<
>
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
Get ESPN+

Coaches and NBA scouts make their March Madness 2022 predictions

For the second straight season, Gonzaga enters March Madness as the overall 1-seed and the betting favorite in Las Vegas to cut down the nets in New Orleans on April 4.

And for the second straight season, the Zags are also the preferred pick among coaches and scouts.

When we performed this exercise last year, there were only three teams selected as potential men's NCAA tournament champions: Gonzaga, Illinois and Baylor. This time around, there were eight different picks -- although Gonzaga is still on the top after sitting at No. 1 in the country for most of this season.

While everyone from data people to television analysts to casual observers have their own opinions on what will unfold over the next few weeks, current coaches and those paid to evaluate players preparing for the next level tend to have a unique perspective on how to fill out a March Madness bracket.

On Tuesday, I polled college coaches from all levels -- high-major, mid-major, low-major -- and NBA scouts to ask for their national championship predictions.

Here are the results of the 25 industry people polled: