Pete Gillen, who coached Providence to the Elite 8 and took Xavier and Virginia to the NCAA Tournament, is a college basketball analyst on CBS Sports Network. Throughout the tournament, he appears on “NCAA March Madness 360” and “NCAA March Madness Bracket Breakdown.” As told to The Post’s Steve Serby:
How would I have tried to defend Zion Williamson when I coached? Glad you asked. I would have gotten a net somewhere from one of the construction people. And mix in a box-and-one and zone.
I haven’t seen anybody with that explosion, that strength, that power, that agility.
The pro game as you know is different. You gotta be able to shoot from the outside. I think he’s a good shooter, but he has to continue and improve that. I’d love to see him come to the Knicks, I’ve been a Knicks fan my whole life — and I’ve been underwater with the plankton and the algae for a long time, so I’d like to come out of that.
UMBC over Virginia last year was the biggest upset since I got a date with Maryann Guacamole in grade school. No 16-1 upset this time.
And no national championship for Zion and Duke.
My thoughts of some of the games. Here we go:
WEST
First four
Arizona State over St. John’s: I’m a St. John’s fan my whole life, I’m from Brooklyn, I love St. John’s. I’m worried about how invested they’re gonna be playing as the last team in. A hungry cat hunts best. I think St. John’s might be a little uncomfortable, a little bit embarrassed to be the last team in the tournament. I don’t think St. John’s is in sync. They need a pure point guard, in my opinion. Shamorie Ponds is a great player, but he loves to score, and then all of a sudden Mustapha Heron wants to score, right? And then everybody else wants to score. Too much playground, too much chuck-and-duck, heave-and-leave. I think Arizona State is a hungrier team. Bobby Hurley coaches every dribble, he’s bleeding from the eyes, he’s foaming. They reflect him, they play hard. I think they’re together.
First round
Syracuse over Baylor: First team to 50 wins. Zone versus zone. Buddy Boeheim is a good shooter, and could be the difference.
Murray State over Marquette: The Golden Eagles are tired, and Markus Howard doesn’t get enough help. Ja Morant is lightning quick, a great penetrator. He reminds me of a righty version of Tiny Archibald.
Regional semifinals
Florida State over Gonzaga: Great size, great athleticism on the front line, and they’re deep. Rui Hachimura is a good player, but he’s not super-athletic. Josh Perkins has been around since the Johnstown flood in 1889.
Texas Tech over Michigan: The Red Raiders play great D.
Regional final
Florida State over Texas Tech: Mfiondu Kabengele — an alias I sometimes use at Motel 6s on the road — is 6-foot-10, 250 pounds and he shoots 3s!
MIDWEST
First round
Wofford over Seton Hall: A 20-game winning streak and the second-best 3-point shooting team in the country, led by Fletcher Magee. All five seniors are back from last year. Seton Hall will be a little burnt out from playing three killer games in the Big East Tournament. The thing I love about Seton Hall, when you knock ’em down, they don’t quit, they bite you in the sneaker. I just don’t know if there’s any gas left in the tank. And if Myles Powell is off, they’re toast.
New Mexico State over Auburn: Biggest sleeper since Rip Van Winkle. The Aggies play great D, and an overconfident Auburn will look past them.
Second round
New Mexico State over Kansas: Kansas is so young the Jayhawks watch the movie Bambi on Ice as a pregame film.
Regional semifinals
Kentucky over Houston: PJ Washington & Co. have too much size, physicality and strength.
Regional final
North Carolina over Kentucky: Luke Maye gets hot, and the experience of Cameron Johnson and Kenny Williams get Roy Williams past John Calipari and back to the Final Four.
SOUTH
First round
Oregon over Wisconsin: The Ducks are hot. They can bottle up Ethan Happ and keep him out of the lane. This is one of Dana Altman’s better coaching jobs.
Second round
Purdue over Villanova: Carsen Edwards is a monster, one of the best point guards in the country. He gets back on track at the right time. Villanova is a two-man band — Eric Paschall and Phil Booth — and if one of them is off, I think they’re in trouble.
Regional final
Tennessee over Virginia: Grant Williams is one of the top-10 players in the country, and he and Admiral Schofield will hurt Virginia inside. DeAndre Hunter can’t guard both of ’em. This is a team that can score from all five spots on the court and hit 3s over Virginia’s Pack Line defense. Virginia’s streaky from the outside.
EAST
Second round
Michigan State over Louisville: Cassius Winston is a special player, he can shoot, he can penetrate, he plays good D. Inside dominance by big horse Nick Ward helps, too.
Regional semifinals
Duke over Virginia Tech: Zion takes over. Buzz Williams has good perimeter guys, but no one like Zion or RJ Barrett. Williams sweats more than anybody in college basketball. I sweated, I was second team, I couldn’t outsweat Gary Williams, I tried. Buzz Williams has a dry cleaning deal, because he sweats through his suits and undershirts and drawers and everything. The Sweater: I respect guys who sweat a lot.
Regional final
Michigan State over Duke: Winston runs wild and outplays Duke point guard Tre Jones. Zion will get 18 or 20, but Winston takes over the game and the Spartans’ experience and strength wear down the Blue Devils.
National semifinals
North Carolina over Tennessee: The frontline steps up. They can score in the half-court game, they can score in transition, they hit 3s pretty well.
Michigan State over Florida State: Winston is a coach on the floor, he’s a tough, gutty guy and one-man wrecking crew. A winner and an extension of Tom Izzo, like Mateen Cleaves back in 2000.
National championship
North Carolina over Michigan State: My streak’s on the line. I’m under a lot of pressure. Picked Villanova last year to win it all. I was 0-for-life. I was gonna retire, ride off on my mule into the sunset. I was gonna have a sushi farm in Montana or work jai alai games in New Haven. But they brought me back with tofu and a ham sandwich. … Too many weapons and too much balance and experience. I feel very confident. It’s the biggest lock since Yale started their company about 150 years ago. If you’re smart, you hop on the Carolina train, ’cause I’m hot!
A score? 84-82.