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Of an estimated 38 million brackets, Malvern teen is ranked 2nd going into championship game

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MALVERN, Iowa (KMTV) — Liam Markut enjoys college basketball, and knows many of this year’s NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament starting lineups. Yet, he credits luck with getting this far.

Markut, 13, was one of an estimated 38 million people to submit a bracket in the Capital One March Madness Bracket Challenge, or what’s called the official bracket game of NCAA March Madness. His goal was to edge out his older brother. Going into the game, Markut was ranked 2nd overall.

Some of his higlights:

  • Flawless predictions out of the Midwest region, with just one miss in the East
  • 14 of the Sweet 16
  • 7 of the Elite 8
  • All of the Final Four
  • Correctly predicted the title game

Realizing he has a knack for this, Markut joked that next year, he might put a wager on it. When 3 News Now’s Mary Nelson asked how he’d earn any money to place a bet, Markut, alongside his mom, Whitney, smiled and said, “Yard work.”

He predicts Michigan will beat the University of Connecticut in a close one: 76-72.

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