Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey, probably the most influential person in college athletics, saidThursday he wants to take “a fresh look” at the NCAA men’s basketball tournament—perhaps with an eye toward expansion of the current 68-team field.
Sankey cautions that he is “not ready to make headlines there yet.” But he also is open to conversations about a Big Dance that doesn’t exclude small-conference champions while potentially including more teams.
As an example, he mentions the 2022 College World Series baseball championship, which was won by SEC member Mississippi—the last team into the 64-team field.
“If the last team in can win the national championship, and they’re in the 30s or 40s from an RPI or [NCAA] NET standpoint, is our current approach supporting national championship competition?” Sankey asks. “I think there’s health in that conversation. That doesn’t exclude people. It goes to: How do we include people in these annual national celebrations that lead to a national champion?”
Sankey’s remarks pertained to the men’s tournament, but given the recent NCAA emphasis on an equal tournament experience for both the men and women, it is conceivable the discussion of an expanded bracket would also apply to the women’s tournament as well.
There has been a rising tide of concern about being left out of March Madness among conferences that send only their tournament winners to the NCAA tourney—the underdogs who so often give the event their best moments and unique flavor. Some of that comes from comments Sankey reportedly made to members of the Division I Council earlier this summer about the NCAA tournament looking different in the future.
Sankey stresses that he said the tourney “could” change, not that it would. But the suspicion among some mid-major and low-major programs is that their automatic bids would instead be given to more teams from the rich and powerful multi-bid leagues.
“March Madness will become much more controlled by a handful of schools,” Florida Gulf Coast president Michael Martin told a Fort Myers TV station recently. “And automatic qualifiers that we now get from being in the A-Sun will disappear.”
Sankey, though, makes no mention of potentially taking away automatic bids. He’s aware that tinkering with one of the most popular formulas in college sports could lead to enormous backlash. Instead, he talks about the quality of teams that either just barely make the field or are left out.
“I thought [SEC member] Texas A&M should have been in the field in basketball [last season],” Sankey says. “People didn’t agree. But the way they played at the end of the year, I firmly think they were one of the better teams in the country. I’m biased. But somebody else, Dayton was one of the first four out.
“Look at what UCLA did as an 11-seed [in 2021], what Virginia Commonwealth did as an 11-seed [in 2011], what Syracuse did as an 11-seed [in 2018]. Those are three teams that played [in the First Four] in Dayton and went to the Final Four eventually. It should broaden our thinking.”
(Sankey was conflating two Syracuse appearances. In 2016, it made the Final Four as a 10-seed that did not play in Dayton, but played against Dayton. In 2018, Syracuse was in the First Four in Dayton but was eliminated in the Sweet 16.)
One potential method of expansion—which was not raised by Sankey—would be to have a quartet of First Fours, one at each region. That would increase the total number of bids from 68 to 80.
But quadrupling the moving parts also would increase the logistical hurdles for the NCAA. Getting eight teams to Dayton in short order after Selection Sunday, then dispersing the winners to various sites around the country with a fair chance in their first-round games, is not easy.
Still, Sankey sounds willing to explore several options for a bigger Big Dance.
“Just take a fresh look at all of it,” he says. “As we think collectively, everyone goes to the corner and says, ‘I have to hang on to what’s mine.’ But how do we contribute and build it better together?”
NEW YORK (AP) — Kansas’ comeback victory over North Carolina to win the NCAA basketball championship was the most-viewed men’s title game on cable television.
The Jayhawks’ 72-69 win averaged 18.1 million viewers on TBS, TNT and truTV. It is also a 4% increase over last year’s title game between Baylor and Gonzaga on CBS. This was the third time the championship game was on Turner networks, but first since 2018. They were supposed to have the 2020 final, but the tournament was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The entire tournament on CBS and Turner averaged 10.7 million viewers, a 13% increase over last year.
Kansas’ 16-point rally, which was the biggest comeback in championship game history, was also the third most-watched college basketball game in cable TV history. Saturday’s semifinal matchup between North Carolina and Duke, averaged 18.5 million, ranks second. The 2015 semifinal between Wisconsin and Kentucky — also on Turner — is No. 1 (22.63 million).
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More AP coverage of March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
It’s never too early to start thinking about the next college basketball season, right? The dust may still be settling from Kansas’s national championship victory over North Carolina in New Orleans, but here’s an early look at where things stand on the men’s side for 2022–23.
There’s certainly a lot we don’t know about what teams will look like next season, given draft decision uncertainty, the option for all seniors to use an additional year of eligibility and the more than 1,000 players currently in the transfer portal who’ll land at new homes over the next couple of months. To simplify this exercise, these rankings assume any underclassman ranked outside the top 30 in Jeremy Woo’s latest Sports Illustrated big board is returning to school unless they’ve said otherwise. Additionally, all seniors are assumed to be moving on unless they’ve announced a return to school.
Kentucky’s John Calipari and Sahvir Wheeler.
Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports
Without further ado, here are our rankings:
1. Arkansas
Eric Musselman is known best for his ability to recruit the transfer portal, but the Hogs are bringing in an elite freshman class that should complement a talented returning core. The headliner: combo guard Nick Smith Jr., who could be in the mix for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Smith, point guard Anthony Black and athletic forward Jordan Walsh are the main prizes in this loaded class and bring elite-level upside to the table. One huge draft decision to watch is that of star center Jaylin Williams, who blossomed into one of the SEC’s best bigs down the stretch. He’s considered to be returning for the purposes of these rankings, but his stock almost certainly rose down the stretch. If Williams returns as projected, this is the best team in the country.
2. Kentucky
Perhaps the largest looming draft decision that could realistically go either way is in Lexington, where rebounding whiz Oscar Tshiebwe has to decide whether to return after a record-setting season with the Wildcats. As good as Tshiebwe is, his skill set for NBA purposes is rather limited, and in the name, image and likeness era he’ll have massive money-making opportunities should he stay at Kentucky. Add him next to a senior point guard in Sahvir Wheeler and an elite recruiting class that may even include 2022 draft prospect Shaedon Sharpe, and Kentucky looks loaded for ’22–23.
3. Houston
Houston going to the Elite Eight despite the in-season losses of Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark is perhaps the most impressive coaching job of Kelvin Sampson’s career. Now, the Cougars should get back Sasser (the team’s best player) and Mark, joining emerging point guard Jamal Shead to form one of the most impressive backcourts in the sport. And while the UH program hasn’t been built on elite recruits, the Cougars add a five-star prospect in the frontcourt in Jarace Walker, who has elite physical tools and could dominate the glass for Sampson’s club.
4. Kansas
Seeing as the Jayhawks have finished worse than No. 20 in KenPom just once since 2000, ranking Bill Self’s team here feels like a solid bet. It will be a new-look Kansas bunch with Ochai Agbaji, Remy Martin and David McCormack graduating, especially if Christian Braun elects to turn pro this spring. But Self signed his best recruiting class in a long time in ’22 with three five-stars and four top-50 prospects, which should lift the defending national champs into Big 12 contention yet again.
5. Gonzaga
Will the Zags get Drew Timme back for his senior season? That’s the question of the offseason for Mark Few & Co., who once again came up short of a national title. If Timme returns (as this article presumes), the Bulldogs should be among the contenders to cut down the nets next season. Rising sophomores Nolan Hickman and Hunter Sallis could be in for sophomore breakouts, and wing Julian Strawther should have a big junior season. Plus, Few and the Zags are always apt to add a big-time transfer or two every spring.
6. Duke
Jon Scheyer will start his head coaching career with one of the most talented rosters in the sport after signing three of the top six players in the 2022 class, per the SI99. That should soften the blow of likely losing five key contributors to the NBA draft, with only point guard Jeremy Roach penciled in as a return for the purposes of these rankings. But Roach could be one of the nation’s better point guards in ’22–23, and he’ll be feeding the ball to the likes of do-it-all wing Dariq Whitehead and uber-talented forwards Kyle Filipowski and Dereck Lively. There may be some growing pains with a first-time coach, but don’t expect a major drop-off.
7. Creighton
The Bluejays clearly overachieved in a rebuilding year in 2021–22, winning 12 Big East games and going to the second round of the NCAA tournament despite having four freshmen and a sophomore in the team’s regular playing rotation. Freshman point guard Ryan Nembhard played with a poise well beyond his years before a season-ending wrist injury, while sophomore big man Ryan Kalkbrenner broke out into a force at the rim at both ends. Plus, the future is extremely bright for youngsters Arthur Kaluma and Trey Alexander, who each had huge games in the Big Dance. This group is a couple of transfer additions away from having limitless potential next season.
8. North Carolina
Hubert Davis’s first season on the sideline had its ups and downs, but the Tar Heels’ success in the NCAA tournament makes it, in all, a smashing success. A pro decision looms for Armando Bacot, who likely wouldn’t get drafted but has accomplished almost everything at the college level and may want to go play for a paycheck. Even if Bacot departs, the backcourt duo of RJ Davis and Caleb Love came into its own late in the season and would give Davis two elite building blocks for Year 2 as head coach.
9. Arizona
Year 1 under Tommy Lloyd certainly inspired plenty of confidence in the future of the Wildcats’ program. There will be roster turnover this offseason—we’re penciling in the departure of Bennedict Mathurin in these rankings, but frontcourt stars Christian Koloko and Azuolas Tubelis could also head to the pros. But with a returning backcourt headlined by Dalen Terry and Kerr Kriisa and potential for one or both of Koloko and Tubelis to return, this group will be in the mix to win the Pac-12 yet again.
10. Baylor
Scott Drew and the Bears have become mainstays in rankings like these and should be for the foreseeable future. Baylor adds five-star freshman Keyonte George to this mix for next season, a dynamic scoring guard who’ll pair well with LJ Cryer and Adam Flagler (who could pursue professional options as well) for one of the more impressive backcourts in the sport. If Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua can get healthy after a devastating knee injury in February, this team will be one of the more complete rosters (at least on paper) in the country next season.
11. UCLA
Like last offseason, we could be waiting a while for clarity on Johnny Juzang’s plans. But for these rankings, we’re working off the assumption that Juzang will return while Jaime Jaquez Jr. will go pro. A Juzang/Tyger Campbell veteran backcourt duo paired with a couple of talented freshman guards in Amari Bailey and Dylan Andrews would be one of the best collections of guards in the nation. The frontcourt will rely heavily on five-star freshman Adem Bona, a hard-playing athletic big who’ll have big shoes to fill for Cody Riley and Myles Johnson. And while Jaquez is a major loss, Jaylen Clark could be effective in a similar Swiss Army knife–style role for Mick Cronin’s club.
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12. Alabama
Things never quite clicked for a Crimson Tide team with tons of talent in 2021–22, but Nate Oats’s team will be back in the mix this season. Expect more roster turnover than this article’s rules project—I’d be quite surprised if all three of Jahvon Quinerly, JD Davison and Jaden Shackelford returned next season. But with the additions of a pair of elite freshmen in Jaden Bradley and Brandon Miller, along with young returnees such as Charles Bediako and Darius Miles, give this group the chance to have a special season.
Cockburn’s stay-or-go decision will be one of the biggest of the offseason.
Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports
13. Illinois
Brad Underwood’s team is one of the most difficult to peg for 2022–23, as things stand right now, given the amount of uncertainty on this roster. The primary question is whether Kofi Cockburn will return for his senior season. The dominating center had an extremely productive season but did little to change his NBA stock and isn’t currently among SI’s top-80 prospects. For the purposes of these rankings, he’s penciled in as coming back. If Cockburn returns, Underwood can surround him with talented young players such as RJ Melendez, Luke Goode, Coleman Hawkins and impressive freshmen Jayden Epps and Ty Rodgers. But expect plenty of roster changes here between now and the summer.
14. Tennessee
Early NCAA tournament exit notwithstanding, it was an outstanding 2021–22 for Rick Barnes and Tennessee, winning the SEC tournament and putting together a legitimate top-10 team that should bring back plenty of key pieces. A nucleus that features Zakai Zeigler, Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi is a great place to start, particularly after Zeigler burst onto the scene as a freshman. There are a few more questions up front, but there’s no denying the talent the likes of Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Jonas Aidoo possess, while Uros Plavsic provides more of an “enforcer” look at center for Barnes and the Vols.
15. Michigan
It was an uneven 2021–22 for Michigan, to say the least, but the Wolverines did end it with a trip to a Sweet 16. The big question that this ranking hinges on is the return of Hunter Dickinson. Dickinson is unlikely to get drafted should he go pro now, but his stock may never improve much because of his physical limitations. Should he return as this ranking projects, Juwan Howard can build around him as well as youngsters such as Frankie Collins, Moussa Diabate, Jett Howard and Dug McDaniel.
16. Villanova
No, Collin Gillespie can’t come back for another year. And while that does leave a hole at the point guard spot for Jay Wright’s Wildcats, they’re in good shape to contend in the Big East yet again depending on Justin Moore’s prognosis. Achilles injuries are notoriously fickle, and there’s no guarantee that the veteran wing will be 100% by November. But a healthy Moore combined with emerging big man Eric Dixon, talented young wing Jordan Longino and five-star freshman Cam Whitmore should be enough to keep this group relevant in the national picture.
17. Texas Tech
Any questions about Mark Adams’s ability to lead the Red Raiders’ program were quickly answered in his first season as the head man in Lubbock, leading Tech to a No. 3 seed and a spot in the Sweet 16. This will be a new-look roster, but Kevin McCullar has blossomed into an all-conference talent and role players Mylik Wilson, Clarence Nadolny and Daniel Batcho come back alongside a talented recruiting class. You can count on this team being among the nation’s elite defensive teams, if nothing else.
18. Dayton
Dayton lost to UMass Lowell, Lipscomb and Austin Peay in the first two weeks of the 2021–22 season. After that, it was one of the best teams in the country. In fact, per T-Rank, from Nov. 22 on, the Flyers were the No. 20 team in the sport. Now, its entire nucleus returns. Young big man DaRon Holmes II has limitless upside down low, and point guard Malachi Smith looked the part of a future all-time great for the Flyers in an impressive freshman campaign. This Dayton team won’t be as good as the one Obi Toppin had trending toward a potential No. 1 seed in ’20, but it has the potential for an incredibly special season.
19. Iowa
Yes, Keegan Murray is almost assuredly off to the NBA. But much of the Hawkeyes’ core that won the Big Ten tournament returns. Keegan’s twin brother, Kris, could be in for a breakout third season in Iowa City after showing flashes of brilliance in Keegan’s shadow this season, and Tony Perkins blossomed late into a promising piece who can play either guard spot. Fran McCaffery’s teams are always excellent on the offensive end and have finished .500 or better in the Big Ten in nine of the last 10 years. March issues aside, this team should be in the mix in the top half of the league yet again.
20. Colorado State
This ranking is predicated on the return of star forward David Roddy, who is expected to go through the NBA draft process this spring. Roddy is one of the most unique players in the sport and could play his way into the first-round conversation but is still strongly considering a return for his senior season in Fort Collins. Roddy and point guard Isaiah Stevens combine for one of the best duos in the sport, and Niko Medved runs tremendous offense. After earning a No. 6 seed in 2022, this group may have even higher potential next season if it can bolster its frontcourt.
21. Auburn
The Tigers will certainly look differently in 2022–23 without Jabari Smith or Walker Kessler, but this roster is still in good enough shape to be in the mix near the top of the SEC. Guards K.D. Johnson and Wendell Green Jr. were derided at times this season for their inconsistency, but there’s no question the duo has the talent to be one of the better ballhandling units in the SEC. Plus, Auburn adds four-star guard Chance Westry to that mix. Veterans Dylan Cardwell and Jaylin Williams (no, not the Arkansas one) are enough to have confidence in this frontcourt, and Bruce Pearl bolstered that rotation recently with the addition of top recruit Yohan Traore, who decommitted from LSU.
22. Purdue
It’s an offseason of change ahead for Matt Painter and the Boilermakers, who’ll lose star guard Jaden Ivey and center Trevion Williams to the professional ranks, in all likelihood. The return of Zach Edey would help—the 7’4″ behemoth is one of the toughest players to guard in college hoops and made huge strides from freshman to sophomore year. The big question mark will be a lack of shot creation after the Boilers relied heavily upon Ivey to play-make from the shooting guard position. But Edey alone combined with a strong collection of role players is enough to keep this club in the top 25.
23. UConn
Dan Hurley has been a monster on the recruiting trail for the Huskies, and that consistency allows the Huskies to stay in the top 25 despite multiple key graduations. Center Adama Sanogo is tracking toward being an All-American before his career is up in Storrs, and he’ll be the centerpiece of the 2022–23 UConn team. But the Huskies’ ceiling may be dictated by sophomore Jordan Hawkins, who scored in double figures seven times as a freshman and will be a critical piece with R.J. Cole and Tyrese Martin moving on.
24. Texas
The Longhorns’ roster, like so many this time of year, is in flux. But the building blocks are there for this team to be quite dangerous in Chris Beard’s second season in Austin. Freshmen Arterio Morris and Dillon Mitchell should make an instant impact—Morris with his scoring ability and Mitchell as a do-it-all forward in the mold of Baylor’s Kendall Brown. Dylan Disu could be a buy-low candidate after an injury-riddled first season at UT. Plus, Beard has put together five straight top-25 KenPom finishes and deserves the benefit of the doubt that he’ll have the Horns in that mix again.
25. Oregon
Dana Altman’s club had a rough 2021–22, but an elite incoming class gives the Ducks a great chance to bounce back quickly. Freshmen Dior Johnson and Kel’el Ware provide the necessary talent injection for a quick turnaround, and the cupboard wasn’t bare with the return of De’Vion Harmon, Quincy Guerrier and N’Faly Dante. Altman’s teams often take some time to jell, but the upside is immense if they do get things to click.
Also considered (alphabetically): Memphis, Ohio State, Texas A&M, TCU, USC
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was asked Tuesday about whether he was surprised the Blue Devils have never played the North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament.
“Probably, but I haven’t thought about it,” Krzyzewski said. “I haven’t looked at as, us against Carolina. I’ve looked at as… We’re playing in the Final Four, so the history of that I have not paid any attention to.”
On Saturday night, the two storied programs will play each other in the Final Four.
“It’s the most amazing day in college basketball to bring four champions together and to play for another championship,” Coach K said.
Specifically, Krzyzewski paid tribute to Villanova head coach Jay Wright, who has made eight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances not counting the canceled 2020 tournament. Villanova won national titles in 2016 and 2018.
“The team and the program that Jay has had at Villanova — which is, in the last five [to] six years — has been the leader, so to speak, in accomplishment,” Krzyzewski said.
The Blue Devils practiced Tuesday in Durham before they loaded the team buses for Raleigh-Durham International Airport to fly to New Orleans.
Fans, cheerleaders and the Duke mascot lined up on Morton Plaza by Krzyzewskiville as the team loaded the bus. Krzyzewski drew the loudest cheers.
Coach K is in his 42nd and final year at Duke while North Carolina’s Hubert Davis is in his first season as the Tar Heels’ head coach.
“What Hubert has done in his first year to get his team to do that is magnificent,” Krzyzewski said.
Saturday’s game will mark the third time Duke has played UNC this season. On March 5, North Carolina upset Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Krzyzewski’s final home game. On Feb. 5, Duke beat North Carolina 87-67 in Chapel Hill.
“I really don’t draw that much from those games,” Krzyzewski said. “I draw more from…against other teams because they’re really playing well.”
Krzyzewski said Duke has to focus on winning the game, and more importantly, the national championship. He is advising his team to “ignore the noise.”
“Everyone is healthy,” Coach K said. “[I’m] obviously really excited.”
Krzyzewski expressed his belief in the direction of the program as associate head coach Jon Scheyer takes over next season as head coach.
“It’s worked,” Krzyzewski said. “We have great continuity in our program with Jon taking over, what’s happened in recruiting, not just this year for next season, but for the following year.
“We’ve had great continuity, and in order to do that, I stayed on the job and I still wanted to coach. So this wasn’t about getting recognized. Although that’s what you get. That’s what you get if you live in this neighborhood.”
Here are Friday’s key March Madness 2022 games to watch:
No. 10 Loyola Chicago vs. No. 7 Ohio State: 12:15 p.m., CBS
Loyola may have lost head coach Porter Moser to Oklahoma, but his replacement, 30-year-old Drew Valentine, hasn’t missed a beat. The youngest head coach in Division I, he’s the older brother of former Michigan State star Denzel Valentine and will look to continue the Ramblers’ recent Cinderella history, having reached the Final Four in 2018 and Sweet 16 last year. And yes, 102-year-old Sister Jean will be by their side. Ohio State, meanwhile, is looking to avenge a stunning loss to 15th-seeded Oral Roberts in last year’s first round, just the ninth 15-over-2 upset in tournament history.
No. 11 Virginia Tech vs. No. 6 Texas: 4:30 p.m., TBS
Virginia Tech was last weekend’s conference tournament surprise, stunning the ACC by taking down top-seeded Duke as a No. 7 seed at the ACC tourney in Brooklyn. Hunter Cattoor scored a career-high 31 points in the title-game victory, but he’ll be hard-pressed to repeat that feat against Texas’ stifling defense under Chris Beard, who has the Longhorns in the NCAAs in his first season since leaving Texas Tech for his alma mater.
Drew Valentine is the youngest head coach in Division I.APIllinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn reacts in a game against the Indiana Hoosiers on March 11, 2022.Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
No. 13 Chattanooga vs. No. 4 Illinois: 6:50 p.m., TNT
The Illini are looking for redemption after failing to advance past the first weekend last year as a No. 1 seed. They’ll be relying heavily on big man Kofi Cockburn, who averaged a dominant 21.1 ppg and 10.6 rpg this year as a junior following a stint at Christ the King in Queens after arriving from his native Jamaica. Chattanooga may have Lady Luck on its side, having reached the Big Dance thanks to a miracle 3-pointer to win the Southern Conference Tournament.
No. 11 Iowa State vs. No. 6 LSU: 7:20 p.m., TBS
Who needs a head coach? LSU will be testing that theory — again — after firing coach Will Wade on Saturday amid an NCAA investigation. It’s not the first time the Tigers have been forced to play without Wade in March, however: He was suspended in 2019, when LSU nevertheless advanced to the Sweet 16 without him.
No. 10 Davidson vs. No. 7 Michigan State: 9:40 p.m., CBS
The matchup itself will be fascinating — a battle of respected coaches in Davidson’s Bob McKillop and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo — but the side bet between star Warriors teammates Stephen Curry and Draymond Green over their alma maters is worth keeping an eye on. If Green’s Spartans get the best of Curry’s Wildcats, Curry will have to come to game dressed as Sparty, Michigan State’s mascot, Green revealed on his podcast.
Virginia Tech Hokies guard Hunter Cattoor reacts after hitting a three point shot against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament final at Barclays Center.USA TODAY Sports
Here is the official and printable NCAA bracket for the 2021-22 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, also known as March Madness. Baylor is the defending national champion. The Bears beat Gonzaga to win the 2021 title.
The 2022 NCAA tournament is scheduled to start with the First Four on March 15 and 16. The complete NCAA tournament schedule can be found here.
🚨 You can click or tap here to open the March Madness bracket as a .PDF in a new window.
NCAA bracket 2022: Printable March Madness bracket
Here is the complete schedule for the tournament, including dates, locations and venues by round. You can tap or click on each game to be taken directly to that live stream:
2022 March Madness schedule, livestream links
Click or tap on any of the games below to be taken directly to that live stream.
Here is more on how teams earn a spot in the NCAA bracket each season.
How are March Madness teams selected?
There are two ways that a team can earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. The 32 Division I conferences all receive an automatic bid (there were 31 in 2021), which they each award to the team that wins the postseason conference tournament. Regardless of how a team performed during the regular season, if they are eligible for postseason play and win their conference tournament, they are selected to receive a bid to the NCAA tournament. These teams are known as automatic qualifiers.
The second avenue for an invitation is an at-large bid. The selection committee (more on them in a second) convenes on Selection Sunday, after all regular season and conference tournament games are played, and decides which 36 teams (37 in 2021) that are not automatic qualifiers have the pedigree to earn an invitation to the tournament.
What is the March Madness selection committee?
The 10-member NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Committee is responsible for selecting, seeding and bracketing the field for the NCAA Tournament. School and conference administrators are nominated by their conference, serve five-year terms and represent a cross-section of the Division I membership.
How do they decide which teams get an at-large bid?
There are a multitude of stats and rankings that the Selection Committee takes into account, but there is no set formula that determines whether a team receives an at-large bid or not.
What’s this thing called the NCAA evaluation tool?
The NCAA Evaluation Tool, or NET, is a tool for the committee to evaluate the strength of individual teams. It replaces the RPI and was approved after months of consultation with the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, top basketball analytics experts and Google Cloud Professional Services. It includes game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin (capped at 10 points per game), and net offensive and defensive efficiency.
What is the importance of seeding in March Madness?
The men’s college basketball tournament is made up of 68 teams. On Selection Sunday, before any tournament game is played, those teams are ranked 1 through 68 by the Selection Committee, with the best team in college basketball — based on regular season and conference tournament performance — sitting at No. 1. Four of those teams are eliminated in the opening round of the tournament (known as the First Four), leaving us with a field of 64 for the first round.
Those 64 teams are split into four regions of 16 teams each, with each team being ranked 1 through 16. That ranking is the team’s seed.
In order to reward better teams, first-round matchups are determined by pitting the top team in the region against the bottom team (No. 1 vs. No. 16). Then the next highest vs. the next lowest (No. 2 vs. No. 15), and so on. In theory, this means that the 1 seeds have the easiest opening matchup to win in the bracket.
What is a Cinderella?
Much like the titular character from the fairy tale, a Cinderella team is one that is much more successful than expected. Examples in March would be Villanova’s 1985 championship run, when the eighth-seeded Wildcats became the lowest seeded team to ever win the title, knocking off the heavy favorite Georgetown.
Who has won every NCAA tournament?
Thirty-six different teams have won a championship, but no team has won more than UCLA, which has 11, 10 of which came a span of 12 years from 1964 to 1975.
Previous March Madness winners
Here is the list of every men’s basketball national championship since the NCAA tournament began in 1939:
YEAR
CHAMPION (RECORD)
HEAD COACH
SCORE
RUNNER-UP
SITE
2021
Baylor (28-2)
Scott Drew
86-70
Gonzaga
Indianapolis, Ind.
2020
Canceled (COVID-19)
N/A
N/A
N/A
Atlanta, Ga.
2019
Virginia (35-3)
Tony Bennett
85-77 (OT)
Texas Tech
Minneapolis, Minn.
2018
Villanova (36-4)
Jay Wright
79-62
Michigan
San Antonio, Tex.
2017
North Carolina (33-7)
Roy Williams
71-65
Gonzaga
Phoenix, Ariz.
2016
Villanova (35-5)
Jay Wright
77-74
North Carolina
Houston, Texas
2015
Duke (35-4)
Mike Krzyzewski
68-63
Wisconsin
Indianapolis, Ind.
2014
Connecticut (32-8)
Kevin Ollie
60-54
Kentucky
Arlington, Texas
2013
Louisville (35-5)*
Rick Pitino
82-76
Michigan
Atlanta, Ga.
2012
Kentucky (38-2)
John Calipari
67-59
Kansas
New Orleans, La.
2011
Connecticut (32-9)
Jim Calhoun
53-41
Butler
Houston, Texas
2010
Duke (35-5)
Mike Krzyzewski
61-59
Butler
Indianapolis, Ind.
2009
North Carolina (34-4)
Roy Williams
89-72
Michigan State
Detroit, Mich.
2008
Kansas (37-3)
Bill Self
75-68 (OT)
Memphis
San Antonio, Texas
2007
Florida (35-5)
Billy Donovan
84-75
Ohio State
Atlanta, Ga.
2006
Florida (33-6)
Billy Donovan
73-57
UCLA
Indianapolis, Ind.
2005
North Carolina (33-4)
Roy Williams
75-70
Illinois
St. Louis, Mo.
2004
Connecticut (33-6)
Jim Calhoun
82-73
Georgia Tech
San Antonio, Texas
2003
Syracuse (30-5)
Jim Boeheim
81-78
Kansas
New Orleans, La.
2002
Maryland (32-4)
Gary Williams
64-52
Indiana
Atlanta, Ga.
2001
Duke (35-4)
Mike Krzyzewski
82-72
Arizona
Minneapolis, Minn.
2000
Michigan State (32-7)
Tom Izzo
89-76
Florida
Indianapolis, Ind.
1999
Connecticut (34-2)
Jim Calhoun
77-74
Duke
St. Petersburg, Fla.
1998
Kentucky (35-4)
Tubby Smith
78-69
Utah
San Antonio, Texas
1997
Arizona (25-9)
Lute Olson
84-79 (OT)
Kentucky
Indianapolis, Ind.
1996
Kentucky (34-2)
Rick Pitino
76-67
Syracuse
East Rutherford, N.J.
1995
UCLA (31-2)
Jim Harrick
89-78
Arkansas
Seattle, Wash.
1994
Arkansas (31-3)
Nolan Richardson
76-72
Duke
Charlotte, N.C.
1993
North Carolina (34-4)
Dean Smith
77-71
Michigan
New Orleans, La.
1992
Duke (34-2)
Mike Krzyzewski
71-51
Michigan
Minneapolis, Minn.
1991
Duke (32-7)
Mike Krzyzewski
72-65
Kansas
Indianapolis, Ind.
1990
UNLV (35-5)
Jerry Tarkanian
103-73
Duke
Denver, Colo.
1989
Michigan (30-7)
Steve Fisher
80-79 (OT)
Seton Hall
Seattle, Wash.
1988
Kansas (27-11)
Larry Brown
83-79
Oklahoma
Kansas City, Mo.
1987
Indiana (30-4)
Bob Knight
74-73
Syracuse
New Orleans, La.
1986
Louisville (32-7)
Denny Crum
72-69
Duke
Dallas, Texas
1985
Villanova (25-10)
Rollie Massimino
66-64
Georgetown
Lexington, Ky,
1984
Georgetown (34-3)
John Thompson
84-75
Houston
Seattle, Wash.
1983
North Carolina State (26-10)
Jim Valvano
54-52
Houston
Albuquerque, N.M.
1982
North Carolina (32-2)
Dean Smith
63-62
Georgetown
New Orleans, La.
1981
Indiana (26-9)
Bob Knight
63-50
North Carolina
Philadelphia, Pa.
1980
Louisville (33-3)
Denny Crum
59-54
UCLA
Indianapolis, Ind.
1979
Michigan State (26-6)
Jud Heathcote
75-64
Indiana State
Salt Lake City, Utah
1978
Kentucky (30-2)
Joe Hall
94-88
Duke
St. Louis, Mo.
1977
Marquette (25-7)
Al McGuire
67-59
North Carolina
Atlanta, Ga.
1976
Indiana (32-0)
Bob Knight
86-68
Michigan
Philadelphia, Pa.
1975
UCLA (28-3)
John Wooden
92-85
Kentucky
San Diego, Calif.
1974
North Carolina State (30-1)
Norm Sloan
76-64
Marquette
Greensboro, N.C.
1973
UCLA (30-0)
John Wooden
87-66
Memphis State
St. Louis, Mo.
1972
UCLA (30-0)
John Wooden
81-76
Florida State
Los Angeles, Calif.
1971
UCLA (29-1)
John Wooden
68-62
Villanova
Houston, Texas
1970
UCLA (28-2)
John Wooden
80-69
Jacksonville
College Park, Md.
1969
UCLA (29-1)
John Wooden
92-72
Purdue
Louisville, Ky.
1968
UCLA (29-1)
John Wooden
78-55
North Carolina
Los Angeles, Calif.
1967
UCLA (30-0)
John Wooden
79-64
Dayton
Louisville, Ky.
1966
UTEP (28-1)
Don Haskins
72-65
Kentucky
College Park, Md.
1965
UCLA (28-2)
John Wooden
91-80
Michigan
Portland, Ore.
1964
UCLA (30-0)
John Wooden
98-83
Duke
Kansas City, Mo.
1963
Loyola (Ill.) (29-2)
George Ireland
60-58 (OT)
Cincinnati
Louisville, Ky.
1962
Cincinnati (29-2)
Ed Jucker
71-59
Ohio State
Louisville, Ky.
1961
Cincinnati (27-3)
Ed Jucker
70-65 (OT)
Ohio State
Kansas City, Mo.
1960
Ohio State (25-3)
Fred Taylor
75-55
California
Daly City, Calif.
1959
California (25-4)
Pete Newell
71-70
West Virginia
Louisville, Ky.
1958
Kentucky (23-6)
Adolph Rupp
84-72
Seattle
Louisville, Ky.
1957
North Carolina (32-0)
Frank McGuire
54-53 (3OT)
Kansas
Kansas City, Mo.
1956
San Francisco (29-0)
Phil Woolpert
83-71
Iowa
Evanston, Ill.
1955
San Francisco (28-1)
Phil Woolpert
77-63
LaSalle
Kansas City, Mo.
1954
La Salle (26-4)
Ken Loeffler
92-76
Bradley
Kansas City, Mo.
1953
Indiana (23-3)
Branch McCracken
69-68
Kansas
Kansas City, Mo.
1952
Kansas (28-3)
Phog Allen
80-63
St. John’s
Seattle, Wash.
1951
Kentucky (32-2)
Adolph Rupp
68-58
Kansas State
Minneapolis, Minn.
1950
CCNY (24-5)
Nat Holman
71-68
Bradley
New York, N.Y.
1949
Kentucky (32-2)
Adolph Rupp
46-36
Oklahoma A&M
Seattle, Wash.
1948
Kentucky (36-3)
Adolph Rupp
58-42
Baylor
New York, N.Y.
1947
Holy Cross (27-3)
Doggie Julian
58-47
Oklahoma
New York, N.Y.
1946
Oklahoma State (31-2)
Henry Iba
43-40
North Carolina
New York, N.Y.
1945
Oklahoma State (27-4)
Henry Iba
49-45
NYU
New York, N.Y.
1944
Utah (21-4)
Vadal Peterson
42-40 (OT)
Dartmouth
New York, N.Y.
1943
Wyoming (31-2)
Everett Shelton
46-34
Georgetown
New York, N.Y.
1942
Stanford (28-4)
Everett Dean
53-38
Dartmouth
Kansas City, Mo.
1941
Wisconsin (20-3)
Bud Foster
39-34
Washington State
Kansas City, Mo.
1940
Indiana (20-3)
Branch McCracken
60-42
Kansas
Kansas City, Mo.
1939
Oregon (29-5)
Howard Hobson
46-33
Ohio State
Evanston, Ill.
*Louisville’s participation in the 2013 tournament was later vacated by the Committee on Infractions.
MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary’s finally has its first perfect record at home — and a memorable win over top-ranked Gonzaga to go with it.
Tommy Kuhse had 14 points and six rebounds for No. 23 Saint Mary’s, which beat No. 1 Gonzaga 67-57 on Saturday night to prevent the Bulldogs from completing another undefeated run in the West Coast Conference.
But misery loves company, and the Bulldogs weren’t the only top NCAA team to suffer an upset.
The top six teams in the AP poll all lost Saturday, and seven of the top nine; only No. 7 Duke won, rolling past Syracuse, 97-72. No. 2 Arizona fell 79-63 to Colorado; No. 3 Auburn was beaten 67-62 by No. 17 Tennessee; No. 4 Purdue lost 68-65 to unranked Michigan State; No. 5 Kansas fell 80-70 to No. 10 Baylor and No. 6 Kentucky suffered a 75-73 upset loss to No. 18 Arkansas.
Gonzaga had beaten the Gaels handily two weeks earlier and had won 34 consecutive conference games, 33 by double-digits. But Saint Mary’s never let Gonzaga get comfortable on Saturday, leading from start to finish while winning their fourth straight since that loss in Spokane.
“They were extremely more aggressive. They got after us and played us really really physical,” Few said of Saint Mary’s. “That was it. When you’re the most aggressive team and most physical team, probably nine times out of 10 you’re going to win.”
Randy Bennett’s St. Mary’s squad completed a 16-0 run at McKeon Pavilion.
“That’s really special,” Bennett said. “It’s been hard to get. We lost it one year to Loyola Marymount in our last home game. It’s been something hard to get and we finally got it. Especially when it’s against the No. 1 team in the country, it just makes it … a night you’ll never forget.”
Saint Mary’s also ended Gonzaga’s 17-game winning streak, beating a No. 1 team for the first time since knocking off the Bulldogs in the 2019 conference tournament title game.
“It’s kind of life in late February and early March, especially on the road,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. His team clinched the WCC regular-season title last weekend.
Fans poured onto the court in a wild celebration of the Gaels’ 18th consecutive win at McKeon Pavilion dating to last season.
Matthias Tass added 13 points for the Gaels (24-6, 12-3) and made a pivotal block with 1:15 remaining. Kyle Bowman made a pair of clutch 3-pointers after missing his first seven shots.
“I wanted to go in the middle of the circle and kiss the logo but people were running on the court so it was difficult,” Tass said. “It was definitely a surreal moment.”
Rasir Bolton scored 16 points for Gonzaga (24-3, 13-1). Drew Timme had six points and eight rebounds, but shot 2 of 10.
A last-second dunk resulted in words being exchanged & a scuffle between @ORUMBB & NDSU during the postgame handshake.
Paul Mills exchanged words with NDSU coaches and players.
Elijah Lufile was involved in the scuffle and had to be restrained from re-entering the fray. pic.twitter.com/Q5ZcHFD32D
— Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) February 18, 2022
Before March Madness, we have February Fisticuffs.
Players and coaches for North Dakota State and Oral Roberts briefly brawled after the Summit League matchup Thursday. North Dakota State’s Maleeck Harden-Hayes — with his team closing out a 77-59 win — stole the ball in the final seconds and dunked it home after the buzzer.
Emotions did not appear high in the handshake line until Oral Roberts coach Paul Mills began yelling at North Dakota State players. Things quickly escalated from there. It does not appear that any punches were thrown, but there was a lot of shoving between the two sides.
Oral Roberts and North Dakota State players brawlTwitterElijah Lufile has to be held back by Oral Roberts teammatesTwitter
Oral Roberts big man Elijah Lufile had to be restrained multiple times as he tried to get back at the North Dakota State players.
“I am very saddened about what transpired at the conclusion of our game tonight v NDSU. ORU nor NDSU want to be represented in a negative light,” Mills said in statement on Twitter. “[North Dakota State coach] Dave Richman & I have spoken & I have the utmost respect for the Bison program. Congratulations to the Bison on a dominant performance.”
The two teams are battling for second place in the Summit League behind South Dakota State.
John Stockton’s latest pass has cost him his Gonzaga season tickets.
The Hall of Fame point guard and Gonzaga alum had his basketball season tickets suspended after declining to comply with the school’s mask mandate at McCarthey Athletic Center, according to The Spokesman-Review.
“Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,” Stockton, 59, told the newspaper. “And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups – those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up – they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets.”
The NBA’s all-time assists leader has been vocal in his anti-vaccination beliefs while also spreading misinformation about COVID-19. He baselessly claimed in his interview with The Spokesman-Review that professional athletes have been dying from the vaccine. There is no evidence COVID vaccines are causing deaths.
“I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead – professional athletes – the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton told the paper.
John Stockton in the stands at a Gonzaga game in 2016.AP
Stockton described his conversation about the decision with Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford as “congenial” but “not pleasant.”
For entry to its home athletic events, Gonzaga requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours. But the school has also recently become stricter in enforcing the mask mandate, The Spokesman-Review reported, which led to Stockton having his season tickets suspended.
Top-ranked Gonzaga only has five home games left on its schedule this season, but Stockton, who played at Gonzaga from 1980-84, will be forced to watch them from afar.
John Stockton, a Gonzaga alum and Jazz legend, is the NBA’s all-time assist leader.AFP via Getty Images
“I think certainly it stresses (the relationship with Gonzaga). I’m pretty connected to the school,” said Stockton, a Spokane, Wash. native. “I’ve been part of this campus since I was probably 5 or 6 years old. I was just born a couple blocks away and sneaking into the gym and selling programs to get into games since I was a small boy. So, it’s strained but not broken, and I’m sure we’ll get through it, but it’s not without some conflict.”
Ron Harper Jr. hit a buzzer-beater from just inside half court, and Rutgers shocked Purdue in its first-ever game as the nation’s No. 1 team, winning 70-68 on Thursday night in Piscataway, N.J.
Harper finished with 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds for the Scarlet Knights, a do-it-all performance that concluded with the most stunning shot of the young college hoops season. Rutgers (5-4, 1-1 Big Ten) beat the top-ranked team for the first time in program history.
Purdue had gone ahead 68-67 on a layup by Trevion Williams with 4 seconds left. With no timeouts, Rutgers inbounded the ball to Harper, who dribbled across the half-court line and let it fly from the big “R” logo. The ball went through as time expired and Rutgers fans stormed the court.
Rutgers’ Ron Harper Jr. celebrates after scoring a three-point basket to defeat Purdue.Getty Images
Williams scored 21 points off the bench for Purdue (8-1, 1-1 Big Ten), which was a unanimous No. 1 in this week’s AP Top 25, the program’s first time atop the poll. Its stay will be brief.
