Our experts' NCAA Tournament brackets and Final Four picks

You know who’s in and who’s disappointed. But do you know who’s going to win? Which Cinderella will emerge? Which favorite will fall first? We can help.

Here are our expert selections — and reasoning — courtesy of Seth Davis, Dana O’Neil, Sam Vecenie, C.L. Brown and Brian Hamilton. Let the debate and second-guessing begin.

Seth Davis’ NCAA Tournament analysis

My strategy for picking brackets is there is no strategy. I don’t like to pick chalk, but I don’t like to force upsets, either. Virginia and Villanova were clearly the two best teams in the country this season. It’s only natural to expect them to be the last two teams standing. I took the longest to decide between Virginia-Arizona and Duke-Michigan State in the Sweet 16. It would be great to see Deandre Ayton go up against Virginia’s man-to-man and see Jaren Jackson go up against Duke’s zone. My Cinderellas are Loyola-Chicago, South Dakota State and New Mexico State. Guess I’m feeling more chalky than usual this year.

C.L. Brown’s NCAA Tournament analysis

I put my faith in point guards in this tournament, which is why I’m picking Villanova to cut down the nets. Jalen Brunson has been as dependable as they come (yhough I’d still pick Oklahoma’s Trae Young as national Player of the Year). The duo of Brunson and Mikal Bridges are arguably the best 1-2 punch in the Tournament. They are the only pair I’d trust more than North Carolina’s Joel Berry II and Theo Pinson. The Tar Heels’ tournament experience is why I think they’ll make a third consecutive Final Four. UNC will have ACC company with Virginia claiming that elusive Final Four berth for Tony Bennett. The Cavaliers just don’t beat themselves. The Midwest is the toughest region, where I look for Michigan State to shake off the rust from a week off and get on a roll to San Antonio.

Brian Hamilton’s NCAA Tournament analysis

Without much time to consider this, I went with my gut: We’re probably going to end up at a reasonably chalky place by the time we get to San Antonio. I might be relying too much on Michigan State demonstrating a consistent ‘A’ effort when it hasn’t always done that, but the depth of talent is there for a run. I’m trusting that Virginia can make enough shots against Arizona’s lax defense, but I will be curious how far a Cincinnati-Virginia regional final turns back the clock. I’ve liked Villanova’s balance and resolve all season. It has the ability to stop teams and it has two players — Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges — who provide the shot-making you need in tenuous, late-game situations.

Dana O’Neil’s NCAA Tournament analysis

Consider this my bouquet to the NCAA: a Final Four with just one team (Michigan State) to make the folks in Indianapolis uncomfortable. OK, I didn’t pick the bracket to eliminate the messiness. In fact, I waffled on the winner between Virginia and Arizona more than any other, trying to weigh the superhuman that is Deandre Ayton versus the super system that are the Cavaliers.

Ultimately, I questioned whether the Wildcats have the discipline to handle the root canal that is playing against Virginia and decided they did not. And while picking the overall No. 1 seed to win the tournament doesn’t appear terribly daring, I think this season it is. Virginia is the most divisive team in this field. People not only hate the way the Cavaliers play; they question if the Cavaliers are built for the long haul of this tournament, a fair question with Virginia’s tepid tourney track record. Couple that with a roster that is nowhere near Tony Bennett’s most talented, this may be the craziest time to pick the Wahoos.

But in a year stuffed with crazy, there have been two spots of consistent sanity — one in Charlottesville, Va., and the other in Villanova, Pa.,, sites of my two finalists. As reliable as the Wildcats have been, Virginia has been just a bit more dependable.

Sam Vecenie’s NCAA Tournament analysis

Virginia, Villanova, Duke and Gonzaga in the Final Four isn’t exactly one chock full of surprises. These have been four of the top-10 teams in college basketball this season. Virginia has the best defense, Villanova has the best offense, Duke has the most talent, and Gonzaga … well, Gonzaga is in the West.

In the final, I trusted the two best units in college basketball, the Virginia defense and Villanova offense, to get there. Then, I went with Virginia to win the title. They’ve been the best team all season. I’m a bit worried about their pace of play keeping them in a few too many close games, but at the end of the day, I’m going with the team I trust the most. In a season where everybody is flawed, Virginia seems like the least flawed of the bunch.

(Top photos by USA TODAY Sports)