“I just love it,” Clinton said while filling out his NCAA Tournament bracket. With March Madness on the horizon, Bill Clinton’s bracket is drawing attention. A massive basketball fan, largely centring around his love for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Clinton’s predictions for this year’s field are a mixture of heart and head. There is, of course, a Razorbacks factor to consider, but one name appeared more than others. That name? Cooper Flagg.

Clinton may have ultimately chosen Alabama to go all the way, but he could not look past Duke’s freshman star. “Duke’s the only one that could upset this apple cart,” Clinton said, pointing out Cooper Flagg as the x-factor to mess up even the most secure brackets. It is evident that Clinton believes Flagg will be a key player capable of shaking things up in this tournament.

“Flagg is just a game breaker,” Clinton said. “You’ve got all these other players who play their parts and can step up one game after another. But Flagg is almost unstoppable when he gets it going.” Clinton’s praise doesn’t end there. He also was surprised at how well Duke played when Cooper Flagg was sidelined. “I’m surprised that Duke won those games without Flagg. But they appreciate their other players more now.” Those words speak volumes of Flagg’s value to Duke and why every move of his is under a microscope this tournament.

Clinton went all chalk and all-SEC with his bracket, predicting Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn and Florida to reach the Final Four in an all-SEC battle, with Alabama beating Florida for the national championship. “It’s because they’ve got so many different good players,” Clinton said.

“They have a hard time sorting it out sometimes. I won’t be surprised if they don’t get past the Sweet Sixteen, but if they play like they’re capable of playing, I think they’ve got the most talent.” Clearly, Clinton is buying the Alabama stock despite all of their struggles along the way.

Alabama’s struggles this season have been glaring, especially when it comes to shooting inconsistencies. Their three-point accuracy has fluctuated wildly, often dipping below 30% in crucial matchups—a major red flag for a team that relies heavily on perimeter scoring.

Defensively, rim protection has been a persistent issue. Opponents have found it far too easy to attack the lane, exposing Alabama’s interior defense time and again.

Then there are the slow starts. The Crimson Tide has repeatedly dug itself into early holes, like surrendering the first nine points against Auburn and the first 12 against Missouri. Both games ended in losses, proving just how costly those sluggish openings can be.

Interestingly, Clinton’s faith in the SEC isn’t just blind optimism. He’s seen SEC teams step up in a big way in seasons past — Alabama made the Final Four last year; Tennessee made the Elite Eight; Florida and Auburn ran the SEC this year and are ready to make noise again.

Bill Clinton’s Cautious Optimism for Arkansas

While supporting Arkansas any time he has the chance, Clinton didn’t back the school with blind optimism. He has Arkansas upsetting Kansas in the first round and praised first-year coach John Calipari. “(John) Calipari did a good job in his first year,” Clinton said. But in the second round, Clinton predicted Arkansas would lose to St. John’s. “Arkansas can beat almost anybody. I won’t be surprised if they beat St. John’s, but St. John’s is a really good team, and Pitino is a genius at figuring out how to win close games.” he said.

The cautious optimism is justified as Arkansas has had somewhat of a tumultuous season — finishing 21-13 overall and 8-10 in conference play in Calipari’s first season as head coach. Nonetheless, Clinton’s support for the Razorbacks remains unwavering as he’s seen how they can surprise folks firsthand. Clinton even has a personal connection to the team as he was in attendance for the 1994 NCAA Championship win.

That year, Arkansas played a style that has become almost mythological: “40 Minutes of Hell.” Their unrelenting pressure and team-first attitude brought them to the title, and Clinton believes there’s still some of that DNA in the Razorbacks. Even though they’ve struggled this season, he knows the Razorbacks have the ability to surprise people when it matters most.

At the end of the day, Clinton’s bracket is a mix of personal loyalty and basketball smarts. He’s realistic about Arkansas’ chances, but his pick for March Madness shows his love for the game. As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on Cooper Flagg and the SEC teams Clinton has so confidently backed. Whether they live up to his expectations remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: this March Madness just got a whole lot more interesting.