Tyrese Haliburton makes strong March Madness bracket stance ahead of tournament
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Before March Madness begins with its first round Thursday afternoon, millions are scrambling to put together what they believe is the perfect team for the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments.
Some will fill one, but others will try their luck with multiple groups, mixing and matching their teams to ultimately produce what they believe is the best possible chance to win it all.
An NBA All-Star player believes those with multiple brackets under their belt are doing things all the wrong way.
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Former Iowa State guard and Olympic Gold Medalist Tyrese Haliburton, who plays for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, was honored with a halftime ceremony at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, on March 1, 2025. It is the eighth Hurricane to win a Gold Medal at the Olympics and the first in men’s basketball. (David K. Purdy/Getty Images)
Tyrese Haliburton turned some heads among college basketball fans when he posted “Make a bracket and stand on it” on X. As the rhetoric continued in the comments section, Fox News Digital asked the Indiana Pacers guard why he felt so strongly that single play should be the case this time of year.
“I think it’s ridiculous when people say, ‘Oh, I made so many brackets.’ Like, damn, how many brackets do you get?” Haliburton said while highlighting Reese’s partnership with the March Madness Bracket Breaking Campaign. “It doesn’t work like that. Because they can’t decide.
“As a society, that’s not how the cookie crumbles. You have to make one choice and stick with it, and that’s how it works.”
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Haliburton looked at the debate in his comments, and there are some stances he might take when making brackets this week.
“I’ve seen people respond to my tweets with logical stances: ‘I’m creating a group that picks the school I’m going to get into even though it’s unrealistic. Then I do the logical thing.’ “I said okay, I think I understand,” he admitted. “But at the same time, if you don’t believe your alma mater is going to win every year, don’t pick them.
“Now I chose my alma mater to win the national championship.”
Haliburton is the eighth Hurricane to win an Olympic Gold Medal and the first in men’s basketball to be honored during halftime of an NCAA college basketball game between Iowa State and Arizona at Hilton Coliseum on March 1, 2025 in Ames, Iowa. (David Purdy/Getty Images)
Haliburton’s choice of Iowa State makes sense in terms of this alma mater choice. The Cyclones went 27-7 this year and earned the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region in the 64-team bracket.
“We are a [No.] 2 seeds – this can happen. It is possible. But I think other people who are afraid to make that decision, that’s their responsibility. “They have to live with it,” he added.
The Cyclones will face No. 15 Tennessee State to start their tournament, and while Haliburton isn’t underestimating a single team, he’s confident his Iowa State team is “battle-tested” enough to handle the March Madness field.
“I didn’t blink when I made that decision,” he said of choosing Iowa State to win. “I knew I was going to make that decision. But I think it was easy for me to make that decision because we’ve been battle tested. We play in the best conference in basketball, the Big XIII. It’s not even close. Arizona, the team that ran all conference, didn’t really have a problem with anyone, they just needed a Hail Mary fade away to beat us.”
“We’re in incredible shape, if not the best team in college basketball this year, when it comes to playing on neutral sites. That’s why I’m focusing on that. I’m confident in that.”
Confidence is key for Haliburton this time of year, which is why he’s determined to play in just one group on a field of millions.
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers walks off the court after a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on February 6, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
EVERY PIECE PARTIES FOR REESE
Haliburton also has a love for Reese’s Cups, making its partnership with the beloved chocolate peanut butter candy perfect for March Madness.
As mentioned before, there has never been a perfect bracket. Whether you make one or 100, brackets are bound to fall apart.
But it may not be in vain, as Reese is urging college basketball fans to win not only free Reese Trophies but also a chance to qualify for the men’s or women’s Final Four and Championship Games by following @Reeses on social media and using the hashtag #ForAReesesSweeps on Instagram, X, or TikTok.
“I’m so excited to see two of my favorite things come together,” Haliburton said. “Obviously, everyone’s rankings are going to collapse. So, if it fails, we better make something out of it. The fact that you can go on social media, tag Reese, put the hashtag, post your bracket and have a chance to go to the Final Four — I think that’s pretty special. It’s really cool and something I’m excited to be a part of.”
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers watches their game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on January 8, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
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Haliburton was also part of a fun Bracket Summit with New York Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart and college basketball analysts Richard Jefferson and Andraya Carter as they created and shared their men’s and women’s tournament picks with the world.
While their bracket may fall apart, Haliburton hopes Iowa State can eventually come out on top.
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