For the second straight year, Hoops HQ requested that I, the Freezing Cold Takes guy, put together a list of some of the top Freezing Cold Takes published during the 2026 NCAA Tournament. So here we are.
This is not an exclusive list. There were probably tens of thousands of comments made about the tournament that qualified, and I couldn’t possibly get them all.
I apologize if I missed one of your favorites, but I hope you enjoy this roundup. I’m sure there are more on the way this weekend.
First up, it’s Wisconsin governor Tony Evers showing some love to his hometown Badgers. This was — *checks notes* — roughly six hours before Wisconsin got upset by High Point…
By the way, Evers recently announced he wouldn’t seek reelection in 2026. Maybe he wants the North Carolina job?
Next is Ben Brust, an ESPN Milwaukee anchor who was really betting on his favorite team. I’m starting to notice a pattern with these Wisconsinites.
Here comes our first installment of mid-major mania, featuring Saint Louis center Robbie Avila. We love Cream Abdul-Jabbar, but this one was quite a brick…
Forget lunatic ramblings on Saint Louis and Wisconsin. Thank you, Sean Paul, for our first safe, lucid take on No. 1 seed… Florida.
Mike Francesca gave Iowa zero chance. He also broke the real reason for Zuby Ejiofor’s transfer to St. John’s: He didn’t want to sit behind Kansas star Joel Embiid.
I’m all for hasty judgement, but this one didn’t age well. And the more Rick Barnes wins, the more it pops up.
Man… if it weren’t for the fated grudge-match between Iowa and Nebraska, Clay might’ve been spot on.
Alas, even the great John Fanta can have a freezing cold take every now and then. How about the look of repulsion on his face as he defended the reigning national champs?
Never speak in absolutes. The repetition of “zero” really makes this one sting.
Nebrasketball might have been an immovable object but the Hawkeyes were transcendent. Did you see the way Ben McCollum’s head was spinning?
These Iowa takes just keep coming. Here’s radio host Steven Sipple recapping Nebraska’s overtime win vs. the Hawkeyes back in early March.
And here are Bennett Stirtz’s stats in Iowa’s Sweet Sixteen win vs. Nebraska in late March: 20 points, 4 assists. Oops.
Here’s a forecast on Will-he-or-won’t-he Wade. In Peter’s defense, it’s possible Wade could’ve run the ACC… but he ran to LSU.
This next one was posted just five minutes before “Baby Giraffe” Ament lit it up. Ament hit more than a couple of layups on the way to Tennessee’s 14-point rout of the Cyclones.
Bruce Pearl put the SEC blinders on for this take on Michigan-Tennessee. The Vols were thoroughly punked on their weekend trip to Chicago.
Sometimes you can’t blame a live Tweeter: Duke-UConn really did look like a blowout. Check out the comments for a healthy mix of UConn gloating, Duke seething and a peanut butter cookie recipe from a lost Illinois fan.
Braylon Mullins’ buzzer beater might have been karmic justice for this ACC fan calling UConn “mentally weak.” His postgame response is even better: “No way.”
And here it is, the magnum opus. We are pretty sure Braylon Mullins is a good shooter, Jourdan.
Meet your guide
