Hometown loyalty, family connections and gut instincts have paid off for this former high school player, at least so far.

Jay Bilas drew plenty of criticism for his NCAA Tournament bracket this year, but the ESPN analyst isn’t backing down. In fact, after watching all four No. 1 seeds advance to the Final Four, Bilas decided to revisit his most scrutinized prediction — and offer the reasoning behind it.

South Carolina will face The toughest test of its tournament to this point when the defending champions battle a double-tough Texas Longhorns squad. Connecticut and star Paige Bueckers will look to cash their ticket to the title game by beating the red-hot UCLA Bruins.