Image – Duke University
The madness is here. 67 games will take place over the next month to determine the 2026 men’s college basketball national championship. Read this blog post to find out my thoughts on each team and matchup entering the ‘Big Dance’ and who I think will make it to Indianapolis and win it all.
Here are my full bracket selections in video form.
East (Washington DC)
Image – Duke Wire – USA Today
Greenville (March 19, 21)
1.Duke 32-2 (17-1) ACC
16.Siena 23-11 (13-7) Metro Atlantic
8.Ohio State 20-12 (12-8) Big Ten
9.TCU 22-11 (11-7) Big 12
The top overall seed, the Duke Blue Devils, who recently won both the ACC regular season and tournament championship will play close to home in Greenville to begin their run to the Final Four.
No. 1 seed Duke will continue without their starting point guard Caleb Foster (fractured foot) and will likely return starting center Patrick Ngongba II (foot soreness) to action this weekend against Siena.
No. 16 seed Siena won the MAAC conference tournament and now their reward is facing the top overall seed. The Saints’ only game against Power 5 competition was against Indiana back on Dec. 22. The Hoosiers, who were one of the first four out of the NCAA Tournament, defeated Siena 81-60.
No. 8 seed Ohio State and No. 9 seed TCU can definitely upset the Blue Devils given their injuries. The Buckeyes have one of the best guards in the country with Bruce Thornton, their all-time leading scorer, finally gets to go to the NCAA Tournament after staying committed to the program for four years.
The Horned Frogs went from a season-opening loss to New Orleans back in November to a capable NCAA Tournament team after victories over No. 2 seed Iowa State and No. 5 seed Texas Tech over the final month of the season. The winner of this game will definitely have a chance to advance deep in the bracket.
Duke should advance through this subregion with Ngongba back from injury, waiting for Foster to return if they are still in the tournament.
San Diego (March 20, 22)
5.St. John’s 27-7 (18-2) Big East
12.Northern Iowa 23-11 (11-9) Missouri Valley
4.Kansas 22-10 (12-6) Big 12
13.Cal Baptist 25-8 (13-5) WAC
No. 5 seed St. John’s won back to back Big East regular season and tournament championships on the back of front court duo Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins by defeating No. 2 seed UConn two of the three times they faced off this season. The Red Storm’s next task is beating Northern Iowa, who makes the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.
The Panthers’ head coach Ben Jacobsen finally added another tournament appearance and they have a chance to extend their run to the Round of 32 with a win over St. John’s. On Friday, they will do their best to advance to the Round of 32 to face the winner of Kansas or Cal Baptist on Sunday.
For No. 4 seed Kansas, the highs have been high and the lows have been low. The Jayhawks have wins over No. 6 seed Tennessee, No. 5 seed Iowa State, No. 5 seed Texas Tech, No. 1 seed Arizona, and No. 2 seed Houston but have losses to West Virginia and Arizona State. The lapses have been bad thanks in part to the absence of likely No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft Darryn Peterson, who continues to load manage on and off as he prepares for that this summer.
Cal Baptist may be overwhelmed by talent against Kansas however they won the WAC conference tournament and have been playing some great basketball of late with six consecutive victories. They will attempt to beat the Jayhawks on Saturday.
A potential Bill Self versus Rick Pitino coaching matchup looms if both of Kansas and St. John’s advance on Sunday. Both the Jayhawks and Red Storm have to advance but both would benefit from advancing deep into the tournament last season after both being eliminated by Arkansas in last season’s tournament.
If St. John’s can get past Northern Iowa, they have a great shot to compete with an up and down Kansas team to advance out of this subregion.
Buffalo (March 19, 21)
6.Louisville 23-10 (11-7) ACC
11.South Florida 25-8 (15-3) American
3.Michigan State 25-7 (15-5) Big Ten
14.North Dakota State 27-7 (14-2) Summit
Upsets could be a topic of conversation in Buffalo on Thursday and Saturday. No. 6 seed Louisville is just 8-10 in Quad 1 games this season and has struggled mightily beating teams at the top of the bracket. The Cardinals have to hope their star freshman point guard, Mikel Brown, is fully healthy after sitting out the ACC Tournament.
If Brown is available, he and the rest of the Louisville backcourt will hope to prove that they are ready to advance after underachieving as a group during the regular season especially after the Cardinals took a Round of 64 loss a year ago.
Their opponent is the No. 11 seed South Florida Bulls. Brian Hodgson came over from Arkansas State and led his team to the top of the American Conference in just his first season with the help of his former Arkansas State players that joined him in Tampa, Wes Enis and Joseph Pinion. Louisville has some quality shooters but so does South Florida with Enis and Pinion. I would watch out for an upset here.
No. 3 seed Michigan State made the NCAA Tournament for a record 36th consecutive time. The Spartans won five games in a row before dropping their regular season finale to No. 1 Michigan and their Big Ten Tournament opener to No. 7 UCLA. Tom Izzo’s teams can always make runs in the tournament but a bunch will be on the shoulders of point guard Jeremy Fears.
The Summit League tournament champion North Dakota State will give Michigan State a try on Thursday. The Bison did not play a current Power 5 team but fell to former Pac-12 member Oregon State 67-65 to open the regular season on Nov. 3.
South Florida can overcome Louisville and if they do, they will have to do their best against Izzo’s Spartans. The winner of that game will advance to Washington DC for the east regional.
Philadelphia (March 20, 22)
7.UCLA 23-11 (13-7) Big Ten
10.UCF 21-11 (9-9) Big 12
2.UConn 29-5 (17-3) Big East
15.Furman 22-12 (10-8) Southern
After a slow start to the regular season and without much hope to make the NCAA Tournament, point guard Donovan Dent and No. 7 UCLA turned it on late, advancing to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The Bruins have wins over tournament teams No. 2 seed Purdue, No. No. 3 seed Illinois, and No. 4 seed Nebraska before upsetting No. 3 seed Michigan State in Chicago last week at the Big Ten Tournament.
UCLA will be a popular pick to advance through Philadelphia and upset UConn potentially if both teams advance to Sunday’s Round of 32 game. However, UCF has a shot to upset them. Johnny Dawkins has the Knights in the tournament for the first time since 2019, when they lost a heartbreaker to No. 1 overall seed Duke. The Knights have victories over tournament teams No. 10 seed Texas A&M, No. 4 seed Kansas, No. 5 seed Texas Tech, No. 9 seed TCU, and No. 6 seed BYU, so they are definitely capable of doing so.
UConn may have 29 wins but they have struggled this season. Outside of dominating No. 5 seed St. John’s 72-40 on Feb. 25, they have not looked dominant like they were under Dan Hurley from 2023-2024. Now, they get the top No. 15 seed in the Furman Paladins, who upset Virginia in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
If the Huskies can get through this subregion, a potential fourth matchup with their conference rival St. John’s could loom in the Elite Eight if both make it there. If the Paladins defeat UConn, they would become the first No. 15 seed to do so since Princeton defeated Arizona in 2023.
The UCLA-UCF game will go back and forth but the Bruins should get past the Knights and stun UConn in the Round of 32.
Final Four Selection: No. 1 seed Duke
The Blue Devils will defeat the winner of No. 4 Kansas/No. 5 St. John’s in the Sweet 16 before overcoming an upstart No. 7 U
South (Houston)
Image – Sports Illustrated
Tampa (March 20, 22)
1.Florida 26-7 (16-2) SEC
16.Praire View A&M 18-17 (9-9) SWAC/16.Lehigh 18-16 (11-7) Patriot
8.Clemson 24-10 (12-6) ACC
9.Iowa 21-12 (10-10) Big Ten
No. 1 seed Florida makes the short trip to Tampa where they will face the winner of No. 16 seed Prairie View A&M or No. 16 seed Lehigh, who will face off on Wednesday for the right to face the Gators.
After a loss at home to Auburn on Jan. 24, Florida dominated opponents with 11 consecutive wins before falling to No. 5 seed Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday. The Gators will have their opportunity to bounce back against the Panthers or the Mountain Hawks.
Prairie View A&M dropped opportunities against high majors Oklahoma State, Missouri, LSU, and Texas A&M while Lehigh did the same against West Virginia and Rutgers. While the Panthers attempted to beat more top teams than the Mountain Hawks, Lehigh (No. 284) is two spots higher than Prairie View A&M (No. 286) is in the final KenPom.com rantings.
In the 50/50 No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed matchup, Clemson and Iowa face off for a chance to potentially beat Florida and eliminate them from the postseason in the Round of 32. The Tigers started the season 20-4 (10-1) on Feb. 7 before dropping six of their last ten contests before they appear in Tampa. The Hawkeyes are powered by head coach Ben McCollum and stupendous guard Bennett Stirtz, who is one of the best offensive playmakers in the country.
Florida should advance out of this pod but watch out for both Clemson and Iowa to defeat the Gators and potentially advance.
Oklahoma City (March 19, 21)
5.Vanderbilt 26-8 (11-7) SEC
12.McNeese 28-5 (19-3) Southland
4.Nebraska 26-6 (15-5) Big Ten
13.Troy 22-11 (12-6) Sun Belt
Many thought Vanderbilt should have been a No. 4 seed after their run to the SEC Tournament Championship game at home in Nashville but they are a No. 5. Now, the task is beating No. 12 seed McNeese, who defeated Clemson in last season’s Round of 64.
The Commodores have one of the top backcourts in the country with Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles as one of the best duos in the country. They are hampered by their lack of elite size with most of their forwards and centers under 6’10. If they continue to shoot well, a third matchup with No. 1 seed Florida is on the table in Houston in a couple of weeks.
The Cowboys may not have No. 11 seed NC State’s Will Wade as their head coach anymore however the new head man, Bill Armstrong led McNeese to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. They defeated fellow mid-majors Louisiana, George Washington, Murray State, Middle Tennessee, and Rhode Island before challenging themselves with No. 1 Michigan on Dec. 29 to wrap up non-conference play.
No. 4 seed Nebraska attempts to win its first ever NCAA Tournament game against a strong Troy program in Oklahoma City. The Corn Huskers started the season 20-0 with nine consecutive Big Ten victories before back to back losses to two of the conference’s best No. 1 seed Michigan and No. 3 seed Illinois on Jan. 27 and Feb. 1. They struggled at times after the beginning of February with four losses in their last ten games.
Their opponent is No. 13 seed Troy, who won the Sun Belt tournament in Pensacola. The Trojans won 22 games overall with victories in their last four games headed into March Madness. They defeated San Diego State and challenged themselves against USC on Nov. 20.
All four of these teams are capable of making it to Houston for the south regional but Vanderbilt is playing the best basketball of the group, so it should be them advancing.
Greenville (March 19, 21)
6.North Carolina 24-8 (12-6) ACC
11.VCU 27-7 (15-3) Atlantic-10
3.Illinois 24-8 (15-5) Big Ten
14.Penn 19-11 (8-5) Ivy League
No. 6 seed North Carolina faces No. 11 seed VCU for a chance to advance to win their seventh national championship in program history. The Tar Heels are without star forward Caleb Wilson for the NCAA Tournament due to a broken thumb. It was an overall successful season with wins over fellow blue bloods No. 4 seed Kansas, No. 7 seed Kentucky, and No. 1 seed Duke throughout the season.
Their opponent, the Rams, won the Atlantic-10 after finishing second in the regular season to Saint Louis. VCU defeated fellow No. 11 seed South Florida back on Nov. 26 and challenged themselves against No. 5 seed Vanderbilt and No. 11 seed NC State. They must use their offensive acumen to get past North Carolina on Thursday.
No. 3 seed Illinois’ hot offense was not enough against No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals, ending their run at 24-8 heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Fighting Illini won 12 consecutive Big Ten games after losing their conference opener to Nebraska but had some bad stretches when losing to Michigan and Illinois back to back and UCLA and Michigan State back to back during the month of February.
The Ivy League tournament champion Penn team has a guy that can help them win a game or two in the NCAA Tournament. That guy is forward TJ Power, who starred in their overtime victory over Yale in the championship game on Sunday. Power will need to deliver again on Thursday if they want to compete against the tremendous Illinois offense.
Without Wilson, North Carolina is in a bad spot to advance so Illinois should take care of this subregion and advance to Houston, looking for their first Final Four appearance since 2005.
Oklahoma City (March 19, 21)
7.Saint Mary’s 27-5 (16-2) West Coast
10.Texas A&M 21-11 (11-7) SEC
2.Houston 28-6 (14-4) Big 12
15.Idaho 21-14 (9-9) Big Sky
No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s faces No. 10 seed Texas A&M in what appears as another close to 50/50 matchup in Oklahoma City on Thursday. The Gaels shared the West Coast conference regular season title with outgoing member Gonzaga. They fell to Santa Clara in the tournament semifinals last week so a bounce back performance against Texas A&M will be necessary to advance.
The Aggies led the SEC for all of January with a 17-4 (7-1) record before four consecutive losses took them out of conference title hunt and looking to bounce back to solidify their spot in the NCAA Tournament. They finished the regular season winning just four of their last 11 games so pressing hard with the ‘Bucky Ball’ system could help them against a slower-paced Saint Mary’s squad on Thursday.
No. 2 seed Houston fell to Florida in last season’s national title game in the final seconds and they will look to get there again by starting out with a big victory over No. 15 Idaho. The Cougars don’t have the interior play they did last season and will need consistent shot-making from freshman Kingston Flemings, Emanuel Sharp, and Milos Uzan in the NCAA Tournament to advance. They have victories over No. 4 seed Arkansas, No. 9 seed TCU, No. 10 seed UCF, No. 6 seed BYU, and No. 4 seed Kansas.
The Vandals have won the Big Sky Tournament championship ahead of their opportunity to upset No. 2 seed Houston in Oklahoma City in the Round of 64 on Thursday. They will have a real challenge against the Cougars but you never know what could happen if they show up and play well.
Houston should advance through this subregion fairly easily with head coach Kelvin Sampson leading the way as they return to Houston for the south regional this year.
Final Four Selection: No. 2 Houston
If the Cougars advance to the south regional at home in Houston, they will have the crowd advantage in a potential matchup against Illinois in the Sweet 16 and Florida in the Elite Eight. They have the best shot of advancing through the bracket from the south’s regional.
West (San Jose)
Image – Sports Illustrated
San Diego (March 20, 22)
1.Arizona 32-2 (16-2) Big 12
16.Long Island 23-10 (15-3) Northeast
8.Villanova 24-8 (15-5) Big East
9.Utah State 28-6 (15-5) Mountain West
No. 1 seed Arizona is the healthiest of the top three overall seeds entering the NCAA Tournament. Their balance of guards with Jaden Bradley, Brayden Burries, and forwards Koa Peat, Tobe Awaka, Ivan Kharchenkov, Montiejus Krivas, and Anthony Dell’Orso. That amount of talent helped them continue to stay undefeated until they lost to No. 4 seed Kansas on Feb. 9 and No. 5 seed Texas Tech on Feb. 14. Then, they went on to win their final nine games of the season and win both the Big 12 regular season and tournament championships.
Long Island will be their competition on Friday in the Round of 64. The Sharks fell to Notre Dame, No. 3 seed Illinois, and No. 8 seed Georgia throughout the season but ended up getting to the tournament by winning the Northeast conference tournament.
No. 8 seed Villanova faces No. 9 seed Utah State that is seen as one of the more under-seeded teams in the bracket. The Wildcats are back in the NCAA Tournament after a few seasons without legendary head coach Jay Wright. They hired Maryland’s Kevin Willard and he brought them back to March, winning 24 games overall and 15 contests in what was a pretty bad Big East this season. The Aggies won both the Mountain West regular season and tournament this season. A notable result in out of conference play for them is a loss to No. 11 seed South Florida back on Dec. 4 but outside of that, Utah State won every other non-conference game.
Arizona should be the favorite to advance to San Jose after dominating the Big 12 this season but the winner of the Villanova/Utah State game could make things interesting in the Round of 32.
Portland (March 19, 21)
5.Wisconsin 24-10 (14-6) Big Ten
12.High Point 30-4 (15-1) Big South
4.Arkansas 26-8 (13-5) SEC
13.Hawaii 24-8 (14-6) Big West
In Portland, there is bound to be excitement with stellar guards making their way to the state of Oregon. No. 5 seed Wisconsin is paced by former Florida Atlantic guard Nick Boyd, who helped lead the Owls to the Final Four back in 2023, and his teammate John Blackwell on the perimeter. The Badgers have also proven they can beat teams at the top of the bracket, beating No. 1 seed Michigan on Jan. 10, No. 3 seed Illinois on Feb. 10, an No. 3 seed Michigan State on Feb. 13. However, losses to USC, Indiana, and Oregon throughout the season prove they are vulnerable.
No. 12 seed High Point is capable of pulling multiple upsets in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers are a top 100 team in KenPom ratings at No. 92 and have a win over fellow tournament team No. 15 seed Furman. They split the regular season series with their top competition for the Big South’s automatic bid Winthrop, and beat them again in the tournament championship in Johnson City.
In the other matchup, freshman guards Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas are elite level scorers that can help Arkansas reach the Final Four. Acuff, the SEC player and freshman of the year, will be a difficult challenge for the Miami defense to deal with, especially with slashing wing Billy Richmond and forward Trevon Brazile capable of getting to the rim whenever they want to do so. The Razorbacks challenged themselves in non-conference play when they played No. 3 seed Michigan State, No. 1 seed Duke, No. 6 seed Louisville, No. 5 seed Texas Tech, and No. 2 seed Houston in non-conference play. A 13-5 conference record and their first SEC Tournament championship since 2000 helped Arkansas get to a No. 4 seed, where they will play No. 13 seed Hawaii.
The Big West tournament champions make what will be a shorter trip to Portland than the Razorbacks will have to make from Fayetteville for their Round of 64 game on Thursday. The Rainbow Warriors lost their only game against high major competition to Arizona State back on Nov. 20 so their no help defense strategy will have to be up to the task against Arkansas’ offensive attack with Acuff, Thomas, Richmond, Brazile, and others.
If Arkansas and Wisconsin get through their Round of 64 matchups, the Round of 32 matchup between the two teams will be cinema. Boyd and Blackwell versus Acuff and Thomas on the perimeter could and would likely be the top matchup of the round. The winner of that game would likely get No. 1 seed Arizona in the Sweet 16 but both teams should not worry about that challenge until they get to San Jose.
Portland (March 19, 21)
6.BYU 23-11 (9-9) Big 12
11.Texas 18-14 (9-9) SEC/11.North Carolina State 20-13 (10-8) ACC
3.Gonzaga 30-3 (16-2) West Coast
14.Kennesaw State 21-13 (10-10) Conference USA
Another subregion in the west region will also be in Portland. Freshman stud AJ Dybantsa will have to continue to power BYU without his sharpshooter teammate Richie Saunders in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars started 16-1 and won their first four games in the Big 12 before injuries hampered them and they only won seven of their last 19 games of the season. They will face the winner of No. 11 seed Texas or No. 11 seed North Carolina State, which will be played in Dayton tonight.
The Longhorns have victories over No. 5 seed Vanderbilt and No. 4 seed Alabama on their resume but won one of their final six games to finish the season. Similarly, the Wolfpack started the regular season slow, they were 18-6 and 9-2 in the ACC. Then, they won just two of their final nine games of the season.
No. 3 seed Gonzaga had made the Sweet 16 nine years in a row before failing to make the second weekend of the tournament this season. West Coast conference player of the year Graham Ike has had to play this season without his front court mate Braden Huff due to injury, who could return for a tournament run. The Bulldogs won a share of the WCC regular season title and won the conference tournament in their final season in the league before they move to the Pac-12 on July 1.
Conference USA tournament champion and No. 14 seed Kennesaw State will give their best shot against Gonzaga on Thursday. The Owls dropped a game to No. 11 seed South Florida on Nov. 16 so they must be prepared for the Bulldogs’ tough defense.
BYU’s run in the Big 12 tournament proves Dybantsa is capable of carrying the Cougars with the help of guard Robert Wright however Mark Few’s Gonzaga program is not missing the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. The Bulldogs will overcome the Cougars and advance to San Jose.
St. Louis (March 20, 22)
7.Miami (FL) 25-8 (13-5) ACC
10.Missouri 20-12 (10-8) SEC
2.Purdue 28-8 (13-7) Big Ten
15.Queens 21-13 (13-5) Atlantic Sun
In St. Louis, No. 7 seed Miami will attempt to advance No. 10 seed Missouri in their backyard. The Hurricanes are back in the NCAA Tournament for since their 2023 Final Four run under former head coach Jim Larranaga. They now have a great young coach in Jai Lucas, who helped them finish in the top three in the conference and a run to the ACC tournament semifinals. On the other side, the Tigers have struggled to win in March. Dennis Gates’ team is 0-3 through the games they have played in the month so far and now they must pick it up against Miami.
After an up and down regular season, Purdue reached the final No. 2 seed after defeating No. 1 seed Michigan in the Big Ten tournament championship game. Guard Braden Smith is one of the top point guards in the country, off guard Fletcher Loyer is a tremendous shooter, and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn is one of the better forwards in the country. Their problem? The lack of athletic ability on the roster.
The Atlantic Sun tournament champion and No. 15 seed Queens will have the opportunity to defeat the Boilermakers on Friday. The Royals dropped games to NCAA Tournament No. 6 seed Villanova, No. 15 seed Furman, No. 3 seed Virginia, and No. 4 seed Arkansas so they should be battle tested enough to try their best against Purdue in the Round of 64.
Final Four Selection: No. 1 seed Arizona
If the top seeded Wildcats can get past a potential Sweet 16 matchup of No. 4 seed Arkansas or No. 5 seed Wisconsin, they should be able to advance past the worst No. 2 seed Purdue or worst No. 3 seed Gonzaga in the Elite Eight, according to the official seed list from the NCAA Selection Committee.
Midwest (Chicago)
Image – University of Michigan Athletics
Buffalo (March 19, 21)
1.Michigan 31-3 (19-1) Big Ten
16.UMBC 24-8 (14-2) America East/16.Howard 23-10 (11-3) Mid-Eastern
8.Georgia 22-10 (10-8) SEC
9.Saint Louis 28-5 (15-3) Atlantic-10
No. 1 seed Michigan was the best team in the country for some parts of the regular season. The Wolverines won their first 14 games in a row before a loss to No. 5 seed Wisconsin on Jan. 10, then they won 11 more in a row before losing a neutral site game to No. 1 Duke in Washington DC on Feb. 21. Then, they won six games in a row before losing to No. 2 seed Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game. They remain without backup point guard LJ Cason for the rest of the season due to his injury so it will all be on Elliot Cadeau to deliver in the backcourt for Michigan to advance.
The Wolverines should handle No. 16 seed UMBC or No. 16 seed Howard in the Round of 64 on Thursday. Readers should remember the Retrievers as the first team to ever win as a No. 16 seed over a No. 1 seed when they completed the feat against No. 1 seed Virginia in 2018. They will look to do the same thing against Michigan after defeating the Bison on Tuesday.
The winner of the No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed game in Buffalo on Thursday between Georgia and Saint Louis will likely have to reach 100 points the way both of these offenses score. The Bulldogs have wins over tournament teams No. 4 seed Arkansas, No. 10 seed Missouri, No. 7 seed Kentucky, No. 11 seed Texas, and No. 4 seed Alabama. On the other hand, Saint Louis, winners of the Atlantic-10 regular season title, were victorious in 18 consecutive games from Dec. 2 to Feb. 13 before dropping four of their last eight games entering March Madness.
While Michigan has been playing their last couple of games close and eventually lost to the Boilermakers on Sunday, the Wolverines should overtake the winner of Georgia and Saint Louis to advance to Chicago to right the wrong of losing the Big Ten Tournament Championship in the very same arena.
Tampa (March 20, 22)
5.Texas Tech 22-10 (12-6) Big 12
12.Akron 29-5 (17-1) MAC
4.Alabama 23-9 (13-5) SEC
13.Hofstra 24-10 (12-6) Coastal
If there is a No. 12 seed over No. 5 seed upset, it would be in Tampa in the midwest region. John Gross’ Zips won the MAC tournament championship after Miami University’s undefeated season ended in the quarterfinals. Akron does not have much experience against tournament level teams outside of their losses to Troy and the Redhawks earlier this season.
Their opponent, No. 5 Texas Tech, will continue without one of the nation’s top players in forward JT Toppin due to a season-ending ACL injury. Their top guard Christian Anderson suffered an injury in their Big 12 tournament loss to No. 2 seed Iowa State so we will see if he is available for Friday’s matchup.
After Crimson Tide guard Aden Holloway’s arrest earlier this week, the No. 4 seed Alabama must remained focused for their game against No. 13 seed Hofstra in the Round of 64. Alabama has defeated No. 3 seed Illinois, No. 8 seed Clemson, No. 11 seed South Florida, No. 8 seed North Carolina, No. 10 seed Missouri, No. 10 seed Texas A&M, No. 4 seed Arkansas, and No. 6 seed Tennessee. After falling to Ole Miss in the SEC tournament quarterfinals, the Crimson Tide’s offense will hope to wake up against the Pride’s defense, headed by sophomore guard Labaron Philon.
Hofstra, the No. 87 rated team on KenPom, lost their only game to NCAA Tournament competition in No. 10 seed UCF. A five game losing streak from Jan. 15-Jan. 29 is worrisome, especially when they are facing an Alabama team that can score better than most teams in the country. But an 11-1 run to finish the season has Hofstra ready for action against the Crimson Tide on Friday.
If Alabama gets past the loss of Aden Hollway, they should be good to advance to another Sweet 16 under head coach Nate Oats. The Crimson Tide will likely see No. 1 Michigan in Chicago in the Sweet 16.
Philadelphia (March 20, 22)
6.Tennessee 22-11 (11-7) SEC
11.Miami (OH) 31-1 (18-0) MAC/11.SMU 20-13 (8-10) ACC
3.Virginia 29-5 (15-3) ACC
14.Wright State 23-11 (15-5) Horizon
In Philadelphia, No. 6 seed Tennessee faces the winner of No. 11 Miami University and No. 11 seed SMU on Friday. The Volunteers have strong wins over No. 2 seed Houston, No. 6 seed Louisville, No. 4 seed Alabama, and No. 5 seed Vanderbilt but experienced a three game losing streak to end November and begin December and a two game losing streak after star freshman forward Nate Ament to an injury for a few weeks near the end of the regular season.
The Red Hawks made the tournament as a last four team in and they will do their best to advance after a 31-1 record this season versus SMU, who lost five of their last six games in the entering March Madness. Miami University’s defense is not up to par so it will have to be the best its been this season with the Mustangs’ BJ Edwards expected to return from an ankle injury.
No. 3 seed Virginia is back near the top of the bracket with Ryan Odom, the coach that took the Cavaliers down as the head coach of No. 16 seed UMBC back in 2018, and they are ready to make a run after playing No. 1 seed Duke close in the ACC tournament championship game. The Cavaliers have a great offense and a solid defense that should get them past Wright State in the Round of 64 on Friday.
The Raiders went 2-1 against their top competition, Detroit Mercy in the Horizon League. After defeating the Titans in the Horizon tournament championship game, they advanced to play March Madness.
St. Louis (March 20, 22)
7.Kentucky 21-13 (10-8) SEC
10.Santa Clara 26-8 (15-3) West Coast
2.Iowa State 27-7 (12-6) Big 12
15.Tennessee State 23-9 (15-5) Ohio Valley
Kentucky has played up and down this season, struggling in non-conference play but sweeping the season series against No. 6 seed Tennessee, winning their single game at No. 4 seed Arkansas, and defeating No. 5 seed Vanderbilt one out of two times. The Wildcats will face a tough Santa Clara team, who finished third in the West Coast conference and was the runner-up in the WCC tournament.
The Broncos defeated fellow NCAA Tournament teams including No. 12 McNeese and No. 7 Saint Mary’s and have a great chance to defeat Kentucky if they play their A-game on Friday versus the Wildcats.
In the No. 2 seed versus No. 15 seed matchup, Iowa State is playing their best basketball since the end of November. The Cyclones defeated No. 4 seed St. John’s, Creighton, and Syracuse in dominant fashion before a 2-1 run at the Big 12 tournament with victories over Arizona State, No. 5 seed Texas Tech, and a loss to No. 1 Arizona at the buzzer.
Their opponent, the No. 15 seed Tennessee State won the Ohio Valley conference tournament. The Tigers will face their biggest challenge on Friday against Iowa State so they must be ready to play if they want to advance.
Final Four Selections:
No. 1 seed Duke over No. 2 seed Houston
The Blue Devils will avenge their loss to the Cougars they took last year in the Final Four with a big game from freshman forward Cameron Boozer.
No. 1 Arizona over No. 1 Michigan
The Wildcats will overtake the Wolverines in what should be a classic game in the Final Four with a balanced attack leading them to victory.
National Championship Selection:
No. 1 Arizona over No. 1 Duke
For the first time since 1997, Arizona will overtake Duke and win the national championship. It would be the Big 12’s third national championship in the last six seasons.
