Vibing With Sleezy: The Podcast 2026 March Madness Episode

0:01 Hey, what's up, everybody? Welcome to Vibin' with Sleazy the podcast. This is season seven, episode four. I want to thank everybody for listening, tuning in, and downloading. It's been a blast so far. I've had a good season and uh got some special guests lined up here uh this next couple weeks. I've took a little break on a week Tennessee trip, so I'm back and ready to record. I'm gonna do two solo sports episodes and release them the same day. It's gonna be a March Madness episode and a uh MLB the preview episode. So basically going to break down the March Madness bracket, uh the college basketball uh spectacular that's happening this season and uh you know give you my predictions, kind of go over some key talking points about the bracket, tell you about locations, and just give you overall a great March Madness episode.

0:58 And then I'm going to do an MLB preview episode on another one, uh breaking down the 2026 uh MLB season coming up. So it's gonna be a very good MLB season. But I want to thank everybody that's been listening and downloading. Um, my last episode with Carissa took off great, so very, very thankful for that. And shout out to her. Um, but overall, with the March Madness episode, I can't wait to break this down. So let's dive into the bracket. Um, I'll go into some talking points throughout, but however, I just want to give you my overall picks and tell you kind of how it laid out this year for 2026. March Madness is such a special time.

1:38 As a kid, I used to love it. As an adult, I love it. I don't think I've ever stopped loving it. I've I've gone to games, I've traveled for March Madness. So it's always a special time of year, it's always a big spectacular. So I'm excited to see uh who's gonna stand out, the upsets, the star players, and uh really see who's gonna be uh winning that championship on April 6th. So overall, the uh 2026 NCAA tournament this year, uh the final four is gonna be in Indianapolis, Indiana. Uh, very, very common for that to happen. Indy hosts a lot of big sports events, and they always host March Madness of some sort. So for them to get the Final Four, that'll be uh big and special.

2:22 Uh Final Four weekend will be April 4th this year, and April 6th will be the big game. Um, but overall, uh there's four playing games for this season. So uh March Madness always has those four play-in games where it's eight teams really fighting to uh be the final four that makes it to March Madness. So it's cool they do that. I also kind of feel like they just went through a uh conference tournament, you know, slide them in. I know we're trying to give other teams opportunity. I know it's tournament, I know it's sudden death, but it's like they could kind of work on that. You know, playing games for that is kind of wild, but that's Tuesday, Wednesday, and uh the first four is what they call that tournament.

3:09 So the uh we'll go over the first uh bracket. It's going to be the uh let's see, let's start with the first round, Thursday through Friday, over on the south uh bracket. So the south bracket this year, the play-in game is gonna be Prairie View versus Lehigh. Now I've picked Prairie View, and uh I think they're gonna make it for the play-in game. And so to break down that bracket, overall, you got um Florida playing um Prairie View, and I think Florida's gonna get that upset. They're a strong team, huge rebounded team.

3:51 Uh got upset in the SEC tournament by Vanderbilt, but I think Florida's gonna win that first-round game. That game's gonna be in Tampa. Uh, Clemson and Iowa. That's gonna come from the Oklahoma City area. And uh you got Clemson playing um Iowa. I think Clemson's gonna win that. I think Vanderbilt versus McNeese, Vandy's gonna win that, representing the SEC. And I think Nebraska versus Troy, I think Nebraska is going to win that game. Nebraska's got a four seed. They had a really good basketball season, so it's uh cool to see Nebraska being in a uh one through four seed.

4:31 Uh North Carolina versus VCU. I'm going to put North Carolina in that one. Um, Illinois versus Penn, I'm going to put Illinois. Uh, the reason there, Illinois is very strong this year. Penn, uh, they got the upset. They upset Yale uh for the Ivy League Championship and uh was very shocked by that. Did not have a strong record, almost was 500. You know, I I think they were about 17 and 14 around there, but yeah, not a uh strong suited team. So I think Illinois is gonna actually blow out Penn for that game. Penn actually uh took Yale to overtime in that Ivy League championship.

5:12 Uh St. Mary's versus Texas AM. Um St. Mary's, I think, is gonna get the win. I always root for the SEC and always believe the SEC is a powerhouse conference, but um I think St. Mary's is just a little bit too strong for Texas AM, and a lot of SE teams got in this year, if you'll notice. So Houston versus Idaho, shout out to Idaho making it uh with the 15th seed, but Houston's gonna blow them out. Houston is super strong. Uh they're gonna make a great run. Um, so overall, that is how I believe the South uh started. And in the rest of those games, uh like the North Carolina, Illinois penned, I'll be in Greenville, and then the remaining there that I mentioned the last two will be in Oklahoma City.

5:57 So let's break down that whole quarter of the bracket. So now you got Florida versus Clemson. I'm going with Florida. Uh Bandy versus Nebraska. I'm going with Bandy. We're gonna have an SEC Championship rematch, which is gonna be really cool. Uh UNC versus Illinois. I'm going with North Carolina. North Carolina played amazing at home this year, went undefeated at home, um, you know, lost some games, never could uh be stronger than Duke this year. Um, but North Carolina, they they're their strong team. Uh St. Mary's versus Houston. I'm going with Houston. I think Houston's the powerhouse, definitely here in this South bracket.

6:38 Um, and for the Elite Eight, uh, and all this will be uh in Houston, uh, Texas, for the Elite Eight, Florida versus Houston on March 28th through 29th, I think Houston makes the final four. And I think that's how the South will play out. Um, so overall, it's gonna be played this Thursday, Friday, March 26th, 27th is a sweet 16, and then the Elite Eight will be March 28th, 29th, and those will be all played in Houston, Texas. So Houston, they are the final four representative for the South, in my prediction. Uh, all right, now we're gonna move down to the Midwest. So the Midwest actually um overall, they had two playing games.

7:21 So um the uh basically the East didn't have to deal with that, and it's always interesting they do that. They always do that because the best team they rank overall, which is Duke this year, that has the highest seed, they just they're saying, hey, they don't get a playing uh uh team in that series. So overall, we're gonna break down this Midwest bracket. So the two playing games, we got Howard versus UNBC. I got Howard winning. Uh Howard is always a good school out of the Washington, D.C. area. They always play strong basketball. And I think Miami, Ohio is going to beat SMU for the playing game.

8:02 Miami, Ohio was unbelievable this year. They should have got a lot more love. I think they should have had an automatic slide in there. But you got to remember, too, these playing games. Um two of them are 16th seeds and two of them are 11th seeds. So you're not automatically just the 16th team that's sliding in. You are in two categories, the 11th seed. So that would be Miami, Ohio, SMU, which they would get the 11th seed of whoever wins that. So let's break down the Midwest. Michigan versus Howard. I'm going with Michigan. Uh Michigan's a strong number one seed. I think they're going to blow out Howard. Uh St. Louis versus Georgia.

8:44 St. Louis been incredible this season. Uh, had a few uh bad losses, but man, they started strong. We're undefeated there for a while. Really good team. I think St. Louis gets the win over the SEC Georgia. St. Louis also that would be an upset. Um, nine, eight seed game. Uh, Texas Tech versus Akron. I'm going with Texas Tech. That Akron uh Mac Championship there, that was a uh hard fought game, but they ended up making it. Alabama versus Hofstra. I'm going with Alabama, uh, the four seed. However, their second highest scoring player uh and the guy who had a great game there last game, the SEC tournament, he has now been arrested uh for over a pound of marijuana, um other or drug paraphernalia, and uh he didn't pay some certain tax uh that's that's particular in Alabama area.

9:40 So was called where he lives on campus or in college. So that's about four days out from them playing. I don't think they need them against Hofstra. I think they're gonna blow out Hofstra even without him, but uh that's gonna be a key factor for Alabama to make a run, who could potentially make a run. But with him out, and if they decide to suspend him or not allow him to play, uh Alabama's gonna be a whole new team, and it's not gonna be for the good uh good of basketball for them. Uh Tennessee versus Miami, Ohio. I'm going with Tennessee. Even though Miami, Ohio has had that beautiful season, that's that's the way I think Tennessee is gonna pull it off. Virginia versus Wright State. I think Virginia blows out right state.

10:22 UAK, Kentucky, my squad. We're playing Santa Clara. Santa Clara has not been in the uh March Madness for 30 years. Last time they were there, Steve Nash played for them. Um, so I think Kentucky is gonna get the win. I think uh Santa Clara, you know, even though it's an exciting story, I just think Kentucky's too strong for them. Iowa State versus Tennessee State. I'm going with Iowa State on that one. They're the uh number two seed. So to finish out this quarter of the bracket, uh Michigan versus St. Louis. Uh Michigan is just gonna be too strong for St. Louis. Like I said, even though they had a great year, had a few losses, they're not gonna be too strong for Michigan.

11:05 Uh Texas Tech versus Alabama. I'm going with Alabama. Alabama is uh just too good. Again, even with that key player out, they'll be good. And again, he may play. You never know. Um Tennessee versus uh uh Virginia. I'm going with Virginia. Kentucky versus Iowa State. I think Kentucky makes a quick little run there. I it's been a disappointing year. Uh Pope's got to get it together. We but we we just we have a few good players, and I think we can make a small little run, and Kentucky gets that win over Iowa State. They'll be an upset. Michigan versus Alabama, Michigan's gonna win that.

11:48 Virginia versus Kentucky. That's where Kentucky will go down. Virginia will move on. And then Michigan versus Virginia, Michigan is gonna be representing the Final Four for the Midwest bracket quarter. There, I just see that happening. And those games will be played in Buffalo, Tampa, Philadelphia, and St. Louis. So um that's gonna be uh the Midwest, though. Overall, the the key games there, they'll be played in Chicago, Illinois. So gonna be exciting times, same dates there for that uh you know, Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. And uh so overall on that side of the bracket, it's gonna be Houston versus Michigan.

12:29 And I think who's gonna make it to the championship? I'm not telling you my championship winner until the end of the episode, but I think Houston will represent that side of the bracket, the number two seed Houston. Uh just too strong, and I think they'll uh get the upset over Michigan. So let's move over to the left side of the bracket. Uh the left side of the bracket, um, we'll start with the east, and uh that is the best part of the bracket. I think the east is the strongest. I think whoever comes out of the east will win the national championship the way it plays out. So overall, the East, um, which is Thursday through Friday, is going to be played in Greenville, San Diego, Buffalo, and Philadelphia.

13:14 So overall, um their main area that they'll play the main games will be in Washington. So um that's a that's an exciting thing for uh the West Coast uh to have some games out there, and Washington gets the host. Um, so let's start with the first game of that uh quarter and Duke versus Sienna. Duke is going to blow out Sienna. Um Sienna being that 16th seed, it's it's gonna be ugly. Ohio State versus TCU. Ohio State will get that win. St. John's versus Northern Iowa, St. John's will blow them out. Uh they are too strong.

13:54 California Baptists versus Kansas. This is my big upset. California Baptists will win this game. Um the reason I say that is because they have played a great year. Such a small school, but they have been great this season. And Kansas have had up and downs. Uh they are still strong, but you know, I just think Bill South will go in there, and I don't think he'll be able to pull off the win. So that's my upset. California Baptist. Um, U of L, Louisville, where I'm from, Louisville, Kentucky. They're playing South Florida. I think they'll beat South Florida.

14:36 Michigan State versus North Dakota State. Michigan State will get that win. UCLA versus UCF. UCLA will get that win. And UConn versus Furman, UConn will get that win. UConn is the number two seed, always strong. Um, and overall, they're just always a pretty dominating uh uh squad. So let's keep breaking it down. Uh Duke versus Ohio State. Uh I got Duke winning it. Uh St. John's versus California Baptists. I got St. John's winning it. I think uh California Baptists will have that exciting win, and then St. John's is gonna kind of come in there and uh uh put them down because uh they St.

15:21 John's is just such a uh just tough team, you know, 28-6, you know, number one seed in their biggest bracket. It's just it's kind of crazy that they got the fifth seed and Yukon got the second seed. Uh, you know, UConn was 29-5. I know a little bit of a better record, but St. John's blew them out in their championship 72 to 52. So I just don't I don't see how St. John's can be stopped. Uh St. John's versus Duke. Uh St. John's will move on to the Elite Eight. U of L versus Michigan State.

16:01 U of L uh they'll lose to Michigan State. UConn will beat UCLA. And then I think in the Elite Eight there in Washington, it's gonna be St. John's versus UConn. I think it's gonna be a rematch of that Big East uh championship, and I think again, St. John's blows them out to move on to the Final Four. Rick Petino, he's done a hell of a job. I mean, however you feel about him, good, bad, indifferent, the man is a winner, and he will take St. John's to the final four. I think he'll be history. I think he'll be a huge key talking point during all that coverage. And I just think that St. John's, uh, whoever came out of that east, they can really win it.

16:44 And I think St. John's will do it. They'll represent that quarter of the bracket. Uh let's move on down to the West, which is going to have games played in San Diego, Portland, and St. Louis. Their big games will be represented in San Jose, California. So that'll be exciting for the San Jose, California region. Uh, overall, I got Arizona um playing Long Island. Uh, you know, I think Arizona will win that by huge. Uh, they are a powerhouse this year. And the playing game overall is Texas versus NC State for that 11th seed. And I think NC State's gonna beat Texas.

17:25 Texas didn't have a strong year. SEC, great team, but NC State's a little bit stronger. But uh moving on, Villanova versus Utah State. Uh, this will be the one that plays Arizona. Villanova will get that win. Wisconsin versus High Point. Wisconsin have a strong win there. Arkansas versus Hawaii. Okay. Hawaii, what an amazing story. Um 10 uh years since they've been in March Madness. They won their uh conference championship, which was incredible. I watched the whole game. They played UC Cow and um I think Long Beach, and uh they ended up just getting a big win, were strong.

18:13 They were like third best rebounding team in all of basketball. So Hawaii's been a fun uh team to watch. Their coach has been there for 13 years. Uh Hawaii just has some big guys, number 20, big star player. So I'm excited to see Hawaii in March Minus. I'm excited to see what they can do in that game versus Arkansas, but Arkansas is unbelievable. The SEC Champions, number four seed here, they got a player um who is going to be uh a cuff. He's gonna be a star player in the NBA. And but I think Arkansas is just gonna blow out Hawaii. I I really hate to say that.

18:54 I think Hawaii's strong this year. I think it'll be fun to see him, but I think Arkansas just with who they got, and they got Brazil, they got all these different guys. I mean, they're just strong, and Calipari knows what he's doing, so it'll be a good good game. Uh, but I think Arkansas just that second half will take off. Um BYU versus NC State, BYU, Gonzaga versus Kennesaw State, Gonzaga, Miami, Florida versus Missouri, Miami, Florida, Purdue versus Queens, Purdue will blow out Queens. Um, Arizona versus Villanova. I got Arizona moving forward, Arkansas versus Wisconsin.

19:35 I got Arkansas moving forward there to the sweet 16. BYU versus Gonzaga. I got BYU moving forward past Gonzaga. They had a great year. I had some injuries, but great season. Uh Miami, Florida versus Purdue. Purdue's just too big for Miami, Florida. They'll move on. And then Arizona versus Arkansas. Arkansas will upset Arizona. They're just too good, have NBA talent, and uh Calipari's got a strong team. And the SEC Championship this year, with how many SEC teams made it, it's such a strong conference, and Arkansas will represent. They're gonna play Purdue, who will beat BYU. And then my final four representer out of West will be Purdue.

20:17 Uh, Purdue will take down Arkansas, and it will be Purdue versus St. John's. And who I think is moving forward in that is St. John's. So St. John's in the championship. So overall on that side of the bracket, it's gonna be St. John's versus Purdue, with St. John's making it, and I think the national championship. So here's my official prediction. It will be St. John's versus Houston, 87-78, St. John's. The red storm win the national championship. Rick Pertino brings one home. It's history in New York City and St. John's, uh, who really need a championship, they they'll do it.

20:58 So that will be humongous. I think that's gonna be exciting to see, and I think that's how it plays out. I know a lot of people listening are like, wow, you know, of all the teams in it, but I just think St. John's is gonna make a strong run, and having that fifth seed is just kind of a slap in the face. I know they got Tribal West to play, you know, being in San Diego, but St. John's, they're gonna they're gonna do well. Um, so a few key talking points before I sign off on this March Madness episode. And again, this is going to be fun, guys. It is going to be an amazing, amazing March Madness. But the number one seeds in the championship favorites, you know, Duke, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, all four teams had a great run.

21:44 Um, I think all of them are strong, but I only think a couple of them are true powerhouses uh for sure. I think the classic 12 versus five upset uh watches that can happen. Yes, I picked who I picked, but high point. Literally could beat Wisconsin. 12 seed five there. That's the game to watch for. That's where a potential upset could happen. I know I said Kansas, California, Baptist, but watch for that high point Wisconsin game. The strongest region overall, like I said, I believe is the East. And I think it's going to be fun to see. I think some Cinderella candidates, three of them, even though I believe Santa Clara can't take down Kentucky.

22:27 I think Santa Clara, if they did get the upset, they might have the adrenaline to do something. And a lot of experts are thinking that. And now Akron and Liberty, I think those two could make a run as well. Again, I talked about their conference championships and different things, but that's only if they get those key wins. It has to be those key wins for them to move forward and do that. But those could be some Cinderella watches. Cameron Boozer of Duke, Star Freshman, huge NBA prospect. He's a player. If you wanted to see some star power, watch Cameron Boozer of Duke.

23:13 Bubble teams and controversial selections overall. I think people are very upset that Indiana, Seton Hall, and Auburn didn't make it. But I believe all three of those teams didn't make it for a reason. And I think Auburn was terrible this year. I think Bruce Pearl and his son, I, you know, that Bruce Pearl is working for the administration, got his son the job. Auburn sucked. I mean, they were just bad. So I don't think they deserved it. I think the talk about them being a team that got in, I just don't believe it. But overall, the Final Four location will be the home of the Indianapolis Coats, Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis.

23:55 That's going to be humongous. They're going to have it all set up for basketball. I've been there for the NBA All-Star game. It's always incredible. Indy's a fun town, especially when sports are involved. But overall, I think uh Indy will be hosting St. John's versus Houston, and you will be seeing a St. John's national champion. Thank you all for listening, tuning, and downloading. Put your brackets in. Uh watch the games. Have fun. I hope everybody uh has a fun time watching and gets to uh maybe win some money in their bracket pool. But uh this is episode four, season seven, Five and Wislees of the Podcast. Peace.