Claud and Clear Brackets

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA March Madness bracket predictions top contenders"
}

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{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament bracket field 64 teams seeds"
}

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{
  "query": "AP Top 25 college basketball rankings March 2026"
}

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{
  "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 ...",
      "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/general/news/march-madness-2026-bracket-ncaa-tournament-picks-predictions-from-seasoned-college-basketball-model/",
      "title": "March Madness 2026 bracket: NCAA Tournament picks ...",
      "snippet": "March Madness 2026 bracket: NCAA Tournament picks, predictions from seasoned college basketball model · Top 2026 March Madness bracket picks ( ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7123628/2026/03/17/march-madness-expert-bracket-picks-duke-champion/",
      "title": "Expert picks for the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket",
      "snippet": "Expert picks for the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: Why Brendan Marks has Duke winning it all ; 1 Duke. 8 Ohio State ; 5 St. John's. 4 Kansas ; 11 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/march-madness-brackets-expert-predictions-first-round-upsets-2026-mens-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Expert Predictions for First-Round Upsets in the 2026 ...",
      "snippet": "March Madness Brackets: Expert Predictions for First-Round Upsets in the 2026 NCAA Men's Tournament. Upset picks can be hard to spot in the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/betting/article/march-madness-2026-bracket-predictions-picks-best-bets-for-every-2026-ncaa-tournament-game-142659815.html",
      "title": "Best bets for every 2026 NCAA tournament game",
      "snippet": "March Madness 2026: NCAA tournament watch times, bracket news, first-round schedule, how to watch as Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida secure ..."
    }
  ]
}

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{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/mml-official-bracket/2026-03-18/2026-ncaa-tournament-printable-bracket-schedule-march-madness",
      "title": "2026 NCAA tournament printable bracket, schedule for ...",
      "snippet": "Here is the official, printable 2026 NCAA tournament bracket for March Madness and the DI men's basketball tournament."
    },
    {
      "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": "The men's bracket has been revealed. Here's what you need to know about every competitor for the national title."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-tournament-2026-seeds-1-68-march-madness-bracket/",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: NCAA Tournament 1-68 seed list ...",
      "snippet": "Duke is the top overall seed based on how the bracket broke and Arizona is the No. 2 overall team, followed by Michigan and Florida, based on ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/mml-official-bracket/2026-03-17/2026-ncaa-tournament-printable-bracket-schedule-march-madness",
      "title": "2026 NCAA tournament printable bracket, schedule for ...",
      "snippet": "Here is the official, printable 2026 NCAA tournament bracket for March Madness and the DI men's basketball tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/2026-march-madness-bracket-revealed-224055238.html",
      "title": "2026 March Madness bracket revealed: Full seed list for all ...",
      "snippet": "The 2026 NCAA tournament bracket was revealed on Sunday evening, and overall, the committee didn't give us many surprises."
    }
  ]
}

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{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/15/college-rankings-basketball-top-25-ap-coaches-poll-march-15/89169875007/",
      "title": "Men's college basketball rankings: Updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25",
      "snippet": "USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll · Duke (26) · Arizona (5) · Michigan · Florida · Houston · Iowa State · Connecticut · Virginia ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/rankings/ap/",
      "title": "College Basketball Rankings 2025-26 - AP Top 25 - CBS Sports",
      "snippet": "AP Top 25 Updated Mar 16, 2026 ; 1. team logo · Duke. (50) 32-2, — ; 2. team logo · Arizona. (7) 32-2, — ; 3. team logo · Michigan. 31-3, — ; 4. team logo · Florida."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/men/2026-polls.html",
      "title": "2025-26 Men's College Basketball AP Polls - Sports-Reference.com",
      "snippet": "2025-26 Men's College Basketball AP Polls · Season Summary · School Stats · Leaders · Coaches · Standings · Ratings · Polls · Top 25 Matchups ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings",
      "title": "2025-26 Men's College Basketball Rankings - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Men's College Basketball Rankings ; 1. DUKE Duke (50). 32-2 ; 2. Arizona ARIZ Arizona (7). 32-2 ; 3. Michigan MICH Michigan. 31-3 ; 4. Florida FLA Florida. 26-7 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/p/DVZDmVEgRQw/",
      "title": "The FIRST AP Top 25 of MARCH Is your team ranked too high or too ...",
      "snippet": "NEW AP POLL! 1. Duke 2. Arizona 3. Michigan 4. Iowa State 5. Houston 6. UConn 7. Florida 8. Purdue 9. Gonzaga 10. Illinois 11. Virginia 12."
    }
  ]
}

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{
  "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7123628/2026/03/17/march-madness-expert-bracket-picks-duke-champion/"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
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{
  "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/march-madness-brackets-expert-predictions-first-round-upsets-2026-mens-ncaa-tournament"
}

{
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{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament upset picks 12 over 5 seed predictions first round"
}

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  "error": "We apologize for the inconvenience but we do not support this site. If you are part of an enterprise and want to have a further conversation about this, please fill out our intake form here: https://fk4bvu0n5qp.typeform.com/to/Ej6oydlg",
  "content": ""
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{
  "content": "[Skip to main content](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/march-madness-brackets-expert-predictions-first-round-upsets-2026-mens-ncaa-tournament#main)\n\nWith [Selection Sunday in the rearview mirror](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/mens-march-madness-selection-sunday-live-updates-seeds-matchups-analysis), March Madness [is officially on](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/forde-minutes-everything-you-need-to-know-2026-mens-march-madness). Across the country, casual fans and experts alike are building their brackets with the hopes of winning bragging rights and other prizes.\n\nAmong those experts are _Sports Illustrated_’s triumvirate of Bryan Fischer, Kevin Sweeney and Pat Forde, whose brackets are now live—check out the [SI College Hoops Bracket Challenge](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/bracket-challenge) if you think you have what it takes to beat them in the standings.\n\nBut for those of you still looking to build your brackets, taking a look at what the experts are thinking can be a great jumping off point, especially when searching for a few upsets or [potential Cinderella teams](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/ten-teams-that-could-make-cinderella-runs-in-2026-mens-march-madness). With that in mind, let's take a look at how Fischer, Sweeney and Forde see the first round playing out.\n\n## It might not be the year for the classic No. 5 vs. No. 12 upset\n\n![Akron Zips guard Shammah Scott reacts after a shot in the men’s Mid-American Conference championship game.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_61,w_4972,h_2796/c_fill,w_16,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/si/01kkytdz9pjw435g0954.jpg)\n\nAkron Zips guard Shammah Scott reacts after a shot in the men’s Mid-American Conference championship game. \\| Ken Blaze-Imagn Images\n\nOne of the first things most fans look for when filling out their brackets is a No. 5 vs. No. 12 upset in the first round. [Judging by recent history, this has been a pretty good play](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/march-madness-brackets-where-do-upsets-happen-in-mens-ncaa-tournament)—in three of the past four tournaments, the 12-seeds have gone 2–2 against their higher-seeded opposition in the first round.\n\nBut as our experts have it this year, it might be better to look elsewhere for your first-round upsets. Both Fischer and Sweeney have the five-seeds sweeping the 12-seeds in the first round, and Forde has just one such upset—No. 12 Akron over No. 5 Texas Tech—in the opening round of the tournament.\n\nWhile such dominant runs are rare, they are not unheard of—in 2023, the five-seeds went 4–0 in the first round, with two of the four teams reaching the Sweet 16.\n\n## Nos. 11 South Florida and VCU are getting a lot of love\n\n![South Florida Bulls forward Isaiah Jones dunks the ball against the Memphis Tigers.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5474,h_3079/c_fill,w_16,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/si/01kkyth1baj5tnbje61f.jpg)\n\nSouth Florida Bulls forward Isaiah Jones dunks the ball against the Memphis Tigers. \\| Wesley Hale-Imagn Images\n\nIf you’re taking it easy on the No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchups this year, have no fear—there’s plenty of potential upsets just a bit further down the bracket. All three of SI’s experts have at least two No. 11 seeds upsetting their first-round foes.\n\nTo start, Fischer, Sweeney and Forde all have No. 11 VCU taking down No. 6 North Carolina to open the tournament. It’s worth noting that [the Tar Heels will be without star freshman Caleb Wilson](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/key-injuries-to-remember-mens-march-madness-bracket), who had season-ending surgery after X-rays revealed a fracture in his right hand. The oddsmakers in Las Vegas also have this one close, [with North Carolina just 2.5-point favorites over VCU](https://www.si.com/betting/betting-the-south-region-in-2026-ncaa-tournament-predictions-odds-upsets-for-march-madness).\n\nIn addition to"
}

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  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/ncaa-tournament-2026-bracket-simulation-predicts-surprising-upsets-best-sleepers-march-madness-picks/",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket: Simulation predicts surprising ...",
      "snippet": "... seeds that advanced in the first round, No. 12 Colorado State over No. 5 Memphis, and No. 6 BYU advancing to the Sweet 16. The model has beaten ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/march-madness-brackets-expert-predictions-first-round-upsets-2026-mens-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "March Madness Brackets: Expert Predictions for First-Round Upsets ...",
      "snippet": "Both Fischer and Sweeney have the five-seeds sweeping the 12-seeds in the first round, and Forde has just one such upset—No. 12 Akron over No. ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.co.uk/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48223542/ncaa-tournament-upsets-first-round-giant-killers-march-madness-2026",
      "title": "Most probable first-round upsets in the men's 2026 NCAA tournament",
      "snippet": "It gives only one No. 12 seed -- the perennial upset pick so many like to identify -- even a 20% chance to bust brackets."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMV9y2zvvRo",
      "title": "THE MOST ACCURATE MARCH MADNESS UPSET PICKS OF 2026",
      "snippet": "So I have seen a lot of people pick St.John's to make it far why do you think they will lose first round I just don't want them to go crazy ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://poolgenius.teamrankings.com/ncaa-bracket-picks/articles/march-madness-upset-predictions-first-round-2026/",
      "title": "Top 4 March Madness Upset Predictions for the First Round",
      "snippet": "Best First-Round March Madness Upsets in 2026​​ 5 seeds opened as sizable favorites (8.5 points or more) against their No. 12 opponents. That ..."
    }
  ]
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  "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/march-madness-brackets-expert-predictions-first-round-upsets-2026-mens-ncaa-tournament"
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  "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/ncaa-tournament-2026-bracket-simulation-predicts-surprising-upsets-best-sleepers-march-madness-picks/"
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  "url": "https://poolgenius.teamrankings.com/ncaa-bracket-picks/articles/march-madness-upset-predictions-first-round-2026/"
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{
  "content": "[Skip to main content](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/march-madness-brackets-expert-predictions-first-round-upsets-2026-mens-ncaa-tournament#main)\n\nWith [Selection Sunday in the rearview mirror](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/mens-march-madness-selection-sunday-live-updates-seeds-matchups-analysis), March Madness [is officially on](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/forde-minutes-everything-you-need-to-know-2026-mens-march-madness). Across the country, casual fans and experts alike are building their brackets with the hopes of winning bragging rights and other prizes.\n\nAmong those experts are _Sports Illustrated_’s triumvirate of Bryan Fischer, Kevin Sweeney and Pat Forde, whose brackets are now live—check out the [SI College Hoops Bracket Challenge](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/bracket-challenge) if you think you have what it takes to beat them in the standings.\n\nBut for those of you still looking to build your brackets, taking a look at what the experts are thinking can be a great jumping off point, especially when searching for a few upsets or [potential Cinderella teams](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/ten-teams-that-could-make-cinderella-runs-in-2026-mens-march-madness). With that in mind, let's take a look at how Fischer, Sweeney and Forde see the first round playing out.\n\n## It might not be the year for the classic No. 5 vs. No. 12 upset\n\n![Akron Zips guard Shammah Scott reacts after a shot in the men’s Mid-American Conference championship game.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_61,w_4972,h_2796/c_fill,w_16,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/si/01kkytdz9pjw435g0954.jpg)\n\nAkron Zips guard Shammah Scott reacts after a shot in the men’s Mid-American Conference championship game. \\| Ken Blaze-Imagn Images\n\nOne of the first things most fans look for when filling out their brackets is a No. 5 vs. No. 12 upset in the first round. [Judging by recent history, this has been a pretty good play](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/march-madness-brackets-where-do-upsets-happen-in-mens-ncaa-tournament)—in three of the past four tournaments, the 12-seeds have gone 2–2 against their higher-seeded opposition in the first round.\n\nBut as our experts have it this year, it might be better to look elsewhere for your first-round upsets. Both Fischer and Sweeney have the five-seeds sweeping the 12-seeds in the first round, and Forde has just one such upset—No. 12 Akron over No. 5 Texas Tech—in the opening round of the tournament.\n\nWhile such dominant runs are rare, they are not unheard of—in 2023, the five-seeds went 4–0 in the first round, with two of the four teams reaching the Sweet 16.\n\n## Nos. 11 South Florida and VCU are getting a lot of love\n\n![South Florida Bulls forward Isaiah Jones dunks the ball against the Memphis Tigers.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5474,h_3079/c_fill,w_16,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/si/01kkyth1baj5tnbje61f.jpg)\n\nSouth Florida Bulls forward Isaiah Jones dunks the ball against the Memphis Tigers. \\| Wesley Hale-Imagn Images\n\nIf you’re taking it easy on the No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchups this year, have no fear—there’s plenty of potential upsets just a bit further down the bracket. All three of SI’s experts have at least two No. 11 seeds upsetting their first-round foes.\n\nTo start, Fischer, Sweeney and Forde all have No. 11 VCU taking down No. 6 North Carolina to open the tournament. It’s worth noting that [the Tar Heels will be without star freshman Caleb Wilson](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/key-injuries-to-remember-mens-march-madness-bracket), who had season-ending surgery after X-rays revealed a fracture in his right hand. The oddsmakers in Las Vegas also have this one close, [with North Carolina just 2.5-point favorites over VCU](https://www.si.com/betting/betting-the-south-region-in-2026-ncaa-tournament-predictions-odds-upsets-for-march-madness).\n\nIn addition to"
}

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{
  "content": "site: media \\| arena: general \\| pageType: stories \\|\nsection: \\| slug: ncaa-tournament-2026-bracket-simulation-predicts-surprising-upsets-optimal-sleepers-march-madness-picks \\| sport: other \\| route: article\\_single.us \\|\n6-keys: media/spln/other/reg/free/stories\n\n[Skip to Main Content](https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/ncaa-tournament-2026-bracket-simulation-predicts-surprising-upsets-optimal-sleepers-march-madness-picks/#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# NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket: Simulation predicts surprising upsets, optimal sleepers, March Madness picks\n\n## When does the March Madness 2026 schedule start, and when are 2026 NCAA Tournament brackets due? The 2026 March Madness bracket begins on Thursday, March 19\n\n[![            Owen OBrien     ](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2025/03/11/9a7f99c2-75ab-49f4-86c3-2001ec566a2b/thumbnail/80x80/bdc68afed3aca70c15cd858408c55f65/owen-obrien-500.png)](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/owen-obrien/)\n\nBy\n[Owen OBrien](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/owen-obrien/)\n\n1 hr ago\n•\n3 min read\n\n\n![byu.jpg](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2026/03/12/cf07fb46-76cf-4e01-a2e4-2b31b224152f/thumbnail/770x433/c3134288da12a4692f973459f8e9624a/byu.jpg)Imagn Images\n\nThe 87th NCAA Tournament has arrived, with the first national champion crowned back in 1939. There have been 37 schools that have won a national title, including 15 capturing multiple championships entering the 2026 March Madness bracket. Six programs have claimed 17 of the last 21 titles, and they are blue bloods of the sport. UConn (5 titles), UNC (3), Florida (3), Duke (2), Kansas (2) and Villanova (2) have had dynastic runs over this span and will be favored by many in 2026 NCAA Tournament picks.\n\nVillanova is the lowest seed among those teams at No. 8 in the West Region, and the Wildcats are 0-5 versus ranked teams this season. This is Nova's first NCAA bracket appearance since Jay Wright's retirement, so it will be intriguing to see if the program prestige he established can carry over. Before you make your 2026 NCAA Tournament predictions, [see the 2026 March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine](https://www.sportsline.com/insiders/2026-sportsline-upset-bracket-full-of-surprises/#ttag=03162026_agg_cbssports_picks_basketball_ncaa_model_MMupsetbracket1).\n\nTwo years ago, SportsLine's computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 11 Oregon over No. 6 South Carolina, No. 11 NC State over No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 10 Colorado over No. 7 Florida. Last year, SportsLine's computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including calling both 9-seeds that advanced in the first round, No. 12 Colorado State over No. 5 Memphis, and No. 6 BYU advancing to the Sweet 16. The model has beaten over 91 percent of all CBS Sports bracket players in four of the past seven tournaments.\n\nThis model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016 and nailed UConn's championship run in 2024. It nailed 12 teams in the Sweet 16 and correctly predicted all four Final Four teams a year ago.\n\nThe SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered conference tournament week on a sizzling 14-2 run on its top-rated over/under [college basketball](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/expert-picks/) [picks](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/expert-picks/) dating back to last season, and is on a 28-21 run on top-rated CBB side picks. You shouldn't even think about making a pick [without seeing what their model has to say](https://www.sportsline.com/insiders/2026-sportsline-upset-bracket-full-of-surprises/#ttag=03162026_agg_cbssp"
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  "content": "usalabamaalaskaarizonaarkansascaliforniacoloradoconnecticutdelawarefloridageorgiahawaiiidahoillinoisindianaiowakansaskentuckylouisianamainemarylandmassachusettsmichiganminnesotamississippimissourimontananebraskanevadanew hampshirenew jerseynew mexiconew yorknorth carolinanorth dakotaohiooklahomaoregonpennsylvaniarhode islandsouth carolinasouth dakotatennesseetexasutahvermontvirginiawashingtonwashington dcwest virginiawisconsinwyoming\n\n- [TeamRankings](https://www.teamrankings.com/)\n- [BetIQ](https://betiq.teamrankings.com/)\n- [PoolGenius](https://poolgenius.teamrankings.com/)\n\n# Top 4 March Madness Upset Predictions for the First Round\n\nFind the best first-round March Madness upset predictions using public pick data and win probabilities to gain an edge in your 2026 bracket.\n\nby Spencer Limbach - Mar 17, 2026\n\n![RALEIGH, NC - NOVEMBER 17: Terrence Hill Jr. #6 of the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams reacts to the basket during the college basketball game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams on November 17, 2025 at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC.](https://teamrankings-blog-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wordpress-uploads/prod/ecl251117013_ncst_vs_vcu-820x492.jpg)\n\nCan VCU pull off a March Madness upset of UNC? (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire)\n\nWhen looking for March Madness upset predictions in your bracket, it’s not about guessing or picking seeds based on historical upsets (like the often-talked-about No. 12 vs. No. 5 seed upset).\n\nThe biggest edges in bracket pools come when a team’s **actual chances of winning are higher than how often people are picking them**.\n\nThat’s what we are looking for in our NCAA Tournament upset picks, or any “value pick” in our bracket here at PoolGenius.\n\nAnd it’s what we’ll run through below, with exclusive data from our **[NCAA Bracket Picks Tool](https://poolgenius.teamrankings.com/ncaa-bracket-picks/)**.\n\n## March Madness Upset Predictions: How to Find Value Picks\n\nMost people approach March Madness upsets the wrong way.\n\nThey look for big underdogs and try to predict chaos.\n\nBut in reality, the best upset picks usually come from identifying **gaps between perception and probability** — especially in games where the public is overconfident in one side.\n\nThat’s where public pick data becomes critical, and we have it in our **NCAA Bracket Picks Tool**.\n\n## 🏀 The Unfair Advantage to WIN Your Bracket Pool 🏀\n\nGet picks customized to YOUR pool’s exact size and scoring system.\n\nSubscribers win 3.1x more often than expected.\n\n**[Get Bracket Picks](https://poolgenius.teamrankings.com/ncaa-bracket-picks/?trk=rs_tr_mm26_art_cta)**\n\n* * *\n\n## Best First-Round March Madness Upsets in 2026\n\nThis might not be a big year for classic 12-over-5 upsets. Most No. 5 seeds opened as sizable favorites (8.5 points or more) against their No. 12 opponents.\n\nThat shifts some of the best bracket First-Round value to 8-9 and 7-10 matchups, where the public tends to over-rely on the higher seed.\n\nQuick note on terminology: we count any higher seed beating a lower seed as an upset, including a No. 9 over a No. 8. We do this because bracket scoring systems often use seed-differential scoring or upset bonuses as incentives.\n\nBelow are four first-round games where the numbers suggest the public may be missing something.\n\n## **No. 9 Utah State over No. 8 Villanova**\n\n**Odds to win:** 57%\n\n**Public pick rate:** 45%\n\nUtah State enters the tournament as one of the stronger No. 9 seeds in the field.\n\nThe Aggies are driven by their experienced backcourt, particularly wings Mason Falsev and MJ Collins, who combine to average nearly 34 points per game and can score both inside and from the perimeter.\n\nMeanwhile, Villanova is dealing with a major late-season injury after losing Matthew Hodge to a torn ACL at the end of February.\n\nThe Wildcats rely heavily on half-court execution and stability, but their form dipped late in the season after that injury, culminating in a d"
}

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  "url": "https://poolgenius.teamrankings.com/ncaa-bracket-picks/articles/march-madness-upset-predictions-first-round-2026/"
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{
  "anthropic": {
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{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament key injuries North Carolina Caleb Wilson VCU matchup"
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{
  "anthropic": {
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      "type": "direct"
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{
  "query": "Duke Blue Devils 2026 NCAA Tournament season record stats Cooper Flagg"
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{
  "content": "usalabamaalaskaarizonaarkansascaliforniacoloradoconnecticutdelawarefloridageorgiahawaiiidahoillinoisindianaiowakansaskentuckylouisianamainemarylandmassachusettsmichiganminnesotamississippimissourimontananebraskanevadanew hampshirenew jerseynew mexiconew yorknorth carolinanorth dakotaohiooklahomaoregonpennsylvaniarhode islandsouth carolinasouth dakotatennesseetexasutahvermontvirginiawashingtonwashington dcwest virginiawisconsinwyoming\n\n- [TeamRankings](https://www.teamrankings.com/)\n- [BetIQ](https://betiq.teamrankings.com/)\n- [PoolGenius](https://poolgenius.teamrankings.com/)\n\n# Top 4 March Madness Upset Predictions for the First Round\n\nFind the best first-round March Madness upset predictions using public pick data and win probabilities to gain an edge in your 2026 bracket.\n\nby Spencer Limbach - Mar 17, 2026\n\n![RALEIGH, NC - NOVEMBER 17: Terrence Hill Jr. #6 of the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams reacts to the basket during the college basketball game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams on November 17, 2025 at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC.](https://teamrankings-blog-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wordpress-uploads/prod/ecl251117013_ncst_vs_vcu-820x492.jpg)\n\nCan VCU pull off a March Madness upset of UNC? (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire)\n\nWhen looking for March Madness upset predictions in your bracket, it’s not about guessing or picking seeds based on historical upsets (like the often-talked-about No. 12 vs. No. 5 seed upset).\n\nThe biggest edges in bracket pools come when a team’s **actual chances of winning are higher than how often people are picking them**.\n\nThat’s what we are looking for in our NCAA Tournament upset picks, or any “value pick” in our bracket here at PoolGenius.\n\nAnd it’s what we’ll run through below, with exclusive data from our **[NCAA Bracket Picks Tool](https://poolgenius.teamrankings.com/ncaa-bracket-picks/)**.\n\n## March Madness Upset Predictions: How to Find Value Picks\n\nMost people approach March Madness upsets the wrong way.\n\nThey look for big underdogs and try to predict chaos.\n\nBut in reality, the best upset picks usually come from identifying **gaps between perception and probability** — especially in games where the public is overconfident in one side.\n\nThat’s where public pick data becomes critical, and we have it in our **NCAA Bracket Picks Tool**.\n\n## 🏀 The Unfair Advantage to WIN Your Bracket Pool 🏀\n\nGet picks customized to YOUR pool’s exact size and scoring system.\n\nSubscribers win 3.1x more often than expected.\n\n**[Get Bracket Picks](https://poolgenius.teamrankings.com/ncaa-bracket-picks/?trk=rs_tr_mm26_art_cta)**\n\n* * *\n\n## Best First-Round March Madness Upsets in 2026\n\nThis might not be a big year for classic 12-over-5 upsets. Most No. 5 seeds opened as sizable favorites (8.5 points or more) against their No. 12 opponents.\n\nThat shifts some of the best bracket First-Round value to 8-9 and 7-10 matchups, where the public tends to over-rely on the higher seed.\n\nQuick note on terminology: we count any higher seed beating a lower seed as an upset, including a No. 9 over a No. 8. We do this because bracket scoring systems often use seed-differential scoring or upset bonuses as incentives.\n\nBelow are four first-round games where the numbers suggest the public may be missing something.\n\n## **No. 9 Utah State over No. 8 Villanova**\n\n**Odds to win:** 57%\n\n**Public pick rate:** 45%\n\nUtah State enters the tournament as one of the stronger No. 9 seeds in the field.\n\nThe Aggies are driven by their experienced backcourt, particularly wings Mason Falsev and MJ Collins, who combine to average nearly 34 points per game and can score both inside and from the perimeter.\n\nMeanwhile, Villanova is dealing with a major late-season injury after losing Matthew Hodge to a torn ACL at the end of February.\n\nThe Wildcats rely heavily on half-court execution and stability, but their form dipped late in the season after that injury, culminating in a d"
}

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{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/unc-announces-major-caleb-wilson-230454363.html",
      "title": "UNC announces major Caleb Wilson news before NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "... matchup against VCU. Hubert ... Players like North Carolina's Caleb Wilson and Texas Tech's JT Toppin suffered season-ending injuries."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.profootballnetwork.com/mens-cbb/unc-caleb-wilson-update-ncaa-tournament-2026/",
      "title": "Is Caleb Wilson Playing in NCAA Tournament? Latest Update on ...",
      "snippet": "Wilson led the team in all basic stats during the regular season and was eager to return after his first injury, a fractured left hand. While ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48124467/caleb-wilson-injury-impact-unc-duke-ncaa-tournament-nba-draft",
      "title": "How Caleb Wilson's injury impacts UNC-Duke, NCAA tournament ...",
      "snippet": "The North Carolina Tar Heels were dealt a blow Friday when Caleb Wilson was ruled out for the season after undergoing surgery on a broken right ..."
    },
    {
      "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": "Wilson is the most impactful loss to injury in this year's tournament, but the Tar Heels' roster is littered with high-investment acquisitions, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/injuries-fuel-march-madness-upset-buzz/gm-GM672D8D14?gemSnapshotKey=GM672D8D14-snapshot-3&uxmode=ruby",
      "title": "Injuries fuel March Madness upset buzz - MSN",
      "snippet": "VCU's depth challenges short-handed Tar Heels. North Carolina will be without star freshman Caleb Wilson for the tournament after a season ..."
    }
  ]
}

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{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/duke-basketball-treasure-cooper-flagg-192609271.html",
      "title": "Duke Basketball Treasure Cooper Flagg Sees His ACC Record ...",
      "snippet": "The Duke basketball team limited the league's new rookie single-game scoring record-holder to only one made field goal just a few weeks ago."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/nba/cooper-flagg-full-college-stats-awards-accolades-duke",
      "title": "Cooper Flagg's Full College Stats, Awards, & Accolades at Duke",
      "snippet": "During his freshman season at Duke, Flagg led the team in scoring and rebounds per game and ranked 39th in the NCAA in points per game. For ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.proballers.com/basketball/player/253989/cooper-flagg/records",
      "title": "Cooper Flagg's Basketball Records (Regular season) - Proballers",
      "snippet": "Cooper Flagg's regular seasons records ; Best efficiency. Eff · 52 ; Most points scored. Pts · 49 ; Most rebounds. Reb · 14 ; Most offensive rebounds. Or · 5 ; Most ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2025-04-10/how-cooper-flaggs-season-stacks-other-great-freshmen",
      "title": "How Cooper Flagg's season stacks up with other great freshmen",
      "snippet": "After Duke freshman, Cooper Flagg wrapped up his spectacular freshman season, let's look back and see how his season matches up with other dazzling freshman ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://goduke.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2025-26",
      "title": "2025-26 Men's Basketball Cumulative Statistics - Duke Athletics",
      "snippet": "Duke University Athletics · Quick Links · Upcoming Events · Recent Results · 2025-26 Men's Basketball Cumulative Statistics · Duke information."
    }
  ]
}

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{
  "query": "Duke 2026 NCAA tournament Cooper Flagg sophomore season stats record"
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{
  "query": "Arizona Wildcats 2026 NCAA Tournament season record KenPom ranking"
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{
  "query": "2026 March Madness Cinderella teams sleepers potential deep runs"
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{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/cooper-flagg-1.html",
      "title": "Cooper Flagg College Stats - Sports-Reference.com",
      "snippet": "Cooper Flagg ; Position: Forward ; Hometown: Newport, ME ; High School: Nokomis Regional (ME); Montverde Academy (FL) ; RSCI Top 100: 1 (2024) ; School: Duke (Men)."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/stats/_/id/150/duke-blue-devils",
      "title": "Duke Blue Devils 2025-26 Men's College Basketball Stats - ESPN",
      "snippet": "GP · MIN · PTS · REB · AST · STL · BLK · TO · FG% · FT% · 3P%. 34, 33.0, 22.5, 10.2, 4.2, 1.5, 0.5, 2.3, 56.5, 77.5, 40.9. 34, 27.9, 14.9, 3.1, 1.4, 0.8 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://goduke.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2025-26",
      "title": "2025-26 Men's Basketball Cumulative Statistics - Duke Athletics",
      "snippet": "Duke University Athletics · Quick Links · Upcoming Events · Recent Results · 2025-26 Men's Basketball Cumulative Statistics · Duke information."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper_Flagg",
      "title": "Cooper Flagg - Wikipedia",
      "snippet": "He made his college basketball debut during Duke's season opener against Maine on November 4, 2024, and scored 18 points with seven rebounds, five assists ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2025-01-11/cooper-flagg-drops-record-42-points-duke-win-no-3-iowa-state-escapes-busy",
      "title": "Cooper Flagg drops record 42 points in Duke win, No. 3 Iowa State ...",
      "snippet": "Flagg capped off his performance with a career-high 42 points, seven assists and six rebounds, marking his first collegiate game with over 30 points."
    }
  ]
}

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  "anthropic": {
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{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://247sports.com/college/arizona/longformarticle/march-madness-2026-teams-kenpom-national-championship-formula-275473451/",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Nine teams with KenPom's proven national ...",
      "snippet": "Advanced analytics identified the nine college basketball teams capable of cutting down the nets in the 2025-26 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-ranking-every-mens-ncaa-tournament-first-four-and-first-round-game-from-most-competitive-to-least-060130968.html",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Ranking every men's NCAA tournament First ...",
      "snippet": "KenPom ratings can help you hunt for upsets."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball/76851/arizona-wildcats-ncaa-tournament-analysis-commentary-projections-opinion-analytics-2026",
      "title": "A look at why Arizona men's basketball keeps getting overlooked ...",
      "snippet": "Haslam Metrics also has Arizona third, while Torvik has it fourth. Oh, and Arizona is third in KenPom, too, nearly two full points behind No. 2 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://kenpom.com/",
      "title": "2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings",
      "snippet": "Arizona St. B12, 17-16, +12.50, 115.8, 78, 103.3, 66, 69.3, 77, +.062, 43, +14.48, 14, 117.6, 14, 103.1, 21, +5.85, 55. 68, Oklahoma St. B12, 20-14, +12.28 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/1rut15i/oc_2026_ncaa_tournament_nine_pretournament_stats/",
      "title": "[OC] 2026 NCAA Tournament - Nine pre-tournament stats that help ...",
      "snippet": "Arizona: head coach hasn't been to the elite 8 before · Houston: didn't win either regular season title or conference tournament · Gonzaga: ranked ..."
    }
  ]
}

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  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/article/2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-picks-best-cinderella-teams-and-upset-sleepers-for-march-madness-160049659.html",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament bracket picks: Best Cinderella teams and ...",
      "snippet": "2026 NCAA Tournament bracket picks: Best Cinderella teams and upset sleepers for March Madness ... deep NCAA tournament run. There are plenty of ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/most-likely-upsets-for-march-madness-2026-ncaa-tournament-cinderella-teams-to-target-in-your-bracket-picks/",
      "title": "Most likely upsets for March Madness 2026: NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "Three 2026 March Madness Cinderella teams to watch out for. One potential 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket buster is the Akron Zips. The 12th ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/ten-teams-that-could-make-cinderella-runs-in-2026-mens-march-madness",
      "title": "Ten Teams That Could Make Cinderella Runs in 2026 Men's March ...",
      "snippet": "Ten Teams That Could Make Cinderella Runs in 2026 Men's March Madness · 1. VCU (No. 11 Seed, South Region) · 2. Santa Clara (No. 10 Seed, Midwest ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://dknetwork.draftkings.com/2026/03/16/cinderella-teams-destined-to-make-deep-2026-march-madness-runs/",
      "title": "Cinderella teams destined to make deep 2026 March Madness runs",
      "snippet": "Dan Johnson makes the case for his two favorite Cinderella teams in the field of 68 for March Madness 2026."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv6D485NdrQ",
      "title": "The BIGGEST Cinderella teams poised to make a deep tourney run ...",
      "snippet": "... NCAA Tournament | 2026 March Madness. CBS Sports. New. 29K views · 7:51 ... March Madness UPSETS & SLEEPERS! Can UConn Go On a Run, Kansas ..."
    }
  ]
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  "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/ten-teams-that-could-make-cinderella-runs-in-2026-mens-march-madness"
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  "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/most-likely-upsets-for-march-madness-2026-ncaa-tournament-cinderella-teams-to-target-in-your-bracket-picks/"
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{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament Iowa State Houston Florida Michigan championship favorites odds"
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{
  "content": "[Skip to main content](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/ten-teams-that-could-make-cinderella-runs-in-2026-mens-march-madness#main)\n\nPerhaps the biggest story of the 2025 men’s [NCAA tournament](https://www.si.com/march-madness) was the lack of a true Cinderella story. It was as chalky a tournament as you’ll find, and even the one, big seed-line upset (Colorado State over Memphis) didn’t turn into a deep run thanks to Derik Queen’s round of 32 heroics. That produced plenty of takes about the future role of Cinderella in the tournament. Has NIL and the transfer portal made it impossible for a mid-major run like the ones we’ve become accustomed to seeing? While it’s certainly possible that changes to the sport’s landscape may cut down on Cinderella runs long term, it’s too early to write off big upsets as a thing of the past. After all, we had more massive upsets in the previous few years before 2025 than almost any other stretch in the history of the event.\n\nSo who are the best candidates to wear this year’s magic slipper? _Sports Illustrated_ is here to help you find them, and maybe [help you win your bracket pool](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/bracket-challenge) in the process. Here’s a look at the top 10 candidates to blow up your bracket:\n\n## 1\\. VCU (No. 11 Seed, South Region)\n\nVCU got only a shred of the attention Saint Louis did in the Atlantic 10 this season, but the two ended up tied for the regular-season title and VCU won the conference tournament. After starting just 11–6, the Rams won 16 of 17 down the stretch to surge into the NCAA tournament and look increasingly like a team no one wants to play.\n\nThe major catalysts of the Rams’ improvement is the play of sophomore guards Terrence Hill Jr. and Brandon Jennings. Hill is an elite bucket-getter who takes care of the ball and scores it efficiently, while Jennings is a monster on the defensive end who changes games in certain matchups. Add in highly skilled big Lazar Djokovic and a stable of big wings that have defensive versatility, and you have a group that looks really dangerous at the moment.\n\nVCU has better guards than North Carolina, whose backcourt has been inconsistent all season. The matchup the Rams likely couldn’t solve would have been with likely top-five NBA draft pick Caleb Wilson, but Wilson is out for the season with a broken thumb. VCU has the bodies to throw at Henri Veesaar and looks like a very real live underdog to potentially pull an upset in the first round against the Tar Heels. And if that happens, don’t be shocked if the Rams scare Illinois, too. Jennings is a good potential [Keaton Wagler](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/keaton-waglers-meteoric-rise-at-illinois-isnt-a-fluke) defender, and the Illini have struggled of late.\n\n## 2\\. Santa Clara (No. 10 Seed, Midwest Region)\n\n[The Broncos have been knocking on the door of the Big Dance for a while under Herb Sendek](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/forde-minutes-everything-you-need-to-know-2026-mens-march-madness) with 20-plus wins per year in their last six full seasons and finally broke through this season for their first NCAA tournament berth in 30 years. And as Cinderellas go, they’re as battle-tested as they come, having played three power-conference opponents and 13 total games against top-100 KenPom foes.\n\nFrom a pure talent perspective, Santa Clara is more than capable of making a deep run. Freshman forward Allen Graves comes off the bench, but has the NBA intrigued playing a Cameron Boozer–like role for the Broncos. Big wing Elijah Mahi could get a look at the next level, too. Guards Christian Hammond and Sash Gavalyugov are studs, and 7-footer Bukky Oboye can change games as a shot blocker. The Broncos were the WCC’s most efficient offense this season and have plenty of firepower to keep pace with Kentucky.\n\nThe biggest concern in backing Santa Clara as a Cinderella is its poor free throw disparity. The Broncos get to the line at one of the 10 lowest rates in t"
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{
  "content": "site: media \\| arena: general \\| pageType: stories \\|\nsection: \\| slug: 2026-march-madness-upsets-best-ncaa-tournament-cinderella-teams-to-favor-in-your-bracket-picks \\| sport: other \\| route: article\\_single.us \\|\n6-keys: media/spln/other/reg/free/stories\n\n[Skip to Main Content](https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/2026-march-madness-upsets-best-ncaa-tournament-cinderella-teams-to-favor-in-your-bracket-picks/#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 March Madness upsets: Best NCAA Tournament Cinderella teams to favor in your bracket picks\n\n## SportsLine's model nailed 12 of the teams in the Sweet 16 last season and simulated the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket 10,000 times\n\n[![            Owen OBrien     ](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2025/03/11/9a7f99c2-75ab-49f4-86c3-2001ec566a2b/thumbnail/80x80/bdc68afed3aca70c15cd858408c55f65/owen-obrien-500.png)](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/owen-obrien/)\n\nBy\n[Owen OBrien](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/owen-obrien/)\n\n23 mins ago\n•\n3 min read\n\n\n![basketball-imagn.jpg](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2026/03/17/00609457-c9a4-4f7e-b002-74b995c6b274/thumbnail/770x433/fbc66973b5b22291368db302d115763a/tip-off-basketball-2026.jpg)Imagn Images\n\nIn March Madness 2026, focusing on 8 vs. 9 matchups is key. No. 8 Villanova will face ninth-seeded Utah State in the first round of the 2026 NCAA bracket, while 8-seed Clemson will take on No. 9 Iowa. Many don't label 9 seeds defeating 8 seeds as 2026 March Madness upsets, but nailing those games with your 2026 March Madness picks is paramount. The Nova-Utah State matchup will see the Wildcats flying across the country to San Diego, while USU has much less travel.\n\nThe Aggies are a perfect 7-0 in neutral-site games this year, while Villanova is just 2-2. Add in that 9-seeds have won 52% of meetings versus 8-seeds, and you can see how touch picking this game could be with your NCAA Tournament picks without some help. Before making any 2026 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to [check out the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine](https://www.sportsline.com/insiders/2026-sportsline-upset-bracket-full-of-surprises/#ttag=03172026_agg_cbssports_picks_basketball_ncaa_model_MMnewbracket1).\n\nTheir proven projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 91 percent of all CBS Sports brackets in four of the past seven tournaments. It was all over UConn's championship run two years ago and nailed 12 teams in the Sweet 16 last year. It also correctly predicted all four Final Four teams in 2025.\n\nIt knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016.\n\nNow, with the 2026 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. [You can only see it over at SportsLine](https://www.sportsline.com/insiders/2026-sportsline-upset-bracket-full-of-surprises/#ttag=03172026_agg_cbssports_picks_basketball_ncaa_model_MMnewbracket1).\n\n## Three 2026 March Madness Cinderella teams to watch out for\n\nOne potential 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket buster is the **Akron Zips**. The 12th-seeded Zips, who have very strong guard play, certainly have the pieces to make some noise in the March Madness bracket. Their bracket draw also helps their case. They get No. 5 Texas Tech in the first round, and the Red Raiders have been trending down since losing star JT Toppin (knee) for the season. They went just 3-4 in the seven games since that injury, and they enter the NCAA Tournament 2026 off a non-competitive 75-53 loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament. Loo"
}

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      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-region-by-region-predictions-cinderellas-expert-picks-odds-schedule-and-more-204524913.html",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Region-by-region predictions, Cinderellas ...",
      "snippet": "Duke is the No. 1 overall seed after a 32-2 campaign that featured a 17-1 record in ACC play and a win over fellow No. 1 seed Michigan on a ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-tournament-odds-march-madness-2026-national-championship/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament odds: Duke, Michigan lead favorites to win ...",
      "snippet": "Michigan: +360; Arizona: 4/1; Florida: +750; Houston: 10/1; Iowa State: 15/1; Illinois: 19/1; Purdue: 25/1; UConn: 30/1; Gonzaga: 40/1; Michigan ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/espn/betting/story/_/id/48217692/espn-2026-ncaa-tournament-men-bracket-game-odds",
      "title": "Odds, spreads and totals for every game of the first round - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Duke, Arizona, Michigan, and defending champion Florida are the four No. 1 seeds, and are heavy favorites to win their first round matchups."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/betting/2026-college-basketball-national-championship-odds-every-teams-odds-to-win-march-madness-01kksr09emyn",
      "title": "Every Team's Odds to Win March Madness - Sports Illustrated",
      "snippet": "March Madness Odds for Every Team · Duke +330 · Michigan +350 · Arizona +400 · Florida +700 · Houston +1000 · UConn +1700 · Illinois +1900 · Iowa State ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sbnation.com/march-madness/24481256/march-madness-odds-2026-first-round-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-spread-total",
      "title": "Opening odds for first round of the 2026 NCAA men's basketball ...",
      "snippet": "#15 Tennessee State. Point spread: Iowa State -24.5 ... NCAA tournament bracket predictions with surprise team reaching men's Final Four."
    }
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  "query": "Texas Tech JT Toppin injury 2026 NCAA Tournament Akron matchup"
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  "query": "South Florida Bulls 2026 NCAA Tournament season record Louisville matchup"
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{
  "content": "Advertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[20\\\\\n\\\\\nHOURS LEFT\\\\\n\\\\\n![](https://s.yimg.com/ba/images/9c465512eeec582cf7a7fcd1ea7142f6df38b20ec9cfbcf46b7f7a11811cc12e.png)\\\\\n\\\\\nThink you've got the perfect bracket? Prove it.\\\\\n\\\\\n$50k is on the line. Enter by 3/19\\\\\n\\\\\nFill Out Bracket](https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/mens-basketball-bracket/register/createteam?ncid=100003769)\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 [![Yahoo Sports](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/OY7XpdnJ.mnppEyjHIbScA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI2MjtoPTU2O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2021-02/d6cfeca0-6bdc-11eb-9fff-072dbeffa160)\\\\\n\\\\\n![Yahoo Sports](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/0a6D8e9zyXYgoJ0vQZUUQw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI4ODtoPTU2O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2021-02/ca3e26a0-6bdc-11eb-b7ee-d9fd18161c81)](https://sports.yahoo.com/)\n\n[![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Anzhz41_kx7xEoP1NwkZPQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIxMDtoPTIxMDtjZj13ZWJw/https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fos%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2023-04%2Fd2f4cb00-e600-11ed-b55f-6817177f4c26&compress=1&progressive=1&quality=75&client=hawkeye&signature=4a8e13273ba9573d3b8e3d14d8225255e1618304)](https://sports.yahoo.com/author/jason-owens-20131010/)\n\n[![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/egYEcw4IsDThOZjDL.I1wQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIxMDtoPTIxMDtjZj13ZWJw/https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fimages%2Fdims%3Fimage_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fo.aolcdn.com%252Fimages%252Fdims%253Fimage_uri%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fo.aolcdn.com%25252Fimages%25252Fdims%25253Fimage_uri%25253Dhttps%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fs.yimg.com%2525252Fos%2525252Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2525252F2019-02%2525252Fc51f2780-3b70-11e9-bfbf-733751ce931b%252526compress%25253D1%252526progressive%25253D1%252526quality%25253D75%252526client%25253Dhawkeye%252526signature%25253Dd092d3756b63bc2c31c92e32916b4833725b7794%2526compress%253D1%2526progressive%253D1%2526quality%253D75%2526client%253Dhawkeye%2526signature%253Ddb62467eb4736c04d9054832a90b4af8a6e2d4fa%26compress%3D1%26progressive%3D1%26quality%3D75%26client%3Dhawkeye%26signature%3D21a69444967b6d022b98885e60b65557c113c0b8&compress=1&progressive=1&quality=75&client=hawkeye&signature=e94f82e643d4d29282d58410007504a387c13134)](https://sports.yahoo.com/author/nick-bromberg/)\n\n[Jason Owens](https://sports.yahoo.com/author/jason-owens-20131010/)· [Nick Bromberg](https://sports.yahoo.com/author/nick-bromberg/)\n\nWed, March 18, 2026 at 6:49 PM UTC·\n\n25 min read\n\nWith the [2026 NCAA tournament](https://sports.yahoo.com/college-basketball/topic/march-madness/) upon us, here's everything you need to know about all four regions.\n\n**Jump to each region:** [**West**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-bracket-region-by-region-predictions-cinderellas-expert-picks-odds-schedule-and-more-204524756.html#west-region) **\\|** [**Midwest**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-bracket-region-by-region-predictions-cinderellas-expert-picks-odds-schedule-and-more-2045247"
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      "url": "https://www.rdrnews.com/sports/is-texas-tech-basketball-on-upset-alert-in-march-madness/article_27f504e8-fdda-5816-bf8a-cfe7ac0f9c43.html",
      "title": "Is Texas Tech basketball on upset alert in March Madness? | Sports",
      "snippet": "The Red Raiders were once one of the top teams in the country, but the season-ending injury to JT Toppin caused some shuffling around with the ..."
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      "url": "https://247sports.com/college/illinois/article/texas-techs-efforts-to-dispell-the-post-toppin-gloom-begin-with-akron-jt-toppin-christian-anderson-cameron-boozer-lejuan-watts-grant-mccasland-277839297/",
      "title": "Texas Tech's Efforts to Dispell the Post-Toppin Gloom Begin with ...",
      "snippet": "It seems highly likely that Watts will suffer no lingering effects and should be healthy for the game with Akron. And today Texas Tech issued a ..."
    },
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      "url": "https://collegefootballnetwork.com/mens-college-basketball/jt-toppin-injury-update-march-madness/",
      "title": "JT Toppin Injury Status: Is the Texas Tech Star Playing in March ...",
      "snippet": "The team lost its biggest star, JT Toppin, to a knee injury, and it is likely he will not return for the tournament. Despite this, Texas Tech ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.news-daily.com/fieldlevel/without-jt-toppin-texas-tech-sliding-into-5-vs-12-match-with-akron/article_b1210570-35ec-5d2a-bf2c-ca0ad386be19.html",
      "title": "Without JT Toppin, Texas Tech sliding into 5 vs. 12 match with Akron",
      "snippet": "Without JT Toppin, Texas Tech sliding into 5 vs. 12 match with Akron. Field Level Media; Mar 17, 2026; 25 mins ago ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygbDXXw_R0k",
      "title": "JT Toppin Has A Torn ACL | What Now For Texas Tech MBB?!",
      "snippet": "In today's video, host RC Maxfield discusses the devastating news for Texas Tech Men's Basketball that star forward JT Toppin has a torn ACL ..."
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      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856482/south-florida-louisville",
      "title": "South Florida vs. Louisville (Mar 19, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Live coverage of the South Florida Bulls vs. Louisville Cardinals NCAAM game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.foxsports.com/articles/cbk/louisville-takes-on-south-florida-in-opening-round-of-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Louisville takes on South Florida in opening round of NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "South Florida Bulls (25-8, 17-3 AAC) vs. Louisville Cardinals (23-10, 12-8 ACC). Buffalo, New York; Thursday, 1:30 p.m. EDT."
    },
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      "url": "https://lasvegassun.com/news/2026/mar/18/louisville-takes-on-south-florida-in-opening-round/",
      "title": "Louisville takes on South Florida in opening round of NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "The Cardinals are 12-8 against ACC opponents and 11-2 in non-conference play. Louisville has a 1-1 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.tsn.ca/ncaa/basketball/event/south-florida-bulls-louisville-cardinals-20260319/2973329/",
      "title": "South Florida Bulls vs. Louisville Cardinals - 2026-03-19 - TSN",
      "snippet": "Points Per Game. 88.3. 86.0 · Points Allowed per Game. 76.2. 72.2 · Field Goal % .441 .470 · Three Point % .333 .358 · Free Throw % .743 .774."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/louisville/basketball/mbb-2026-ncaat-draw",
      "title": "Louisville Earns No. 6 Seed for NCAA Tournament, Draws USF in ...",
      "snippet": "Louisville Earns No. 6 Seed for NCAA Tournament, Draws USF in Opener. The Cardinals will gets their run in the Big Dance started against the ..."
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  "query": "South Florida Bulls 2026 season record stats Aaron Scott Isaiah Jones AAC"
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{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament East region predictions Duke Ohio State TCU matchup analysis"
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  "query": "UCF Knights vs UCLA Bruins 2026 NCAA Tournament first round analysis"
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  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://uabsports.com/documents/download/2025/11/18/USF_Game_Notes_vs._UAB.pdf",
      "title": "[PDF] SOUTH FLORIDA - UAB Athletics",
      "snippet": "4 USF is averaging 44 ppg in conference road games on the year. 4 Bulls have scored 30+ points in 8 games this season and are ranked No. 5 in ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/61550340587147/posts/acc-football-spring-2026-power-rankingsathlon-sports-released-its-acc-football-s/122303128172011352/",
      "title": "ACC Football: Spring 2026 Power Rankings Athlon Sports released ...",
      "snippet": "AAC Season Predictions – Regular-Season Win Totals Memphis: 8.5 USF: 7.5 UTSA: 7.5 Tulane: 7.5 Army: 6.5 East Carolina: 6.5 FAU: 6.5 Rice: 6.5 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://theamerican.org/stats.aspx?path=mbball&year=2023",
      "title": "2023-2024 Men's Basketball - Overall Statistics",
      "snippet": "The official 2023-2024 Men's Basketball cumulative statistics for American Conference."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://gousfbulls.com/news/2026/2/7/south-florida-track-field-record-multiple-podium-finishes-at-windy-city-invitational.aspx",
      "title": "South Florida Track & Field Record Multiple Podium Finishes at ...",
      "snippet": "South Florida Track & Field Record Multiple Podium Finishes at Windy City Invitational. Bulls close out invitational with strong performances on ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/smumustangs.com/documents/2026/2/19/2026-02-21_SMU-Notes-BostonCollege_Layout_1.pdf",
      "title": "[PDF] 2026-02-21_SMU-Notes-BostonCollege_Layout 1 - Amazon S3",
      "snippet": "No. Name. Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr-Exp Hometown (Previous School / High School). PREVIOUS GAME STARTERS. 0 B.J. Edwards. G 6-3 200 Sr.-2L Knoxville, Tenn."
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  "results": [
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      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7123628/2026/03/17/march-madness-expert-bracket-picks-duke-champion/",
      "title": "Expert picks for the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: Why Brendan ...",
      "snippet": "Expert picks for the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: Why Brendan Marks has Duke winning it all ; 1 Duke. 16 Siena ; 8 Ohio State. 9 TCU ; 5 St."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-bracket-east-region-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144508304.html",
      "title": "March Madness bracket: East region predictions, Cinderella, expert ...",
      "snippet": "With the 2026 NCAA men's tournament upon us, here's everything you need to know about the East region. [More regional breakdowns: West ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO8MgS5_Vh4",
      "title": "EAST REGION PREVIEW: Duke got SCREWED by the committee",
      "snippet": "EAST REGION PREVIEW: Duke got SCREWED by the committee | 2026 NCAA Tournament Bracket breakdown. 5K views · 21 hours ago. Shooters Shoot ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/betting/betting-the-east-region-in-2026-ncaa-tournament-predictions-odds-upsets-for-march-madness",
      "title": "Betting the East Region in 2026 NCAA Tournament - Sports Illustrated",
      "snippet": "Duke is favored to win this region, but there are cases to be made for UConn, Michigan State, St. John's and Kansas. Here's a look at all of the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48219737/2026-men-ncaa-tournament-jay-bilas-predictions-bracket",
      "title": "Jay Bilas predicts every game of the 2026 NCAA tournament - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Even banged up, Duke should win, although TCU should be a really tough out. Could the Blue Devils lose? Yes. Still, take them -- a lot of ..."
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      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/ucla/bruins-3-ways-can-beat-knights-round-64",
      "title": "3 Ways Bruins Can Beat Knights in Round of 64 - Sports Illustrated",
      "snippet": "The UCLA Bruins will have quite the challenge in their opening NCAA Tournament, squaring off with the 10th seed in the East Region, the UCF ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://247sports.com/college/ucla/article/march-madness-quick-look-at-ucf-uclas-first-round-opponent-in-ncaa-tournament-277833276/",
      "title": "March Madness: Quick look at UCF, UCLA's first round opponent in ...",
      "snippet": "Torvik UCLA vs. UCF projection: 82-76 UCLA win. Key UCF statistics: 131st nationally in effective field goal percentage (52.8 percent); 40th ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ucfs-turnovers-could-deciding-factor-013725412.html",
      "title": "UCF's turnovers could be a deciding factor in the first round",
      "snippet": "According to their head coach, the UCLA Bruins are not anxious. Mick Cronin emphasized that on Monday before the Bruins begin their NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/03/17/ucf-knights-ncaa-tournament-scouting-opponent-ucla/",
      "title": "Scouting UCF's opponent in the NCAA Tournament: UCLA",
      "snippet": "UCF ranks 103rd in the country in rebounds per game with 37.2, while UCLA ranks 411th overall while averaging 32.3. The Knights are 0-9 this ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_fWuECqP4M",
      "title": "UCLA vs. UCF NCAA Tournament Game Preview And Predictions!",
      "snippet": "The Sleepers preview the UCLA vs. UCF NCAA Tournament game! This video is brought to you by Tinker Coffee, the Midwest's best brew!"
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{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament Midwest region Michigan Iowa State Virginia Kentucky analysis"
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{
  "content": "Advertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[16\\\\\n\\\\\nHOURS LEFT\\\\\n\\\\\n![](https://s.yimg.com/ba/images/9c465512eeec582cf7a7fcd1ea7142f6df38b20ec9cfbcf46b7f7a11811cc12e.png)\\\\\n\\\\\nThink you've got the perfect bracket? Prove it.\\\\\n\\\\\n$50k is on the line. Enter by 3/19\\\\\n\\\\\nFill Out Bracket](https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/mens-basketball-bracket/register/createteam?ncid=100003769)\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-printable-brackets-for-mens-and-womens-2026-ncaa-basketball-tournaments-141418306.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 [![Yahoo Sports](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/OY7XpdnJ.mnppEyjHIbScA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI2MjtoPTU2O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2021-02/d6cfeca0-6bdc-11eb-9fff-072dbeffa160)\\\\\n\\\\\n![Yahoo Sports](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/0a6D8e9zyXYgoJ0vQZUUQw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI4ODtoPTU2O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2021-02/ca3e26a0-6bdc-11eb-b7ee-d9fd18161c81)](https://sports.yahoo.com/)\n\n[![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Anzhz41_kx7xEoP1NwkZPQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIxMDtoPTIxMDtjZj13ZWJw/https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fos%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2023-04%2Fd2f4cb00-e600-11ed-b55f-6817177f4c26&compress=1&progressive=1&quality=75&client=hawkeye&signature=4a8e13273ba9573d3b8e3d14d8225255e1618304)](https://sports.yahoo.com/author/jason-owens-20131010/)\n\n[Jason Owens](https://sports.yahoo.com/author/jason-owens-20131010/) Staff writer\n\nWed, March 18, 2026 at 3:01 PM UTC·\n\n11 min read\n\nWith the [2026 NCAA men's tournament](https://sports.yahoo.com/college-basketball/topic/march-madness/) upon us, here's everything you need to know about the East region.\n\n**\\[More regional breakdowns:** [**West**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/march-madness-2026-west-region-bracket-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-watch-times-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144511669.html) **\\|** [**Midwest**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-midwest-region-bracket-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-watch-times-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144504989.html) **\\|** [**South**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-south-region-bracket-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-watch-times-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144500978.html) **\\]**\n\n## Who are the favorites?\n\n- No. 1 Duke ( [+300 to win the national title at BetMGM](https://mediaserver.partyaffiliates.com/renderBanner.do?zoneId=1612499&btag=dcm_23703419_277815123_461007406_127700618_94dd17ab-b4d1-4591-889e-20544fbf4b64))\n\n- No. 2 UConn (+2200)\n\n- No. 4 Kansas (+4000)\n\n\nDuke is the No. 1 overall seed after a 32-2 campaign that featured a 17-1 record in ACC play and a win over fellow No. 1 seed Michigan on a neutral court. UConn had a shot at securing a No. 1 seed, but settled for a 2 seed after losing to St. John's in the Big East tournament championship. No. 4 seed Kansas is actually a betting favorite over No. 3 seed Michigan State (+5000), thanks largely to the presence of potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick Darryn Peterson in its backcourt.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\n**\\[** [**Yahoo Fantasy Brac"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-tournament-predictions-west-region-cinderella-bracket-buster-winner-from-college-basketball-expert/",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament predictions: West Region Cinderella, bracket ...",
      "snippet": "The Wildcats excel at playing at a faster tempo and have a much better defense than Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Arkansas and Purdue. Arizona is my pick ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/march-madness-bracket-west-region-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144511208.html",
      "title": "March Madness bracket: West region predictions, Cinderella, expert ...",
      "snippet": "Arizona is -105 to make the Final Four and -250 to make it to the Elite Eight, while Purdue is +300 to win the region and Gonzaga is +550."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.covers.com/ncaab/march-madness/west-region-odds-picks-predictions",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament West Region Odds, Picks and Predictions",
      "snippet": "The top-seeded Arizona Wildcats and No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs should both see plenty of fan support in what is one of the most intriguing quadrants ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsz9er6oAno",
      "title": "2026 March Madness West Region Preview & Picks - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander make their game-by-game picks and predictions for the West Region in the 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/betting/betting-the-west-region-in-2026-ncaa-tournament-predictions-odds-upsets-for-march-madness",
      "title": "Betting the West Region in 2026 NCAA Tournament - Sports Illustrated",
      "snippet": "Each West Region Team's Odds to Win March Madness · Arizona: +330 · Purdue: +2700 · Gonzaga: +8000 · Arkansas: +6000 · Wisconsin: +12500 · BYU: +50000 ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
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}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-midwest-region-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144504385.html",
      "title": "Midwest region predictions, Cinderella, expert picks, schedule, odds ...",
      "snippet": "Michigan opened as the early favorite after the selection show, but is now firmly the No. 2 favorite behind Duke. Iowa State's odds have ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hoopshq.com/bracketology/midwest-regional-analysis-2026",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament Midwest Preview: Can Anyone Beat Michigan?",
      "snippet": "Iowa State over Michigan in the Elite Eight. This is a bet on continuity, culture and experience. Two of Iowa State's key players (Lipsey and ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://athlonsports.com/other-sports/2026-ncaa-tournament-midwest-region-breakdown",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region Breakdown - Athlon Sports",
      "snippet": "The Midwest Region has a little bit of everything. Michigan has the size and balance of a national contender. Iowa State brings elite defense."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXV5RHjKEc0",
      "title": "March Madness Midwest Region Bracket Preview & Picks - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander make their game-by-game picks and predictions for the Midwest Region in the 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/betting/betting-the-midwest-region-in-2026-ncaa-tournament-predictions-odds-upsets-for-march-madness",
      "title": "Betting the Midwest Region in 2026 NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "Odds to Win Midwest Region · Michigan -130 · Iowa State +245 · Virginia +1100 · Tennessee +1300 · Texas Tech +1700 · Alabama +2200 · Kentucky +4500 ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
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{
  "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/march-madness-bracket-west-region-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144511208.html"
}

{
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{
  "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-midwest-region-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144504385.html"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
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{
  "content": "Advertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[17\\\\\n\\\\\nHOURS LEFT\\\\\n\\\\\n![](https://s.yimg.com/ba/images/9c465512eeec582cf7a7fcd1ea7142f6df38b20ec9cfbcf46b7f7a11811cc12e.png)\\\\\n\\\\\nThink you've got the perfect bracket? Prove it.\\\\\n\\\\\n$50k is on the line. Enter by 3/19\\\\\n\\\\\nFill Out Bracket](https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/mens-basketball-bracket/register/createteam?ncid=100003769)\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-printable-brackets-for-mens-and-womens-2026-ncaa-basketball-tournaments-141418306.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 [![Yahoo Sports](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/OY7XpdnJ.mnppEyjHIbScA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI2MjtoPTU2O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2021-02/d6cfeca0-6bdc-11eb-9fff-072dbeffa160)\\\\\n\\\\\n![Yahoo Sports](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/0a6D8e9zyXYgoJ0vQZUUQw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI4ODtoPTU2O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2021-02/ca3e26a0-6bdc-11eb-b7ee-d9fd18161c81)](https://sports.yahoo.com/)\n\n[![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/egYEcw4IsDThOZjDL.I1wQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIxMDtoPTIxMDtjZj13ZWJw/https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fimages%2Fdims%3Fimage_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fo.aolcdn.com%252Fimages%252Fdims%253Fimage_uri%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fo.aolcdn.com%25252Fimages%25252Fdims%25253Fimage_uri%25253Dhttps%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fs.yimg.com%2525252Fos%2525252Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2525252F2019-02%2525252Fc51f2780-3b70-11e9-bfbf-733751ce931b%252526compress%25253D1%252526progressive%25253D1%252526quality%25253D75%252526client%25253Dhawkeye%252526signature%25253Dd092d3756b63bc2c31c92e32916b4833725b7794%2526compress%253D1%2526progressive%253D1%2526quality%253D75%2526client%253Dhawkeye%2526signature%253Ddb62467eb4736c04d9054832a90b4af8a6e2d4fa%26compress%3D1%26progressive%3D1%26quality%3D75%26client%3Dhawkeye%26signature%3D21a69444967b6d022b98885e60b65557c113c0b8&compress=1&progressive=1&quality=75&client=hawkeye&signature=e94f82e643d4d29282d58410007504a387c13134)](https://sports.yahoo.com/author/nick-bromberg/)\n\n[Nick Bromberg](https://sports.yahoo.com/author/nick-bromberg/) Senior writer\n\nWed, March 18, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC·\n\n9 min read\n\nWith the [2026 NCAA men's tournament](https://sports.yahoo.com/college-basketball/topic/march-madness/) upon us, here's everything you need to know about the West region.\n\n**\\[More regional breakdowns:** [**East**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-east-region-bracket-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-watch-times-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144508183.html) **\\|** [**Midwest**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-midwest-region-bracket-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-watch-times-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144504989.html) **\\|** [**South**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-south-region-bracket-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-watch-times-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144500978.html) **\\]**\n\n## Who are the favorites?\n\n- Arizona ( [+400 to win the national title at BetMGM](https://mediaserver.betmgmpartners.com/renderBanner.do?zoneId=1734022))\n\n- Purdue (30-1)\n\n- Gonzaga (55-1)\n\n"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "content": "Advertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[18\\\\\n\\\\\nHOURS LEFT\\\\\n\\\\\n![](https://s.yimg.com/ba/images/9c465512eeec582cf7a7fcd1ea7142f6df38b20ec9cfbcf46b7f7a11811cc12e.png)\\\\\n\\\\\nThink you've got the perfect bracket? Prove it.\\\\\n\\\\\n$50k is on the line. Enter by 3/19\\\\\n\\\\\nFill Out Bracket](https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/mens-basketball-bracket/register/createteam?ncid=100003769)\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-printable-brackets-for-mens-and-womens-2026-ncaa-basketball-tournaments-141418306.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 [![Yahoo Sports](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/OY7XpdnJ.mnppEyjHIbScA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI2MjtoPTU2O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2021-02/d6cfeca0-6bdc-11eb-9fff-072dbeffa160)\\\\\n\\\\\n![Yahoo Sports](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/0a6D8e9zyXYgoJ0vQZUUQw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI4ODtoPTU2O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2021-02/ca3e26a0-6bdc-11eb-b7ee-d9fd18161c81)](https://sports.yahoo.com/)\n\n[![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/egYEcw4IsDThOZjDL.I1wQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIxMDtoPTIxMDtjZj13ZWJw/https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fimages%2Fdims%3Fimage_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fo.aolcdn.com%252Fimages%252Fdims%253Fimage_uri%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fo.aolcdn.com%25252Fimages%25252Fdims%25253Fimage_uri%25253Dhttps%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fs.yimg.com%2525252Fos%2525252Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2525252F2019-02%2525252Fc51f2780-3b70-11e9-bfbf-733751ce931b%252526compress%25253D1%252526progressive%25253D1%252526quality%25253D75%252526client%25253Dhawkeye%252526signature%25253Dd092d3756b63bc2c31c92e32916b4833725b7794%2526compress%253D1%2526progressive%253D1%2526quality%253D75%2526client%253Dhawkeye%2526signature%253Ddb62467eb4736c04d9054832a90b4af8a6e2d4fa%26compress%3D1%26progressive%3D1%26quality%3D75%26client%3Dhawkeye%26signature%3D21a69444967b6d022b98885e60b65557c113c0b8&compress=1&progressive=1&quality=75&client=hawkeye&signature=e94f82e643d4d29282d58410007504a387c13134)](https://sports.yahoo.com/author/nick-bromberg/)\n\n[Nick Bromberg](https://sports.yahoo.com/author/nick-bromberg/) Senior writer\n\nWed, March 18, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC·\n\n10 min read\n\nWith the [2026 NCAA men's tournament](https://sports.yahoo.com/college-basketball/topic/march-madness/) upon us, here's everything you need to know about the Midwest region.\n\n**\\[More regional breakdowns:** [**East**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-east-region-bracket-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-watch-times-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144508183.html) **\\|** [**West**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/march-madness-2026-west-region-bracket-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-watch-times-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144511669.html) **\\|** [**South**](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-south-region-bracket-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-watch-times-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144500978.html) **\\]**\n\n## Who are the favorites?\n\n- Michigan ( [+350 to win the national title at BetMGM](https://mediaserver.betmgmpartners.com/renderBanner.do?zoneId=1734022))\n\n- Iowa State (16-1)\n\n-"
}

{
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      "type": "direct"
    }
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}

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament South region Florida Houston Illinois analysis predictions"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "TCU Horned Frogs 2026 season record stats Ohio State matchup NCAA Tournament"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Saint Mary's Gaels Texas A&M 2026 NCAA Tournament first round matchup"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espn-analyst-predicts-ncaa-tournament-183643196.html",
      "title": "ESPN Analyst Predicts NCAA Tournament South Region",
      "snippet": "ESPN's Jeff Borzello made his predictions for the South Region, and this could be a rematch of Florida and Houston."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT6nt0YD25Y",
      "title": "March Madness South Region Bracket Preview, Picks - YouTube",
      "snippet": "March Madness South Region Bracket Preview, Picks: Florida, Houston, Illinois | 2026 NCAA Tournament. 2.2K views · 1 day ago."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-south-region-bracket-preview/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament South Region bracket preview - CBS Sports",
      "snippet": "Illinois would be at a home-court disadvantage playing Houston in Houston, but the game's location would guarantee a great environment."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48219737/2026-men-ncaa-tournament-jay-bilas-predictions-bracket",
      "title": "Jay Bilas predicts every game of the 2026 NCAA tournament - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Illinois has the better offense, and Houston has the better defense. I am taking offense in this one, but it's an agonizing choice."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/betting/betting-the-south-region-in-2026-ncaa-tournament-predictions-odds-upsets-for-march-madness",
      "title": "Betting the South Region in 2026 NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "Each South Region Team's Odds to Win March Madness · Florida +750 · Houston +1000 · Illinois +1900 · Vanderbilt +7500 · Nebraska +10000 · Saint Mary's ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
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}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856479/tcu-ohio-state",
      "title": "TCU vs. Ohio State (Mar 19, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Live coverage of the TCU Horned Frogs vs. Ohio State Buckeyes NCAAM game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/gametracker/boxscore/NCAAB_20260319_TCU@OHIOST/",
      "title": "TCU Horned Frogs vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Live Score and Stats",
      "snippet": "I hope that's us.\" TCU is paced by David Punch's 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest, followed by Xavier Edmonds' 12.6 ppg and 6.6 rpg. ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/matchup/376828",
      "title": "TCU Horned Frogs vs Ohio State Buckeyes Game Overview, Stats ...",
      "snippet": "Get key insights for TCU Horned Frogs vs Ohio State Buckeyes on March 19, 2026, including season records, injuries, and essential stats to help"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.tsn.ca/ncaa/basketball/event/tcu-horned-frogs-ohio-state-buckeyes-20260319/2973326/",
      "title": "TCU Horned Frogs vs. Ohio State Buckeyes - 2026-03-19 - TSN",
      "snippet": "Team Stats · Points Per Game. 78.5. 80.5 · Points Allowed per Game. 71.9. 73.0 · Field Goal % .450 .495 · Three Point % .330 .363 · Free Throw % .706."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/ohio-state-plays-tcu-first-084523704.html",
      "title": "Ohio State plays TCU in first round of NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "Horned Frogs: 8-2, averaging 76.9 points, 33.1 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 8.6 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 42.9% from the field."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856492/texas-am-saint-marys",
      "title": "Texas A&M vs. Saint Mary's (Mar 19, 2026) Live Score",
      "snippet": "Live coverage of the Texas A&M Aggies vs. Saint Mary's Gaels NCAAM game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://mymotherlode.com/sports/college-sports-general-news/10644827/saint-marys-ca-and-texas-am-square-off-in-opening-round-of-ncaa-tournament.html",
      "title": "Saint Mary's (CA) and Texas A&M square off in opening ...",
      "snippet": "Texas A&M Aggies (21-11, 11-8 SEC) vs. Saint Mary's Gaels (27-5, 16-3 WCC). Oklahoma City; Thursday, 7:35 p.m. EDT."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/saint-marys-ca-texas-m-084508065.html",
      "title": "Saint Mary's (CA) and Texas A&M square off in opening ...",
      "snippet": "BOTTOM LINE: No. 22 Saint Mary's (CA) and Texas A&M meet in the NCAA Tournament first round. The Gaels' record in WCC games is 16-3, and their ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/news/college-basketball/jay-bilas-predicts-winner-for-texas-am-saint-marys-round-1-matchup/",
      "title": "Jay Bilas predicts winner for Texas A&M-Saint Mary's ...",
      "snippet": "Jay Bilas, the popular ESPN analyst, shares his thoughts on the Round 1 NCAA Tournament bout between Texas A&M and Saint Mary's."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://nationaltoday.com/us/ok/oklahoma-city/news/2026/03/16/texas-a-m-to-face-saint-marys-in-ncaa-tournament-first-round/",
      "title": "Texas A&M to Face Saint Mary's in NCAA Tournament First ...",
      "snippet": "The Aggies and Gaels will square off in Oklahoma City on Thursday, March 19 at 6:35 p.m. CT on TruTV. Mar. 16, 2026 at 1:38am."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Kansas Darryn Peterson 2026 NCAA Tournament California Baptist first round"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Iowa State Cyclones 2026 season record NCAA Tournament path analysis"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Houston Cougars 2026 NCAA Tournament season record analysis South region"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/kansas/basketball/the-case-for-cal-baptist-to-upset-kansas-in-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "The Case For Cal Baptist To Upset Kansas In NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "With a high-scoring guard in Dominique Daniels Jr. and a strong group of rebounders, could No. 13 seed Cal Baptist stun No. 4 seed Kansas in ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://kuathletics.com/news/2026/3/18/mens-basketball-kansas-to-open-ncaa-tournament-against-california-baptist-in-san-diego-friday",
      "title": "Kansas to Open NCAA Tournament Against California Baptist in San ...",
      "snippet": "No. 4 seed Kansas (23-10) will face No. 13 seed California Baptist (25-8) in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64, Friday, March 20, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://throughthephog.com/kansas-can-t-afford-to-sleepwalk-in-first-round-of-ncaa-tournament-01kksxwkpye3",
      "title": "Kansas can't afford to sleepwalk in first round of NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "The Kansas Jayhawks have to look out for one of the nation's top scorers when KU makes its 2026 NCAA Tournament debut."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/kansas-is-a-sizable-favorite-over-cal-baptist-on-friday-during-march-madness/ar-AA1YKlHw",
      "title": "Kansas is a sizable favorite over Cal Baptist on Friday during March ...",
      "snippet": "The Kansas basketball team is favored against Cal Baptist and must play better than it has recently if they hope to avoid a big first-round ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cantonrep.com/story/sports/college/basketball/2026/03/15/darryn-peterson-march-madness-stats-kansas-cal-baptist-ncaa-tournament/89169095007/",
      "title": "Canton's Darryn Peterson, Kansas learn Round 1 March Madness ...",
      "snippet": "Former CVCA star Darryn Peterson and Kansas will meet Cal Baptist in the first round of the NCAA tournament. All eyes will be on the Canton ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/iowa-state/basketball/iowa-state-basketball-has-a-major-edge-for-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Iowa State Basketball Has a Major Edge for NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "The Iowa State Cyclones should have an edge over some of their opponents in a key area for the NCAA tournament. Kenneth Teape| 8 hours ago."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://cyclonefanatic.com/2026/03/iowa-states-2026-ncaa-tournament-preview/",
      "title": "Analyzing Iowa State's path to the Sweet 16 - Cyclone Fanatic",
      "snippet": "The Tigers averaged 80.5 points per game while shooting 46% from the field, and they were one of the better rebounding mid‑majors in the country ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://iowastatedaily.com/334355/sports/iowa-states-path-rundown-of-the-entire-midwest-region/",
      "title": "Iowa State's path: Rundown of the entire Midwest region",
      "snippet": "Iowa State (27-7, 12-6 Big 12) earned the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region on Selection Sunday after a season that featured both dominance ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa-state/basketball-mens/2026/03/18/iowa-state-basketball-tennessee-state-prediction-ncaa-tournament-game-preview-first-round/89187434007/",
      "title": "Iowa State basketball vs Tennessee State NCAA prediction, preview",
      "snippet": "Iowa State is one of eight Big 12 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones were awarded a No. 2 seed after going 27-7, a record that includes ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/15-vs-2-upset-rankings-iowa-state-least-likely-ncaa-tournament-no-2-seed-to-lose-but-heres-who-could/",
      "title": "15 vs. 2 upset rankings: Could Iowa State or UConn be in danger?",
      "snippet": "The 15s have upset No. 2 seeds 11 times since 1985. The underdog has been more successful recently, with three wins over the past five ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espn-analyst-predicts-ncaa-tournament-183643196.html",
      "title": "ESPN Analyst Predicts NCAA Tournament South Region",
      "snippet": "ESPN's Jeff Borzello made his predictions for the South Region, and this could be a rematch of Florida and Houston."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.outkick.com/sports/outkicks-2026-ncaa-tournament-breakdown-south-midwest-regions",
      "title": "OutKick's 2026 NCAA Tournament Breakdown: South And Midwest ...",
      "snippet": "2 Seed – Houston Cougars (28-6). Why they can make a run to the Final ... It's hard to see UNC overcoming teams like Houston and Florida in their ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/houston/basketball/an-in-depth-look-at-the-houston-cougars-recent-ncaa-tournament-history",
      "title": "An In-Depth Look at the Houston Cougars' Recent NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Houston's 32-6 record was good enough for a No. 5 seed, and it saw the team move past No. 12 UAB and No. 4 Illinois and even upset No. 1 Arizona ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/2026-ncaa-tournament-south-region-breakdown",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament South Region Breakdown - Athlon Sports",
      "snippet": "The 2026 NCAA Tournament South Region features defending champion Florida, Houston's elite defense and Illinois' explosive offense."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.covers.com/ncaab/march-madness/south-region-odds-picks-predictions",
      "title": "2026 South Region Odds & Picks: NCAA Tournament Bracket Analysis",
      "snippet": "Whoever makes it out of the potential Illinois-UNC matchup is in for a rough time against the Cougars. Houston to Win the South Region (+250) ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament BYU Texas Longhorns NC State play-in game first round"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Michigan Wolverines 2026 season record star players NCAA Tournament analysis"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "McNeese Cowboys 2026 season record Vanderbilt NCAA tournament matchup"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/march-madness-2026-mens-first-four-live-updates-scores-results-bracket/FaqP8tALRmPJ/",
      "title": "Men's March Madness 2026 First Four score, live updates",
      "snippet": "... Texas edged (11) NC State by two. ... The Texas Longhorns are here, just hours (literally!) after beating NC State in their First Four game in ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/live/texas-vs-nc-state-live-updates-march-madness-first-four-begins-in-dayton-umbc-falls-to-howard-210000000.html",
      "title": "Texas beats NC State on Tramon Mark's game-winner with ...",
      "snippet": "Let the Madness begin: Texas beats NC State on Tramon Mark's game-winner with 1 second left - Yahoo Sports."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.deseret.com/sports/2026/03/17/byu-basketball-first-round-opponent-portland-ncaa-big-dance-bid/",
      "title": "BYU will face Texas in NCAA Tournament first-round game",
      "snippet": "Travon Mark's last-second jumper propelled Texas past NC State Tuesday night and into a first-round matchup with No. 6 seed BYU."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/17/first-four-scores-updates-howard-vs-umbc-nc-state-vs-texas-march-madness-2026/89181709007/",
      "title": "First Four scores, highlights: NC State vs Texas",
      "snippet": "With the victory, Texas moves on to take on No. 6 seed BYU on Thursday. Mark scored all four of the Longhorns' points in the final 40 seconds, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/byu-basketball/26788/texas-beats-nc-state-in-first-four-draws-byu-basketball",
      "title": "Texas Beats NC State in First Four, Draws BYU",
      "snippet": "The Longhorns nearly blew it, but Texas beat NC State 68-66 Tuesday night in the First Four and will play BYU Thursday. Texas led 62-53 with ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/michigans-tough-path-competitive-2026-132435148.html",
      "title": "Michigan's Tough Path in the Competitive 2026 NCAA Tournament ...",
      "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.youtube.com/watch?v=W-qJIxWbV74",
      "title": "2026 Michigan Football Early Preview & Record Prediction - YouTube",
      "snippet": "I see on Michigan's schedule, and analyze key players and coaches. Michigan has possibly the toughest schedule in college football because ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://collegefootballnews.com/college-basketball/meet-ncaa-tournament-1-seeds-arizona-duke-florida-michigan",
      "title": "Meet the NCAA Tournament No. 1 Seeds: Arizona, Duke, Florida ...",
      "snippet": "Arizona, Duke, Florida, and Michigan are the 2026 NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds. Here's CFN's breakdown of every top seed's strengths, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/michigan/basketball/best-worst-case-scenarios-for-michigan-wolverines-on-selection-sunday",
      "title": "Best & Worst Case Scenarios for Michigan Wolverines on Selection ...",
      "snippet": "After a 29-2 regular-season record, winning the Big Ten regular season by four games, and getting to the Big Ten Tournament finals — the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/maizenbrewsbn/posts/the-2026-wolverines-are-smashing-records-left-and-right-but-are-they-the-best-mi/1749026679853700/",
      "title": "Is this the best Michigan Basketball team this century? - Facebook",
      "snippet": "The 2026 Wolverines are smashing records left and right, but are they the best Michigan Basketball team this century?"
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856488/mcneese-vanderbilt",
      "title": "McNeese vs. Vanderbilt (Mar 19, 2026) Live Score",
      "snippet": "Live coverage of the McNeese Cowboys vs. Vanderbilt Commodores NCAAM game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://mcneesesports.com/news/2026/3/16/mens-basketball-sooner-state-bound-mcneese-draws-vanderbilt-in-ncaa-tourney-at-oklahoma-city.aspx",
      "title": "Sooner State bound; McNeese draws Vanderbilt in NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "McNeese (28-5) won its third-consecutive Southland Conference Tournament championship to claim the league's automatic bid. Vanderbilt (26-8) ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/matchup/376843",
      "title": "McNeese @ Vanderbilt Matchups, Results & Stats",
      "snippet": "Get key insights for McNeese Cowboys vs Vanderbilt Commodores on March 19, 2026, including season records, injuries, and essential stats to ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.yourvalley.net/stories/vanderbilt-faces-mcneese-in-opening-round-of-ncaa-tournament,671193",
      "title": "Vanderbilt faces McNeese in opening round of NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "The Commodores are 13-8 against SEC opponents and 13-0 in non-conference play. Vanderbilt is 2-2 in one-possession games."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament-first-round-mcneese-cowboys-vs-vanderbilt-commodores-mar-19-2026-game-boxscore-264071?tab=boxscore",
      "title": "McNeese Cowboys vs. Vanderbilt Commodores - Boxscore",
      "snippet": "Archie ended Wednesday's 76-59 victory over Stephen F. Austin with 17 points (7-10 FG, 3-5 3Pt), three rebounds, five assists, ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Howard UMBC First Four 2026 play-in game result winner"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Prairie View A&M Lehigh First Four 2026 play-in game result winner"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "SMU Miami OH First Four 2026 Tennessee Volunteers matchup"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48235503/howard-holds-umbc-first-four-first-ncaa-tournament-win",
      "title": "Howard holds off UMBC in First Four for first NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Howard held off a late surge from UMBC to earn the first NCAA tournament victory in program history, an 86-83 decision in the First Four on ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/mar/18/howard-first-ncaa-tournament-win-texas-nc-state-first-four",
      "title": "Howard hold off UMBC in First Four for school's first ever ...",
      "snippet": "Howard earn first NCAA win with late heroics as Texas edge NC State on a buzzer-beater in a dramatic First Four doubleheader in Dayton."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://meacsports.com/news/2026/3/18/mens-basketball-howard-secures-first-ever-ncaa-tournament-victory-with-86-83-win-over-umbc.aspx",
      "title": "Howard Secures First-Ever NCAA Tournament Victory with ...",
      "snippet": "... Howard University Bison captured their first NCAA Tournament victory, defeating UMBC 86–83 in the First Four at UD Arena. With the win, the No."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVOro4AQFFQ",
      "title": "Howard-UMBC kicks off 2026 March Madness with intense ...",
      "snippet": "Watch the intense final two minutes from the 2026 First Four matchup ... Bison survived, picking up their first ever March Madness win. Watch ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/17/first-four-scores-updates-howard-vs-umbc-nc-state-vs-texas-march-madness-2026/89181709007/",
      "title": "First Four scores, highlights: NC State vs Texas",
      "snippet": "First Four highlights, scores: Texas edges NC State, Howard beats UMBC ... UMBC game kicked off the First Four, the back end of Tuesday's ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856437/prairie-view-lehigh",
      "title": "Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh (Mar 18, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Live coverage of the Prairie View A&M Panthers vs. Lehigh Mountain Hawks NCAAM game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament-first-4-prairie-view-am-panthers-vs-lehigh-mountain-hawks-mar-18-2026-game-boxscore-264059",
      "title": "2025-26 NCAA Tournament - First Four: Mar 18, 2026 - FOX Sports",
      "snippet": "TEAM TO WIN. A bet of $100 would win $235 total if Prairie View A&M wins and a bet of $167 would win $267 total if Lehigh wins. +135. PV. -167."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/gametracker/preview/NCAAB_20260318_PVAM@LEHIGH/",
      "title": "Prairie View A&M Panthers vs. Lehigh Mountain Hawks Live Score ...",
      "snippet": "Prairie View A&M (18-17) was 9-16 after a loss to Southern on Valentine's Day, but rallied to win nine of its final 10 games. The Panthers captured four ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/lehigh-plays-prairie-view-m-084536562.html",
      "title": "Lehigh plays Prairie View A&M in First 4 matchup - Yahoo Sports",
      "snippet": "Prairie View A&M Panthers (18-17, 13-9 SWAC) vs. Lehigh Mountain Hawks (18-16, 14-7 Patriot League)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/college-basketball/game/lehigh-mountain-hawks-vs-prairie-view-a&m-panthers/eqoDXyQZJpZeFVPK/",
      "title": "Lehigh Mountain Hawks vs Prairie View A&M Panthers Box Score",
      "snippet": "Get real-time NCAAM coverage and scores as the Lehigh Mountain Hawks take on the Prairie View A&M Panthers at 6:40pm EDT on March 18, 2026."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://allfortennessee.com/tennessee-s-2026-ncaa-tournament-draw-is-an-absolute-nightmare-01kkssq1ds49",
      "title": "Tennessee's 2026 NCAA Tournament draw is an absolute nightmare",
      "snippet": "The Vols, in the Midwest Region, will take on the winner of the First Four matchup between the Miami (OH) Redhawks and SMU Mustangs. The ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2026/03/16/the-pros-and-cons-of-tennessee-basketball-facing-smu-or-miami-ohio/",
      "title": "The Pros And Cons Of Tennessee Basketball Facing SMU Or Miami ...",
      "snippet": "Tennessee gets the winner of the First Four game between SMU and Miami (Ohio). The Vols won't find out their fate until Wednesday night when the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.rockytoptalk.com/college_basketball/47434/tennessee-basketball-ncaa-tournament-draw-miami-ohio",
      "title": "Tennessee fans are right to be wary of Miami-OH | Rocky Top Talk",
      "snippet": "All of those games were major upsets, too, as the Vols were at least a No. 5 seed for every matchup. As a result, nobody would blame you if you' ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/tennessee-ncaa-tournament-bracket-seed-selection-committee-vs-miami-oh-kentucky-wildcats-in-midwest-region/",
      "title": "Tennessee handed a rumored move with NCAA Tournament draw ...",
      "snippet": "Tennessee draws 6 seed, will play winner of First Four game between Miami (OH) and SMU. A potential matchup between Tennessee and Miami (OH) ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/UTVolsociety/posts/vols-earned-a-6-seed-and-will-meet-the-winner-of-the-miami-oh-vs-smu-game-friday/1478356577635020/",
      "title": "Vols earned a #6 seed and will meet the winner of the Miami (OH) vs ...",
      "snippet": "Vols earned a #6 seed and will meet the winner of the Miami (OH) vs SMU game Friday in Philadelphia Photos: FOX Sports Knoxville/Fanrun ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "SMU Miami Ohio First Four 2026 result winner score"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Prairie View Lehigh First Four 2026 result winner score"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856436/miami-oh-smu",
      "title": "Miami (OH) vs. SMU (Mar 18, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Mid-American ConferenceMid-American Conference, CONF, GB, OVR. Miami (OH), 18-0, -, 31-1. Akron, 17-1, 1, 29-5. Kent State, 14-4, 4, 24-9."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament-first-4-miami-oh-redhawks-vs-smu-mustangs-mar-18-2026-game-boxscore-264060",
      "title": "Miami (OH) RedHawks vs. SMU Mustangs - March 18, 2026",
      "snippet": "A bet of $100 would win $343 total if Miami (OH) wins and a bet of $321 would win $421 total if SMU wins. +243. M-OH. -321. SMU."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://smumustangs.com/news/2026/3/16/mens-basketball-ncaa-first-four-no-11-smu-vs-no-11-miami-oh-wednesday-8-10pm-ct.aspx",
      "title": "NCAA First Four: No. 11 SMU vs No. 11 Miami (OH) - SMU Athletics",
      "snippet": "THE SERIES VS. MIAMI OH (2-0): SMU and Miami (OH) are meeting for the third time."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.registercitizen.com/sports/article/no-22-miami-wins-77-69-at-smu-to-ensure-double-21956259.php",
      "title": "No. 22 Miami wins 77-69 at SMU to ensure double bye in ACC ...",
      "snippet": "Tre Donaldson scored 17 points, Malik Reneau had a double-double and No. 22 Miami beat SMU 77-69. The win Wednesday night ensures a double ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856436/smu-miami-oh",
      "title": "SMU vs. Miami (OH) (Mar 18, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Miami (OH) RedHawks vs SMU Mustangs. NCAA Men's Basketball Championship - Midwest Region - First Four. SMU. 11. SMU MustangsSMUSMU. Mar 18. TBD. M-OH. 11. Miami ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856437/lehigh-prairie-view",
      "title": "Lehigh vs. Prairie View A&M (Mar 18, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Prairie View A&M Panthers vs Lehigh Mountain Hawks. NCAA Men's Basketball Championship - South Region - First Four ... RESULT. 3/11/26, vs BU · W74-60. 3/8/26, vs ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament-first-4-prairie-view-am-panthers-vs-lehigh-mountain-hawks-mar-18-2026-game-boxscore-264059",
      "title": "2025-26 NCAA Tournament - First Four: Mar 18, 2026 - FOX Sports",
      "snippet": "A bet of $100 would win $235 total if Prairie View A&M wins and a bet of $167 would win $267 total if Lehigh wins."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/college-basketball/game/lehigh-mountain-hawks-vs-prairie-view-a&m-panthers/eqoDXyQZJpZeFVPK/",
      "title": "Lehigh Mountain Hawks vs Prairie View A&M Panthers Box Score",
      "snippet": "Get real-time NCAAM coverage and scores as the Lehigh Mountain Hawks take on the Prairie View A&M Panthers at 6:40pm EDT on March 18, 2026."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.rutlandherald.com/sports/pro_national_sports/lehigh-plays-prairie-view-a-m-in-first-4-matchup/article_e464239e-fbb8-55c4-858e-364fba2aa055.html",
      "title": "Lehigh plays Prairie View A&M in First 4 matchup - Rutland Herald",
      "snippet": "Prairie View A&M Panthers (18-17, 13-9 SWAC) vs. Lehigh Mountain Hawks (18-16, 14-7 Patriot League)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856437/prairie-view-lehigh",
      "title": "Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh (Mar 18, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Live coverage of the Prairie View A&M Panthers vs. Lehigh Mountain Hawks NCAAM game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856436/miami-oh-smu"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856437/prairie-view-lehigh"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "content": "![](<Base64-Image-Removed>)\n\nSkip to main contentSkip to navigation\n\nTop EventsNCAAMNCAAWNBANHLPGA TourLPGA TourTGLTop SoccerMLBWorld Baseball ClassicTennis (M)Tennis (W)NFLNASCARNCAAFUFCNLL (Lacrosse)PLL (Lacrosse)F1Men's NCAA Ice HockeyWomen's NCAA Ice HockeyNCAA SoftballNCAA BaseballMen's NCAA LacrosseWomen's NCAA LacrossecustomUEFA Champions LeagueWomen's Super LeagueConcacaf Champions CupLiga MXNCAAM\n\nMar 17Mar 18Mar 19Mar 18\n\n[Gamecast](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856437/prairie-view-lehigh) [Tickets](https://www.vividseats.com/ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-tickets-university-of-dayton-arena-3-18-2026--sports-ncaa-basketball/production/5687680?wsUser=717&wsVar=us~NCAAM~scoreboard,NCAAM,en)\n\n- 16\n\n\n\n\n\nPV\n\n\n\n\n\n18-17\n\n- 16\n\n\n\n\n\nLEH\n\n\n\n\n\n18-16\n\n\n6:40 PM\n\ntruTV\n\n[Full Scoreboard »](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/scoreboard)\n\n# SMU Mustangs vs Miami (OH) RedHawks\n\nNCAA Men's Basketball Championship - Midwest Region - First Four\n\n[![M-OH](https://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/193.png)](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/193/miami-oh-redhawks)\n\n11\n\n[Miami (OH) RedHawksMiami OHM-OH](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/193/miami-oh-redhawks)\n\n31-1\n\n9:15 PM\n\nSMU -7.5\n\ntruTV\n\n[![SMU](https://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2567.png)](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2567/smu-mustangs)\n\n11\n\n[SMU MustangsSMUSMU](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2567/smu-mustangs)\n\n20-13\n\n25.5\n\n%\n\nM-OH\n\n74.5\n\n%\n\nSMU\n\n[According to ESPN Analytics](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bpi)\n\n## Game Information\n\n#### 9:15 PM, March 18, 2026\n\n#### UD Arena\n\nDayton, OH\n\n![UD Arena](https://a.espncdn.com/i/venues/mens-college-basketball/day/2039.jpg)\n\n#### Where to Watch\n\ntruTV\n\n![UD Arena](https://a.espncdn.com/i/venues/mens-college-basketball/day/2039.jpg)\n\n### Video Highlights\n\n- ![](https://media.video-cdn.espn.com/motion/2026/0316/dm_260316_mustsmu/dm_260316_mustsmu.jpg)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n0:41\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n## SMU Mustangs' NCAA men's tournament preview\n\n- ![](https://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/2026/0316/dm_260316_ncb_lunardi_miamioh/dm_260316_ncb_lunardi_miamioh.jpg)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n0:39\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n## Miami (Ohio) NCAA tournament preview\n\n- ![](https://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/wsc/2026/0315/00789bef-3ce2-4ec3-a55f-efc5f296312d/00789bef-3ce2-4ec3-a55f-efc5f296312d.jpg)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1:45\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n## Why Jay Bilas believes Miami (OH) should've avoided the First Four\n\n\n[**SMU Mustangs and Miami (OH) RedHawks square off in the First 4** \\\\\n\\\\\nMiami (OH) RedHawks (31-1, 18-1 MAC) vs. SMU Mustangs (20-13, 9-11 ACC)\\\\\n\\\\\nMar 18, 2026, 04:48 am - Data Skrive](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/preview/_/gameId/401856436)\n\nGame Odds\n\nOdds by![draftkings](https://a.espncdn.com/i/betting/Draftkings_Light.svg)\n\n9:15 PMOpenSpreadTotalML\n\n[Miami (OH) RedHawksM-OHM-OH](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/193/miami-oh-redhawks)\n\n(31-1)\n\n(31-1, 14-0 Away)\n\n-7.5\n\n-110\n\n[+7.5\\\\\n\\\\\n-110](https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/gateway?s=638763911&wpcid=426243&wpsrc=413&wpcn=ESPN&wpscn=Widget&wpcrn=BetSlipDeepLink&wpscid=Desktop&wpcrid=xx&preurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fevent%2F33823558%3Foutcomes%3D0HC83888235P750_3&channel=espn-web&campaign=betting-integrations&tags=pageTemplate%3Agame&tags=league%3Amens-college-basketball&tags=sport%3Abasketball&tags=gameId%3A401856436&tags=betSide%3Anone&tags=betType%3Astraight&tags=betDetails%3ASpread%3AM-OH%2B7.5&~customer_campaign=Six-Pack) [o161.5\\\\\n\\\\\n-110](https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/gateway?s=638763911&wpcid=426243&wpsrc=413&wpcn=ESPN&wpscn=Widget&wpcrn=BetSlipDeepLink&wpscid=Desktop&wpcrid=xx&preurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fevent%2F33823558%3Foutcomes%3D0OU83888235O16150_1&channel=espn-web&campaign=betting-integrations&tags=pageTemplate%3Agame&tags=league%3Amens-college-basketball&tags=sport%3Abasketball&tags=gameId%3A401856436"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "content": "![](<Base64-Image-Removed>)\n\nSkip to main contentSkip to navigation\n\nTop EventsNCAAMNCAAWNBANHLPGA TourLPGA TourTGLTop SoccerMLBWorld Baseball ClassicTennis (M)Tennis (W)NFLNASCARNCAAFUFCNLL (Lacrosse)PLL (Lacrosse)F1Men's NCAA Ice HockeyWomen's NCAA Ice HockeyNCAA SoftballNCAA BaseballMen's NCAA LacrosseWomen's NCAA LacrossecustomUEFA Champions LeagueWomen's Super LeagueConcacaf Champions CupLiga MXNCAAM\n\nMar 17Mar 18Mar 19Mar 18\n\n[Gamecast](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856436/miami-oh-smu) [Tickets](https://www.vividseats.com/ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-tickets-university-of-dayton-arena-3-18-2026--sports-ncaa-basketball/production/5687680?wsUser=717&wsVar=us~NCAAM~scoreboard,NCAAM,en)\n\n- 11\n\n\n\n\n\nM-OH\n\n\n\n\n\n31-1\n\n- 11\n\n\n\n\n\nSMU\n\n\n\n\n\n20-13\n\n\n9:15 PM\n\ntruTV\n\n[Full Scoreboard »](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/scoreboard)\n\n# Lehigh Mountain Hawks vs Prairie View A&M Panthers\n\nNCAA Men's Basketball Championship - South Region - First Four\n\n[![PV](https://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2504.png)](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2504/prairie-view-am-panthers)\n\n16\n\n[Prairie View A&M PanthersPrairie ViewPV](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2504/prairie-view-am-panthers)\n\n18-17\n\n6:40 PM\n\nLEH -3.5\n\ntruTV\n\n[![LEH](https://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2329.png)](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2329/lehigh-mountain-hawks)\n\n16\n\n[Lehigh Mountain HawksLehighLEH](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2329/lehigh-mountain-hawks)\n\n18-16\n\n46.3\n\n%\n\nPV\n\n53.7\n\n%\n\nLEH\n\n[According to ESPN Analytics](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bpi)\n\n## Game Information\n\n#### 6:40 PM, March 18, 2026\n\n#### UD Arena\n\nDayton, OH\n\n![UD Arena](https://a.espncdn.com/i/venues/mens-college-basketball/day/2039.jpg)\n\n#### Where to Watch\n\ntruTV\n\n![UD Arena](https://a.espncdn.com/i/venues/mens-college-basketball/day/2039.jpg)\n\n![](https://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/2026/0316/dm_260316_Lunardi_Prairie_View_AM752/dm_260316_Lunardi_Prairie_View_AM752.jpg)\n\n0:26\n\n## Prairie View A&M Panthers' NCAA men's tournament preview\n\n[**Lehigh plays Prairie View A&M in First 4 matchup** \\\\\n\\\\\nPrairie View A&M Panthers (18-17, 13-9 SWAC) vs. Lehigh Mountain Hawks (18-16, 14-7 Patriot League)\\\\\n\\\\\nMar 18, 2026, 04:46 am - Data Skrive](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/preview/_/gameId/401856437)\n\nGame Odds\n\nOdds by![draftkings](https://a.espncdn.com/i/betting/Draftkings_Light.svg)\n\n6:40 PMOpenSpreadTotalML\n\n[Prairie View A&M PanthersPVPV](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2504/prairie-view-am-panthers)\n\n(18-17)\n\n(18-17, 3-13 Away)\n\n-1.5\n\n-120\n\n[+3.5\\\\\n\\\\\n-112](https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/gateway?s=638763911&wpcid=426243&wpsrc=413&wpcn=ESPN&wpscn=Widget&wpcrn=BetSlipDeepLink&wpscid=Desktop&wpcrid=xx&preurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fevent%2F33823597%3Foutcomes%3D0HC83888575P350_3&channel=espn-web&campaign=betting-integrations&tags=pageTemplate%3Agame&tags=league%3Amens-college-basketball&tags=sport%3Abasketball&tags=gameId%3A401856437&tags=betSide%3Anone&tags=betType%3Astraight&tags=betDetails%3ASpread%3APV%2B3.5&~customer_campaign=Six-Pack) [o142.5\\\\\n\\\\\n-112](https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/gateway?s=638763911&wpcid=426243&wpsrc=413&wpcn=ESPN&wpscn=Widget&wpcrn=BetSlipDeepLink&wpscid=Desktop&wpcrid=xx&preurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fevent%2F33823597%3Foutcomes%3D0OU83888575O14250_1&channel=espn-web&campaign=betting-integrations&tags=pageTemplate%3Agame&tags=league%3Amens-college-basketball&tags=sport%3Abasketball&tags=gameId%3A401856437&tags=betSide%3Aover&tags=betType%3Astraight&tags=betDetails%3AOver%3A142.5&~customer_campaign=Six-Pack) [+140](https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/gateway?s=638763911&wpcid=426243&wpsrc=413&wpcn=ESPN&wpscn=Widget&wpcrn=BetSlipDeepLink&wpscid=Desktop&wpcrid=xx&preurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fevent%2F33823597%3Foutcomes%3D"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Miami Ohio RedHawks 2026 MAC champions 31-1 season stats NCAA Tournament"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Florida Gators 2026 NCAA Tournament defending champion season record"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Virginia Cavaliers 2026 NCAA Tournament season record analysis Midwest"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://miamiredhawks.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-miami-ncaa-tournament-selection-sunday",
      "title": "RedHawks Are Dancing! 31-1 Miami Earns At-Large Bid to NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "The RedHawks, who went undefeated during the regular season and boast a 31-1 overall record, will open tournament play in the First Four against ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2026-03-12/undefeated-miami-ohio-falls-umass-mac-tournament-quarterfinals",
      "title": "Miami (Ohio) falls to UMass in MAC tournament quarterfinals",
      "snippet": "20 Miami (Ohio) lost 87-83 to UMass early Thursday afternoon, losing in in the first game of the MAC tournament. The Redhawks were 31-0 entering ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap/_/gameId/401858186",
      "title": "Massachusetts 87-83 Miami (OH) (Mar 12, 2026) Game Recap - ESPN",
      "snippet": "20 Miami (Ohio) dealt 1st loss by UMass in MAC Tournament, 87-83. 0:26. UMass upsets Miami (Ohio) to hand RedHawks 1st loss of season. Daniel ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/what-to-watch-miami-ohio-goes-for-first-four-win-after-its-only-loss-of-the-season-130409268.html",
      "title": "Miami (Ohio) goes for First Four win after its only loss of the season",
      "snippet": "The RedHawks were the only team to go undefeated during the regular season, but lost in the MAC tournament to UMass in the first round. That ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/12/miami-ohio-basketball-march-madness-resume-case-mac-tournament-schedule/89092933007/",
      "title": "Don't be fooled by Miami Ohio 31-1 record. It's built on cupcakes",
      "snippet": "UPDATE: Miami (Ohio) lost in the first round of the MAC tournament Thursday, dropping its record to 31-1 and making for a possibly nervy ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/florida-gators-march-madness-history-184830485.html",
      "title": "Florida Gators March Madness History: Record, Titles, ...",
      "snippet": "The Florida Gators enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed for the second season in a row, searching for the program's fourth national title."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/florida/men/2026-schedule.html",
      "title": "2025-26 Florida Gators Men's Schedule and Results",
      "snippet": "2025-26 Florida Gators Men's Schedule and Results ; Record: 26-7 (16-2, 1st in SEC MBB) ; Rank: 4th in the Mar 9th AP Poll ; Coach: Todd Golden."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%9326_Florida_Gators_men%27s_basketball_team",
      "title": "2025–26 Florida Gators men's basketball team",
      "snippet": "The Gators finished the 2024–25 season with a 27–4 regular season record, finishing second in the most difficult SEC season in conference history."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.foxsports.com/articles/cbk/defending-champ-florida-keeps-winning-and-improves-chances-of-landing-a-no-1-seed",
      "title": "Defending champ Florida keeps winning and improves ...",
      "snippet": "During their current streak, the Gators (25-6, 16-2 SEC) are winning by an average of 21.7 points. Seven of their 11 wins have been by at least ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/gators/mens-basketball/2026/03/09/florida-basketball-history-sec-tournament-last-10-seasons/89054248007/",
      "title": "Reviewing Florida basketball's last 10 SEC Tournament results",
      "snippet": "White's Gators had a solid year, assembling a hearty 14-4 record against fellow conference schools. However, two of those four losses came in ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/uva-basketball-path-ncaa-tournament-200725248.html",
      "title": "What is UVA basketball's path in the NCAA Tournament's ...",
      "snippet": "March Madness is here and the Virginia Cavaliers are front and center in the fold, having earned the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://virginiasports.com/news/2026/03/15/virginia-earns-no-3-seed-in-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Virginia Earns No. 3 Seed in NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "ACC Tournament runner-up Virginia (29-5) is the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Midwest Region for the 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/virginia/basketball/jay-bilas-predicts-a-surprising-early-exit-from-the-ncaa-tournament-for-virginia-01kkype9qrzw",
      "title": "Jay Bilas Predicts a Surprising Early Exit From The NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Virginia is not considered one of the favorites to come out of the Midwest Region, with most experts picking Michigan or Iowa State to win the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.streakingthelawn.com/virginia-cavaliers-basketball/50927/uva-basketball-earns-no-3-seed-in-ncaa-tournament-midwest-region",
      "title": "UVA basketball earns No. 3 seed in NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "The Virginia Cavaliers are in the NCAA Tournament and have been selected as the No. 3 seed in the Midwest region."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.outkick.com/sports/outkick-2026-ncaa-tournament-breakdown-east-west-regions",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Quick Analysis: East And West ...",
      "snippet": "They have some of the most impressive wins of any team in the country, including early-season victories over Florida, Kansas, Illinois, and BYU."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Jay Bilas 2026 NCAA Tournament predictions bracket picks champion"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "UConn Huskies 2026 NCAA Tournament season record analysis East region"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48219737/2026-men-ncaa-tournament-jay-bilas-predictions-bracket",
      "title": "Jay Bilas predicts every game of the 2026 NCAA tournament - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Illinois has the better offense, and Houston has the better defense. I am taking offense in this one, but it's an agonizing choice."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/SportsCenter/videos/mens-ncaa-tournament-bracket-picks/1653095759041968/",
      "title": "Jay Williams, Jay Bilas and Seth Greenberg make their men's NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Jay Williams, Jay Bilas and Seth Greenberg make their men's NCAA tournament bracket picks. ... Last viewed on: Mar 16, 2026."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/jay-bilas-predicts-winner-of-2026-ncaa-tournament-11690374",
      "title": "Jay Bilas Predicts Winner of 2026 NCAA Tournament - Newsweek",
      "snippet": "Bilas made a few tweaks for 2026. In his Final Four, he has the No. 3-seed Michigan State Spartans facing the No. 1-seed Florida Gators, and the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpcrEFPU2P0",
      "title": "Initial 2026 NCAA tournament Final Four and championship picks",
      "snippet": "Seth Davis, Clark Kellogg, and Bruce Pearl gave their immediate picks for the Final Four and national championship of the 2026 NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madness-2026-bracket-predictions-picks-upset-odds/0aad571f4a7578977de47f5b",
      "title": "March Madness bracket predictions: Expert picks, upsets, winners ...",
      "snippet": "March Madness bracket predictions: Expert picks, upsets, winners, odds and more for 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://uconnhuskies.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-huskies-earn-no-2-seed-in-ncaa-east-region",
      "title": "Huskies Earn No. 2 Seed In NCAA East Region - UConn Athletics",
      "snippet": "UConn went 29-5 in the regular season and elevated as high as No. 2 in the national polls, spending the entire season inside the top-six of the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ready-another-deep-ncaa-run-173400390.html",
      "title": "Ready for another deep NCAA run? UConn men's history as a No. 2 ...",
      "snippet": "UConn (22-7, 13-3) shared the Big East regular season title with Boston College, but fell to Syracuse in the conference semis. The Huskies never ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/2026-ncaa-tournament-east-region-breakdown-duke-uconn-kansas",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament East Region Breakdown - Athlon Sports",
      "snippet": "The East Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament feels less like a standard bracket and more like a collision of college basketball history."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/dan-hurley-gives-honest-reaction-to-uconns-east-region-in-ncaa-tournament-11684598",
      "title": "Dan Hurley Gives Honest Reaction to UConn's East Region in ...",
      "snippet": "Following a crushing 72-52 loss to St. John's in the Big East Tournament, UConn failed to become one of the top seeds of the tournament, and ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/uconn/basketball/uconn-huskies-earns-highest-chance-win-ncaa-tournament-2026",
      "title": "UConn Earns Highest Chance to Win NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "The Huskies won the Big East Tournament over the Villanova Wildcats 90-51 to cap off their perfect season. And now going into the NCAA ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/jay-bilas-predicts-winner-of-2026-ncaa-tournament-11690374"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Nebraska Cornhuskers 2026 season record NCAA Tournament first round Troy analysis"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "content": "Iran War Live Updates\n[C.I.A. Director Ratcliffe Rejects Claim Iran was not an Imminent Threat](https://www.newsweek.com/iran-war-live-latest-updates-ali-larijani-killed-tehran-retaliates-us-fores-weapons-strait-hormuz-11694515)\n\n- Nation\n\n[News](https://www.newsweek.com/news) [Politics](https://www.newsweek.com/politics) [Tech](https://www.newsweek.com/technology) [Fact Check](https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check) [Personal Finance](https://www.newsweek.com/personal-finance) [Automotive](https://www.newsweek.com/autos) [Sports](https://www.newsweek.com/sports) [Better Workplaces](https://www.newsweek.com/better-workplaces)\n\n- World\n\n[Russia-Ukraine](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/russia) [Middle East](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/middle-east) [China And Asia](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/china) [Better Planet](https://www.newsweek.com/better-planet) [All World News](https://www.newsweek.com/world)\n\n- Lifestyle\n\n[Family & Parenting](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/parenting) [Entertainment](https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment) [Travel](https://www.newsweek.com/travel) [Pets](https://www.newsweek.com/pets) [Relationships](https://www.newsweek.com/relationships) [Science](https://www.newsweek.com/tech-science) [Health](https://www.newsweek.com/health)\n\n- Opinion\n\n[My Turn](https://www.newsweek.com/my-turn) [All Opinion](https://www.newsweek.com/opinion)\n\n- Rankings\n\n[Health](https://rankings.newsweek.com/category/health) [Finance](https://rankings.newsweek.com/category/finance) [Products](https://rankings.newsweek.com/category/products-services) [Education](https://rankings.newsweek.com/category/education) [Workplaces](https://rankings.newsweek.com/category/work) [Corporate Responsibility](https://rankings.newsweek.com/category/corporate-responsibility) [All Rankings](https://rankings.newsweek.com/)\n\n- Connect\n\n[Newsletters](https://www.newsweek.com/preference-center) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/Newsweek) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/newsweek) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/newsweek) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@newsweek) [Twitter/X](https://x.com/newsweek) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/user/newsweek/) [Announcements](https://www.newsweek.com/announcements) [Leadership](https://www.newsweek.com/leadership) [Dev Pragad](https://www.newsweek.com/dev-pragad)\n\n- More\n\n[Newsmakers](https://www.newsweek.com/newsmakers) [Unconventional](https://www.newsweek.com/unconventional) [Events](https://events.newsweek.com/) [Podcasts](https://www.newsweek.com/podcasts) [Vantage](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/vantage) [Readers Choice](https://www.newsweek.com/readerschoice) [Magazine](https://www.newsweek.com/archive) [CEO Circle](https://www.newsweek.com/ceo-circle)\n\n\n![Cole Sullivan](https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/cropped-IMG_6073-1.jpeg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1)\n\nBy Cole Sullivan\n\n0\n\nShare\n\n[Newsweek is a Trust Project member](https://www.newsweek.com/editorial-guidelines)\n\nLast season, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas caught plenty of criticism from fans for predicting mostly chalk in his [NCAA Tournament](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/ncaa-tournament) bracket, calling for all four No. 1 seeds to make the Final Four.\n\nAs it turned out, that’s exactly how it played out. He also correctly predicted the champion — the Florida Gators — which raises the question: who does he have this time around?\n\nBilas made a few tweaks for 2026. In his Final Four, he has the No. 3-seed Michigan State Spartans facing the No. 1-seed Florida Gators, and the No. 2-seed Iowa State Cyclones taking on the No. 1-seed Arizona Wildcats.\n\n**More news:** [AJ Dybantsa Sends 2-Word Message Days Before NCAA Tournament Debut](https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/aj-dybantsa-sends-2-word-message-days-before-ncaa-tournament-debut-11686991)\n\n![](https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2266380648.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1)\n\nMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 04: ESPN commentator Jay Bilas looks on before a gam"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://huskercorner.com/nebraska-basketball-ncaa-tournament-troy-70-points-defense-nate-loenser",
      "title": "Nebraska's path to its first NCAA Tournament win comes ...",
      "snippet": "Troy has scored 70 or more in 25 of their 33 games this season. ... Troy's last Big Ten showdown shows Nebraska has tough road to school history."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.foxsports.com/articles/cbk/nebraska-cornhuskers-play-the-troy-trojans-in-first-round-of-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Nebraska Cornhuskers play the Troy Trojans in first round ...",
      "snippet": "The Cornhuskers have gone 15-6 against Big Ten opponents, with an 11-0 record in non-conference play. Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten at ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/nebraska/basketball/experts-predict-outcome-of-nebraska-troy-ncaa-tournament-game-and-give-reasons-why",
      "title": "'Experts' Predict Outcome of Nebraska-Troy NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "ESPN's Jeff Borzello predicts a 72-66 Nebraska win over Troy … then a 73-70 loss to Vanderbilt in the second round. Borzello wrote: “There's ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.southernsportstoday.com/2026/03/17/nebraska-chasing-history-in-challenge-from-no-13-seed-troy/",
      "title": "Nebraska chasing history in challenge from No. 13 seed Troy",
      "snippet": "The Trojans won more than 20 games for the fifth season in a row and nearly took down Kentucky in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-cornhuskers-troy-trojans-college-sports-nebraska-basketball-36320d443108433b8b41f03716c81742",
      "title": "Nebraska Cornhuskers play the Troy Trojans in first round ...",
      "snippet": "Thomas Dowd is averaging 14.8 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Trojans. Cooper Campbell is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "St John's Red Storm 2026 season record NCAA Tournament Northern Iowa matchup"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Alabama Crimson Tide 2026 NCAA Tournament season record analysis Midwest"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/they-got-hosed-st-johns-red-storm-fans-furious-over-5-seed-ranking-in-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "'They Got Hosed': St. John's Red Storm Fans Furious Over 5 Seed ...",
      "snippet": "The Red Storm this season currently have a 28-6 record and a 18-2 record in Big East Conference play. St. John's will have a brutal bracket. If ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856494/northern-iowa-st-johns",
      "title": "Northern Iowa vs. St. John's (Mar 20, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Live coverage of the Northern Iowa Panthers vs. St. John's Red Storm NCAAM game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://unipanthers.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-uni-mens-basketball-matches-up-with-st-johns-in-opening-round-of-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "UNI men's basketball matches up with St. John's in opening round of ...",
      "snippet": "... matchup with St. John's. The Red Storm, the Big East Conference regular season and tournament champions, enter the NCAA Tournament with a 28-6 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.troyrecord.com/2026/03/16/st-johns-march-madness-red-storm-ncaa-tournament-rick-pitino-northern-iowa/",
      "title": "St. John's is a No. 5 seed in NCAA Tournament, will ... - Troy Record",
      "snippet": "But the Red Storm's current focus is Northern Iowa, which went 23-12 and won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/thought-were-5-red-storm-184421528.html",
      "title": "'I Thought We Were 5': Red Storm Head Coach Rick Pitino Defends ...",
      "snippet": "St. John's will be the number five seed in the East Region, and they will be facing the Northern Iowa Panthers in the first matchup on ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espn-analyst-labels-alabama-dangerous-194603607.html",
      "title": "ESPN analyst labels Alabama as dangerous team in ...",
      "snippet": "An ESPN college basketball analyst has seemingly labeled Alabama as one of the most dangerous teams in the Midwest Region."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/alabama/basketball/alabama-basketball-history-vs-2026-ncaa-tournament-midwest-region",
      "title": "Alabama Basketball's History vs. 2026 NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "Last Meeting: The Crimson Tide fell to Georgia 98-88 on the road on March 3 of this season, ending Alabama's eight-game win streak."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://yellowhammernews.com/alabama-secures-no-4-seed-in-sec-filled-midwest-region-of-ncaa-tournament/",
      "title": "Alabama secures No. 4 seed in SEC-filled Midwest region ...",
      "snippet": "It's the fourth consecutive season and fifth in the last six years that Oats has led Alabama to a No. 4 seed or higher, a feat the program had ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/midwest-region-injury-issues-give-alabama-an-unexpectedly-favorable-final-four-path/ar-AA1YGoC9?cvid=69b84ecbb1214e3585cdee78b830fdfb&ocid=spotlight&apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1",
      "title": "Midwest region injury issues give Alabama an ...",
      "snippet": "Alabama isn't the best team in the Midwest Region, but injuries to the bracket's top contenders could open the door for the Tide to reach ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.outkick.com/sports/outkicks-2026-ncaa-tournament-breakdown-south-midwest-regions",
      "title": "OutKick's 2026 NCAA Tournament Breakdown: South And ...",
      "snippet": "Midwest Region · No. 1 Seed – Michigan Wolverines (31-2) · No. 2 Seed – Iowa State Cyclones (27-7) · No. 3 Seed – Virginia Cavaliers (29-5) · No. 4 ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Gonzaga Bulldogs 2026 season record NCAA Tournament analysis Mark Few"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Kentucky Wildcats Santa Clara 2026 NCAA Tournament first round matchup analysis"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhQrVys_ISk",
      "title": "Few Breaks Down Gonzaga vs Kennesaw St | Reaction to 3-seed",
      "snippet": "This week on The Mark Few Show, Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few reacts to the Zags earning the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/15/no-3-gonzaga-focused-on-first-round-ncaa-tournamen/",
      "title": "No. 3 Gonzaga focused on first-round NCAA Tournament game ...",
      "snippet": "Granted, Few hasn't won 16 consecutive first-round NCAA Tournament games by looking down the road and the longtime GU coach isn't planning to ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/gonzaga/basketball/mark-few-reacts-gonzaga-ncaa-tournament-seeding-selection-sunday",
      "title": "Mark Few reacts to Gonzaga's NCAA Tournament seeding on ...",
      "snippet": "Mark Few reacts to Gonzaga's NCAA Tournament seeding on Selection Sunday. Bulldogs take on Kennesaw State in the first round of March Madness."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/gonzagas-most-favorable-potential-matchups-014816898.html",
      "title": "Gonzaga's most favorable potential matchups in the NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs wrapped up the regular season with a win over Santa Clara in the WCC Tournament championship on Tuesday ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.swxlocalsports.com/spokane/gonzaga/few/mark-few-show-coach-few-unpacks-gonzagas-3-seed-kennesaw-st-matchup-ncaa-tournament-streak/article_8e4ca25d-6c8c-40ff-8c0c-d8057119e1e4.html",
      "title": "Mark Few Show: Coach Few unpacks Gonzaga's 3-seed, Kennesaw ...",
      "snippet": "Despite injuries and a challenging nonconference schedule, the Bulldogs still finished with 30 wins, just three losses, and a No. 3 seed, ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfa9j_slRYw",
      "title": "'Kentucky-Santa Clara might be the MOST exciting First Round ...",
      "snippet": "'Kentucky-Santa Clara might be the MOST exciting First Round matchup of the tourney' | AFTER DARK · Comments."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/kentucky/men-s-basketball/kentucky-s-ncaa-tournament-matchup-with-10-seed-santa-clara-will-be-much-tougher-than-most-imagine",
      "title": "Kentucky's NCAA Tournament matchup with 10-Seed Santa Clara ...",
      "snippet": "If the good version of Kentucky shows up, they should win this game and cover. If they play poorly, they have a real shot to lose in the first ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtiOTKLHz8c&vl=ar",
      "title": "Kentucky vs. Santa Clara PREDICTION | 2026 NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "NCAA Tournament first round game in the Midwest Region and share predictions for this highly anticipated matchup at the Enterprise Center in St ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/news/college-basketball/jay-bilas-picks-winner-for-kentucky-santa-clara-round-1-ncaa-tournament-bout/",
      "title": "Jay Bilas picks winner for Kentucky-Santa Clara Round 1 NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Kentucky is banged up and inconsistent, and Santa Clara is big, skilled and has positional size at almost every position. To be clear: Kentucky ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/kentucky-santa-clara-march-madness-bracket-pick/5e9ab0508c1261fd9ce94b5f",
      "title": "Kentucky or Santa Clara? How to pick 7 vs. 10 matchup in 2026 ...",
      "snippet": "The pick: Kentucky 84, Santa Clara 74.​​ Santa Clara's offensive efficiency is scary, but Kentucky's high-octane system and the experience of ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Illinois Fighting Illini 2026 NCAA Tournament offense KenPom ranking South region"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "query": "Michigan State Spartans 2026 season record NCAA Tournament East region analysis"
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/college-basketball-experts-reveal-illinois-2026-ncaa-tournament-predictions/ar-AA1YVwrr",
      "title": "College basketball experts reveal Illinois' 2026 NCAA tournament ...",
      "snippet": "Mar 13 ... 2 seed in the South Region to wrap an unwelcome bow on Illinois' 2025-26 campaign."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/illinois/basketball/illinois-basketball-ncaa-tournament-south-region-projection",
      "title": "How Far Can Illinois Go? Projecting the NCAA Tournament South ...",
      "snippet": "The Illini are the No. 3 seed in the South Region at the NCAA Tournament. Here is our game-by-game prediction for the region."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-south-region-bracket-preview/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament South Region bracket preview - CBS Sports",
      "snippet": "Getting past the Rams would likely mean facing No. 3 seed Illinois in the second round. The Illini are stronger than their seeding suggests."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://kenpom.com/",
      "title": "2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings",
      "snippet": "Southern Illinois · MVC, 16-16, +4.56, 103.8, 274, 99.2, 29, 68.9, 95, -.094, 355, +1.83, 114, 109.9, 125, 108.1, 130, -0.14, 191. 119, Saint Joseph's · A10, 22 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.aledotimesrecord.com/story/sports/college/basketball/2026/03/15/selection-sunday-illini-await-their-call-for-march-madness/89169089007/",
      "title": "Illinois basketball on March Madness Selection Sunday",
      "snippet": "Illinois KenPom rankings: No. 7. All rankings as of Sunday ... Jan 21, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://msuspartans.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-spartans-earn-no-3-seed-in-east-region-extend-ncaa-tournament-streak-to-28-straight",
      "title": "Spartans Earn No. 3 Seed in East Region, Extend NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "MSU's . 673 winning percentage is the ninth-best all-time in NCAA Tournament play, while the program's 73 total victories rank sixth all-time. ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/2026-ncaa-tournament-east-region-breakdown-duke-uconn-kansas",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament East Region Breakdown - Athlon Sports",
      "snippet": "Michigan State enters with one of the nation's most disciplined defensive units under Tom Izzo. North Dakota State has been one of the most ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/michigan-state-pieces-place-another-100055764.html",
      "title": "Michigan State has pieces in place for another deep NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "The Spartans will rely heavily on their veteran captains to make a March Madness push."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD_3pZduW18",
      "title": "East Region Analysis and Michigan State's Legacy | B1G Today",
      "snippet": "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament: East Region Analysis and Michigan State's Legacy | B1G Today. 365 views · 1 day ago. #bigtenbasketball ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/michiganstate/basketball/msu-spartans-history-success-march-madness-by-the-numbers",
      "title": "MSU's History of Success in March Madness, By the Numbers",
      "snippet": "Oh yeah, and this is the 28th time in a row that Michigan State has made the NCAA Tournament field. It's not only the longest active streak in ..."
    }
  ]
}

{
  "anthropic": {
    "caller": {
      "type": "direct"
    }
  }
}

{
  "r1": [
    {
      "gameId": "game-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-2",
      "winnerId": "tcu-horned-frogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-3",
      "winnerId": "st-johns-red-storm"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-4",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-5",
      "winnerId": "south-florida-bulls"
    },
    {
      "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": "utah-state-aggies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-11",
      "winnerId": "wisconsin-badgers"
    },
    {
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}

{
  "anthropic": {
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}

{
  "submitted": true
}

{
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    }
  }
}