Charles Barkley offers his pick to win the NCAA championship

NBA legend Charles Barkley is about to start his 10th season covering the NCAA Tournament for CBS, and he’s aware of the main title contenders being Gonzaga and Baylor this year.

Leading up to Selection Sunday, Barkley gave a preview of sorts about March Madness during an exchange on NBA TV. He made these picks long before the brackets were revealed, and before he could get a sense of the path to the championship for either team.

“I’m betting Baylor and Gonzaga and giving people the entire field,” Barkley said. “That’s how confident I am in the Baylor Bears, and the Zags.”

Pressed to give a pick out of those two, Barkley paused for a moment, and then said, “I’m going with the Zags. They’re going to stay undefeated, going to be the first time since Indiana won it undefeated, so I’m going with the Zags.”

The Hoosiers, in fact, pulled off that rare feat in 1976.

The Bulldogs had a rare white-knuckle game in the West Coast Conference title game last week, which they won over BYU, 88-78. Entering that game, they had been unstoppable all season, and won all but one of their games by double digits as they advanced to the WCC title game for the 24th straight year.

Who is Chuck picking to win the NCAA Tournament? 👀

Find out on a new edition of “Chuck’s GuarONtees” | @FDSportsbook pic.twitter.com/y6argG4dfK

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 13, 2021

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.