The Group Chat: One Upset After Another

Today’s a major sports and culture crossover event with both The Oscars and March Madness selection shows on the docket. Brushing up ahead of our hoops bracket challenge? Let your favorite Best Picture nominee guide you — there’s a one-in-9.2 quintillion chance at a perfect bracket, so you might as well follow the (Hollywood) stars.

THE WOMEN

✍️ Hamnet — No. 1 UConn Huskies

Just as Jessie Buckley, who plays Agnes Shakespeare, is the runaway favorite for Best Actress (the only sure bet heading into tonight), the Huskies are the strongest frontrunners for a natty repeat. They boast sophomore Sarah Strong and friend of The GIST, grad student Azzi Fudd, who are both top contenders for Player of the Year (POY). Talk about a strong female lead.

🕵️ The Secret Agent — No. 3 Texas Longhorns

Although UConn seems unstoppable, the ’Horns’ late surge has them nipping at the Huskies’ heels. Texas is the only other school with two finalists for POY, and they upset No. 4 South Carolina to win the SEC Tournament title last week. Sounds a lot like the sudden buzz about Wagner Moura for Best Actor over Timothée Chalamet and Michael B. Jordan, no?

🏁 F1 — No. 4 South Carolina Gamecocks

If you loved the pure adrenaline and Hollywood razzle-dazzle of F1, you’ll love head coach (HC) Dawn Staley’s juggernaut. Did you know that F1 is the highest-grossing movie of Brad Pitt’s career? SC also makes it rain: Staley is the highest-paid women’s basketball coach, and the Gamecocks drop league-leading NIL money on their players. We love women getting paid.

🏓 Marty Supreme — No. 6 Vanderbilt Commodores

A movie and a press tour defined by relentless ambition, frenetic energy, and audacity could only be paired with Vandy. Far from a traditional powerhouse, the ’Dores have undergone an unbelievable glow-up. No one expected them to be here, but their high-octane rate of play, led by superstar sophomore Mikayla Blakes, has them eyeing their first natty like Timmy thirsting after his first Oscar.

🏰 Frankenstein — No. 8 Duke Blue Devils

Whether you love or loathe how the film’s final scenes differed from Mary Shelley’s iconic novel, rewriting the ending has been the story of Duke’s season. The Blue Devils lost six of their first nine games, including some brutal upsets, but turned things around in conference play. They won 21 of their next 23 games, plus the ACC regular-season and tournament titles. It’s not how you start…

THE MEN

💥 One Battle After Another — No. 1 Duke Blue Devils

Two films are neck-and-neck for Best Picture, and it’s the same for the men’s title. Duke is currently favored — they’re No. 1 in the AP Poll, have lost only once in 2026, and are led by freshman phenom and potential top NBA Draft pick Cameron Boozer.

• Plus, the Blue Devils are the college basketball blue blood, giving them a slight edge akin to Leonardo DiCaprio and Paul Thomas Anderson’s narrow lead in the Best Picture race.

🧛 Sinners — No. 3 Michigan Wolverines

The team breathing down Duke’s neck, like Sinners is with One Battle? No disrespect to No. 2 Arizona, but we think the Wolverines are the other most serious title threat. Like Arizona and Duke, they have just two losses on the season, but Michigan won the regular-season title in the cutthroat Big Ten by a wide margin. If they seal the conference tournament today, they’re poised for a deep national run.

🚂 Train Dreams — No. 12 Gonzaga Bulldogs

A movie partially set in Spokane, Washington, featuring a beloved father figure and themes of changing times could only be Spokane-based legacy program Gonzaga, which will end a 47-year run in the West Coast Conference to join the rebuilding Pac-12 next year. HC Mark Few is deeply loved and one of the best coaches to never win a championship. Could this be his year?

😢 Sentimental Value — No. 13 St. John’s Red Storm

Nothing says “daddy issues” like a problematic HC, and the Red Storm’s Rick Pitino certainly fits the bill. Infamous for his multiple shocking scandals while leading Louisville from 2001 to 2017, he reentered the March Madness chat when he took the prestigious St. John’s job in 2023. An undeniably talented guy with a questionable past — Stellan Skarsgård’s character would relate.

🐝 Bugonia — No. 20 Miami of Ohio RedHawks

Emma Stone’s latest mind-bender and Miami are both underdogs — in fact, the RedHawks could miss the bracket entirely during tonight’s selection show. They suffered their first loss of the season, a first-round conference tournament upset, on Thursday. Combined with their weak schedule, it might be enough to keep them out of the Big Dance. Cinderella lovers, cross your fingers.