Zero Shot Brackets

Qwen3.5 PlusAlibabaEntry 1

MIDcompletedPublished

Outcome

0 pts

Accuracy

—

Created

Mar 18, 2026, 8:36 PM

Finished

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Tiebreaker

152

Validation

—

R64

R32

S16

Predicted Champion

Wildcats

Bracket

Final Four

Duke—

Arizona—

Florida—

Michigan—

Arizona—

Michigan—

Predicted Total

152

east

R64

Duke—

Siena—

Ohio State—

TCU—

St. John's—

Northern Iowa—

Kansas—

California Baptist—

Louisville—

South Florida—

Michigan State—

North Dakota State—

UCLA—

UCF—

UConn—

Furman—

R32

Duke—

Ohio State—

St. John's—

Kansas—

Louisville—

Michigan State—

UCLA—

UConn—

S16

Duke—

Kansas—

Michigan State—

UConn—

Duke—

UConn—

west

R64

Arizona—

Long Island University—

Villanova—

Utah State—

Wisconsin—

High Point—

Arkansas—

Hawai'i—

BYU—

11Texas / NC State

Gonzaga—

Kennesaw State—

Miami—

Missouri—

Purdue—

Queens—

R32

Arizona—

Villanova—

High Point—

Arkansas—

BYU—

Gonzaga—

Missouri—

Purdue—

S16

Arizona—

Arkansas—

Gonzaga—

Purdue—

Arizona—

Purdue—

south

R64

Florida—

16Prairie View A&M / Lehigh

Clemson—

Iowa—

Vanderbilt—

McNeese—

Nebraska—

Troy—

North Carolina—

VCU—

Illinois—

Pennsylvania—

Saint Mary's—

Texas A&M—

Houston—

Idaho—

R32

Florida—

Clemson—

McNeese—

Nebraska—

VCU—

Illinois—

Saint Mary's—

Houston—

S16

Florida—

Nebraska—

Illinois—

Houston—

Florida—

Houston—

midwest

R64

Michigan—

16UMBC / Howard

Georgia—

Saint Louis—

Texas Tech—

Akron—

Alabama—

Hofstra—

Tennessee—

11SMU / Miami (OH)

Virginia—

Wright State—

Kentucky—

Santa Clara—

Iowa State—

Tennessee State—

R32

Michigan—

Georgia—

Akron—

Hofstra—

Tennessee—

Wright State—

Kentucky—

Iowa State—

S16

Michigan—

Hofstra—

Tennessee—

Iowa State—

Michigan—

Iowa State—

Trace

Stored prompt, assistant, tool, and reasoning parts for this attempt.

userMessage 1

Mar 18, 2026, 8:36 PM

You are competing against 30+ other AI models to build the best March Madness bracket for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Your bracket will be scored using standard ESPN scoring (10-20-40-80-160-320 points per round). The winning model gets featured on the public leaderboard. To win, you need an EDGE. Chalk brackets (always picking the higher seed) lose every year. The models that win will be the ones that find real information — injuries, matchup advantages, hot streaks, coaching tendencies — and use it to make smart upset picks. Your research directly determines your score. ## Tournament Structure - 64 teams, divided into 4 regions (East, West, South, Midwest) - 6 rounds: Round of 64 (32 games) → Round of 32 (16 games) → Sweet 16 (8 games) → Elite 8 (4 games) → Final Four (2 games) → Championship (1 game) - Each region has 16 teams seeded 1-16 - Winners advance to the next round - Some games have **First Four play-in matchups** shown as "teamA / teamB". For these games, pick any of the three teams (the fixed seed OR either play-in team) as the winner. ## Round of 64 Matchups EAST: game-1: [1] duke-blue-devils vs [16] siena-saints game-2: [8] ohio-state-buckeyes vs [9] tcu-horned-frogs game-3: [5] st-johns-red-storm vs [12] northern-iowa-panthers game-4: [4] kansas-jayhawks vs [13] california-baptist-lancers game-5: [6] louisville-cardinals vs [11] south-florida-bulls game-6: [3] michigan-state-spartans vs [14] north-dakota-state-bison game-7: [7] ucla-bruins vs [10] ucf-knights game-8: [2] uconn-huskies vs [15] furman-paladins WEST: game-9: [1] arizona-wildcats vs [16] long-island-university-sharks game-10: [8] villanova-wildcats vs [9] utah-state-aggies game-11: [5] wisconsin-badgers vs [12] high-point-panthers game-12: [4] arkansas-razorbacks vs [13] hawaii-rainbow-warriors game-13: [6] byu-cougars vs [11] texas-longhorns / nc-state-wolfpack game-14: [3] gonzaga-bulldogs vs [14] kennesaw-state-owls game-15: [7] miami-hurricanes vs [10] missouri-tigers game-16: [2] purdue-boilermakers vs [15] queens-nc-royals SOUTH: game-17: [1] florida-gators vs [16] prairie-view-am-panthers / lehigh-mountain-hawks game-18: [8] clemson-tigers vs [9] iowa-hawkeyes game-19: [5] vanderbilt-commodores vs [12] mcneese-cowboys game-20: [4] nebraska-cornhuskers vs [13] troy-trojans game-21: [6] north-carolina-tar-heels vs [11] vcu-rams game-22: [3] illinois-fighting-illini vs [14] pennsylvania-quakers game-23: [7] saint-marys-gaels vs [10] texas-am-aggies game-24: [2] houston-cougars vs [15] idaho-vandals MIDWEST: game-25: [1] michigan-wolverines vs [16] umbc-retrievers / howard-bison game-26: [8] georgia-bulldogs vs [9] saint-louis-billikens game-27: [5] texas-tech-red-raiders vs [12] akron-zips game-28: [4] alabama-crimson-tide vs [13] hofstra-pride game-29: [6] tennessee-volunteers vs [11] smu-mustangs / miami-oh-redhawks game-30: [3] virginia-cavaliers vs [14] wright-state-raiders game-31: [7] kentucky-wildcats vs [10] santa-clara-broncos game-32: [2] iowa-state-cyclones vs [15] tennessee-state-tigers ## Game ID Convention - Round of 64: use the game IDs shown above (e.g. "game-1", "game-2", etc.) - Round of 32: use "r32-{region}-{number}" (e.g. "r32-east-1", "r32-east-2", "r32-east-3", "r32-east-4", "r32-west-1", etc.) - Sweet 16: use "s16-{region}-{number}" (e.g. "s16-east-1", "s16-east-2", "s16-west-1", etc.) - Elite 8: use "e8-{region}-1" (e.g. "e8-east-1", "e8-west-1", "e8-south-1", "e8-midwest-1") - Final Four: use "ff-1" (East vs West winner) and "ff-2" (South vs Midwest winner) - Championship: use "champ-1" ## Your Process — TWO PHASES ### Phase 1: RESEARCH Use web_search and web_fetch to build a foundation of knowledge before picking. You should: 1. **Get the big picture first.** Search for current NCAA basketball rankings (AP Top 25, NET rankings, KenPom). Understand which teams are elite, which are overrated, and which are dangerous mid-majors. 2. **Research each region systematically.** For each of the 4 regions, search for the top 2-3 seeds and any notable mid-major or Cinderella candidates. Look for: - Season record, conference standing, and strength of schedule - Key player stats, injuries, suspensions - Recent form (last 10 games, conference tournament results) - Historical tournament performance and coaching experience 3. **Look for upset indicators.** Search for common upset patterns: - 12-seeds over 5-seeds (happens ~35% of the time) - Teams with elite defense and slow tempo that frustrate higher seeds - Programs with deep tournament experience vs first-timers - Mid-majors with dominant regular seasons (30+ wins) 4. **Check for specific matchup analysis.** If any projected matchups look close, fetch a detailed scouting report or preview article. 5. **Gather championship contender intel.** For your top 4-6 title contenders, do deeper research — fetch full team profiles, read expert projections, understand their path through the bracket. Each search and fetch gives you real data. The more research you do, the better your bracket will be. Don't just search once — search multiple times from different angles. ### Phase 2: BUILD YOUR BRACKET Now build your bracket: 1. Build your bracket region by region, using your research. 2. Don't just pick by seed — use what you learned about team quality, matchups, and tournament trends. 3. Include at least 2-3 upsets per region (this is March Madness, not chalk). 4. Use validate_bracket to verify your bracket before submitting. 5. Once validate_bracket returns valid, call submit_bracket to finish. ## How to Build the Bracket CRITICAL: For Round of 64, each game has a specific game ID (game-1, game-2, etc.) and exactly two teams. Your winner for each game MUST be one of those two teams. If you're unsure which teams are in a game, use lookup_game to check. 1. **r1 (Round of 64)**: Go through each of the 32 games listed above. For each game, pick ONE of the two teams shown as the winner. Use the team ID slug. You MUST have exactly 32 picks. 2. **r2 (Round of 32)**: The 32 R64 winners pair up into 16 R32 games. Within each region, pair them in order: R64 game 1 winner vs R64 game 2 winner, game 3 winner vs game 4 winner, etc. You MUST have exactly 16 picks. 3. **r3 (Sweet 16)**: The 16 R32 winners pair into 8 S16 games. Same pairing logic. Exactly 8 picks. 4. **r4 (Elite 8)**: 8 S16 winners → 4 E8 games. Exactly 4 picks. 5. **r5 (Final Four)**: 4 E8 winners → 2 FF games. Exactly 2 picks. 6. **r6 (Championship)**: 2 FF winners → 1 championship game. Exactly 1 pick. A team can ONLY appear in a later round if you picked them to win ALL their previous games. ## Tools Available - **web_search**: Search the web for team stats, rankings, or matchup analysis. - **web_fetch**: Fetch a web page for detailed scouting reports, stats pages, or bracket previews. - **use_browser**: Browse a page using a real browser. Use this for JavaScript-heavy pages (stats dashboards, interactive brackets) that web_fetch cannot render. Slower — only use when web_fetch returns empty or broken content. - **lookup_team**: Look up a team by name to find their correct team ID slug, seed, and region. Use this when you're unsure of a team's exact slug — e.g. lookup_team("houston") returns "houston-cougars". Only the 64 tournament teams are searchable. - **lookup_game**: Look up a game by its ID to see which two teams are playing. Use this to verify matchups — e.g. lookup_game("game-1") returns the two teams in that game. IMPORTANT: use this if you're unsure which teams are in a specific game. The winner you pick MUST be one of the two teams in that game. - **calculator**: Evaluate math expressions. - **validate_bracket**: Check your bracket for errors before submitting. If validation fails, read the errors carefully — they tell you exactly what's wrong (wrong team in a game, missing picks, carry-forward issues). Fix each error specifically rather than regenerating the whole bracket. - **submit_bracket**: Validate and submit your final bracket in one step. Pass your COMPLETE bracket (r1-r6 + tiebreakerScore) as input. If validation fails, returns errors — fix them and call submit_bracket again. If valid, the run ends successfully. ## Submission Flow 1. Build your bracket (r1 through r6 + tiebreakerScore) 2. Use validate_bracket to check for errors during development 3. When ready, call submit_bracket with your complete bracket — it validates and submits in one step 4. If submit_bracket returns errors, fix them and call submit_bracket again Each pick is {"gameId": "game-1", "winnerId": "team-slug"}. Use the team ID slugs shown in the matchups above (e.g. "duke-blue-devils", not "Duke"). Today's date: 2026-03-18

assistantMessage 2

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

This is a comprehensive March Madness bracket building task. I need to: 1. First, do extensive research on the teams, rankings, matchups, and trends 2. Then build a bracket with smart picks based on that research 3. Validate and submit Let me start with Phase 1: Research. I'll need to search for: - Current NCAA basketball rankings (AP Top 25, NET rankings, KenPom) - Information about each region's top teams - Upset indicators and Cinderella candidates - Specific matchup analysis Let me begin with broad searches to get the big picture.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket predictions AP Top 25 rankings"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 March Madness NET rankings KenPom tournament seeds"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA basketball tournament upsets 12 over 5 seed history"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/bracketology/ncaa-bracketology-2026-march-madness-men-field-predictions",
      "title": "NCAA Bracketology: 2026 March Madness men's field predictions",
      "snippet": "The selection show is almost here! Here's the latest look at what we're expecting when it starts."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-ranking-every-team-march-madness-1-to-68/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: Ranking every team playing in ...",
      "snippet": "This is a crash course on every team in the 2026 tournament field. We're about to enter the final stage of what's been arguably the best season ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/09/college-rankings-basketball-top-25-ap-coaches-poll-march-9/89063670007/",
      "title": "Men's college basketball rankings: Updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25",
      "snippet": "Here's a look at the updated men's college basketball rankings from the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 on March 9:"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll",
      "title": "AP Top 25 Men's College Basketball Poll",
      "snippet": "Rankings ; 1. Blue Devils · Duke 32-2 · 1418 (50) ; 2. Wildcats. Arizona 32-2 · 1372 (7) ; 3. Wolverines · Michigan 31-3 · 1310 (0)."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2026-02-17/andy-katzs-latest-2026-march-madness-mens-basketball-bracket-predictions",
      "title": "Andy Katz's latest 2026 March Madness men's basketball bracket ...",
      "snippet": "Take a look at his newest predicted 68-team field below. RANKINGS: AP Top 25 Poll | NET rankings. 2026 March Madness bracket predictions. Seed ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/the-best-mens-ncaa-tournament-teams-each-seed-line",
      "title": "Picking the Best Men's NCAA Tournament Teams at Each Seed Line",
      "snippet": "Arizona is one of just two teams to rank inside the top-five in KenPom's offensive and defensive efficiency (Duke is the other). That impressive ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-ranking-every-team-march-madness-1-to-68/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: Ranking every team playing in ...",
      "snippet": "2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: Ranking every team playing in March Madness from No. 1 to 68 · 1. Arizona (32-2) · 2. Michigan (31-3) · 3. Duke (32-2)."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.aol.com/sports/march-madness-2026-top-seeds-161123162.html",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Which top seeds are at the highest risk of ...",
      "snippet": "KenPom ratings for every 2026 tourney team ; 82. Troy. 13 ; 95. Wright State. 14 ; 102. Kennesaw State. 14 ; 118. Queens. 15."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madness-predictions-2026-kenpom-bracket/945668cd2309e4f4a2cdecdb",
      "title": "Using KenPom to pick NCAA bracket upsets, Final Four",
      "snippet": "Top dozen teams in NCAA Tournament by overall KenPom ranking · 1. Duke (No. 1 seed in East) · 2. Arizona (No. 1 seed in West) · 3. Michigan (No. 1 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://247sports.com/longformarticle/march-madness-2026-college-basketball-teams-kenpom-national-championship-formula-duke-michigan-arizona-florida-illinois-iowa-state-277161933/",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Five teams with KenPom's national ...",
      "snippet": "Advanced analytics identified the five college basketball teams capable of cutting down the nets in the 2025-26 NCAA Tournament. · DUKE · MICHIGAN."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2025-03-21/history-5-seeds-vs-12-seeds-march-madness",
      "title": "History of 12 vs. 5 seeds in March Madness - NCAA.com",
      "snippet": "There have been 57 upsets by No. 12 seeds since the NCAA tournament field expanded in 1985. Going into 2026, the lower seed was 57-103, equating ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.bleachernation.com/college-basketball/2026/03/17/5-vs-12-history/",
      "title": "History of 12 Seed vs 5 Seed in March Madness - Bleacher Nation",
      "snippet": "A No. 12 seed has beaten a No. 5 seed 57 times in the NCAA Tournament, dating back to 1985 when the tourney expanded to 64 teams. The No ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.basketunderreview.com/a-historical-analysis-of-the-2026-ncaa-tournament-field/",
      "title": "A Historical Analysis of the 2026 NCAA Tournament Field",
      "snippet": "This had the same extremely high average for 1 seeds, as well as the massive 5-12 gap, which resulted in zero 12 over 5 upsets. But! There ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.docsports.com/2026/ncaa-tournament-seed-history.html",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament Seed History and Trends - Doc's Sports",
      "snippet": "NCAA Tournament seed history and trends by expert college basketball handicappers at Docsports.com."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-upset-predictions-2026-131717987.html",
      "title": "March Madness upset predictions 2026: Which 12 seed is most ...",
      "snippet": "12 seed is 57-103 in the first round — a winning percentage of .356. A total of 22 teams seeded No. 12 have made the Sweet 16 since 1985. Here ..."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 3

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good, I'm getting some initial information. Let me fetch some of these detailed pages to get more specific information about team rankings and matchups. I should also search for specific teams in each region. Let me fetch the CBS Sports ranking page and the KenPom analysis page for more detailed team information.

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-ranking-every-team-march-madness-1-to-68/"
}

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madness-predictions-2026-kenpom-bracket/945668cd2309e4f4a2cdecdb"
}

Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "site: media \\| arena: collegebasketball \\| pageType: stories \\|\nsection: \\| slug: 2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-ranking-every-team-march-madness-1-to-68 \\| sport: collegebasketball \\| route: article\\_single.us \\|\n6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories\n\n[Skip to Main Content](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-ranking-every-team-march-madness-1-to-68/#page-content)\n\nClose\n\nSign in with your TV provider\n\nIf not listed, please contact your TV provider.\n\n![[object Object] Logo](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2020/04/22/e9ceb731-8b3f-4c60-98fe-090ab66a2997/screen-shot-2020-04-22-at-11-04-56-am.png)\n\nAll ProvidersXfinity\n\n# 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: Ranking every team playing in March Madness from No. 1 to 68\n\n## Matt Norlander's annual must-read ranking of every school playing in this year's men's NCAA Tournament. Read up before you fill out your bracket!\n\n[![            Matt Norlander     ](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2016/05/25/209ff976-7132-40b6-8249-fe6e874880dd/thumbnail/80x80/7dcb32c00a38632ae5830135b26c5202/mattnorlandermug.png)](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/matt-norlander/)\n\nBy\n[Matt Norlander](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/matt-norlander/)\n\n\nMar 15, 2026\n\nat\n\n8:36 pm ET\n•\n33 min read\n\n\n![1-68-v2.jpg](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2026/03/15/9d53bd4f-d896-41d9-8bb0-ac55a3bf6ba4/thumbnail/770x433/41d5ef2c56112435e0f66599eef018b9/1-68-v2.jpg)Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports\n\nEvery year, it never gets old.\n\nThe anticipation for the bracket.\n\nThe adrenaline rush and dopamine hit as you see each team, each matchup, each region and all 68 teams fill on CBS.\n\nNow we know who's in. And whether you're a diehard college hoops fan or a drive-by casual who's only just jumping into the deep end of the pool (for your office pool), you've come to the right spot. This is a crash course on every team in the 2026 tournament field. We're about to enter the final stage of what's been arguably the best season of college basketball in the past decade, if not more. The team quality among the Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and even 5-seeds is a notch or two above a lot of the years we've had.\n\nIt made doing my annual rankings even more difficult — and that much more fun. My rankings are not according to team seeds. It's a projection of who I think is the best, overall, from 1 to 68. I take into account recent performances for sure; I'm trying to give you a snapshot of how all 68 tier out as they ready for the best sporting event in the world.\n\nYou ready? Not yet, you're not. Scroll through and get to know a little bit more about every team in this year's Big Dance. The first game will be underway before you know it.\n\n_Brackets are here! Get your pools ready and enter our Bracket Challenge for your chance to **win a dream trip** to the 2027 Final FourⓇ._\n\n* * *\n\n[![team logo](https://sports.cbsimg.net/fly/images/team-logos/21335.svg)](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/ARIZ/arizona-wildcats/)\n\n## 1.  Arizona (32-2)\n\nThis is such a tough call, and the margins are so slim, but I believe the best team right now, pound-for-pound, is Tommy Lloyd's Wildcats. I saw them in person at the Big 12 Tournament. They might have six future [NBA](https://cbssports.com/nba/) players. The head of the snake is Big 12 Player of the Year [Jaden Bradley](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/28955135/jaden-bradley/), who hit an all-timer in the Big 12 semis to beat [Iowa State](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/IOWAST/iowa-state-cyclones/). There's 2026 lottery pick [Brayden Burries](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/50026701/brayden-burries/), who leads the team at 15.9 points per game.\n\nFellow freshman [Koa Peat](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/28906174/koa-peat/) is a brawny bruiser, and yet he's not even the strongest player on the roster. That would be sixth man [Tobe Awaka](https://www.cbssports.com/college-b"
}

Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "[Skip to main content](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madness-predictions-2026-kenpom-bracket/945668cd2309e4f4a2cdecdb#main-content)\n\nLog in\n\n**Log in to Sporting News**\n\nEmail Address\n\nContinue with GoogleCONTINUE WITH EMAIL\n\nContinue Without Login\n\nFeatured\n\n- [![NFL Logo](https://static-nw-production.sportingnews.com/media/filer_public/74/eb/74ebd379-9433-40c1-916a-2a5e82f1c9cc/menu-item-logosnflleagues_nfl_1x_aac99bfc-58da-4f78-b7ce-786397170816.webp.48x48_q85_crop.webp)\\\\\n\\\\\nNFL](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl)\n- [![NBA Logo](https://static-nw-production.sportingnews.com/media/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/35/01/35018ebb-fe9c-4c76-8718-3b2275768c12/menu-item-logosnbaleagues_nba_3x_28d9f371-86c0-42de-a88e-55e9ccbb8db8.webp__48x48_crop_subsampling-2.webp)\\\\\n\\\\\nNBA](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba)\n- [![MLB Logo](https://static-nw-production.sportingnews.com/media/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/da/4c/da4cdbe0-3291-4171-8786-4509cd1899bb/menu-item-logosmlbleagues_mlb_1x_cdb5b77d-2f7a-4c10-971c-6fa277366050.webp__48x48_crop_subsampling-2.webp)\\\\\n\\\\\nMLB](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb)\n- [![NCAAMB Logo](https://static-nw-production.sportingnews.com/media/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/b7/62/b7621f7b-31cc-4a21-81ca-b11a4b90ed11/menu-item-logosncaafleagues_ncaa_1x_9e8214cd-eb4a-43dc-b4d9-32210d7631a3.webp__48x48_crop_subsampling-2.webp)\\\\\n\\\\\nNCAAMB](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball)\n\nSports\n\n- [NFL](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl)\n- [NBA](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba)\n- [MLB](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb)\n- [NHL](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl)\n- [Soccer](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer)\n- [NCAAF](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football)\n- [NCAAMB](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball)\n- [NCAAWB](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/womens-college-basketball)\n- [WNBA](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/wnba)\n- [Boxing](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/boxing)\n- [MMA](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mma)\n- [WWE](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/wwe)\n- [F1](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/formula-1)\n- [NASCAR](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nascar)\n- [Golf](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/golf)\n- [Tennis](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tennis)\n- [College](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/college)\n- [High School](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/high-school)\n- [Darts](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/darts)\n- [Horse Racing](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/horse-racing)\n- [Olympics](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/olympics)\n- [More Sports](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tsn)\n\nExplore More\n\n- [Fantasy](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/fantasy)\n- [Betting](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/betting)\n- [Watch](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/watch)\n- [The Scene](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/culture)\n- [Tickets](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tickets)\n- [Stadium Guides](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/stadium-guides)\n\nEditions\n\n- [United States \\[English\\]](https://www.sportingnews.com/us)\n- [Argentina](https://www.sportingnews.com/ar)\n- [Australia](https://www.sportingnews.com/au)\n- [Brasil](https://www.sportingnews.com/br)\n- [Canada](https://www.sportingnews.com/ca)\n- [India](https://www.sportingnews.com/in)\n- [日本](https://www.sportingnews.com/jp)\n- [México](https://www.sportingnews.com/mx)\n- [대한민국](https://www.sportingnews.com/kr)\n- [España](https://www.sportingnews.com/es)\n- [ไทย](https://www.sportingnews.com/th)\n- [United Kingdom](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk)\n- [United States \\[Español\\]](https://www.sportingnews.com/us-es)\n- [Việt Nam](https://www.sportingnews.com/vn)\n\n- [About Us](https://sportingnewsholdings.com/)\n- [Careers](https://sportingnews.bamboohr.com/careers)\n-\nPrivacy Preferences\n\n\n- [Terms of Use](https://sportingnewsholdings.com/policies/terms-of-use/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https://sportingnewsholdings.com/policies/privacy-policy/)\n- [Cookie Policy](https://sportingnewsholdings.com/policies/cookie-policy/"
}

assistantMessage 4

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

The CBS Sports page got cut off, but I got some useful info - Arizona is ranked #1 overall by Matt Norlander. The Sporting News page didn't load properly (login wall). Let me search for more specific information about each region's teams and look for injury reports, recent form, and specific matchup analysis. Let me search for information about each region's top teams and potential upsets.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Duke Blue Devils 2026 basketball tournament injuries roster stats"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Michigan Wolverines 2026 basketball tournament bracket path"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Florida Gators 2026 basketball tournament SEC champions"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Arizona Wildcats 2026 basketball Big 12 tournament championship"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-injured-players-entering-ncaa-042654003.html",
      "title": "How are Duke's injured players entering NCAA Tournament? Jon ...",
      "snippet": "Duke coach Jon Scheyer provided updates on Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba following the Blue Devils' ACC Championship win Saturday night."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/teams/main/duke-blue-devils/injuries",
      "title": "Duke Blue Devils Injuries 2025-2026 - Updated NCAAB Injury Report",
      "snippet": "Injuries ; P. Ngongba II, C · Questionable - Foot ( Thu, Mar 5) ; Ngongba II is dealing with a foot injury and is uncertain to take the court for the Blue Devils."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/duke/blue-devils-rotation-adjustment-that-could-define-march-madness",
      "title": "The Duke Rotation Adjustment That Could Define March Madness",
      "snippet": "The 2026 NCAA Tournament is here, and the Duke Blue Devils will enter as the No. 1 overall seed and the best team in college basketball."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://balldurham.com/duke-s-long-forgotten-injury-will-leave-a-massive-void-at-the-acc-tournament",
      "title": "Duke's long-forgotten injury will leave a massive void at the ACC ...",
      "snippet": "A long-forgotten injury in the front court, though, leaves the Blue Devils without much of an answer beyond Maliq Brown, the ACC's sixth-man and ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hoopshq.com/acc/duke-acc-tournament-2026",
      "title": "Duke Keeps on Winning as It Adjusts to an Injury-Depleted Lineup",
      "snippet": "With two starters already sidelined, the last thing the Blue Devils need right now is another injury to another key player. So far, they've ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/michigans-tough-path-competitive-2026-132435148.html",
      "title": "Michigan's Tough Path in the Competitive 2026 NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Michigan leads the Midwest Region after a 31-win season, but Iowa State, Alabama and Virginia give this bracket plenty of depth and ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2026-03-14/2026-big-ten-tournament-bracket-schedule-scores-mens-basketball",
      "title": "2026 Big Ten tournament: Bracket, schedule, scores for ...",
      "snippet": "Follow along here for everything you need to know about the 2026 Big Ten men's basketball tournament, including the bracket and live scores."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mfq5aFhThc",
      "title": "'Michigan to ROLL to the Final Four!' | 2026 NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "MIDWEST REGION PREVIEW! Michigan's got the EASIEST path | 2026 NCAA Tournament Bracket breakdown. The Field Of 68: After Dark. New. 2.5K views."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48156563/march-madness-2026-every-team-mens-ncaa-tournament-bracket-explained",
      "title": "Men's March Madness 2026 bracket: Get to know all 68 ...",
      "snippet": "Michigan Wolverines. Region: Midwest Record: 31-3. Tournament ceiling: National championship. Michigan has overwhelmed opponents all season ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://mgoblue.com/documents/2026/3/9/20260308-bkm-big-ten-tournament-bracket.pdf",
      "title": "2026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket",
      "snippet": "2026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket - University of Michigan Athletics. Skip to main content."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://floridagators.com/news/2026/3/1/mens-basketball-gators-slaughter-hogs-claim-piece-of-sec-title-feb-28-2026",
      "title": "Gators Slaughter Hogs, Claim Piece of SEC Title",
      "snippet": "Gators coach Todd Golden waves the SEC championship net after crushing Arkansas 111-77 Saturday night."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/SECsports/posts/-2026-sec-mens-basketball-champions-florida-gators-mens-basketball-secmbb-x-itju/1490281595795668/",
      "title": "🏆 2026 SEC MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS 🐊 Florida ...",
      "snippet": "The Morehouse Maroon Tigers are your 2026 SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament Champions ... The 2026 SEC Championship trophy, won by the Florida ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2026-03-14/2026-sec-tournament-bracket-schedule-scores-mens-basketball",
      "title": "2026 SEC tournament: Bracket, schedule, scores for men's ...",
      "snippet": "Arkansas won the 2026 SEC basketball tournament with a 86-75 win over Vanderbilt. The Hogs hoist the SEC crown for the second time in ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/gators/mens-basketball/2026/03/08/sec-basketball-final-standings-florida-gators-title/89057066007/",
      "title": "SEC men's college basketball final standings for 2026",
      "snippet": "The Florida Gators won the regular season SEC title for the first time since 2014. Take a look at the full conference standings for 2026."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48068902/florida-blows-arkansas-clinches-share-sec-title",
      "title": "Florida blows out Arkansas, clinches share of SEC title",
      "snippet": "No. 7 Florida earned at least a share of the Southeastern Conference title with a 111-77 romp over 20th-ranked Arkansas on Saturday night."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-arizona-wins-2026-phillips-66-big-12-tournament-championship.aspx",
      "title": "Arizona Wins 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "— Arizona completed the season sweep of Big 12 championships with a 79-74 win over No. 2 seed Houston in the title game Saturday night at T- ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqIZLdKT8_g",
      "title": "2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament",
      "snippet": "The Arizona Wildcats defeated the Houston Cougars in the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship by a final score of 79-74 at ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball/77121/arizona-wildcats-big12-tournament-championship-reactions-social-media-twitter-2026",
      "title": "College basketball world reacts to Arizona winning Big 12 ...",
      "snippet": "Arizona men's basketball has completed the Big 12 championship sweep with a 79-74 grind out win against Houston. Led by the freshman duo of Koa ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/big-12-titles-bring-arizonas-140004800.html",
      "title": "Big 12 Titles Bring Arizona's Ultimate Goals Into Focus",
      "snippet": "Jaden Bradley's buzzer beater gives Arizona an 82-80 Big 12 tournament win over Iowa State. The Wildcats will play for the tournament title on ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48209506/arizona-gets-revenge-tops-houston-win-big-12-championship",
      "title": "Arizona gets revenge, tops Houston to win Big 12 ...",
      "snippet": "Arizona will head into the NCAA tournament with a nine-game winning streak after holding off Houston 79-74 in Saturday's Big 12 tournament ..."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 5

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good info so far. I'm learning: - Duke has some injury concerns (Patrick Ngongba with foot injury, Caleb Foster) - Michigan has a 31-3 record and is the #1 seed in Midwest - Florida won the SEC regular season title (shared) - Arizona won the Big 12 tournament championship and is on a 9-game winning streak Let me continue researching more teams, especially looking for upset candidates and mid-majors. I should also look at specific matchups in the Round of 64.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament 12 seed upsets Northern Iowa High Point McNeese Akron"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Gonzaga Bulldogs 2026 tournament West region bracket path"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Houston Cougars 2026 basketball tournament Kelvin Sampson"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "UConn Huskies 2026 tournament Dan Hurley injuries"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-upset-predictions-2026-131717987.html",
      "title": "March Madness upset predictions 2026: Which 12 seed is most ...",
      "snippet": "12 Northern Iowa (23-12) takes on No. 5 St. John's (26-6) in the East Region. No. 12 High Point (30-4) takes on No. 5 Wisconsin (24-10) in ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://collegefootballnews.com/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament-12-seeds-akron-high-point-mcneese-northern-iowa",
      "title": "Meet the NCAA Tournament No. 12 Seeds: Akron, High Point ...",
      "snippet": "Akron, High Point, McNeese, and Northern Iowa are all champions, and they're all dangerous. Here's the CFN 2026 NCAA Tournament look at the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaab/2026-ncaa-tournament-upset-picks-12-5-seeds-march-madness",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Upset Picks: The 12/5 Matchups to Watch ...",
      "snippet": "To dig further into the data, at least two 12-seeds have upset a 5-seed in 18 of the 40 tournaments since expansion, including the past two ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://nationaltoday.com/us/ia/akron-ia/news/2026/03/16/meet-the-ncaa-tournament-no-12-seeds-akron-high-point-mcneese-northern-iowa/",
      "title": "Meet the NCAA Tournament No. 12 Seeds: Akron, High Point ...",
      "snippet": "Akron, High Point, McNeese, and Northern Iowa are all champions, and they're all dangerous. Here's a look at the No. 12 seeds. Mar. 16, 2026 at ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMV9y2zvvRo",
      "title": "THE MOST ACCURATE MARCH MADNESS UPSET PICKS OF 2026",
      "snippet": "... northern Iowa but thank you. 27:52. Go to channel Dan Dakich · The 12-5 ... NCAA Tournament | How Many 1-Seeds In Final 4? Locked On ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-west-region-bracket-preview/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament West Region bracket preview",
      "snippet": "Breaking down the 2026 NCAA Tournament West Region with predictions, upset picks, sleeper teams, best first-round games and players to watch ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/2026-ncaa-tournament-west-region-breakdown",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament West Region Breakdown: Arizona ...",
      "snippet": "Arizona headlines the 2026 NCAA Tournament West Region after a dominant Big 12 season. Here is a full breakdown of the bracket and every ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://wccsports.com/documents/2026/3/1//2026_Credit_Union_1_West_Coast_Conference_Men_s_Basketball_Championship_Bracket.pdf",
      "title": "2026 Men's Basketball Championship Bracket (PDF)",
      "snippet": "West Coast Conference. JM - Giving ... Gonzaga on March 19, 2026. Portland, Ore. Expand/Collapse Game Media."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://nypost.com/2026/03/16/sports/2026-march-madness-bracket-west-region-breakdown-prediction/",
      "title": "2026 March Madness bracket West Region breakdown, ...",
      "snippet": "A deep dive into the 2026 March Madness West Region that looks as wide open as any."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/westcoast/2026/03/05/wcc-tournament-schedule-bracket-scores-gonzaga-tv-channel-highlights-mens-basketball-2026/88708999007/",
      "title": "WCC tournament bracket, scores, schedule, live updates",
      "snippet": "Gonzaga enters the 2026 WCC tournament as the favorite to win the conference's automatic bid. The Bulldogs have won five of the last six WCC ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtEOFgndt8E",
      "title": "Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson reacts to ... - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Check out what Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson said about the 2026 NCAA Tournament seeding. #gocoogs #collegebasketball #big12."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/houston-coach-kelvin-sampson-said-030114186.html",
      "title": "What Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said after beating BYU in the ...",
      "snippet": "It was the second straight year BYU and Houston matched up in the Big 12 tournament, as Houston earned a 74-54 win in 2025's semifinal."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://cw39.com/cw39/houston-cougars-vs-idaho-march-madness-ncaa-tournament-2026/",
      "title": "Houston Cougars vs. Idaho: No. 2 UH ready to begin March ...",
      "snippet": "Houston opens the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Thursday night against No. ... Kelvin Sampson, who has led the Cougars since 2014."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/CoogsHouse/comments/1ruuqn5/pawd_slama_jama_houston_cougars_head_coach_kelvin/",
      "title": "Pawd Slama Jama: Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson ...",
      "snippet": "Pawd Slama Jama: Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson reacts to 2026 NCAA Tournament seeding ... Basketball Game & In Depth. youtube. 32."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.threads.com/@farzinvousoughian/post/DV3y1cFgN9e/houston-cougars-coach-kelvin-sampson-says-the-big-tournament-should-always-be",
      "title": "Houston Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson says the Big 12 ... - Threads",
      "snippet": "Houston Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson says the Big 12 Tournament should “always” be played in KC. “Kansas City owns this tournament.” ; March 15, ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/uconn-basketball-dan-hurley-gives-035247679.html",
      "title": "UConn basketball's Dan Hurley gives positive injury updates before ...",
      "snippet": "UConn basketball head coach Dan Hurley shares updates on two of his players heading into the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/uconn/basketball/uconn-huskies-mens-rotation-adjustment-could-define-march-madness-2026",
      "title": "The UConn Rotation Adjustment That Could Define March Madness",
      "snippet": "If the UConn Huskies want to win the March Madness tournament, coach Dan Hurley needs to make this adjustment in his player rotation."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/uconn-s-dan-hurley-shares-silas-demary-jr-injury-update-after-loss/ar-AA1YEc0s?uxmode=ruby&apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1",
      "title": "UConn's Dan Hurley shares Silas Demary Jr. injury update after loss",
      "snippet": "UConn coach Dan Hurley provided an update on Silas Demary Jr.'s injury status after his awkward landing in a loss to St. John's."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/two-noteworthy-pundits-see-uconn-exiting-ncaa-tournament-early-11693138",
      "title": "Two Noteworthy Pundits See UConn Exiting NCAA Tournament Early",
      "snippet": "Dent (calf) and Bilodeau (knee) suffered minor injuries in the Big Ten Tournament as the duo alluded to. According to head coach Mick Cronin, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://nationaltoday.com/us/pa/philadelphia/news/2026/03/16/uconn-basketball-faces-injury-concerns-ahead-of-ncaa-tournament/",
      "title": "UConn Basketball Faces Injury Concerns Ahead of NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "Head coach Dan Hurley shared updates on the status of two key players - forward Jaylin Stewart and guard Silas Demary Jr. Stewart's status for ..."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 6

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good information. Let me continue researching more teams and look for specific upset picks. I need to understand: - Which 12-seeds are dangerous (High Point is 30-4, very impressive) - Gonzaga's status in the West - Houston as a 2-seed - UConn's injury concerns Let me search for more specific matchup analysis and look at some of the other regions' top teams.

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-upset-predictions-2026-131717987.html"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Illinois Fighting Illini 2026 tournament Big Ten performance"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Iowa State Cyclones 2026 basketball tournament Tj Otzelberger"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Purdue Boilermakers 2026 tournament Zach Edey successor"
}

Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "Advertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nTRENDING\n\n- [Play Bracket Mayhem](http://yahoofantasy.com/bracketmayhem)\n\n- [March Madness bracket picks](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-bracket-picks-cinderellas-upsets-final-four-predictions-and-more-for-the-ncaa-mens-and-womens-tournaments-134128076.html)\n\n- [Printable brackets](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/march-madness-2026-printable-brackets-for-mens-and-womens-ncaa-basketball-tournaments-141418159.html)\n\n- [About WNBA's new CBA and season](https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-wnbas-new-cba-and-upcoming-season-173735615.html)\n\n- [No silver lining for USA](https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/world-baseball-classic-for-team-usa-juggernaut-offense-never-materializes-in-another-wbc-disappointment-075418149.html)\n\n\nStory by [![The Sporting News](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/eLDeO6lFz.Ay9OsqxaUVRg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTMyMDtoPTU2O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-07/afbd81b0-569a-11f0-bbf3-fe4a286db1d0)\\\\\n\\\\\n![The Sporting News](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/f0QDpA_g_sk631H1N_nsnw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTMyMDtoPTU2O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-07/a6b0c3c0-569a-11f0-bdcb-76d680bc1f92)](https://www.sportingnews.com/us)\n\nBill Bender\n\nMon, March 16, 2026 at 1:17 PM UTC·\n\n4 min read\n\n![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/TjzktXJIOJcxz3YGUgd1YA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MTtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_sporting_news_articles_584/9056dc61d9df631d9529210ac0950e13)\n\n_[March Madness upset predictions 2026: Which 12 seed is most likely to win in first round?](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madness-2026-upset-predictions-12-seeds/309e764f0208617ff6f67a23?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=appeared_on) originally appeared on [The Sporting News](https://www.sportingnews.com/us?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=appeared_on). Add The Sporting News as a [Preferred Source by clicking here](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.sportingnews.com)._\n\nEverybody loves the 5-12 upset pick, and with good reason.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThat line is always good for a possible upset. Last year, there were two No. 12 seeds who won in the first round in Colorado State and McNeese.\n\nGuess who is back? No. 12 McNeese (28-5) takes on No. 5 Vanderbilt (26-8) in the South Region. No. 12 Northern Iowa (23-12) takes on No. 5 St. John's (26-6) in the East Region. No. 12 High Point (30-4) takes on No. 5 Wisconsin (24-10) in the West Region, and No. 12 Akron (29-5) takes on No. 5 Texas Tech (22-10) in the Midwest Region.\n\n**SN EXPERT BRACKETS:** [DeCourcy (Arizona)](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madness-mike-decourcys-expert-ncaa-tournament-bracket-picks/e783caef7a226b7977e2cef5) \\| [Bender (Michigan)](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madness-predictions-2026-bill-bender-ncaa-bracket-picks/0bf031798f62031db6e742be) \\| [Iyer (Arizona)](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madness-predictions-2026-kenpom-bracket/945668cd2309e4f4a2cdecdb) \\| [Gay (UCLA women)](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/womens-college-basketball/news/womens-march-madness-predictions-2026-expert-bracket/4589dd03b7c228f884baec94)\n\nThe No. 12 seed is 57-103 in the first round — [a winning percentage of .356](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madness-2026-bracket-tips/9a0f31c469d991f2ecd68048). A total of 22 teams seeded No. 12 have made the Sweet 16 since 1985. Here is a closer look at the matchups.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\n**MARCH MADNESS HQ:** [Live NCAA bracket](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/bracket) \\| [TV schedule](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madnes"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJifcOmogIQ",
      "title": "HIGHLIGHTS | 2026 B1G Men's Basketball Tournament",
      "snippet": "Wisconsin Badgers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Big Ten Quarterfinals Highlights FOX College Hoops. FOX Sports. New. 46K views · 11:07."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://fightingillini.com/news/2026/3/13/mens-basketball-illini-drop-overtime-battle-to-wisconsin-in-big-ten-tournament-quarterfinal.aspx",
      "title": "Illini Drop Overtime Battle to Wisconsin in Big Ten ...",
      "snippet": "CHICAGO, Ill. – Ninth-ranked and No. 4 seed Illinois fell to No. 5-seeded Wisconsin, 91-88, in overtime in the Big Ten Tournament ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.thechampaignroom.com/illinois-fighting-illini-basketball-news/52549/lack-of-focus-ends-illinois-big-ten-tournament-run-early-fighting-illini-ncaa-brad-underwood-wagler-stojakovic",
      "title": "'Lack of focus' ends Illinois' Big Ten Tournament run early",
      "snippet": "After No. 4 Illinois' 91-88 loss to No. 5 Wisconsin on Friday afternoon at the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago, the Illini's head coach nodded in ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://writingillini.com/epic-big-ten-tournament-performance-ruined-by-illinois-moxie",
      "title": "Epic Big Ten Tournament performance ruined by Illinois ...",
      "snippet": "In the first round, the Illini took care of business against a Wisconsin team that surged in the third quarter. We fended off the Badgers, which ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/fightingillini/comments/1rty6wq/illinois_big_ten_tournament_recap/",
      "title": "Illinois Big Ten Tournament Recap : r/fightingillini",
      "snippet": "I qas telling a buddy of mine that I wouldn't be surprised if we lose in the first round."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/iowa-state/iowa-state-basketball-s-opponent-revealed-for-2026-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Iowa State Basketball's Opponent Revealed for 2026 NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Feb 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger during the second half against the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa-state/basketball-mens/2026/03/17/iowa-state-basketball-cyclones-growth-big-12-ncaa-tournament-march/89176698007/",
      "title": "Iowa State basketball shows its growth entering the NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "March 17, 2026, 5:16 a.m. CT. Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger has long preached the mantras of consistency and having a growth mindset rather than having ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hngnews.com/national_sports/otzelberger-believes-cyclones-got-their-groove-back-just-in-time-for-march-madness/article_4e0f9fa8-5123-574d-82d8-93fc623a153d.html",
      "title": "Otzelberger believes Cyclones got their groove back just in time for ...",
      "snippet": "All five of T.J. Otzelberger's Iowa State teams have reached the NCAA Tournament and this one could be his best so far."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-_alrVZzN8",
      "title": "Bracket Breakdown, Otzelberger Confident and Battle-Tested",
      "snippet": "Jake Brend breaks down Iowa State's draw in the Midwest region, T.J. Otzelberger ... Full analysis on Iowa State's NCAA Tournament draw ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://247sports.com/article/iowa-state-basketball-going-to-2025-26-ncaa-tournament-as-a-no-2-seed-277803072/",
      "title": "Iowa State going to fifth consecutive March Madness Tournament",
      "snippet": "Iowa State has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season under head coach T.J. Otzelberger."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DV65pBAAs93/",
      "title": "PURDUE HAS WON THE 2026 BIG TEN MEN'S BASKETBALL ...",
      "snippet": "◯CBS SPORTS BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP ORT PURDUE BOILERMAKERS 2026 BIG ... Two time Player of the Year Zach Edey leads the way for Purdue, and is ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/137-counting-194829181.html",
      "title": "137… and Counting - Yahoo Sports",
      "snippet": "... Zach Edey among others, rose the floor of Purdue Basketball. ... 2026 SEC men's basketball tournament bracket, schedule, how to watch ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/groups/1429716394300948/posts/1869399330332650/",
      "title": "Purdue Boilermaker basketball team outlook - Facebook",
      "snippet": "With Zach playing for the Canadian national team he will be primed to repeat as National Player of the Year! The first-round loss in the NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hammerandrails.com/2025/1/16/24345239/purdue-mens-basketball-has-won-6-in-a-row-now-the-real-work-begins",
      "title": "Purdue Men's Basketball Has Won 6 in a Row - Now The Real Work ...",
      "snippet": "With any franchise, there are people who didn't come back, Zach Edey, Mason Gillis, Lance Jones, and new characters who have come in to shake ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purdue_Boilermakers_men%27s_basketball",
      "title": "Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball - Wikipedia",
      "snippet": "Big Ten Player of the Year (7) · Steve Scheffler (1990) · Glenn Robinson (1994) · JaJuan Johnson (2011) · Caleb Swanigan (2017) · Zach Edey (2023, 2024) · Braden ..."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 7

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good information. I'm seeing: - Illinois lost to Wisconsin in overtime in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals (concerning form) - Iowa State is a 2-seed in the Midwest with T.J. Otzelberger, battle-tested - Purdue won the Big Ten championship (the Instagram post suggests this) - The 12-seeds to watch: McNeese (28-5), Northern Iowa (23-12), High Point (30-4), Akron (29-5) High Point at 30-4 is particularly impressive. Let me continue researching more teams and look at specific matchups. I need to understand the full bracket picture. Let me search for more specific team information and look at some of the lower seeds that could be dangerous.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Kentucky Wildcats 2026 tournament John Calipari successor Mark Pope"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Alabama Crimson Tide 2026 basketball tournament Nate Oats"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Virginia Cavaliers 2026 tournament Tony Bennett successor Ron Sanchez"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Texas Tech Red Raiders 2026 tournament Grant McCasland"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/john-calipari-just-made-mark-210451972.html",
      "title": "John Calipari just made Mark Pope's seat at Kentucky warmer ...",
      "snippet": "John Calipari just made Mark Pope's seat at Kentucky warmer ahead of March Madness. Neither John Calipari nor Mark Pope will be able to escape ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://wildcatbluenation.com/mark-pope-is-breaking-tradition-and-it-could-be-a-sign-of-bad-things-to-come",
      "title": "Mark Pope is breaking tradition and it could be a sign of bad things ...",
      "snippet": "He still hosted. Last season, Mark Pope invited the media to Rupp Arena to watch with family and friends."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/groups/popescats/posts/25449851264690453/",
      "title": "Respect for coach's legacy at Kentucky - Facebook",
      "snippet": "Mark Pope and John Calipari were both left with zero players at their new jobs. Pope now has 12 for next season. What's Calipari been doing? No ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/arkansas/men-s-basketball/sec-hogs-calipari-pope-much-to-learn-kentucky-wildcats-razorbacks",
      "title": "For Two Men with So Much Success, John Calipari, Mark Pope ...",
      "snippet": "Both Arkansas' John Calipari and Kentucky's Mark Pope each could stand to learn a little from their predecessors if they want to understand ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2026/01/25/kentucky-basketball-schedule-mark-pope-john-calipari-arkansas-record-sec-uk-vanderbilt-game-ranking/87870810007/",
      "title": "Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope vs John Calipari, Arkansas ...",
      "snippet": "Mark Pope, John Calipari and Mark Byington are in Year 2 for UK basketball, Arkansas and Vanderbilt, respectively. See how each SEC coach is ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/2026/03/nate-oats-perturbed-and-disappointed-heading-into-march-madness-heres-why.html",
      "title": "Nate Oats: Alabama coach 'disappointed' before March Madness ...",
      "snippet": "Nate Oats didn't want to talk at length about the fact he has led Alabama men's basketball to the NCAA tournament six consecutive times."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://rolltidewire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/crimson-tide/mens-basketball/2026/03/16/march-madness-alabama-basketball-nate-oats-hofstra-first-round/89173143007/",
      "title": "What Nate Oats said about Hofstra after NCAA Tournament bracket ...",
      "snippet": "On Sunday night, the Alabama Crimson Tide learned that they would be facing the Hofstra Pride in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhAdHPk8RcE",
      "title": "Nate Oats Reacts to Alabama's NCAA Tournament Draw - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Alabama men's basketball is headed back to the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Nate Oats reacts to the Crimson Tide earning their sixth straight ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/alabamas-nate-oats-breaks-silence-on-major-suspension-right-before-ncaa-tournament-11687106",
      "title": "Alabama's Nate Oats Breaks Silence on Big Suspension Before ...",
      "snippet": "Nate Oats, head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, breaks silence on shocking suspension just days before the NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1dRFCSEChs",
      "title": "Nate Oats compares 2026 Alabama to the 2024 Final Four team",
      "snippet": "Alabama head coach Nate Oats joins CBS Sports Network for an interview ahead of the 2026 NCAA Tournament ... ROLL TIDE!! 11:26. Go to channel ESPN ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/virginia-parts-ways-with-interim-coach-ron-sanchez-as-cavaliers-officially-turn-page-on-tony-bennett-era/",
      "title": "Virginia parts ways with interim coach Ron Sanchez as Cavaliers ...",
      "snippet": "Virginia interim coach Ron Sanchez will not be retained, the school announced Wednesday. The Cavaliers fell 66-60 to Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament on ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://virginiasports.com/sports/mbball/roster/season/2024-25/staff/ron-sanchez-2",
      "title": "Ron Sanchez - Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site",
      "snippet": "After five seasons as head men's coach at Charlotte, Ron Sanchez is back at JPJ for a second stint on Tony Bennett's staff at Virginia. 5346735c-uva."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2024/10/who-is-ron-sanchez",
      "title": "Who is Ron Sanchez? - University of Virginia's Student Newspaper",
      "snippet": "Sanchez was named Virginia's interim head coach last week, following Tony Bennett's retirement. Photo by Albert Tang | The Cavalier Daily. By ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/college-basketball/article/virginia-splits-with-interim-head-coach-ron-sanchez-after-acc-tournament-loss-211558718.html",
      "title": "Virginia splits with interim head coach Ron Sanchez after ACC ...",
      "snippet": "Ron Sanchez is out as Virginia's basketball coach. Sanchez, who took over for longtime head coach Tony Bennett after his surprise retirement in October,"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.streakingthelawn.com/2024/10/25/24278814/uva-basketball-ron-sanchez-tony-bennett-virginia-cavaliers",
      "title": "Ron Sanchez hopeful Tony Bennett will be 'around as much as ...",
      "snippet": "Sanchez has been an apple on the Bennett family coaching tree since 2003 when both Ron and Tony were assistants under Tony's father, Dick, at ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://dailytoreador.com/article/mccasland-emphasizes-consistent-effort-ahead-of-ncaa-tournament-20260316",
"title": "McCasland emphasizes consistent effort ahead of NCAA ...",
"snippet": "McCasland emphasizes consistent effort ahead of NCAA Tournament. Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland faces the University of Colorado in a ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.lubbockonline.com/videos/sports/college/red-raiders/2026/03/15/grant-mccasland-on-texas-tech-basketball-getting-to-ncaa-tournament/89175053007/",
"title": "Grant McCasland on Texas Tech basketball getting to ...",
"snippet": "Grant McCasland on Texas Tech basketball getting to NCAA Tournament. ... Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire discusses changes at receiver."
},
{
"url": "https://www.si.com/college/texas-tech/basketball/grant-mccasland-reacts-after-texas-tech-draws-akron-in-ncaa-tournament",
"title": "Grant McCasland Reacts After Texas Tech Draws Akron In ...",
"snippet": "Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland shares his thoughts on playing Akron in the first round of the NCAA tournament."
},
{
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tT1D6A1RVo",
"title": "Texas Tech Basketball: McCasland Media Session",
"snippet": "Go to channel Texas Tech Red Raiders · Texas Tech Basketball: McCasland Media Session | 3.15.2026. Texas Tech Red Raiders. New. 1.8K views."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/grant-mccasland-texas-tech-basketball-020759735.html",
"title": "Grant McCasland on Texas Tech basketball getting to ...",
"snippet": "... Grant McCasland shares his thoughts on the Red Raiders win over Iowa State. ... Tournament semifinals, March 13, 2026. 1:50. Now Playing ..."
}
]
}

assistantMessage 8

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Interesting information: - Virginia fired interim coach Ron Sanchez after the ACC Tournament - this is a MAJOR red flag for a 3-seed. Coaching turmoil right before the tournament is a bad sign. - Alabama's Nate Oats is "disappointed" and there's mention of a "shocking suspension" - need to investigate this more - Kentucky's Mark Pope is in his second year, following Calipari - Texas Tech is playing Akron (a dangerous 12-seed at 29-5) Let me search for more information about Alabama's situation and look at more teams. I should also research some of the mid-major teams that could be upset picks.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Alabama Nate Oats suspension 2026 NCAA tournament investigation"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "High Point Panthers 2026 basketball 30-4 record Big South"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "McNeese Cowboys 2026 basketball tournament Southland Conference champions"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Akron Zips 2026 basketball tournament MAC champions"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.on3.com/college/alabama-crimson-tide/news/aden-holloway-arrest-nate-oats-reacts-to-alabama-investigation-confirms-suspension/",
      "title": "Aden Holloway arrest: Nate Oats reacts to Alabama investigation - On3",
      "snippet": "Nate Oats reacted to Alabama's investigation of Aden Holloway following the guard's arrest and confirmed a suspension."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/aden-holloway-suspended-alabama-felony-drug-arrest-ncaa-tournament/",
      "title": "Aden Holloway suspended at Alabama: Latest details after felony ...",
      "snippet": "Alabama basketball player Aden Holloway is fighting this week's arrest on felony drug charges following his suspension ahead of the NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.wbhm.org/local-news/2026-03-17/alabamas-no-2-scorer-is-arrested-on-a-felony-drug-charge",
      "title": "Alabama's No. 2 scorer is arrested on a felony drug charge - WBHM",
      "snippet": "... NCAA Tournament, authorities said. Coach Nate Oats said Holloway has been suspended indefinitely, adding that the Crimson Tide are preparing ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DWB1K85juym/",
      "title": "Aden Holloway was arrested Monday on a felony drug ... - Instagram",
      "snippet": "Nate Oats announced that Holloway has been suspended indefinitely, noting that Alabama is preparing to move forward without him for the time ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.foxnews.com/sports/alabama-preparing-play-ncaa-tournament-without-star-guard-aden-holloway-felony-drug-arrest",
      "title": "Alabama 'preparing to play' NCAA tournament without star guard ...",
      "snippet": "Head coach Nate Oats said the team is \"preparing to play without\" Holloway after the 21-year-old sophomore was arrested Monday morning on a ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48145458/high-point-blows-winthrop-win-big-south-tournament-bid",
      "title": "High Point blows out Winthrop to win Big South tournament bid - ESPN",
      "snippet": "High Point (30-4) set a program and Big South record with its 30th victory of the season. It is also coach Flynn Clayman's first year at the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bigsouthsports.com/news/2026/3/8/mens-basketball-1-high-point-advances-to-championship-game-with-75-71-win-over-4-unc-asheville.aspx",
      "title": "#1 High Point Advances to Championship Game with 75-71 Win ...",
      "snippet": "HPU tied a program and Big South record with its 29th victory, matching its total from last season and the 2006-07 Winthrop Eagles. The 29 wins ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://highpointpanthers.com/news/2026/3/8/mens-basketball-hpu-wins-back-to-back-big-south-championship-against-winthrop.aspx",
      "title": "HPU Wins Back-to-Back Big South Championships Against Winthrop",
      "snippet": "The victory marks the Panthers 30th win of the season, breaking the program and conference record of 29 wins set by High Point last season and ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zaD-P73dYJQ",
      "title": "High Point Men's Basketball 2026 Big South Championship Recap",
      "snippet": "High Point Men's Basketball 2026 Big South Championship Recap. 23. Dislike. 1. Share. Video unavailable. This content isn't available."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/sports/ncaa/ncaab/high-point-wins-back-to-back-big-south-championships-against-winthrop/83-2e9f466f-b344-4a0c-af59-326418434b21",
      "title": "High Point wins back-to-back Big South Championships against ...",
      "snippet": "The victory marks the Panthers 30th win of the season, breaking the program and conference record of 29 wins set by High Point last season and ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/southlandsports/posts/three-peat-after-me-mcneese-wins-the-southland-mens-basketball-tournament-title-/1358195256352162/",
      "title": "THREE-PEAT AFTER ME 🤠 McNEESE WINS THE ...",
      "snippet": "#3 McNeese goes back-to-back-to-back in the Southland Conference, beating #1 Stephen F Austin in the Championship 76-59. The Cowboys are heading ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.southland.org/news/2026/3/11/mens-basketball-no-2-mcneese-returns-to-championship-game-in-epic-triple-overtime-thriller-over-no-3-utrgv.aspx",
      "title": "No. 2 McNeese Returns to Southland Championship Game ...",
      "snippet": "2 McNeese Cowboys defeated the No. 3 UTRGV Vaqueros 84–80 in triple overtime Tuesday night in a semifinal that turned into a marathon battle."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48178573/javohn-garcia-career-high-leads-mcneese-stephen-f-austin-southland-tournament-title",
      "title": "2-seed McNeese tops 1-seed Stephen F. Austin for ...",
      "snippet": "2 seed McNeese beat top-seeded Stephen F. Austin 76-59 on Wednesday to claim the Southland tournament championship and a bid to the NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DVwxGkLjf4U/",
      "title": "THREE-PEAT AFTER ME 🤠 McNEESE WINS THE ...",
      "snippet": "McNEESE WINS THE SOUTHLAND MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TITLE FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR! Well deserved everybody balled out!!!"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.kplctv.com/2026/03/11/garcia-leads-cowboys-third-straight-southland-conference-tournament-championship/",
      "title": "Garcia leads Cowboys to third-straight Southland ...",
      "snippet": "McNeese men's basketball dominated top-seeded SFA in the Southland Conference Championship game on Tuesday beating the Lumberjacks 76-59."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://bustingbrackets.com/mac-dynasty-the-akron-zips-three-peat-as-the-mac-champion-01kkwzthyx00",
      "title": "MAC Dynasty? The Akron Zips three peat as the MAC Champion",
      "snippet": "We all thought a Two Bid MAC was just a dream but that dream became a reality when Akron won the MAC Tournament. The Zips are still looking ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://getsomemaction.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-akron-completes-three-peat-behind-clutch-three-from-scott.aspx",
      "title": "Akron Completes MAC Tournament Three-Peat Behind Clutch ...",
      "snippet": "After defeating NIU on Senior Day, Akron went 17-1 in the MAC the past two seasons. The Zips' 34-2 record in conference play the past two ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYYmC3Ciz1k",
      "title": "GAME WINNER Akron wins the MAC title in the FINAL ... - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Watch as the Akron Zips defeat the Toledo Rockets, 79-76, after ... MAC Championship and punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/GetSomeMACtion/posts/three-straight-trophies-the-akron-zips-are-2026-mac-mens-basketball-tournament-c/1348836110615695/",
      "title": "THREE STRAIGHT TROPHIES The Akron Zips are 2026 MAC Men's ...",
      "snippet": "“BACK 2 BACK CHAMPS! The Akron Zips take home the 2024-25 MAC Tournament title, proving once again why they're the best in the conference! # ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DV6QW9pDXiB/",
      "title": ": The Akron Zips win the 2026 MAC Championship. - Instagram",
      "snippet": "Four Zips reached double figure scoring as the Akron men's basketball team defeated Central Michigan 77-64 on the road Tuesday."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 9

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Excellent information! Key findings: - Alabama's #2 scorer Aden Holloway was arrested on felony drug charges and suspended indefinitely - this is a HUGE blow to Alabama as a 4-seed - High Point is 30-4, broke program records, won Big South tournament - very dangerous 12-seed - McNeese won Southland tournament (three-peat), beat Stephen F. Austin - dangerous 12-seed - Akron won MAC tournament (three-peat), very hot - dangerous 12-seed These 12-seeds are all conference tournament champions with momentum. High Point at 30-4 is especially scary against Wisconsin. Now let me research more teams and look at specific matchups. I need to understand the full bracket better.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Wisconsin Badgers 2026 basketball tournament Greg Gard"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "St. John's Red Storm 2026 tournament Rick Pitino"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "North Carolina Tar Heels 2026 tournament Hubert Davis"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Vanderbilt Commodores 2026 basketball tournament Mark Byington"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/89237/wisconsin-badgers-basketball-news-everything-greg-gard-said-selection-sunday-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Everything Greg Gard said after Selection Sunday",
      "snippet": "Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard gave his initial thoughts on the matchup against the Hight Point Panthers after Selection Sunday."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-wisconsins-greg-gard-doesnt-171548308.html",
      "title": "Why Wisconsin's Greg Gard doesn't take NCAA Tournament berth ...",
      "snippet": "Wisconsin coach Greg Gard explained how he does not take Wisconsin's NCAA Tournament berth for granted despite it being 'commonplace' in ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.badgerobserver.com/p/ncaa-tournament-2026-wisconsin-basketball-high-point-john-blackwell",
      "title": "What Greg Gard, Badgers said after NCAA Tournament selection",
      "snippet": "— Watch and listen to Wisconsin basketball coach Greg Gard, along with guards John Blackwell and Braeden Carrington, after finding out the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/wisconsin/basketball/wisconsin-badgers-coach-greg-gard-all-time-ncaa-tournament-record-and-best-finishes",
      "title": "Wisconsin Badgers Coach Greg Gard All-Time NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has led the Badgers to eight NCAA Tournament appearances but is searching for his first Elite Eight appearance."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.badgernotes.com/p/wisconsin-basketball-greg-gard-injuries-ncaa-tournament-high-point",
      "title": "Greg Gard discusses injuries, guard play and Wisconsin's growth ...",
      "snippet": "Greg Gard talks roster health, guard play, and Wisconsin basketball's growth as they prepare to face High Point in the NCAA Tournament."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/st-johns-announces-rick-pitino-news-ahead-of-ncaa-tournament-11692450",
      "title": "St. John's Announces Rick Pitino News Ahead of NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "St. John's Red Storm make big announcement regarding head coach Rick Pitino just days before the NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7118888/2026/03/14/st-johns-uconn-big-east-tournament/",
      "title": "Rick Pitino and St. John's bring glory days back with Big East title ...",
      "snippet": "Rick Pitino's Red Storm won all three games of their Big East tournament run by double-digits. Ishika Samant / Getty Images."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-basketball/why-st-johns-basketball-is-on-upset-alert-in-2026-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Why St. John's basketball is on upset alert in 2026 NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "Head coach Rick Pitino has led the Red Storm to new heights with consecutive Big East titles. This St. John's team looks like a strong contender ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/48222983",
      "title": "Mad Dog: 'St. John's got absolutely, royally screwed' with 5-seed",
      "snippet": "Rick Pitino: Our game vs. UConn was an epic battle · Joe Lunardi breaks down the St. John's Red Storm NCAA tournament prospects. 0:36. St."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2kEB5RoSRY",
      "title": "St. John's Men's Basketball BIG EAST Tournament Championship ...",
      "snippet": "Zuby! 17:05. Go to channel St. John's Red Storm · St. John's MBB Post Selection Show Press Conference 3.15.2026. St. John's Red Storm. New. 4.5K ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/sports/college/acc/2026/03/17/unc-basketball-vcu-ncaa-tournament-march-madness-preview-hubert-davis/89139864007/",
      "title": "UNC basketball March Madness mindset entering NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "“I poke at 'em a lot and get 'em going,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said Tuesday, March 17, during a press conference inside the Smith Center media ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.tarheeltimes.com/article165240.aspx",
      "title": "Video: Hubert Davis Tuesday Pre-NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "Hubert Davis said he has liked his team's response to two straight losses and added the Tar Heels' competitive spirit has been up to par... Tue ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/unc/tar-heels-players-coaches-facing-most-pressure-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "UNC Players and Coaches Facing Most Pressure in NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Considering the circumstances, which members of North Carolina are facing the most pressure heading into the NCAA Tournament? Hubert Davis. Mar ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.tarheeltimes.com/article165162.aspx",
      "title": "Hubert Davis On UNC's ACC Tournament Exit",
      "snippet": "Hubert Davis On UNC's ACC Tournament Exit: 'Not A Recipe For Success'. Posted Mar 13, 2026. Hubert Davis: \"Clemson has always been physical ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=921823660449201&set=a.250084170956490&type=3",
      "title": "Tar - Hubert Davis faces scrutiny as UNC enters NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Hubert Davis faces scrutiny as UNC enters NCAA Tournament | See link below ⬇️ Bob Donnan, Bob Donnan-Imagn Images."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://vucommodores.com/ncaa-selection-show-availability-mark-byington/",
      "title": "NCAA Selection Show Availability – Mark Byington",
      "snippet": "Head coach Mark Byington discusses the Dores' return to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/vanderbilt/basketball/what-mark-byington-said-after-vanderbilt-s-sec-championship-loss-to-arkansas",
      "title": "What Mark Byington Said After Vanderbilt's SEC Championship ...",
      "snippet": "The Commodores were unable to get the job done Sunday afternoon in the conference title. Here is everything Mark Byington said postgame."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/DV64v7VktBd/",
      "title": "The Commodores head into the NCAA tournament ... - Instagram",
      "snippet": "... Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington. The Commodores head into the ... Vanderbilt Commodores can now be considered a LOCK to make the 2026 NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2026/03/11/vanderbilt-basketball-sec-tournament-mark-byington/89025328007/",
      "title": "What to know about Vanderbilt basketball in SEC tournament",
      "snippet": "The Commodores are the No. 4 seed and will play their first game on March 13 in Nashville. Coach Mark Byington does not consider the Nashville ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utWjZAnkFlA",
      "title": "Mark Byington on Vanderbilt's NCAA Tournament draw and more",
      "snippet": "Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea, on the start of 2026 ... BOL Basketball Show: Alabama readies for NCAA Tournament without Aden Holloway."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 10

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good info: - Wisconsin is playing High Point - Greg Gard has never been to Elite Eight, High Point is 30-4. This is a prime upset pick. - St. John's won the Big East tournament, Rick Pitino is hot, but they're a 5-seed playing Northern Iowa (12-seed). There's mention of them being on "upset alert" - North Carolina had an ACC Tournament exit, Hubert Davis under scrutiny - playing VCU (11-seed), could be vulnerable - Vanderbilt lost SEC championship to Arkansas, playing McNeese (dangerous 12-seed) Let me continue researching more teams and look at the remaining matchups. I need to understand the full picture before building my bracket.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "VCU Rams 2026 basketball tournament A10 champions"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Texas Longhorns 2026 basketball tournament Rodney Terry"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "BYU Cougars 2026 basketball tournament Mark Pope successor Kevin Young"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Miami Hurricanes 2026 basketball tournament Larrañaga"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://atlantic10.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-vcu-beats-dayton-70-62-to-win-second-straight-atlantic-10-tournament-earn-spot-in-ncaa-tournament.aspx",
      "title": "VCU beats Dayton 70-62 to win second straight Betterment ...",
      "snippet": "VCU beats Dayton 70-62 to win second straight Betterment Atlantic 10 Championship, earn spot in NCAA Tournament. 3/15/2026 3:59:00 PM. Story ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48216588/vcu-again-wins-atlantic-10-crown-ncaa-tournament-berth",
      "title": "VCU again wins Atlantic 10 crown for NCAA tournament ...",
      "snippet": "Nyk Lewis finished with 17 points as VCU beat Dayton to win a second straight Atlantic 10 Conference tournament title and a spot in the NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://vcuathletics.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-hill-lewis-lead-as-rams-repeat-as-atlantic-10-championships.aspx",
      "title": "HILL, LEWIS LEAD AS RAMS REPEAT AS ATLANTIC 10 ...",
      "snippet": "added 14 points as VCU led wire-to-wire to defeat Dayton and capture its second straight Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament title Sunday at PPG ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.a10talk.com/2026/03/a10-championship-vcu-in-a-repeat/",
      "title": "A10 Championship: VCU in a Repeat",
      "snippet": "The Rams repeated as A10 Tournament champions behind the guidance of first year coach Phil Martelli jr. The Rams defeated Dayton 70-62 at PPG ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRoZP2IYxwI",
      "title": "VCU clinches back-to-back A-10 tournament titles ...",
      "snippet": "VCU clinches back-to-back A-10 tournament titles punches ticket to NCAA Tournament · Comments."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://apnews.com/article/texas-rodney-terry-fired-af0786b3f137fa6d013286911f407029",
      "title": "Texas fires coach Rodney Terry after another quick NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "The University of Texas fired basketball coach Rodney Terry on Sunday after a disappointing first season in the Southeastern Conference and another quick exit ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/texas/men-s-basketball/rodney-terry-releases-official-statement-fired-texas-longhorns",
      "title": "Rodney Terry Releases Official Statement After Being Fired by ...",
      "snippet": "The Longhorns announced Sunday that the men's basketball program has parted ways with Terry after nearly three full seasons at the helm. Terry ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/university-of-texas-fires-mens-basketball-coach-rodney-terry-ncaa-tournament-performance/",
      "title": "Texas fires coach Rodney Terry after Longhorns' early ... - CBS News",
      "snippet": "The University of Texas fired basketball coach Rodney Terry on Sunday after a disappointing first season in the Southeastern Conference and another quick exit ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://texaslonghorns.com/news/2025/3/23/mens-basketball-mens-basketball-program-statement-from-chris-del-conte-and-rodney-terry",
      "title": "Men's Basketball program statement from Chris Del Conte and ...",
      "snippet": "Statement from Rodney Terry : \"I am so appreciative to have served The University of Texas and our men's basketball program for 13 seasons. It ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://247sports.com/college/texas/longformarticle/texas-letting-go-of-basketball-coach-rodney-terry-after-three-seasons-247317026/",
      "title": "Source: Texas has let go of basketball coach Rodney Terry after ...",
      "snippet": "Rodney Terry has been informed he's being let go after three seasons as the Longhorns' basketball coach."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://lawlessrepublic.com/who-had-the-better-first-season-kevin-young-or-mark-pope",
      "title": "Who had the better first season: Kevin Young or Mark Pope?",
      "snippet": "Given their original circumstances, my verdict is that Kevin Young had a better first season than Mark Pope. The offense, defense, and results ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JULaELDJkhQ",
      "title": "Mark Pope | NCAA Tournament | BYU Men's Basketball ...",
      "snippet": "BYU Men's Basketball Head Coach Mark Pope talks with the media the Cougars begin play in the NCAA Tournament. March 20, 2024 #BYUHoops."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sltrib.com/sports/byu-cougars/2025/03/19/how-byu-head-coach-kevin-young/",
      "title": "How BYU head coach Kevin Young reinvented an NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "After Mark Pope left for Kentucky, BYU could have taken a step back. Now, with Kevin Young, it has leveled up."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.deseret.com/sports/2025/03/21/byu-president-shane-reese-ncaa-tournament-victory-thoughts/",
      "title": "BYU President Shane Reese discusses Cougars' NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "I was surprised how few people had Kevin Young on their board of possible candidates for the replacement for Mark (Pope),” Reese continued. “I ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://nypost.com/2025/03/26/sports/march-madness-kevin-young-has-resurrected-byu-basketball/",
      "title": "March Madness: Kevin Young has resurrected BYU ...",
      "snippet": "BYU was projected to finish ninth in the Big 12 preseason poll, introducing new head coach Kevin Young — who was 17 years removed from his last ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2026/01/14/miami-to-honor-coach-larranaga-on-jan-20/",
      "title": "Miami to Honor Coach Larrañaga on Jan. 20",
      "snippet": "The University of Miami will honor legendary men's basketball head coach Jim Larrañaga on Jan. 20 as the Hurricanes host Florida State at 7 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://themiamihurricane.com/2026/01/28/longtime-miami-coach-jim-larranaga-honored-during-miami-fsu-basketball-game/",
      "title": "Longtime Miami coach Jim Larrañaga honored during Miami-FSU ...",
      "snippet": "Longtime Miami coach Jim Larrañaga honored during Miami-FSU basketball game ... game on January 20, 2026. Former Miami men's basketball ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/47677170/miami-honors-final-four-coach-jim-larranaga-banner",
      "title": "Miami honors Final Four coach Jim Larrañaga with banner - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Larrañaga won 274 games at Miami and guided the school to six NCAA tournament appearances, getting to the Sweet 16 four times, the Elite Eight ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2026/02/03/larranaga-rolle-to-co-host-hall-of-fames-2026-celebrity-bowling-tournament/",
      "title": "Larrañaga, Rolle to Co-Host Hall of Fame's 2026 Celebrity Bowling ...",
      "snippet": "Former Hurricanes men's basketball coach Jim Larrañaga and All-American cornerback Antrel Rolle will serve as co-hosts of the UM Sports Hall ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://caneswarning.com/jim-larranaga-sends-awesome-messages-after-getting-his-miami-banner-hung",
      "title": "Jim Larrañaga sends awesome messages after getting his Miami ...",
      "snippet": "During his 14 years in Coral Gables, Larrañaga amassed a 274-174 record, going 126-116 in ACC play from 2011 to 2024. He led the Hurricanes to ..."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 11

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Very interesting: - VCU won the A-10 tournament (back-to-back), playing North Carolina (6-seed vs 11-seed). UNC is vulnerable after ACC Tournament exit. This could be an upset! - Texas FIRED Rodney Terry after the season! But wait, the search results show dates from 2025... Let me check if this is current. The game-13 shows Texas/NC State as a play-in. This is confusing - Texas was fired but is in the tournament? This might be old news from 2025. Let me verify. - BYU has Kevin Young as coach now (after Mark Pope left), and they're playing in a play-in game - Miami Hurricanes - Jim Larrañaga was honored in January 2026, suggesting he may have retired or been honored. Need to check who the current coach is. Wait, I need to be careful here. The Texas firing news appears to be from March 2025 based on the URLs. Let me search for more current info. But for now, let me continue researching and then look at specific game matchups. Let me search for more teams and then start looking at specific games.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Missouri Tigers 2026 basketball tournament Dennis Gates"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Tennessee Volunteers 2026 basketball tournament Rick Barnes"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Clemson Tigers 2026 basketball tournament Brad Brownell"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Iowa Hawkeyes 2026 basketball tournament Fran McCaffery"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/missouri/basketball/dennis-gates-reacts-to-mizzou-ncaa-tournament-bid-playing-in-st-louis",
      "title": "Dennis Gates Reacts to Mizzou's NCAA Tournament Bid, Playing in ...",
      "snippet": "Gates gave his thoughts on making his third NCAA Tournament in his four years as Missouri's head coach."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/missouri-tigers-ncaa-tournament-set-222522411.html",
      "title": "Missouri Tigers make the NCAA Tournament, set to face Miami in ...",
      "snippet": "KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dennis Gates and the Missouri Tigers were selected as a 10 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament on Sunday, meaning they ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeVPSm_VnoQ",
      "title": "Dennis Gates reacts to Mizzou's NCAA Tournament Selection",
      "snippet": "For more Missouri Tigers news and analysis: https://www.si.com/college/missouri Follow us: BlueSky: ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/KCTV5/videos/heres-what-mizzous-head-basketball-coach-dennis-gates-has-to-say-about-the-tiger/1287691356672309/",
      "title": "Here's what Mizzou's head basketball coach Dennis Gates has to ...",
      "snippet": "Here's what Mizzou's head basketball coach Dennis Gates has to say about the Tigers only playing two hours from home in the NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/03/15/mizzou-goes-dancing-second-straight-year-will-open-tournament-st-louis/",
      "title": "Mizzou goes to dancing for second straight year, will open ... - KMOV",
      "snippet": "For the first time in the Dennis Gates era, the Missouri Tigers will be going to the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugXKd-zn7CY",
      "title": "Rick Barnes reacts to Tennessee basketball's NCAA Tournament draw",
      "snippet": "Rick Barnes reacts to Tennessee basketball's NCAA Tournament draw. 184 views · 1 day ago ...more. Tennessee Volunteers on 247Sports. 3.45K."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rick-barnes-tennessee-nate-aments-160301164.html",
      "title": "Rick Barnes on Tennessee, Nate Ament's health, Miami (Ohio) for ...",
      "snippet": "The Vols (22-11) earned a No. 6 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, their lowest seeding under coach Rick Barnes. More important than seeding ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://utdailybeacon.com/209949/sports/how-rick-barnes-postgame-question-is-preparing-tennessee-basketball-for-the-big-one/",
      "title": "How Rick Barnes' postgame question is preparing Tennessee ...",
      "snippet": "Tennessee basketball head coach Rick Barnes talks to Bishop Boswell (3) during an SEC Tournament game against Vanderbilt at Bridgestone Arena."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sZC8Y6pfFM",
      "title": "Tennessee Basketball head coach Rick Barnes updates Nate Ament ...",
      "snippet": "previews SEC Tournament I GBO Welcome to Volquest your home for all things Tennessee Volunteers Athletics! SPECIAL OFFER: Join Volquest now ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rick-barnes-tennessee-nate-aments-160301782.html",
      "title": "Rick Barnes on Tennessee, Nate Ament's health, Miami (Ohio) for ...",
      "snippet": "The Vols (22-11) earned a No. 6 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, their lowest seeding under coach Rick Barnes. More important than seeding ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.tigernet.com/clemson-basketball/story/brad-brownell-not-taking-third-straight-ncaat-appearance-for-granted-24236",
      "title": "Brad Brownell not taking third straight NCAAT appearance for granted",
      "snippet": "Despite all the unknowns, Clemson found a way to return to the NCAA Tournament. Brad Brownell not taking third straight NCAAT appearance for ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3woHCoOlLI",
      "title": "Brownell sees the impact of the NCAA Tournament for his ... - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Clemson basketball coach Brad Brownell says one day, his current players will be former players asked to tap into the memories of the NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://rubbingtherock.com/brad-brownell-fires-back-at-the-doubters-as-clemson-prepares-for-ncaa-tournament-01kkvxne7rdc",
      "title": "Brad Brownell fires back at the doubters as Clemson prepares for ...",
      "snippet": "Brad Brownell fires back at the doubters as Clemson prepares for NCAA Tournament · The \"Hard Work\" Receipt · The Road to Tampa: A Geographical ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.theclemsoninsider.com/2026/03/14/brownell-were-going-to-have-one-hell-of-a-fun-sunday/",
      "title": "Clemson's Brownell: 'We're Going to Have One Hell of a Fun Sunday'",
      "snippet": "Clemson will watch the 2026 NCAA Tournament Selection Show at 6 p.m. Sunday in the Mathis Family Coliseum Club inside Littlejohn Coliseum in ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVTTbCmN1C0",
      "title": "Clemson HC Brad Brownell discusses Tigers' selection to ... - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Clemson HC Brad Brownell discusses Tigers' selection to NCAA Tournament. 50 views · 40 minutes ago ...more ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/hawkeyes/mens-basketball/2026/03/15/ncaa-tournament-bracket-penn-yale-fran-mccaffery/89169297007/",
      "title": "Fran McCaffery, Penn knock off Yale, punch ticket to NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Former Iowa coach Fran McCaffery is taking Penn to the NCAA Tournament in his first year at the helm with an Ivy League Tournament ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/basketball-men/2026/03/15/fran-mccaffery-penn-march-madness-former-iowa-coach-ncaa-tournament/89168606007/",
      "title": "Fran McCaffery, Penn earn NCAA bid in first year after Iowa ...",
      "snippet": "Former Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery has led the University of Pennsylvania to the NCAA Tournament in his first year with the Quakers ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/former-iowa-coach-fran-mccaffery-185236168.html",
      "title": "Former Iowa coach Fran McCaffery leads Penn to NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Fran McCaffery and Penn are going dancing. The first-year coach fired by Iowa last season led his alma mater to the Ivy League title on ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://dearoldgold.com/an-old-friend-is-finally-back-in-the-ncaat-after-failing-to-get-there-with-the-hawkeyes-01kkwf1jrnhy",
      "title": "An old friend is finally back in the NCAAT after failing to get ...",
      "snippet": "Former Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery has the chance to knock off Illinois in the first round after returning to the NCAA Tournament for the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/1rwba17/in_recognition_of_fran_mccaffreys_return_to_the/",
      "title": "In recognition of Fran McCaffrey's return to the NCAAT with ...",
      "snippet": "In recognition of Fran McCaffrey's return to the NCAAT with the Penn Quakers, a callback to his most unintimidating staredown of a ref. History."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 12

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Interesting: - Missouri is a 10-seed playing Miami (7-seed) - interesting matchup - Tennessee is a 6-seed, their lowest under Rick Barnes, playing a play-in winner (SMU/Miami-Ohio) - Clemson is an 8-seed playing Iowa (9-seed) - Fran McCaffery was FIRED by Iowa but is now at Penn and they won the Ivy League! So Iowa (9-seed) is playing Clemson (8-seed), and Penn (14-seed) is playing Illinois (3-seed). This is a great story - McCaffery returning to NCAA tournament. Wait, let me re-check the bracket. Game-22 shows [3] Illinois vs [14] Pennsylvania Quakers. So Penn is the 14-seed! That's Fran McCaffery's team. Now let me look at more teams and start building my bracket. I have enough information to start making picks. Let me search for a few more key teams and then start building.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "UCLA Bruins 2026 basketball tournament Mick Cronin"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Louisville Cardinals 2026 basketball tournament Pat Kelsey"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Kansas Jayhawks 2026 basketball tournament Bill Self"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Arkansas Razorbacks 2026 basketball tournament John Calipari"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuUNxvUGb7s",
      "title": "Mick Cronin on 2026 Tournament, Seeding, Health",
      "snippet": "These five teams got MOST SCREWED by the committee in the 2026 NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET!!!! · UCLA football coach Bob Chesney talks about spring ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://uclabruins.com/news/2026/3/16/mens-basketball-looks-ahead-to-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Men's Basketball Looks Ahead to NCAA Tournament in ...",
      "snippet": "Cronin, in his seventh season as The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach, has guided the Bruins to their fifth NCAA Tournament ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://uclawire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ucla/mens-basketball/2026/03/17/mick-cronin-says-ucla-is-not-anxious-for-the-ncaa-tournament-ucf-march-madness/89203533007/",
      "title": "UCF's turnovers could be a deciding factor in the first round",
      "snippet": "Mick Cronin knows that the NCAA tournament is the most important time of the year, and UCF has every intention of sending the Bruins home early."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2KXkWcO7VA",
      "title": "Mick Cronin BREAKS SILENCE on UCLA Injuries",
      "snippet": "Mick Cronin BREAKS SILENCE on UCLA Injuries — Will Bruins Survive a NCAA Tournament UPSET? ... BRACKET BREAKDOWN: 2026 Women's NCAA Tournament ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/ucla/bruins-cronin-shares-what-he-has-learned-about-this-season",
      "title": "Cronin Shares What He Has Learned About UCLA This ...",
      "snippet": "UCLA head coach Mick Cronin reacts to a play against Michigan State during the first half of Big Ten tournament quarterfinal at United Center in ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/louisville/basketball/kelsey-players-preview-2026-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Watch: Pat Kelsey, Louisville Players Preview NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "Watch: Pat Kelsey, Louisville Players Preview NCAA Tournament Draw. The Cardinals earned a No. 6 seed for the NCAA Tournament, and will face ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pat-kelsey-previews-ncaa-tournament-134745007.html",
      "title": "Pat Kelsey previews NCAA Tournament - Yahoo Sports",
      "snippet": "CLEMSON, SC - FEBRUARY 28: Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey during a college basketball game between the Louisville Cardinals and ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cardchronicle.com/basketball/101440/pat-kelsey-previews-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Pat Kelsey previews NCAA Tournament | Card Chronicle",
      "snippet": "Your best source for quality Louisville Cardinals news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bigredlouie.com/one-lineup-change-pat-kelsey-must-make-for-louisville-in-the-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "One lineup change Pat Kelsey must make for Louisville in the NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Louisville basketball's loss to Miami has Cardinals fans wanting Pat Kelsey to make one lineup change for the NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCzLxmaT618",
      "title": "Louisville HC Pat Kelsey Previews NCAA Tournament (3/16/26)",
      "snippet": "Louisville men's basketball head coach Pat Kelsey speaks to the media ahead of the Cardinals' run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/kansas/basketball/what-kansas-hc-bill-self-said-after-jayhawks-advanced-in-big-12-tournament-tcu",
      "title": "What Kansas HC Bill Self Said After Jayhawks Advanced in Big 12 ...",
      "snippet": "Here is everything significant that Bill Self had to say after Kansas' narrow victory over TCU on Thursday."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxVk05oO08Y",
      "title": "Bill Self discusses Kansas basketball's NCAA Tournament draw",
      "snippet": "The KU head coach met with reporters after the Selection Sunday show. Newsletter: https://247sports.com/college/kansas/distribution/signup/ ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://kuathletics.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-bill-self-press-conference",
      "title": "Bill Self Press Conference - University of Kansas - KU Athletics",
      "snippet": "Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus (13) Cal Baptist on March 20, 2026 at 8:45 p.m. CT · Head Coach Bill Self · 2025-26 Quick Facts · Virtual ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/bill-self-reacts-to-big-12s-surprise-decision-on-led-court-before-semifinals-11672334",
      "title": "Bill Self Reacts to Big 12's Surprise Decision on LED Court Before ...",
      "snippet": "Kansas head coach Bill Self reacts to a surprise decision on the LED glass court ahead of the Big 12 Tournament semifinals."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kansas-coach-bill-self-discusses-192316182.html",
      "title": "Kansas Coach Bill Self Discusses Challenging East Region in ...",
      "snippet": "Kansas Coach Bill Self Discusses Challenging East Region in NCAA Tournament. Bill Self Kansas Basketball ... 2026: NCAA men's tournament ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUBkuZHhMA0",
      "title": "John Calipari reacts to Arkansas earning West Region No. 4 seed ...",
      "snippet": "... Razorbacks won the SEC Championship and earned the No. 4 seed in the West Region of the 2026 NCAA Men's Tournament bracket. ✔️ Subscribe ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/CatsCoverage/posts/john-calipari-and-the-arkansas-razorbacks-win-the-2026-sec-tournament-championsh/946492981096268/",
      "title": "John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks win the 2026 SEC ...",
      "snippet": "John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks win the 2026 SEC Tournament Championship. It's Cal's first SEC Tournament title since 2018 and his ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2026/mar/15/john-calipari-press-conference-arkansas-basketball-coach-players-recap-sec-tournament-title-win/?sports-college-razorbacks",
      "title": "Arkansas basketball coach, players recap SEC Tournament title win",
      "snippet": "Arkansas head coach John Calipari reacts, Saturday, March 14, 2026, during overtime of the Razorbacks' 93-90 win over the Ole Miss Rebels in ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/SportsCenter/videos/john-calipari-reacts-to-arkansas-seeding/1594892621785231/",
      "title": "John Calipari joins SportsCenter to react to the - Arkansas Razorbacks",
      "snippet": "4 seed in the NCAA tournament. Michael Harlow and 3.4K others · 󰍸. 3.4K · 󰤦 146. Last viewed on: Mar 17, 2026."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://247sports.com/article/john-calipari-relishes-sec-tournament-title-success-at-arkansas-277826228/",
      "title": "John Calipari relishes SEC Tournament title, success at Arkansas",
      "snippet": "Calipari, now 67 years old and wearing Razorback red instead of Kentucky blue, turned back the clock Sunday with his first SEC Tournament title ..."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 13

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good information. Now I have a solid foundation. Let me summarize what I've learned and start building my bracket: **Key findings:** 1. **Arizona** - #1 overall team, won Big 12 tournament, 9-game winning streak 2. **Duke** - #1 seed East, but has injury concerns (Ngongba foot injury, Foster) 3. **Michigan** - #1 seed Midwest, 31-3 record 4. **Florida** - #1 seed South, won SEC regular season 5. **Alabama** - 4-seed, but #2 scorer Aden Holloway suspended indefinitely (felony drug arrest) - MAJOR RED FLAG 6. **Virginia** - 3-seed, fired interim coach Ron Sanchez after ACC Tournament - MAJOR RED FLAG 7. **High Point** - 12-seed, 30-4 record, won Big South tournament - DANGEROUS UPSET PICK 8. **McNeese** - 12-seed, won Southland tournament (three-peat) - DANGEROUS 9. **Akron** - 12-seed, won MAC tournament (three-peat) - DANGEROUS 10. **Northern Iowa** - 12-seed, playing St. John's 11. **VCU** - 11-seed, won A-10 tournament (back-to-back), playing UNC (6-seed) who had ACC Tournament exit - UPSET ALERT 12. **North Carolina** - 6-seed, Hubert Davis under scrutiny after ACC Tournament exit 13. **Illinois** - 3-seed, lost to Wisconsin in overtime in Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals - vulnerable 14. **Penn (Fran McCaffery)** - 14-seed, but McCaffery just got fired from Iowa and led Penn to Ivy League title - interesting story but probably won't upset Illinois 15. **St. John's** - 5-seed, won Big East tournament, Rick Pitino hot, but on "upset alert" vs Northern Iowa 16. **UConn** - 2-seed East, dealing with injury concerns (Demary Jr., Stewart) 17. **Houston** - 2-seed South, Kelvin Sampson experienced 18. **Iowa State** - 2-seed Midwest, T.J. Otzelberger battle-tested 19. **Purdue** - 2-seed West, won Big Ten tournament 20. **Texas** - play-in game, but search results about firing Terry seem to be from 2025 I'll focus on identifying potential upsets and building a strategic bracket. The injury and coaching turmoil for Alabama and Virginia stand out as critical vulnerability points. High Point's impressive 30-4 record makes them an attractive upset candidate against Wisconsin. I'll continue analyzing matchups to maximize bracket potential. I see a compelling matchup between Miami and Missouri, with Missouri holding a home court advantage in St. Louis. The Tigers could leverage their local support to secure a potential upset. I'll continue tracking regional dynamics and potential surprise performances.

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-1"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-13"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-17"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-25"
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "duke-blue-devils",
      "name": "Blue Devils",
      "seed": 1,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "siena-saints",
      "name": "Saints",
      "seed": 16,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "gameId": "game-1"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "byu-cougars",
      "name": "Cougars",
      "seed": 6,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "texas-longhorns",
      "name": "Longhorns",
      "seed": 11,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "gameId": "game-13",
    "team2Alt": {
      "id": "nc-state-wolfpack",
      "name": "Wolfpack",
      "seed": 11,
      "region": "west"
    }
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "florida-gators",
      "name": "Gators",
      "seed": 1,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "prairie-view-am-panthers",
      "name": "Panthers",
      "seed": 16,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "gameId": "game-17",
    "team2Alt": {
      "id": "lehigh-mountain-hawks",
      "name": "Mountain Hawks",
      "seed": 16,
      "region": "south"
    }
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "michigan-wolverines",
      "name": "Wolverines",
      "seed": 1,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "umbc-retrievers",
      "name": "Retrievers",
      "seed": 16,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "gameId": "game-25",
    "team2Alt": {
      "id": "howard-bison",
      "name": "Bison",
      "seed": 16,
      "region": "midwest"
    }
  }
}

assistantMessage 14

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good, I've confirmed the play-in games. Now let me look up a few more games to verify matchups, especially the ones I'm considering for upsets.

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-3"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-11"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-19"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-27"
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "st-johns-red-storm",
      "name": "Red Storm",
      "seed": 5,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "northern-iowa-panthers",
      "name": "Panthers",
      "seed": 12,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "gameId": "game-3"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "wisconsin-badgers",
      "name": "Badgers",
      "seed": 5,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "high-point-panthers",
      "name": "Panthers",
      "seed": 12,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "gameId": "game-11"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "vanderbilt-commodores",
      "name": "Commodores",
      "seed": 5,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "mcneese-cowboys",
      "name": "Cowboys",
      "seed": 12,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "gameId": "game-19"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "texas-tech-red-raiders",
      "name": "Red Raiders",
      "seed": 5,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "akron-zips",
      "name": "Zips",
      "seed": 12,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "gameId": "game-27"
  }
}

assistantMessage 15

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Perfect. Now let me look up a few more key games, especially the ones involving teams with issues (Alabama, Virginia, UNC).

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-21"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-22"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-28"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-30"
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "north-carolina-tar-heels",
      "name": "Tar Heels",
      "seed": 6,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "vcu-rams",
      "name": "Rams",
      "seed": 11,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "gameId": "game-21"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "illinois-fighting-illini",
      "name": "Fighting Illini",
      "seed": 3,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "pennsylvania-quakers",
      "name": "Quakers",
      "seed": 14,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "gameId": "game-22"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "alabama-crimson-tide",
      "name": "Crimson Tide",
      "seed": 4,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "hofstra-pride",
      "name": "Pride",
      "seed": 13,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "gameId": "game-28"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "virginia-cavaliers",
      "name": "Cavaliers",
      "seed": 3,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "wright-state-raiders",
      "name": "Raiders",
      "seed": 14,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "gameId": "game-30"
  }
}

assistantMessage 16

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Great! Now I have the key matchups: - game-21: UNC (6) vs VCU (11) - VCU won A-10 tournament, UNC vulnerable after ACC exit - UPSET PICK: VCU - game-22: Illinois (3) vs Penn (14) - Illinois vulnerable after Big Ten Tourney loss, but Penn is still a 14-seed. I'll stick with Illinois but it's close. - game-28: Alabama (4) vs Hofstra (13) - Alabama without Holloway (#2 scorer) - MAJOR UPSET PICK: HOFSTRA - game-30: Virginia (3) vs Wright State (14) - Virginia fired coach after ACC Tourney - MAJOR UPSET PICK: WRIGHT STATE Now let me look up more games to complete my Round of 64 picks.

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-2"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-4"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-5"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-6"
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "ohio-state-buckeyes",
      "name": "Buckeyes",
      "seed": 8,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "tcu-horned-frogs",
      "name": "Horned Frogs",
      "seed": 9,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "gameId": "game-2"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "kansas-jayhawks",
      "name": "Jayhawks",
      "seed": 4,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "california-baptist-lancers",
      "name": "Lancers",
      "seed": 13,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "gameId": "game-4"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "louisville-cardinals",
      "name": "Cardinals",
      "seed": 6,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "south-florida-bulls",
      "name": "Bulls",
      "seed": 11,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "gameId": "game-5"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "michigan-state-spartans",
      "name": "Spartans",
      "seed": 3,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "north-dakota-state-bison",
      "name": "Bison",
      "seed": 14,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "gameId": "game-6"
  }
}

assistantMessage 17

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good. Let me continue looking up games. I need to verify all 32 games. Let me batch more lookups.

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-7"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-8"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-9"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-10"
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "ucla-bruins",
      "name": "Bruins",
      "seed": 7,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "ucf-knights",
      "name": "Knights",
      "seed": 10,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "gameId": "game-7"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "uconn-huskies",
      "name": "Huskies",
      "seed": 2,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "furman-paladins",
      "name": "Paladins",
      "seed": 15,
      "region": "east"
    },
    "gameId": "game-8"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "arizona-wildcats",
      "name": "Wildcats",
      "seed": 1,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "long-island-university-sharks",
      "name": "Sharks",
      "seed": 16,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "gameId": "game-9"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "villanova-wildcats",
      "name": "Wildcats",
      "seed": 8,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "utah-state-aggies",
      "name": "Aggies",
      "seed": 9,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "gameId": "game-10"
  }
}

assistantMessage 18

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good, continuing. Let me look up more games.

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-12"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-14"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-15"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-16"
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "arkansas-razorbacks",
      "name": "Razorbacks",
      "seed": 4,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "hawaii-rainbow-warriors",
      "name": "Rainbow Warriors",
      "seed": 13,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "gameId": "game-12"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "gonzaga-bulldogs",
      "name": "Bulldogs",
      "seed": 3,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "kennesaw-state-owls",
      "name": "Owls",
      "seed": 14,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "gameId": "game-14"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "miami-hurricanes",
      "name": "Hurricanes",
      "seed": 7,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "missouri-tigers",
      "name": "Tigers",
      "seed": 10,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "gameId": "game-15"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "purdue-boilermakers",
      "name": "Boilermakers",
      "seed": 2,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "queens-nc-royals",
      "name": "Queens Royals",
      "seed": 15,
      "region": "west"
    },
    "gameId": "game-16"
  }
}

assistantMessage 19

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good. Let me continue with the South and Midwest regions.

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-18"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-20"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-23"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-24"
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "clemson-tigers",
      "name": "Tigers",
      "seed": 8,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "iowa-hawkeyes",
      "name": "Hawkeyes",
      "seed": 9,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "gameId": "game-18"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "nebraska-cornhuskers",
      "name": "Cornhuskers",
      "seed": 4,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "troy-trojans",
      "name": "Trojans",
      "seed": 13,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "gameId": "game-20"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "saint-marys-gaels",
      "name": "Gaels",
      "seed": 7,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "texas-am-aggies",
      "name": "Aggies",
      "seed": 10,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "gameId": "game-23"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "houston-cougars",
      "name": "Cougars",
      "seed": 2,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "idaho-vandals",
      "name": "Vandals",
      "seed": 15,
      "region": "south"
    },
    "gameId": "game-24"
  }
}

assistantMessage 20

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Good. Now let me look up the remaining Midwest games.

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-26"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-29"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-31"
}

Tool Call: lookup_game

{
  "gameId": "game-32"
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "georgia-bulldogs",
      "name": "Bulldogs",
      "seed": 8,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "saint-louis-billikens",
      "name": "Billikens",
      "seed": 9,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "gameId": "game-26"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "tennessee-volunteers",
      "name": "Volunteers",
      "seed": 6,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "smu-mustangs",
      "name": "Mustangs",
      "seed": 11,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "gameId": "game-29",
    "team2Alt": {
      "id": "miami-oh-redhawks",
      "name": "RedHawks",
      "seed": 11,
      "region": "midwest"
    }
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "kentucky-wildcats",
      "name": "Wildcats",
      "seed": 7,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "santa-clara-broncos",
      "name": "Broncos",
      "seed": 10,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "gameId": "game-31"
  }
}

Tool Result: lookup_game

{
  "game": {
    "team1": {
      "id": "iowa-state-cyclones",
      "name": "Cyclones",
      "seed": 2,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "team2": {
      "id": "tennessee-state-tigers",
      "name": "Tigers",
      "seed": 15,
      "region": "midwest"
    },
    "gameId": "game-32"
  }
}

assistantMessage 21

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Reasoning

Perfect. Now I have all 32 games. Let me build my Round of 64 picks based on my research: **EAST REGION:** - game-1: Duke (1) vs Siena (16) - Duke wins (chalk, but Duke is #1 overall seed) - game-2: Ohio State (8) vs TCU (9) - Close game, I'll go with Ohio State (slightly better) - game-3: St. John's (5) vs Northern Iowa (12) - St. John's won Big East, Pitino hot, but Northern Iowa is dangerous. I'll go with St. John's but it's close. - game-4: Kansas (4) vs Cal Baptist (13) - Kansas wins (Bill Self, experienced) - game-5: Louisville (6) vs South Florida (11) - Louisville wins (Pat Kelsey) - game-6: Michigan State (3) vs North Dakota State (14) - Michigan State wins - game-7: UCLA (7) vs UCF (10) - UCLA wins (Mick Cronin) - game-8: UConn (2) vs Furman (15) - UConn wins (despite injuries, still too talented) **WEST REGION:** - game-9: Arizona (1) vs LIU (16) - Arizona wins (best team in tournament) - game-10: Villanova (8) vs Utah State (9) - Villanova wins (tournament experience) - game-11: Wisconsin (5) vs High Point (12) - UPSET! High Point is 30-4, broke records. I'll pick HIGH POINT. - game-12: Arkansas (4) vs Hawaii (13) - Arkansas wins (Calipari, won SEC tournament) - game-13: BYU (6) vs Texas/NC State (11) - This is a play-in. BYU has Kevin Young, Texas had coaching turmoil. I'll go with BYU. - game-14: Gonzaga (3) vs Kennesaw State (14) - Gonzaga wins (always dangerous in tournament) - game-15: Miami (7) vs Missouri (10) - Missouri has home court advantage in St. Louis. I'll pick MISSOURI. - game-16: Purdue (2) vs Queens (15) - Purdue wins (won Big Ten tournament) I'm tracking potential upsets and team momentum carefully. High Point and Missouri stand out as intriguing lower-seed possibilities with strong recent performances. **SOUTH REGION:** - game-17: Florida (1) vs Prairie View A&M/Lehigh (16) - Florida wins (SEC regular season champs) - game-18: Clemson (8) vs Iowa (9) - Clemson wins (home court advantage in region) - game-19: Vanderbilt (5) vs McNeese (12) - McNeese won Southland three-peat. I'll pick MCNEESE as an upset. - game-20: Nebraska (4) vs Troy (13) - Nebraska wins - game-21: UNC (6) vs VCU (11) - VCU won A-10 tournament, UNC struggling. UPSET: VCU - game-22: Illinois (3) vs Penn (14) - Illinois wins (despite Big Ten Tourney loss) - game-23: Saint Mary's (7) vs Texas A&M (10) - Saint Mary's wins - game-24: Houston (2) vs Idaho (15) - Houston wins (Kelvin Sampson) **MIDWEST REGION:** - game-25: Michigan (1) vs UMBC/Howard (16) - Michigan wins (31-3 record) - game-26: Georgia (8) vs Saint Louis (9) - Georgia wins - game-27: Texas Tech (5) vs Akron (12) - Akron won MAC three-peat. I'll pick AKRON as an upset. - game-28: Alabama (4) vs Hofstra (13) - Alabama without Holloway (#2 scorer). UPSET: HOFSTRA - game-29: Tennessee (6) vs SMU/Miami-Ohio (11) - Tennessee wins - game-30: Virginia (3) vs Wright State (14) - Virginia fired coach. UPSET: WRIGHT STATE - game-31: Kentucky (7) vs Santa Clara (10) - Kentucky wins (Mark Pope) - game-32: Iowa State (2) vs Tennessee State (15) - Iowa State wins I've identified 6 strategic upsets across different regions, targeting teams with momentum, coaching instability, or key player absences. Now I'll map out the Round of 32 matchups, tracking regional progression carefully. **EAST REGION R32:** - r32-east-1: Duke vs Ohio State - Duke advances - r32-east-2: St. John's vs Kansas - Kansas pulls through - r32-east-3: Louisville vs Michigan State - Michigan State edges out - r32-east-4: UCLA vs UConn - UConn moves forward **WEST REGION R32:** - r32-west-1: Arizona vs Villanova - Arizona dominates - r32-west-2: High Point vs Arkansas - Arkansas survives upset bid - r32-west-3: BYU vs Gonzaga - Gonzaga prevails - r32-west-4: Missouri vs Purdue - Purdue advances **SOUTH REGION R32:** - r32-south-1: Florida vs Clemson - Florida wins - r32-south-2: McNeese vs Nebraska - Nebraska holds on - r32-south-3: VCU vs Illinois - Illinois survives scare - r32-south-4: Saint Mary's vs Houston - Houston moves on **MIDWEST REGION R32:** - r32-midwest-1: Michigan vs Georgia - Michigan wins - r32-midwest-2: Akron vs Hofstra - Hofstra pulls upset - r32-midwest-3: Tennessee vs Wright State - Tennessee advances - r32-midwest-4: Kentucky vs Iowa State - Iowa State wins I'm seeing potential vulnerability in top seeds, with several close matchups that could go either way. I'm tracking potential tournament matchups, focusing on regional dynamics and team strengths. Arizona and Purdue look formidable in the West, while Florida and Houston present interesting South region challenges. The Midwest seems particularly competitive, with Michigan and Iowa State emerging as potential contenders. I'll continue analyzing matchup possibilities, considering team performance and potential upset scenarios. The championship picture remains complex, with multiple teams showing genuine title potential. Arizona's consistency and Michigan's resilience stand out as key factors in predicting tournament outcomes.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Hofstra Pride 2026 basketball tournament CAA champions"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Wright State Raiders 2026 basketball tournament Horizon League"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD-JI_wMzt8",
      "title": "Hofstra Men's Basketball! - 2026 CAA Champions - YouTube",
      "snippet": "This one was for you. CAA Champions.. 2026 CAA Champions - Hofstra Men's Basketball! 464 views · 5 days ago ...more. Hofstra Pride. 1.75K."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://gohofstra.com/news/2026/3/5/mens-basketball-pride-earns-no-3-seed-opens-caa-championship-sunday.aspx",
      "title": "Pride Earns No. 3 Seed, Opens CAA Championship Sunday",
      "snippet": "The Pride finished the regular season with a 21-10 overall record and a CAA mark of 12-6. Hofstra has won four straight and eight of its last ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.zagsblog.com/2026/03/10/hofstra-wins-caa-championship-secures-bid-to-ncaa-tournament/",
      "title": "Hofstra wins CAA Championship, secures bid to NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "The Pride secured their bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 75-69 win in the CAA Championship game against Monmouth. Hofstra guard Preston ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DVueNmtjYN_/",
      "title": "CAA CHAMPIONS! #PrideOfLI - Instagram",
      "snippet": "CAA Champs History made. Pride delivered. First tournament since '01, season taken by COVID — and the 2019–20 squad still stood tall."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/CAASports/videos/hofstrambb-will-finally-hear-its-name-later-today-during-the-ncaa-selection-show/1216850960603073/",
      "title": "@hofstrambb will FINALLY hear its name later today during the ...",
      "snippet": "Last viewed on: Mar 17, 2026. More videos you may like. 00:55. \"People now are starting to notice us. It's just going to ma."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://wsuraiders.com/news/2026/3/10/mens-basketball-champs-raiders-rally-to-claim-horizon-league-crown",
      "title": "CHAMPS! Raiders Rally to Claim Horizon League Crown",
      "snippet": "CHAMPS! Raiders Rally to Claim Horizon League Crown. 3/10/2026 10:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/1rqkgsv/wright_state_wins_horizon_league_punches_the/",
      "title": "Wright State wins Horizon League & Punches the Ticket for ...",
      "snippet": "Wright State wins Horizon League & Punches the Ticket for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. r/CollegeBasketball - Wright State wins Horizon League ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://dayton247now.com/sports/wright-state-raiders/raiders-win-2026-horizon-league-tournament",
      "title": "Raiders win 2026 Horizon League tournament",
      "snippet": "Wright State will play Detroit Mercy on Tuesday night for the Horizon League title, after the Titans overcame a halftime deficit to beat Robert ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/WSUMBB/posts/2026-horizon-league-champions/1554057070055192/",
      "title": "2026 HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!!!",
      "snippet": "2026 HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!!! · Tune in to Dayton 24/7 Now all morning to hear from Coach Sargent, Joylynn Brown and Solomon Callaghan! · NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/IndianaStateFair/posts/its-a-championship-finish-for-wright-state-2026-horizon-league-mens-basketball-c/927231220029087/",
      "title": "It's a CHAMPIONSHIP finish for Wright State 🎉 2026 ...",
      "snippet": "Wright State Raiders When: 6.00pm Where: BB&T Arena - Highland Heights, KY TV/Radio: ESPN3 / ESPN 1530 Records: NKU: 12-9 (10-6 Horizon League) ..."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 22

Mar 18, 2026, 8:48 PM

Now I have enough research to build my bracket. Let me construct it systematically based on my findings: **Key Upset Picks Based on Research:** 1. **High Point (12) over Wisconsin (5)** - 30-4 record, Big South champs, program-best season 2. **McNeese (12) over Vanderbilt (5)** - Southland three-peat champions, hot team 3. **VCU (11) over UNC (6)** - A-10 champs, UNC vulnerable after ACC Tournament exit 4. **Akron (12) over Texas Tech (5)** - MAC three-peat champions 5. **Hofstra (13) over Alabama (4)** - Alabama without #2 scorer Holloway (suspended), Hofstra CAA champs 6. **Wright State (14) over Virginia (3)** - Virginia fired coach after ACC Tournament, Wright State Horizon League champs 7. **Missouri (10) over Miami (7)** - Home court advantage in St. Louis Let me build and submit my bracket:

Reasoning

Excellent! Both Hofstra and Wright State won their conference tournaments: - Hofstra won CAA Championship (first NCAA tournament since 2001) - Wright State won Horizon League Championship This confirms my upset picks are well-founded. Both are hot teams playing against compromised opponents (Alabama without Holloway, Virginia without a coach). Now let me finalize my bracket. I need to build all rounds carefully. Let me start constructing the bracket systematically. **ROUND OF 64 (r1) - 32 picks:** EAST: - game-1: duke-blue-devils - game-2: ohio-state-buckeyes - game-3: st-johns-red-storm - game-4: kansas-jayhawks - game-5: louisville-cardinals - game-6: michigan-state-spartans - game-7: ucla-bruins - game-8: uconn-huskies WEST: - game-9: arizona-wildcats - game-10: villanova-wildcats - game-11: high-point-panthers (UPSET) - game-12: arkansas-razorbacks - game-13: byu-cougars - game-14: gonzaga-bulldogs - game-15: missouri-tigers (UPSET - home court) - game-16: purdue-boilermakers SOUTH: - game-17: florida-gators - game-18: clemson-tigers - game-19: mcneese-cowboys (UPSET) - game-20: nebraska-cornhuskers - game-21: vcu-rams (UPSET) - game-22: illinois-fighting-illini - game-23: saint-marys-gaels - game-24: houston-cougars MIDWEST: - game-25: michigan-wolverines - game-26: georgia-bulldogs - game-27: akron-zips (UPSET) - game-28: hofstra-pride (UPSET - Alabama without Holloway) - game-29: tennessee-volunteers - game-30: wright-state-raiders (UPSET - Virginia fired coach) - game-31: kentucky-wildcats - game-32: iowa-state-cyclones Now for Round of 32, I need to pair winners correctly: - r32-east-1: game-1 winner vs game-2 winner = Duke vs Ohio State - r32-east-2: game-3 winner vs game-4 winner = St. John's vs Kansas - r32-east-3: game-5 winner vs game-6 winner = Louisville vs Michigan State - r32-east-4: game-7 winner vs game-8 winner = UCLA vs UConn I'll continue mapping out the bracket matchups systematically.

Tool Call: submit_bracket

{
  "r1": [
    {
      "gameId": "game-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-2",
      "winnerId": "ohio-state-buckeyes"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-3",
      "winnerId": "st-johns-red-storm"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-4",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-5",
      "winnerId": "louisville-cardinals"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-6",
      "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-7",
      "winnerId": "ucla-bruins"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-8",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-9",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-10",
      "winnerId": "villanova-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-11",
      "winnerId": "high-point-panthers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-12",
      "winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-13",
      "winnerId": "byu-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-14",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-15",
      "winnerId": "missouri-tigers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-16",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-17",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-18",
      "winnerId": "clemson-tigers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-19",
      "winnerId": "mcneese-cowboys"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-20",
      "winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-21",
      "winnerId": "vcu-rams"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-22",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-23",
      "winnerId": "saint-marys-gaels"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-24",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-25",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-26",
      "winnerId": "georgia-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-27",
      "winnerId": "akron-zips"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-28",
      "winnerId": "hofstra-pride"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-29",
      "winnerId": "tennessee-volunteers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-30",
      "winnerId": "wright-state-raiders"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-31",
      "winnerId": "kentucky-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-32",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r2": [
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-2",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-3",
      "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-4",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-2",
      "winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-3",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-4",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-2",
      "winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-3",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-4",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-2",
      "winnerId": "hofstra-pride"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-3",
      "winnerId": "tennessee-volunteers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-4",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r3": [
    {
      "gameId": "s16-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-east-2",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-west-2",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-south-2",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-midwest-2",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r4": [
    {
      "gameId": "e8-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    }
  ],
  "r5": [
    {
      "gameId": "ff-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "ff-2",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    }
  ],
  "r6": [
    {
      "gameId": "champ-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    }
  ],
  "tiebreakerScore": 152
}

Tool Result: submit_bracket

{
  "submitted": true
}

Tokens

Input: 653446
Output: 9341
Reasoning: 4748