Charles Barkley picks his favorite to win NCAA Tournament: “I’m picking, and this is painful for me”
Charles Barkley has made his March Madness prediction. With the NCAA's annual tournament kicking off on Tuesday with the First Four, fans, analysts and former players are all making their final predictions. This week, the Auburn alumnus and outspoken Hall of Famer weighed in with his pick.
The way he sees things, regardless of who he may want to win the tournament, it will be Alabama who winds up winning the championship. Given the fact that he went to Auburn, the prediction is a pretty sensational one that quickly made the rounds among the basketball community.
During a recent appearance on "The Next Round," Charles Barkley broke down how he sees things playing out:
“I’m picking, and this is painful for me to say, Roll Tide, national champions.”
Alabama (29-5), the No. 1 overall seed, will start its run at a title on Thursday when it plays the winner of Tuesday's game between Southeast Missouri and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 6:40 p.m. Eastern Time.
While the tournament sees plenty of upsets every year, it's no secret that the Alabama Crimson Tide are the favorites to win the championship this year. Despite the controversy surrounding Brandon Miller, the team seems poised to make a deep run behind its star player.
Above, you can view CBS Sports' coverage of the March Madness tournament bracket.
The controversy surrounding Alabama before Charles Barkley's prediction
There has been plenty of controversy surrounding Alabama in recent weeks. As coach Nate Oats said recently, the team has wanted to ensure that they don't lose sight of the tragic murder of Jamea Jonae Harris in January.
In the wake of former Alabama player Darius Miles being charged with another man with capital murder, there has been plenty of attention following the team. Although Brandon Miller managed to avoid charges in the situation, many believe he shouldn't be allowed to play.
Going into the tournament, Oats was quoted by on3 as saying:
“Obviously, we never lose sight of the tragedy that’s kind of marked our season. It’s always there. Today, with the team, we’re going to celebrate this win without losing sight of that.
"Moving forward, we’re going to try to keep the team focused on the task at hand, just like we have, without ever losing sight of the fact it’s an unbelievably sad situation. Our guys have been able to do a pretty good job of that, I think. (I’d) love to celebrate what we were able to accomplish together as a team.”
With Miller likely a top pick in June's NBA draft, many have argued that there's no point in sidelining him for the remainder of his collegiate career. As March Madness tips off on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see whether the team is able to focus on winning.
For his part, Miller has shown that despite the controversy surrounding him off the court, he can hone in on basketball and deliver stellar performances.