March Madness has arrived.
In this annual Sports ’N Torts March Madness Preview, host Joshua Stein is joined by longtime friends and college basketball fans Laurence Kessler and Robert Unell to break down the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
The group dives into the biggest tournament storylines, including the rise of SEC basketball, the impact of NIL and the transfer portal on roster construction, and why it has become harder to identify the stars of college basketball compared to past eras.
The crew also spends time analyzing the Georgia Bulldogs’ tournament appearance as an 8-seed and their first-round matchup with Saint Louis, discussing expectations for Coach Mike White’s program and whether the Bulldogs can make a run.
Along the way, the conversation takes some entertaining detours — including debates about the most dangerous mascot in the tournament, trivia about where obscure schools are located, and the merits of different tournament host cities.
Finally, the group creates the official Sports ’N Torts bracket, with each host selecting a region winner before debating their way to a national champion.
Will analytics win the day?
Or will the bracket be decided by tacos in Tucson and mascot chaos?
Like every year… we’re about to find out.
Show NotesMarch Madness Is Here* The crew opens the show celebrating the arrival of March Madness. * Discussion of the sports calendar heating up with: + NCAA Tournament + MLB Opening Day + The Masters + World Baseball Classic.
Major Tournament StorylinesSEC Basketball Is Surging The SEC placed 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament*. * Discussion of how coaching, NIL money, and recruiting pipelines have strengthened the conference.
The Transfer Portal & NIL ImpactTopics discussed:
Georgia Bulldogs Tournament BreakdownThe hosts discuss the UGA program under Coach Mike White.
Key talking points:
Georgia vs Saint Louis First RoundKey matchup factors:
Consensus prediction:
➡ Georgia wins the first round
➡ Likely matchup with Michigan in Round 2.
Tournament Upsets & Dangerous SeedsDiscussion includes:
Classic upset seed lines 12 vs 5 * 11 vs 6*
Takeaways:
Most Entertaining Segment: Mascot DebateThe hosts debate the most dangerous mascots in the tournament.
Highlights include:
Conclusion:
➡ Kangaroo vs Shark becomes the hypothetical mascot championship fight.
Geography TriviaThe hosts try to identify where certain schools are located, including:
Mixed results… and plenty of laughs.
Official Sports ’N Torts Bracket PicksEach host selected a region winner.
East RegionWinner: UConn
South RegionWinner: Vanderbilt
Midwest RegionWinner: Iowa State
West RegionWinner: Arizona
Sports ’N Torts Final Four* Arizona * Iowa State * Vanderbilt * UConn
National Championship:
🏆 UConn defeats Arizona
Prediction:
UConn builds a modern tournament dynasty with three titles in four years.
Analytics vs Human BracketsJosh also tested AI bracket predictions.
AI Final Four projection:
Discussion:
Fun Facts Discussed 11-seed play-in teams have reached the Final Four. * About 1–2 No. 1 seeds reach the Final Four each year. * College basketball parity may actually be declining due to NIL*.
Closing ThoughtsThe hosts celebrate the arrival of one of the best stretches in sports:
And prepare to see whether the Sports ’N Torts bracket survives the first weekend.
As always, this episode is powered by the J. Stein Law Firm - a personal injury law firm in Atlanta, GA - www.jsteinlawfirm.com