The NCAA Tournament is officially underway, and the craziness has only begun with March Madness. While announcing his 64-team bracket, Phoenix Suns legend Charles Barkley dropped a shocking prediction involving Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils.
Barkley has played for many teams in the league, though he is mostly recognized for his great years with the Suns, where he won the MVP award in 1995 and led Phoenix to an NBA Finals appearance. However, in college basketball, there is only one place he calls home: Auburn.
The former star has been closely following the season as it unfolded, and Bruce Pearl’s program was selected as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region. While he roots for the Tigers through thick and thin, Barkley doesn’t envision the school winning the national championship. However, he did predict that they would make it to the Final Four.
One of the biggest storylines in college basketball revolves around Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils from Durham. As Flagg continues to recover from his ankle injury, hoping to return to the court for Duke’s first-round game on March 21, Barkley made a bold prediction about the school’s fate during March Madness.
Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils looks on during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on November 22, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona.
According to Barkley’s March Madness bracket, Flagg’s Duke will fall to No. 4 Arizona during the Sweet Sixteen stage. No. 1 Duke is the biggest favorite to win the NCAA Tournament, so a loss in the third round would be a devastating blow for Jon Scheyer’s team and the program in Durham.
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Other predictions
Barkley is well aware of the frenzy that takes over of college basketball during March Madness, where anything can happen. Therefore, the legendary Suns‘ player, issued a series of surprising predictions.
For example, Barkley stated No. 11 in the Midwest region, Xavier, will take down Illinois and Kentucky, the sixth and third seed, respectively, in a Cinderella run to the Sweet Sixteen.
Barkley’s Final Four
According to his predicted bracket, Auburn, Florida, Gonzaga, and Arizona will make the Final Four. However, Barkley didn’t let his love for Auburn blind his judgment and stated that the Florida Gators will eliminate the Tigers in the NCAA Tournament semifinal.
CBS commentator Charles Barkley looks on during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal between the Auburn Tigers and the Virginia Cavaliers at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
No. 8 Gonzaga will take down Arizona in the other semifinal matchup, en route to a National Championship Game between the Bulldogs and Gators. Ultimately, according to ‘Chuck,’ the champagne bottles will pop in Gainesville, as the Gators crown themselves champions in his prediction.
