@psu.edu.

Justin Ciavolella is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jtc5751@psu.edu.

Aidan Torok is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ajt6051@psu.edu.

Jakob Schnur is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jks6463@psu.edu.

About the Contributors

Logan Bourandas's photo

Logan Bourandas

Third-Year / Broadcast Journalism

Logan Bourandas is a third-year broadcast journalism major from Long Island, NY. He is a the news director for CommRadio and the host of Ducks on the Pond, which is an all-baseball talk show on CommRadio. He is also a sports writer, broadcaster and podcaster for CommRadio. He got his start as the station manager for his high school radio station WPOB in his hometown of Plainview, NY, where he hosted numerous radio shows and was involved in sports broadcasts. You can contact him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Jakob Schnur's photo

Jakob Schnur

Second-Year / Broadcast Journalism

Jakob Schnur is a third-year from Long Island, New York majoring in broadcast journalism at Penn State. He is a writer and broadcaster for the sports department for CommRadio. He has written articles regarding various sports and leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB and more. He has also been an analyst and hosted multiple live talk shows. His broadcast career has consisted of calling soccer, hockey, volleyball, basketball and softball on CommRadio while also calling games for Big Ten Plus. If you’d like to contact him, you can email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @JakobSchnur56.

Aidan Torok's photo

Aidan Torok

Sophmore / Broadcast Journalism

Aidan Torok is a sophmore from West Caldwell, New Jersey majoring in broadcast journalism at Penn State. He produces content and does play-by-play announcing and beat writing for the CommRadio sports department. If you’d like to contact him, email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Justin Ciavolella's photo

Justin Ciavolella

Second-year /

Justin Ciavolella is a second-year student from Sayville, New York, majoring in broadcast journalism. He is a writer, podcaster and broadcaster within the sports department of CommRadio. Ciavolella has written articles on various topics, but tends to focus on previews of Penn State sporting events. He is an analyst on Phone Booth, a sports debate talk show for the station, as well as a co-host on Bomber Boys, a Yankee talk show. He is also involved with the production of After the Whistle. He can be found on Twitter @jciavolella76, and can be emailed at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).