Charles Barkley Picks Kentucky to go to the Final Four

Can Kentucky make a run to the Final Four in 2023? Sir Charles Barkley certainly thinks so.

The former Auburn Tiger is covering the NCAA Tournament once again in the studio for Turner and CBS Sports. This year he’s making one big, painful pick. He believes Alabama will cut down the nets in Houston.

“This is painful for me to say, Roll Tide, National Champions,” Charles Barkley said on The Next Round Live.

“They have the best team. They have the best player. It’s great recognition for the state… This is great for Alabama. I’m a pro-Alabama guy. Anything that’s going to be great for the state of Alabama I think is awesome. Come on, don’t compare to the Alabama rivalry in basketball to the Alabama rivalry in football.”

Charles Barkley spends most of his time watching the NBA, but for this time of year he is completely invested in the NCAA Tournament. Chuck even joked that he does more homework now than when he had someone do it for him during his days at Auburn.

In the midst of his research, another SEC team popped off the page. Sir Charles predicts Kentucky will punch a ticket to the Final Four in Houston. He believes the Wildcats will knock off Marquette, the Big East Tournament Champ, before taking out Duke in the East Region Final at Madison Square Garden.

He’s the second high-profile person to believe in the Big Blue. Sister Jean is taking it one step further. Loyola-Chicago’s most famous fan picked Kentucky to win the National Championship.

Charles Barkley does not have a reputation for creating the most accurate predictions. Now is the perfect time for that trend to end so the BBN can see the Wildcats back in the Final Four for the first time since 2015.