NCAA bracket

The N.C.A.A. men's basketball tournament is filled with juicy matchups, interesting players and potential surprises.

He put up 23 points and 8 rebounds in a win over Kent State and was named the MAC tournament most valuable player. Keep an eye on: When Kellan Grady, the Kentucky sharpshooter who previously played for Davidson, made seven 3-pointers in a rout at Alabama last month, he was shooting 45 percent beyond the arc for the season. Familiar face, new place: Walker Kessler, Auburn’s 7-1 center, was stuck to the North Carolina bench last year. He underwent a cardiac ablation procedure and returned the next season. Here’s a closer look at the semifinals: A sophomore, he is averaging 17 points, 9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks over the last 11 games. The Ramblers hunt good shots on offense, have a battle-tested leader in Lucas Williamson and it is hard to go against everyone’s favorite smack-talking, geriatric nun, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. But if the Wildcats make a deep tournament run, as Curry did in 2008 when they were also a 10th seed, you’ll learn about Lee’s rock star status among Koreans. If Rutgers beats Notre Dame in a play-in game and then contains Alabama’s speedy Jahvon Quinerly, it can move on. Who is going to beat Duke? Coronavirus protocols have been eased, as have concerns about players or teams missing games because of a positive test. There were upsets galore, with 12th-seeded Oregon State nearly making the Final Four, and indelible moments, like Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs’s nearly halfcourt heave that broke U.C.L.A.’s heart in the semifinals.

March Madness is officially here.Selection Sunday has come and gone and now it's down to deciding where to call the upsets that will get you a winning ...

SI's breakdowns of the West, South, Midwest and East regions. Who will meet in the Final Four?

Plus, this is an older Kentucky team than the clubs John Calipari has had in the past in Lexington, which could play in the Wildcats’ favor in this tournament. Is there another March run in this UCLA Bruins team after last season’s madness? The Ramblers have the perfect setup game in the first round against an Ohio State team that has lost four of its last five games, including an upset loss to Penn State in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. 7. Murray State The Tigers could be sharper in all facets right now, but it will be pivotal that they get the ball to Smith when it matters most. Following a scalding 22–1 start, Auburn has gone just 5–4 since its brief stint atop the national polls ended in early February, losing a few close games, then notably faltering in the SEC quarterfinals against Texas A&M. Bruce Pearl wants his teams to run and launch threes, but other than Smith (43% from distance), Auburn’s principles have struggled to make longballs consistently, and its guard play can be highly unreliable, both from a ball security and shot-selection perspective. There are numerous potential traps on the way to New Orleans, starting with a second-round game against either a very good Boise State team coached by former Few assistant Leon Rice, or the mercurial-but-athletic Memphis Tigers. A potential Sweet 16 matchup with Arkansas also would be a steep athletic challenge against an opponent that won 15 of its last 18 games. 7. Ohio State And the regional final could be against either Duke playing with the emotional freight of getting a retiring Mike Krzyzewski to one more Final Four, or a Texas Tech team that would supply the kind of vicious physical challenge Baylor did a year ago. 7. Michigan State This year’s top bracket storylines include Duke trying to win it all in Coach K’s swan song, Gonzaga repeating as the No. 1 overall seed in the field and Baylor looking to become the first men’s repeat champ since Florida in 2006 and ’07. Here we go—the 2022 March Madness men’s field of 68 is set.

SportsLine's model has nailed 17 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds and revealed its NCAA bracket 2022.

With the model's track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you'll want to see which stunners it is calling this year before locking in any NCAA bracket picks. The Spartans lack any scorers of Loyer's caliber, as he is one of four Davidson players averaging more points than any MSU player. Before you make your 2022 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine. He's also recorded a double-double in three of his last five outings. Memphis features an athletic lineup that will try to exploit the mismatches against Boise State. The Tigers rank 21st in offensive rebounds per game (12.48), which will give Memphis multiple second-chance scoring opportunities. SportsLine's advanced computer model absolutely crushed its March Madness picks last tournament, beating over 92 percent of all CBS Sports brackets for the second time in three years. He leads all Division I players in free throw percentage and ranks fourth in three-point percentage. Ahead of the 2022 NCAA basketball tournament, Johnny Juzang leads the Bruins in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per game. It also nailed some massive upsets last tournament, including predicting the championship game between Gonzaga and Baylor, and hit Houston's Midwest Region win even though the Cougars weren't the No. 1 seed. UCLA made a surprising run to the Final Four a season ago as a No. 11 seed. The talented freshman is also recording 8.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks and is expected to be heavily involved in Memphis' game plan against Boise State. The 6-foot-11 center is knocking down 62.6 percent of his field goals this season. You shouldn't even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.

March Madness is officially here.It's Selection Sunday and the bracket reveal for the 2022 men's NCAA Tournament just concluded.Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas and ...

#RaiderFamily pic.twitter.com/SpTSoDbM57 March 16, 2022 #RaiderFamily pic.twitter.com/odh0YfV1Jb March 16, 2022 Every time it looks like Indiana is ready to run away with the lead, Wyoming comes storming back. If I'm him, I'm trying to get him back in at the four-minute mark and trust that he can play his way through it. And it’s back at full power this year, with fans in the stands at sites coast-to-coast, savoring all the drama and emotion. DAYTON, Ohio — Mike Woodson didn’t wait until the end of the postgame news conference to begin preparing for the long flight to Portland, Ore., loosening his red tie and pulling it over his head. But man did he crush the Jayhawks. Respect. Basile's got 7pts, Finke/Welage 6pts each & Calvin's got 5pts. It's been a much more balanced attack for Bryant, as all eight players logging minutes have scored. The Raiders took care of business from the free-throw line, shooting a season-high 26-of-32. Paul Atkinson Jr. scored the game-winning bucket, lifting Notre Dame past Rutgers, 89-87 in double overtime. Like Mike Brey, we hoped there would be Irish whiskey on the plane to San Diego.

This feels like the toughest region in the 2022 men's NCAA tournament.

Gonzaga can win that type of game (see the W over Texas Tech), but they do not want to play that way. It also feels like they have a super difficult path through the bracket. UConn has the profile of a potential darkhorse to make a deep NCAA tournament run, too. The Zags want to play fast, free-flowing and beautiful basketball but when they have had to grind against a physical opponent they do not always rise to the occasion. They’re the No. 1 overall seed in the field for the second straight season. While this is a new Gonzaga team from the one that started 31-0 last season before falling to Baylor in the national title game, this is still the No. 1 overall team in the field for a reason. The tournament is seeded on an S-Curve, which means top team in the field is supposed to face the weakest No. 2 seed, strongest No. 3 seed, and weakest No. 4 seed. Boise is the second-highest rated No. 8 seed on KenPom, only behind the San Diego State squad they beat in the Mountain West tournament title game. Memphis is the highest rated No. 9 seed in the field. The No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament is supposed to have the easiest path through the bracket. The Bulldogs are a No. 1 seed in the men’s NCAA tournament for the third straight year. Memphis has simply been playing like one of the best teams in the country since freshman guard Emoni Bates exited the lineup with an injury.

Everyone ready to dance? March Madness is on the horizon with the First Four kicking off on Tuesday, and finishing on Wednesday — ahead of the first round, ...

- Texas Instead we’re looking at the complete rankings of the teams from 1-68, if you’re aiming to go all chalk this year with your picks. Instead we have a handful of really good teams, any of whom has the ability to cut down the nets, but that lack of surety means we have a ton of opportunity for Cinderellas to shine in 2022.

Download Sporting News' printable NCAA Tournament bracket (PDF) by clicking here. Who will win the NCAA Tournament in 2022? Gonzaga, Arizona and Kentucky have ...

The Racers are a No. 7 seed now, so it's hard to call them a true bracket buster. Upsets in the NCAA Tournament are never easy to predict. Does that sound like a coach of the year? Gonzaga and Arizona have the best odds to win March Madness in 2022, according to the Sports Interaction sportsbook. Which was the best? The Jackrabbits didn't lose a game in Summit League play and ranked second in the nation with 86.7 points per game. Here are our experts' picks to reach the 2022 Final Four with links to their full bracket analysis. Any team that wins 30 games must be taken seriously in the tournament, and the Racers have three big-time scorers in K.J. Williams (18.2 ppg.), Tevin Brown (16.9 ppg.) and Justice Hill (13.2 ppg.) Williams is a 6-10, 245-pound forward who averages 8.6 rebounds. South Region: No. 3 Tennessee was under-seeded by the committee. You can get a printable NCAA Tournament bracket here to fill out before and during tournament play. A team seeded 3 or lower has won the NCAA Tournament only five times since 1990, but it's always possible — especially in a season filled with as much uncertainty as this one. The 2022 NCAA Tournament is finally upon us.

From Gonzaga to Wright State, here's your look at every team appearing in the 2022 men's NCAA tournament field.

In its first year as a member of the Southland Conference (2006-07), following seven years as an independent, the Islanders won the league tournament to make their first NCAA tournament appearance. Richmond earned the league's automatic bid with a 64-62 win against the Wildcats, and the NCAA tournament gains one of the best stories in the sport. A fight in the stands became the storyline attached to Bryant's 70-43 defeat of Wagner in the Northeast Conference tournament title game. This is the most complicated, and possibly controversial, team in the NCAA tournament. With E.J. Anosike (16.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG) on the floor this season, the Titans have held their opponents to just 91 points per 100 possessions, per hooplens.com. The Titans made 76.4% of their free throws this season, a top-50 mark in college basketball. Picked to finish eighth in the ACC's preseason poll, Brey's squad ended up in a tie for second place with North Carolina. Yes, the ACC was down this season, but the Fighting Irish were second in defensive efficiency in league play and connected on nearly 40% of their 3-point attempts against ACC opponents. The Wildcats also finished in the bottom half in defensive efficiency in league play -- but Foster Loyer (16.5 PPG entering Sunday's A-10 tournament final), Hyunjung Lee (16.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG) and 6-foot-10 center Luka Brajkovic (14.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 43% from 3) are capable of leading this team to a few upsets in the NCAA tournament. The Trojans did a lot of their work in the paint. His brother, Isaiah Mobley (14.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 35.3% from 3), led a team that finished with a 14-6 record in the Pac-12 and anchored its résumé with wins over San Diego State and UCLA. But the Spartans struggled in the final weeks of the season, ending with a 6-9 record in their last 15 Big Ten games following a 5-0 start in league play. They have been the most dominant team in America. They have NBA talent and the most balanced program in the country. The Wildcats have enjoyed a top-15 status in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency on KenPom throughout the season, a sign of their balance and consistency.

March Madness bubble winners and losers from Selection Sunday. Who made or did not make the NCAA Tournament?

The Sooners upset No. 2 seed Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament and then lost to No. 3 seed Texas Tech by just one point in the semifinals. With a NET ranking of 58 and an overall record of 23-10, the NCAA Tournament selection committee deemed Dayton the ill-fated recipient of the "First Team Out" designation. The Hokies secured an automatic berth and were rewarded with a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a matchup with No. 6 Texas in the first round. The Demon Deacons entered the week safely in the NCAA Tournament field according to most bracketologists with a record of 23-8 overall. The impressive run at the SEC Tournament was apparently not enough earn an at-large bid for the Aggies, who were the fourth team out of the NCAA Tournament. Here are the March Madness bubble winners and losers from Selection Sunday:

For every school that gets a ticket to the Big Dance, so many others get left behind. Here are this year's teams that just missed the cut.

The Sooners were ranked No. 40 in the committee's primary metric, NET, making them the highest-ranked team by that measure to not make the field. SMU, meanwhile, lost in the AAC tournament semifinals to Memphis on Saturday, ending its chances at an at-large bid. After the full 68-team bracket was announced, the committee released its “first four out” list, which likely served as a bitter twist of the knife as teams saw just how close they came to getting into the big dance:

South Carolina, UConn and defending champ Stanford are all among the top storylines heading into the women's basketball tournament.

Couple that with having significant NCAA tournament experience—they lost a heartbreaker versus Stanford in last year’s Final Four—and this group seems poised to take home the school’s second title in its history. No player in college basketball was as consistently forceful on both ends as Boston. The junior forward enters the tournament, and Greensboro region more specifically, in the midst of a 24-game double-double streak, the longest in SEC history. She was among the country’s best playmakers and, coupled with her experience, is the kind of guard who could lead her team on a deep run through the Spokane region. Boston is the favorite to take home Player of the Year honors, but, perhaps more important, she is hoping to get redemption for a missed layup that would have sent the Gamecocks to last year’s title game. Two of the hottest teams in the country meet in this first-round matchup, which could be the most exciting of any in the entire bracket. ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley exited the NCAA tournament last year with a sour taste in her mouth, scoring only six points on 2-of-12 shooting from the field in a 42-point loss to Baylor. She responded this year, however, playing consistently like one of the best bigs in the country. The Blue Jays average the third-most three-point attempts per game in the country, shooting 36.8% as a team, 11th-best in the nation. Stephen F. Austin could put some teams on upset watch in the Greensboro region after the Ladyjacks emerged as one of the country’s top defensive teams this season. Look no further than back-to-back-to-back Ivy League champion Princeton. The Tigers might be one of the smallest teams in the country—forward Ellie Mitchell is their tallest starter at just 6’1”—but they play a style of basketball that is both exciting to watch and disruptive for their opponents. They take on in-state rival Florida in the first-round, and could face the Huskies in the round of 32. The Cardinal feature the Pac-12 Player of the Year, in junior guard Haley Jones, and the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year as well, in sophomore forward Cameron Brink. But beyond the two individual standouts, the roster features great balance and versatility. For the first time, the bracket will feature 68 teams, as the full field was unveiled Sunday. Also new this year is the NCAA’s use of March Madness branding for the women’s event, a decision made after last year’s tournament highlighted a number inequities between the men’s and women’s competition.

The field for the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament has been set. The bracket was set on Selection Sunday, which means that office productivity on ...

All four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four just once during the tournament's history. Nine of 16 experts at The Athletic, for example, have picked the Bulldogs to win after falling short against Baylor a year ago. Two No. 1s have made it 38.9 percent of the time. The men's tournament has seen three No. 1 seeds among the last four just five times in its history. In last year's tournament, only five teams seeded 12th-15th advanced to the round of 32. Bracketology is going to be a national focus in the coming days.

Part of "normal" for college basketball in March also means debating the snubs. With 36 out of the 68 teams in the field selected as at-large teams, there is ...

The Aggies have a 9-9 record in Quad 1/2 games, while Rutgers is 9-10 in Quad 1/2 games. The Volunteers, who won the SEC Tournament on Sunday, are 10-7 in Quad 1 games, 5-0 in Quad 2 games and also have no losses in Quads 3 or 4. Provided it does, it will set the stage for an in-state showdown that would surely do monster TV ratings in Kentucky. Now, just imagine if Murray State coach Matt McMahon were to take down the Wildcats and then accept the Louisville job. To start, it will face a No. 6 seed in LSU that is going through a coaching change after the Tigers fired Will Wade and associate head coach Bill Armstrong on Saturday, meaning assistant coach Kevin Nickelberry will be in charge. It seemed unlikely the conference would match its total of nine NCAA Tournament teams from last season, especially after Indiana knocked out Michigan in second-round action and following Rutgers' loss to Iowa in the quarterfinals. The winner will advance to take on No. 6 seed Alabama on Friday in West Region action. If a fervent rally in the second half of the season was enough to get Rutgers in, why couldn't a similar rally get Texas A&M in? After a 2021 event that was held exclusively in a controlled environment in Indiana amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a 2020 season that was without an NCAA Tournament altogether, it's great to have a normal Big Dance back. Between 2001 and 2018, Xavier made 15 of 17 NCAA Tournaments under former coaches Skip Prosser, Thad Matta, Sean Miller and Chris Mack. But as the sun sets on Travis Steele's fourth season as coach, he's still yet to lead Xavier to the NCAA Tournament. Of course, that comes with the caveat of the 2020 event being canceled -- but. On the flip side, there are some instances in which teams receive seedings that are better than expected, which can end up making the difference between an early exit and a deep run. The Cyclones boast a 9-8 record in Quad 1 games and were a projected No. 9 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm's final bracket projection. Beyond the bubble, the seeding process lends itself to critique as fans around the country try and explain why their team should have received a more favorable slot in the bracket.

SportsLine's model predicted three Final Four teams last year and simulated the 2022 NCAA bracket 10000 times.

So what's the optimal NCAA Tournament 2022 bracket? And which teams will make surprising runs through the 2022 NCAA Tournament bracket? With the model's track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you'll want to see which stunners it's calling this year before locking in any 2022 NCAA bracket picks. Before making any 2022 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to check out the 2022 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine. Now, with the 2022 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. One of the most intriguing 2022 March Madness matchups to watch: No. 5 seed Connecticut vs.

SportsLine's model has nailed 17 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds and revealed its NCAA bracket 2022.

SportsLine's model also has one region where the No. 5 seed goes to the Elite Eight and the 14-seed delivers a shocking upset. Alabama has not played since losing to Vanderbilt in the second round of the SEC Tournament on March 10. The Crimson Tide are riding a three-game losing streak, including upset losses to Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. Guard Jahvon Quinerly has turned the ball over 19 times in his last four games, which does not bode well in the postseason. No. 2 seed Duke and No. 7 seed Michigan State are each one win away from pitting legendary head coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo against each other in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament bracket. Now, the model has simulated every possible matchup in the 2022 NCAA Tournament and revealed its optimal bracket. SportsLine's advanced computer model absolutely crushed its March Madness picks last tournament, beating over 92 percent of all CBS Sports brackets for the second time in three years.

Who do our writers have scoring big upsets, reaching the Final Four and winning it all in the men's NCAA tournament?

Selection Sunday set the 68 NCAA tournament teams. Now it's time to fill out your bracket and win March Madness. USA TODAY Sports has you covered.

- Dan Wolken's bracket - Scott Gleeson's bracket And check out our experts' picks from our men's national college basketball reporters.