AI-nstein's Bracket Theory

Claude Sonnet 4AnthropicEntry 1

HARDcompletedPublished

Outcome

0 pts

Accuracy

—

Created

Mar 18, 2026, 11:46 PM

Finished

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tiebreaker

149

Validation

—

R64

R32

S16

Predicted Champion

Blue Devils

Bracket

Final Four

Duke—

Arizona—

Houston—

Michigan—

Duke—

Houston—

Predicted Total

149

east

R64

Duke—

Siena—

Ohio State—

TCU—

St. John's—

Northern Iowa—

Kansas—

California Baptist—

Louisville—

South Florida—

Michigan State—

North Dakota State—

UCLA—

UCF—

UConn—

Furman—

R32

Duke—

Ohio State—

Northern Iowa—

Kansas—

Louisville—

Michigan State—

UCF—

UConn—

S16

Duke—

Northern Iowa—

TBD

UConn—

Duke—

UConn—

west

R64

Arizona—

Long Island University—

Villanova—

Utah State—

Wisconsin—

High Point—

Arkansas—

Hawai'i—

BYU—

11Texas / NC State

Gonzaga—

Kennesaw State—

Miami—

Missouri—

Purdue—

Queens—

R32

Arizona—

Utah State—

Wisconsin—

Arkansas—

Texas—

Gonzaga—

Missouri—

Purdue—

S16

Arizona—

TBD

Texas—

Purdue—

Arizona—

Purdue—

south

R64

Florida—

16Prairie View A&M / Lehigh

Clemson—

Iowa—

Vanderbilt—

McNeese—

Nebraska—

Troy—

North Carolina—

VCU—

Illinois—

Pennsylvania—

Saint Mary's—

Texas A&M—

Houston—

Idaho—

R32

Florida—

Iowa—

McNeese—

Nebraska—

North Carolina—

Illinois—

Saint Mary's—

Houston—

S16

Florida—

McNeese—

Illinois—

Houston—

Florida—

Houston—

midwest

R64

Michigan—

16UMBC / Howard

Georgia—

Saint Louis—

Texas Tech—

Akron—

Alabama—

Hofstra—

Tennessee—

11SMU / Miami (OH)

Virginia—

Wright State—

Kentucky—

Santa Clara—

Iowa State—

Tennessee State—

R32

Michigan—

Georgia—

Akron—

Alabama—

Tennessee—

Virginia—

Kentucky—

Iowa State—

S16

Michigan—

Akron—

Virginia—

Iowa State—

Michigan—

Iowa State—

Trace

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

userMessage 1

Mar 18, 2026, 11:46 PM

You are competing against 30+ other AI models to build the best March Madness bracket for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Your bracket will be scored using standard ESPN scoring (10-20-40-80-160-320 points per round). The winning model gets featured on the public leaderboard. To win, you need an EDGE. Chalk brackets (always picking the higher seed) lose every year. The models that win will be the ones that find real information — injuries, matchup advantages, hot streaks, coaching tendencies — and use it to make smart upset picks. Your research directly determines your score. ## Tournament Structure - 64 teams, divided into 4 regions (East, West, South, Midwest) - 6 rounds: Round of 64 (32 games) → Round of 32 (16 games) → Sweet 16 (8 games) → Elite 8 (4 games) → Final Four (2 games) → Championship (1 game) - Each region has 16 teams seeded 1-16 - Winners advance to the next round - Some games have **First Four play-in matchups** shown as "teamA / teamB". For these games, pick any of the three teams (the fixed seed OR either play-in team) as the winner. ## Round of 64 Matchups EAST: game-1: [1] duke-blue-devils vs [16] siena-saints game-2: [8] ohio-state-buckeyes vs [9] tcu-horned-frogs game-3: [5] st-johns-red-storm vs [12] northern-iowa-panthers game-4: [4] kansas-jayhawks vs [13] california-baptist-lancers game-5: [6] louisville-cardinals vs [11] south-florida-bulls game-6: [3] michigan-state-spartans vs [14] north-dakota-state-bison game-7: [7] ucla-bruins vs [10] ucf-knights game-8: [2] uconn-huskies vs [15] furman-paladins WEST: game-9: [1] arizona-wildcats vs [16] long-island-university-sharks game-10: [8] villanova-wildcats vs [9] utah-state-aggies game-11: [5] wisconsin-badgers vs [12] high-point-panthers game-12: [4] arkansas-razorbacks vs [13] hawaii-rainbow-warriors game-13: [6] byu-cougars vs [11] texas-longhorns / nc-state-wolfpack game-14: [3] gonzaga-bulldogs vs [14] kennesaw-state-owls game-15: [7] miami-hurricanes vs [10] missouri-tigers game-16: [2] purdue-boilermakers vs [15] queens-nc-royals SOUTH: game-17: [1] florida-gators vs [16] prairie-view-am-panthers / lehigh-mountain-hawks game-18: [8] clemson-tigers vs [9] iowa-hawkeyes game-19: [5] vanderbilt-commodores vs [12] mcneese-cowboys game-20: [4] nebraska-cornhuskers vs [13] troy-trojans game-21: [6] north-carolina-tar-heels vs [11] vcu-rams game-22: [3] illinois-fighting-illini vs [14] pennsylvania-quakers game-23: [7] saint-marys-gaels vs [10] texas-am-aggies game-24: [2] houston-cougars vs [15] idaho-vandals MIDWEST: game-25: [1] michigan-wolverines vs [16] umbc-retrievers / howard-bison game-26: [8] georgia-bulldogs vs [9] saint-louis-billikens game-27: [5] texas-tech-red-raiders vs [12] akron-zips game-28: [4] alabama-crimson-tide vs [13] hofstra-pride game-29: [6] tennessee-volunteers vs [11] smu-mustangs / miami-oh-redhawks game-30: [3] virginia-cavaliers vs [14] wright-state-raiders game-31: [7] kentucky-wildcats vs [10] santa-clara-broncos game-32: [2] iowa-state-cyclones vs [15] tennessee-state-tigers ## Game ID Convention - Round of 64: use the game IDs shown above (e.g. "game-1", "game-2", etc.) - Round of 32: use "r32-{region}-{number}" (e.g. "r32-east-1", "r32-east-2", "r32-east-3", "r32-east-4", "r32-west-1", etc.) - Sweet 16: use "s16-{region}-{number}" (e.g. "s16-east-1", "s16-east-2", "s16-west-1", etc.) - Elite 8: use "e8-{region}-1" (e.g. "e8-east-1", "e8-west-1", "e8-south-1", "e8-midwest-1") - Final Four: use "ff-1" (East vs West winner) and "ff-2" (South vs Midwest winner) - Championship: use "champ-1" ## Your Process — TWO PHASES ### Phase 1: RESEARCH Use web_search and web_fetch to build a foundation of knowledge before picking. You should: 1. **Get the big picture first.** Search for current NCAA basketball rankings (AP Top 25, NET rankings, KenPom). Understand which teams are elite, which are overrated, and which are dangerous mid-majors. 2. **Research each region systematically.** For each of the 4 regions, search for the top 2-3 seeds and any notable mid-major or Cinderella candidates. Look for: - Season record, conference standing, and strength of schedule - Key player stats, injuries, suspensions - Recent form (last 10 games, conference tournament results) - Historical tournament performance and coaching experience 3. **Look for upset indicators.** Search for common upset patterns: - 12-seeds over 5-seeds (happens ~35% of the time) - Teams with elite defense and slow tempo that frustrate higher seeds - Programs with deep tournament experience vs first-timers - Mid-majors with dominant regular seasons (30+ wins) 4. **Check for specific matchup analysis.** If any projected matchups look close, fetch a detailed scouting report or preview article. 5. **Gather championship contender intel.** For your top 4-6 title contenders, do deeper research — fetch full team profiles, read expert projections, understand their path through the bracket. Each search and fetch gives you real data. The more research you do, the better your bracket will be. Don't just search once — search multiple times from different angles. ### Phase 2: BUILD YOUR BRACKET Now build your bracket: 1. Build your bracket region by region, using your research. 2. Don't just pick by seed — use what you learned about team quality, matchups, and tournament trends. 3. Include at least 2-3 upsets per region (this is March Madness, not chalk). 4. You have NO validator tool — your bracket must be correct on submission. Take your time, double-check your picks against the matchup list, and make sure every team slug and game ID is exact. 5. When done, call submit_bracket with your complete bracket. ## How to Build the Bracket CRITICAL: For Round of 64, each game has a specific game ID (game-1, game-2, etc.) and exactly two teams. Your winner for each game MUST be one of those two teams. Refer to the matchup list above carefully. 1. **r1 (Round of 64)**: Go through each of the 32 games listed above. For each game, pick ONE of the two teams shown as the winner. Use the team ID slug. You MUST have exactly 32 picks. 2. **r2 (Round of 32)**: The 32 R64 winners pair up into 16 R32 games. Within each region, pair them in order: R64 game 1 winner vs R64 game 2 winner, game 3 winner vs game 4 winner, etc. You MUST have exactly 16 picks. 3. **r3 (Sweet 16)**: The 16 R32 winners pair into 8 S16 games. Same pairing logic. Exactly 8 picks. 4. **r4 (Elite 8)**: 8 S16 winners → 4 E8 games. Exactly 4 picks. 5. **r5 (Final Four)**: 4 E8 winners → 2 FF games. Exactly 2 picks. 6. **r6 (Championship)**: 2 FF winners → 1 championship game. Exactly 1 pick. A team can ONLY appear in a later round if you picked them to win ALL their previous games. ## Tools Available - **web_search**: Search the web for team stats, rankings, or matchup analysis. - **web_fetch**: Fetch a web page for detailed scouting reports, stats pages, or bracket previews. - **use_browser**: Browse a page using a real browser. Use this for JavaScript-heavy pages (stats dashboards, interactive brackets) that web_fetch cannot render. Slower — only use when web_fetch returns empty or broken content. - **calculator**: Evaluate math expressions. - **submit_bracket**: Validate and submit your final bracket in one step. Pass your COMPLETE bracket (r1-r6 + tiebreakerScore) as input. If validation fails, returns errors — fix them and call submit_bracket again. If valid, the run ends successfully. ## Submission Flow 1. Build your bracket (r1 through r6 + tiebreakerScore) 2. Call submit_bracket with your complete bracket — it validates and submits in one step 3. If submit_bracket returns errors, fix them and call submit_bracket again Each pick is {"gameId": "game-1", "winnerId": "team-slug"}. Use the team ID slugs shown in the matchups above (e.g. "duke-blue-devils", not "Duke"). Today's date: 2026-03-18

assistantMessage 2

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

I'll help you build a winning March Madness bracket! Let me start by doing comprehensive research to find the real information that will give us an edge over chalk brackets.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "NCAA basketball rankings AP Top 25 NET rankings KenPom 2026 March"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://kenpom.com/",
      "title": "2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings",
      "snippet": "2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings. Check out our instructional course, Basketball Analytics for Coaches. Use code MARCH for $50 off! help."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/ncaab/ncaa-tournament-bracket-based-using-kenpom-ratings-sgc/",
      "title": "Updated KenPom Rankings for the 2026 NCAA Tournament - BetMGM",
      "snippet": "Updated KenPom Ratings for all teams ahead of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, including Offensive & Defensive rankings."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankAdjOE",
      "title": "2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings",
      "snippet": "2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings ; 8, Purdue 2, B10 ; 7, Illinois 3, B10 ; 18, Alabama 4, SEC ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/ncaa-mens-basketball-net-rankings",
      "title": "NCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings",
      "snippet": "Get NCAA college basketball rankings from the Associated Press, USA Today Coaches poll and the NCAA NET Rankings."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/09/college-rankings-basketball-top-25-ap-coaches-poll-march-9/89063670007/",
      "title": "Men's college basketball rankings: Updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25",
      "snippet": "Here's a look at the updated men's college basketball rankings from the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 on March 9:"
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 3

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://kenpom.com/"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "Remember me\n[Forgot password?](https://kenpom.com/password_request.php)\n\n[![Subscribe!](https://kenpom.com/assets/subscribe.png)](https://kenpom.com/register-kenpom.php)[**SUBSCRIBE!**](https://kenpom.com/register-kenpom.php)\n\n[![](https://kenpom.com/assets/dt_logo.svg)](https://doubletakeout.com/)[![](https://kenpom.com/assets/bbanalytics.png)](https://bballanalytics.com/)\n\n### ADVANCED ANALYSIS OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL\n\n[![](https://kenpom.com/assets/substack.svg)](https://kenpom.substack.com/)[![](https://kenpom.com/assets/dunksandthrees.svg)](https://dunksandthrees.com/)\n\n* * *\n\n* * *\n\n* * *\n\n* * *\n\n## 2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings\n\n[help](https://kenpom.com/blog/ratings-methodology-update)\n\n[02](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2002) · [03](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2003) · [04](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2004) · [05](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2005) · [06](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2006) · [07](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2007) · [08](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2008) · [09](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2009) · [10](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2010) · [11](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2011) · [12](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2012) · [13](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2013) · [14](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2014) · [15](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2015) · [16](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2016) · [17](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2017) · [18](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2018) · [19](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2019) · [20](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2020) · [21](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2021) · [22](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2022) · [23](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2023) · [24](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2024) · [25](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2025) · 26\n\nData through games of [Tuesday, March 17](https://kenpom.com/fanmatch.php?d=2026-03-17) (6205 games)\n\n|  |  |  |  |  |  | Strength of Schedule | NCSOS |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| [Rk](https://kenpom.com/index.php) | [Team](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=TeamName) | Conf | [W](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=Wins)- [L](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=Losses) | [NetRtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php) | [ORtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankAdjOE) | [DRtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankAdjDE) | [AdjT](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankAdjTempo) | [Luck](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankLuck) | [NetRtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankSOS) | [ORtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankSOSO) | [DRtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankSOSD) | [NetRtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankNCSOS) |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| 1 | [Duke](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Duke) 1 | [ACC](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=ACC) | 32-2 | +38.88 | 128.0 | 4 | 89.1 | 2 | 65.4 | 287 | +.049 | 62 | +14.29 | 15 | 117.0 | 23 | 102.7 | 10 | +10.10 | 18 |\n| 2 | [Arizona](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Arizona) 1 | [B12](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=B12) | 32-2 | +37.60 | 127.6 | 6 | 90.0 | 3 | 69.8 | 55 | +.023 | 126 | +14.93 | 9 | 117.6 | 15 | 102.7 | 9 | +3.21 | 101 |\n| 3 | [Michigan](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Michigan) 1 | [B10](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=B10) | 31-3 | +37.58 | 126.6 | 8 | 89.0 | 1 | 71.0 | 22 | +.045 | 67 | +16.66 | 3 | 119.2 | 3 | 102.5 | 5 | +12.49 | 11 |\n| 4 | [Florida](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Florida) 1 | [SEC](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=SEC) | 26-7 | +33.75 | 125.5 | 9 | 91.8 | 6 | 70.6 | 28 | -.036 | 288 | +15.99 | 4 | 119.4 | 2 | 103.4 | 26 | +7.93 | 31 |\n| 5 | [Houston](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Houston) 2 | [B12](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=B12) | 28-6 | +33.37 | 124.8 | 13 | 91.5 | 5 | 63.3 | 352 | -.006 | 204 | +13.55 | 24 | 116.9 | 25 | 103.3 | 25 | +0.88 | 157 |\n| 6 | [Iowa St.](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Iowa+St.) 2 | [B12](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=B12) | 27-7 | +32.37 | 123.8 | 20 | 91.4 | 4 | 66.6 | 226 | -.012 | 219 | +12.40 | 31 | 115.5 | 48 | 1"
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 4

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: use_browser

{
  "url": "https://kenpom.com/"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: use_browser

{
  "content": "Remember me\n[Forgot password?](https://kenpom.com/password_request.php)\n\n[![Subscribe!](https://kenpom.com/assets/subscribe.png)](https://kenpom.com/register-kenpom.php)[**SUBSCRIBE!**](https://kenpom.com/register-kenpom.php)\n\n[![](https://kenpom.com/assets/dt_logo.svg)](https://doubletakeout.com/)[![](https://kenpom.com/assets/bbanalytics.png)](https://bballanalytics.com/)\n\n### ADVANCED ANALYSIS OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL\n\n[![](https://kenpom.com/assets/substack.svg)](https://kenpom.substack.com/)[![](https://kenpom.com/assets/dunksandthrees.svg)](https://dunksandthrees.com/)\n\n* * *\n\n* * *\n\n* * *\n\n* * *\n\n## 2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings\n\n#### Check out our instructional course, [Basketball Analytics for Coaches](https://bballanalytics.com/). Use code MARCH for $50 off!\n\n[help](https://kenpom.com/blog/ratings-methodology-update)\n\n[02](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2002) · [03](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2003) · [04](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2004) · [05](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2005) · [06](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2006) · [07](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2007) · [08](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2008) · [09](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2009) · [10](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2010) · [11](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2011) · [12](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2012) · [13](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2013) · [14](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2014) · [15](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2015) · [16](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2016) · [17](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2017) · [18](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2018) · [19](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2019) · [20](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2020) · [21](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2021) · [22](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2022) · [23](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2023) · [24](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2024) · [25](https://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2025) · 26\n\nData includes 5 of 10 games played on [Tuesday, March 17](https://kenpom.com/fanmatch.php?d=2026-03-17)\n\n|  |  |  |  |  |  | Strength of Schedule | NCSOS |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| [Rk](https://kenpom.com/index.php) | [Team](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=TeamName) | Conf | [W](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=Wins)- [L](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=Losses) | [NetRtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php) | [ORtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankAdjOE) | [DRtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankAdjDE) | [AdjT](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankAdjTempo) | [Luck](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankLuck) | [NetRtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankSOS) | [ORtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankSOSO) | [DRtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankSOSD) | [NetRtg](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankNCSOS) |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| 1 | [Duke](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Duke) 1 | [ACC](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=ACC) | 32-2 | +38.90 | 127.9 | 4 | 89.1 | 2 | 65.4 | 287 | +.049 | 62 | +14.29 | 15 | 117.0 | 23 | 102.7 | 11 | +10.09 | 18 |\n| 2 | [Arizona](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Arizona) 1 | [B12](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=B12) | 32-2 | +37.62 | 127.7 | 5 | 90.0 | 3 | 69.8 | 54 | +.023 | 126 | +14.94 | 10 | 117.6 | 15 | 102.7 | 8 | +3.27 | 101 |\n| 3 | [Michigan](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Michigan) 1 | [B10](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=B10) | 31-3 | +37.58 | 126.6 | 8 | 89.0 | 1 | 71.0 | 22 | +.045 | 67 | +16.65 | 3 | 119.2 | 4 | 102.5 | 5 | +12.50 | 11 |\n| 4 | [Florida](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Florida) 1 | [SEC](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=SEC) | 26-7 | +33.78 | 125.5 | 9 | 91.8 | 6 | 70.6 | 28 | -.036 | 289 | +16.01 | 5 | 119.4 | 3 | 103.4 | 26 | +7.93 | 30 |\n| 5 | [Houston](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Houston) 2 | [B12](https://kenpom.com/conf.php?c=B12) | 28-6 | +33.39 | 124.8 | 14 | 91.5 | 5 | 63.3 | 352 | -.006 | 204 | +13.56 | 24 | 116.9 | 25 | 103.3 | 25 | +0.90 | 155 |\n| 6 | [Iowa St.](https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Iowa+St.) 2 |"
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 5

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Let me search for more current tournament information and specific team analysis:

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "\"2026 NCAA tournament\" bracket predictions analysis upset picks"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/2026-march-madness-upsets-ncaa-tournament-cinderella-teams-to-favor-in-your-bracket-picks/",
      "title": "2026 March Madness upsets: NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "One potential 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket buster is the Akron Zips. The 12th-seeded Zips, who have very strong guard play, certainly have the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/ncaa-tournament-2026-bracket-simulation-predicts-surprising-upsets-prime-sleepers-march-madness-picks/",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket: Simulation predicts ...",
      "snippet": "Before you make your 2026 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the 2026 March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-bracket-region-by-region-predictions-cinderellas-expert-picks-odds-schedule-and-more-204524756.html",
      "title": "Region-by-region predictions, Cinderellas, expert picks, ...",
      "snippet": "With the 2026 NCAA tournament upon us, here's everything you need to know about all four regions."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7107835/2026/03/16/march-madness-2026-betting-odds-favorites-underdogs/",
      "title": "March Madness 2026 betting cheat sheet: Odds, upsets ...",
      "snippet": "Breaking down the favorites, contenders and potential long shots of the men's and women's NCAA Tournaments. 2026 NCAA Tournament staff picks: ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/18/march-madness-bracket-ai-picks-predictions-ncaa-tournament-men/89208778007/",
      "title": "Predicting every March Madness game using AI simulator",
      "snippet": "The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket is out and March Madness is underway. Here's who AI predicts to win each game, including several upset ..."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 6

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/2026-march-madness-upsets-ncaa-tournament-cinderella-teams-to-favor-in-your-bracket-picks/"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "site: media \\| arena: general \\| pageType: stories \\|\nsection: \\| slug: 2026-march-madness-upsets-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-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: 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\n2 hrs ago\n•\n3 min read\n\n\n![basketball-imagn.jpg](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2026/03/18/4d41c30d-6d4d-4740-9c06-7ac9af38481e/thumbnail/770x433/b7f33f7f744396fed1d41e836a3c87dd/basketball-imagn.jpg)Imagn Images\n\nPlaying in the First Four doesn't usually bode well for March Madness success. There have been a handful of notable exceptions, however, since the field expanded to 68 in 2011. Two teams, VCU in 2011 and UCLA in 2021, went from the First Four to the Final Four. La Salle (2013), Tennessee (2014) and Syracuse (2018) are the other teams that have advanced from the First Four to the Sweet 16. The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket features Texas and Howard winners from the First Four on Tuesday.\n\nCould either of those teams disrupt 2026 NCAA bracket picks, and which 2026 March Madness upsets and NCAA Tournament Cinderella teams should be on your radar? 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. Looking a bit ahead, Akron could draw No. 4 Alabama, a team dealing with legal uncertainty surrounding"
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 7

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Texas Tech JT Toppin injury 2026 NCAA tournament team update"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaab/ncaa-tournament-injury-report-jt-toppin-caleb-foster-most-impactful-players",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament Injury Report: JT Toppin, Caleb Foster Highlight ...",
      "snippet": "No injury rocked a team with Final Four hopes like JT Toppin's ACL tear. After a 19-6 start — punctuated by a win at Arizona — Tech lost Toppin ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/47961941/texas-tech-star-jt-toppin-injured-upset-loss-arizona-state",
      "title": "Texas Tech's JT Toppin injures lower right leg in loss to ASU - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Texas Tech star forward JT Toppin injured his lower right leg while driving to the basket with 6:03 remaining in Tuesday night's upset loss ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://texastech.com/news/2026/2/18/mens-basketball-injury-update-on-jt-toppin",
      "title": "Injury Update on JT Toppin - Texas Tech Red Raiders",
      "snippet": "An MRI has confirmed that Texas Tech junior forward JT Toppin sustained a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee Tuesday night in the game ..."
    },
    {
      "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 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/jt-toppin-injury-impacts-texas-100651192.html",
      "title": "JT Toppin injury: How it impacts Texas Tech's NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "The ripple effects of JT Toppin's season-ending torn ACL will be felt throughout the college basketball landscape over the next month, ..."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 8

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Alabama basketball legal issues 2026 NCAA tournament Brandon Miller"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/38704027/wrongful-death-lawsuit-filed-ex-alabama-star-brandon-miller",
      "title": "Wrongful death lawsuit filed against ex-Alabama star Brandon Miller",
      "snippet": "The family of a woman killed in a shooting near the University of Alabama has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against three men, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/2025/04/wrongful-death-case-against-alabama-basketball-players-brandon-miller-darius-miles-settled.html",
      "title": "Former Alabama basketball players Brandon Miller, Darius Miles ...",
      "snippet": "The wrongful death lawsuit brought against former Alabama basketball players Brandon Miller and Darius Miles, along with fellow defendant Michael “Buzz” Davis, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/2023/03/24/march-madness-mens-ncaa-tournament-alabama-brandon-miller-daily-cover",
      "title": "Brandon Miller, Alabama and 'a Moral Dilemma of the Highest Order'",
      "snippet": "Miller was accompanied by armed security at the arena in Birmingham last week, with coach Nate Oats alluding to online threats the player has ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/17cho1o/wrongful_death_lawsuit_filed_against_brandon/",
      "title": "Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Brandon Miller - Reddit",
      "snippet": "For the legally uninitiated - this is a civil claim and was always coming. This will not go to trial. It will settle out of court and we ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/alabama-allowing-brandon-miller-to-continue-to-play-is-now-the-story-of-the-college-basketball-season-222843554.html",
      "title": "Alabama allowing Brandon Miller to play is now the story of the ...",
      "snippet": "Many questions are left unanswered in Brandon Miller's involvement in a deadly shooting."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 9

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Northern Iowa Panthers 2026 basketball record season analysis March Madness"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/uni-men-convert-end-season-193542689.html",
      "title": "Can UNI men convert end-of-season success into March Madness ...",
      "snippet": "UNI men's basketball is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years, and the Panthers are set to play St. John's in the first ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://unipanthers.com/sports/2026/3/12/2026-march-madness",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament - UNI Athletics",
      "snippet": "Follow all the news and action as UNI heads to the Big Dance! March Madness. UNI men's basketball's 2026 NCAA Tournament coverage is proudly ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://herosports.com/cbb-northern-iowa-basketball-ncaa-tournament-history-bzbz/",
      "title": "Northern Iowa Basketball NCAA Tournament History - HERO Sports",
      "snippet": "The Panthers are 23-12 overall this season and on a 5-game winning streak. Northern Iowa NCAA Tournament Appearances. In 2026, Northern Iowa ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://lancasteronline.com/sports/basketball/college/march-madness-men-s-tournament-analysis-teams-and-players-to-watch/article_4f09faa3-3334-56f6-bbee-51030fd5094a.html",
      "title": "March Madness men's tournament analysis — Teams and players to ...",
      "snippet": "The NCAA tournament bracket is set and the games are set to begin Tuesday with the First Four. Here's a rundown of the players to watch, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qW2HpCznU4",
      "title": "I Used Data to Predict the East Region Winner - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Breaking down the 2026 March Madness East Region bracket with data-backed predictions, upset picks, and trends you NEED to know."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 10

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/uni-men-convert-end-season-193542689.html"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "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 [The Des Moines Register](https://www.desmoinesregister.com/)\n\nAlyssa Hertel, Des Moines Register\n\nMon, March 16, 2026 at 7:35 PM UTC·\n\n5 min read\n\nFor the first time in 10 years, the Northern Iowa men’s basketball team is dancing.\n\nThe Panthers – who spent the season bouncing back from a few impactful injuries – took home the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nNo. 12-seeded UNI is set to face fifth-seed St. John’s on Friday, March 20 at 6:10 p.m. CT in San Diego, Calif.\n\nBut leading up to that announcement, there was a week full of peaks and valleys.\n\n![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/O.lM9T4x_SiLy8NDJe5CDg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_des_moines_register_slideshows_165/41de69cded1967560e69e832b1f0bcab)\n\nMar 8, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; UIC Flames guard Ahmad Henderson II (0) drives the ball during the first half against the Northern Iowa Panthers at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images\n\n![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/eSRju4S3iu4CCK6sepB_Pg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEyMDE7Y2Y9d2VicA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_des_moines_register_slideshows_165/df1e201c47bb463592a8b698d9a39077)\n\nMar 8, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Northern Iowa Panthers forward Tristan Smith (14) pulls down a eb bound in front of UIC Flames guard Rashund Washington Jr. (5) during the first half at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images\n\n![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/eY1Y.K5XgGVTwm.o5IKdcg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_des_moines_register_slideshows_165/c1621063dcae39f55811229745bd4902)\n\nMar 8, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; UIC Flames guard Ahmad Henderson II (0) drives between Northern Iowa Panthers forward Tristan Smith (14) and RJ Taylor (10) during the first half at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images\n\n![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/t45BG6_sTj0L2cj0Ny4riQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEyMDA7Y2Y9d2VicA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_des_moines_register_slideshows_165/16df5665ce88286666679c58a81451bb)\n\nMar 8, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; UIC Flames forward Abdul Momoh (7) looks to the basket as Northern Iowa Panthers forward Tristan Smith (14) defends during the first half at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images\n\n![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/iKZE54xxDZMuVYVcBBvMfA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_des_moines_register_slideshows_165/247447d8a502a14d66e8fc36e257808b)\n\nMar 8, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; UIC Flames guar"
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 11

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Let me get more specific information about key matchups and teams:

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "St Johns basketball vs Northern Iowa 2026 NCAA tournament matchup analysis"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/no-5-st-johns-out-to-prove-seeding-too-low-vs-no-12-northern-iowa/",
      "title": "No. 5 St. John's out to prove seeding too low vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa",
      "snippet": "The Red Storm (28-6) won both the Big East regular-season title and the conference tournament, yet secured only a No. 5 seed for a first-round ..."
    },
    {
      "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": "If they were to take down Northern Iowa, the Red Storm could potentially be facing #4 Kansas Jayhawks in the next round. It would be a matchup ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sportsbookreview.com/picks/ncaa-basketball/northern-iowa-vs-st-johns-prediction-picks-odds-march-madness-2026/",
      "title": "Northern Iowa vs. St. John's Prediction | 2026 March Madness Picks ...",
      "snippet": "I'm taking St. John's to win this one by seven points. The Red Storm's defensive attributes outclass even Northern Iowa's sturdy defensive play, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5hNL_C2Px8",
      "title": "Northern Iowa vs St. John's 3/20/26 College Basketball Picks - Tony ...",
      "snippet": "CBB Best Bet - Northern Iowa vs St. John's 3/20/26 College Basketball Picks - Tony George In this video Tony George breaks down the first ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/kansas/basketball/march-madness-should-kansas-hope-for-st-john-s-or-northern-iowa-in-second-round",
      "title": "March Madness: Should Kansas Hope for St. John's or Northern ...",
      "snippet": "See why the Kansas Jayhawks face a tough' path against either No. 5 St. John's or No. 12 Northern Iowa in the second round of the NCAA"
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 12

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: web_search

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

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-bracket-2026-upset-024117999.html",
      "title": "Upset predictions, sleepers, Final Four pick in South Region",
      "snippet": "McNeese went 19-3 in the Southland Conference and prevailed over regular season champion Stephen F. Austin in the league tournament – after ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.threads.com/@cbkalert/post/DVwxImxlepr/the-mc-neese-cowboys-have-won-the-southland-conference-tournament-and-secure-an",
      "title": "The McNeese Cowboys have won the Southland Conference ...",
      "snippet": "The McNeese Cowboys have won the Southland Conference Tournament and secure an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA tournament! ."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://ground.news/article/garcia-leads-cowboys-to-third-straight-southland-conference-tournament-championship",
      "title": "McNeese March Madness: A Return Trip for the Cowboys",
      "snippet": "On Mar 11, 2026, Javohn Garcia scored a career-high 31 and made five 3-pointers as McNeese beat Stephen F. Austin 76-59 to win the Southland ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://vsin.com/college-basketball/2026-southland-conference-basketball-tournament-odds-predictions/",
      "title": "2026 Southland Conference Basketball Tournament Odds ... - VSiN",
      "snippet": "The path to the Southland Conference title likely means beating both McNeese and Stephen F. Austin, so a moneyline rollover is undoubtedly going ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bustingbrackets.com/let-s-have-a-conference-tournament-predicting-the-winners-of-the-early-madness-basketball",
      "title": "Let's have a conference tournament! Predicting the winners of the ...",
      "snippet": "McNeese forces about 15 turnovers a game, leads the league in blocked shots, steals, and shots allowed. They are going to be tough in the NCAA ..."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 13

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "UCF Knights 2026 basketball Big 12 tournament UCLA matchup analysis"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/scouting-opponent-ucf-matches-ucla-172500246.html",
      "title": "How UCF matches up with UCLA in NCAA Tournament - Yahoo Sports",
      "snippet": "As UCF prepares for its first trip to the NCAA Basketball Tournament since the 2018-19 season, the Knights know they have a challenge ahead ..."
    },
    {
      "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": "UCLA will have its hands full in their first round matchup with UCF. ... The UCLA Bruins will have quite the challenge in their opening NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/college/ucf/2026/03/15/ucf-ucla-march-madness-prediction-ncaa-bracket/89142675007/",
      "title": "UCF vs UCLA prediction, pick, odds March Madness first round",
      "snippet": "It's the UCF Knights vs. the UCLA Bruins in the March Madness bracket. Here's our prediction for the 2026 NCAA Tournament basketball game."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4vySDCyVQU",
      "title": "UCLA vs UCF Preview | March Madness First Round ... - YouTube",
      "snippet": "UCLA and UCF meet in the NCAA Tournament in a compelling March Madness first round matchup. In this video, we break down UCLA vs UCF, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/ucla-ucf-march-madness-bracket-pick/dfc246aa73378cc26b7ada1c",
      "title": "UCLA or UCF? How to pick 7 vs. 10 matchup in 2026 March ...",
      "snippet": "UCF was expected to be closer to the bottom of the Big 12 than to the NCAA Tournament, and Dawkins was likely to be on the hot seat. Not so fast ..."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 14

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Now let me research some more upset candidates and regional favorites:

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Utah State Aggies 2026 basketball Mountain West champions upset pick"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://utahstateaggies.com/news/2026/3/14/mens-basketball-utah-state-wins-mountain-west-championship-with-73-62-victory-against-san-diego-state.aspx",
      "title": "Utah State Wins Mountain West Championship With 73-62 Victory ...",
      "snippet": "Utah State Wins Mountain West Championship With 73-62 Victory Against San Diego State · Aggies advance to the NCAA Tournament for a school-record ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://themw.com/news/2026/03/14/no-1-utah-state-completes-revenge-tour-pulls-away-from-no-2-san-diego-state-for-mw-title/",
      "title": "No. 1 Utah State completes revenge tour, pulls away from No. 2 San ...",
      "snippet": "In Saturday's Credit Union 1 Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship final, Utah State looked to bully No. 2 San Diego State, which beat ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.mwcconnection.com/san-diego-state-aztec-basketball/83531/utah-state-wins-mountain-west-conference-tournament-with-a-73-62-win-over-san-diego-state",
      "title": "AZTECS FALLS SHORT AGAINST UTAH STATE, DROPPING ...",
      "snippet": "Aztecs lose momentum as Aggies charge back, defeating San Diego State 73-62 in the Mountain West Conference Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://themw.com/news/2026/03/13/all-around-production-propels-no-1-utah-state-to-mw-championship-game/",
      "title": "All-Around Production Propels No. 1 Utah State to MW ...",
      "snippet": "After a first half which Utah State won by seven points but didn't dominate any stat in particular, the turning point was the first 10 minutes ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.deseret.com/sports/2026/03/14/utah-state-basketball-wins-mountain-west-tournament/",
      "title": "Utah State beats San Diego State to win Mountain West tournament",
      "snippet": "The Utah State Aggies bested the San Diego State Aztecs Saturday in Las Vegas."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 15

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "Gonzaga Bulldogs 2026 basketball WCC tournament Drew Timme final season"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/gonzaga-wins-2026-wcc-title-175000974.html",
      "title": "Gonzaga Wins 2026 WCC Title, Ending Era of Dominance Before ...",
      "snippet": "Gonzaga beat Santa Clara 79-68 to win another WCC championship, adding to one of the most dominant conference runs in college basketball ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/westcoast/2026/03/11/gonzaga-basketball-score-march-madness-wcc-tournament-record-mark-few/89064143007/",
      "title": "Death. Taxes. Gonzaga cutting down WCC nets... one last time",
      "snippet": "Drew Timme. Present-day Graham Ike. And who could forget Mr ... WCC concluded this season — but not before one last celebration."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/MarchMadnessMBB/posts/gonzaga-wins-the-wcc-tournament-the-bulldogs-complete-the-sweep-of-the-regular-s/1323212583175131/",
      "title": "GONZAGA WINS THE WCC TOURNAMENT The Bulldogs complete ...",
      "snippet": "We won the regular season last week so even though we lost we can win the WCC tournament. ... The 'Drew Timme Effect' Kicks in for Gonzaga."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/gonzaga-basketball-dominance-wcc-era-mark-few",
      "title": "Gonzaga Ends WCC Era With Another Title - Athlon Sports",
      "snippet": "Gonzaga defeated Santa Clara 79-68 to win another West Coast Conference title, continuing two decades of dominance under Mark Few before ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.basketunderreview.com/ticket-punched-previewing-the-gonzaga-bulldogs-for-the-2026-ncaa-tournament/",
      "title": "Ticket Punched: Previewing the Gonzaga Bulldogs for the 2026 ...",
      "snippet": "Gonzaga takes home the WCC tournament championship for the 23rd time and the 21st under Mark Few in his 27 seasons as head coach. Gonzaga ..."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 16

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Let me get more info on potential Final Four contenders:

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "\"UConn Huskies\" 2026 basketball defending champions Final Four odds"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.theuconnblog.com/uconn-huskies-mens-basketball/58674/opening-odds-uconn-named-2-seed-in-east-region-will-take-on-15-seed-furman-in-first-round",
      "title": "Opening Odds: UConn named 2-seed in East Region, will ...",
      "snippet": "A UConn Huskies Community. The UConn Blog. March 15, 2026 · The UConn ... 1 overall seed in 2026 NCAA Tournament. 5:26 AM PDT. How to watch ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48237100/final-four-national-championship-picks-predictions-march-madness-2026",
      "title": "Final Four, national champion predictions for the men's ...",
      "snippet": "Another seven chose the 2-seeded UConn Huskies, who are looking to ... 2026 men's Final Four and national championship picks. South, East ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/opening-odds-uconn-named-2-230927544.html",
      "title": "Opening Odds: UConn named 2-seed in East Region, will ...",
      "snippet": "The Seton Hall Pirates take on the UConn Huskies men's basketball ... 2026 Big East men's basketball tournament bracket, schedule, scores: St."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://nypost.com/2026/03/15/betting/2026-womens-ncaa-tournament-odds-uconn-a-massive-favorite-after-bracket-is-revealed/",
      "title": "2026 Women's NCAA Tournament odds: UConn a massive ...",
      "snippet": "Stop us if you've heard this one before: The UConn Huskies are a runaway favorite to win the Women's NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/espnW/posts/uconn-will-go-into-the-ncaa-womens-tournament-as-the-odds-on-favorites-to-captur/1516310636518107/",
      "title": "UConn will go into the NCAA women's tournament as ...",
      "snippet": "It's game day! Today, the UConn Huskies face off against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 17

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Let me search for more specific injury reports and team analysis:

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament injury report key players out March Madness"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.nbcsports.com/mens-college-basketball/news/march-madness-injuries-to-know-updates-for-key-players-ahead-of-the-mens-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "March Madness injuries to know: Updates for key players ahead of ...",
      "snippet": "March Madness injuries to know: Updates for key players ahead of the men's NCAA Tournament ; Alabama. Aden Holloway (Non-Injury; arrested on ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.rotowire.com/cbasketball/article/college-basketball-injuries-ncaa-tournament-march-madness-first-round-108144",
      "title": "College Basketball Injuries: March Madness First Round - RotoWire",
      "snippet": "Discover which player are in, out or uncertain before filling out your brackets for March Madness 2026. Updated on March 17, 2026 5:33PM EST."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/key-injuries-to-remember-mens-march-madness-bracket",
      "title": "Key Injuries to Remember When Filling Out Your Men's March ...",
      "snippet": "Brown sat out of the ACC tournament due to a back injury with hopes of being ready to play in March Madness, but as things stand Louisville will ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaab/ncaa-tournament-injury-report-jt-toppin-caleb-foster-most-impactful-players",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament Injury Report: JT Toppin, Caleb Foster Highlight ...",
      "snippet": "NCAA Tournament Injury Report: JT Toppin, Caleb Foster Highlight Most Impactful Players ... Everyone's eyes turn to March Madness this time of ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dukes-jon-scheyer-confirms-key-165110316.html",
      "title": "Duke's Jon Scheyer Confirms Key Players May Return for NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "March Madness 2026: NCAA tournament watch times, bracket news, first ... to miss ACC tournament with back injury, hopeful for NCAA tournament ..."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 18

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.nbcsports.com/mens-college-basketball/news/march-madness-injuries-to-know-updates-for-key-players-ahead-of-the-mens-ncaa-tournament"
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "[Skip navigation](https://www.nbcsports.com/mens-college-basketball/news/march-madness-injuries-to-know-updates-for-key-players-ahead-of-the-mens-ncaa-tournament#Page-content)\n\n[![nbc-sports-logo-yello.svg](https://nbcsports.brightspotcdn.com/76/a1/28ae939d488781e23e1813aaecb3/nbc-sports-logo-1.svg)](https://www.nbcsports.com/)\n\nSearch Query\nSubmit Search\n\n[MLB](https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb)\n\n[NFL](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl)\n\n[NBA](https://www.nbcsports.com/nba)\n\n[NHL](https://www.nbcsports.com/nhl)\n\n[NASCAR](https://www.nbcsports.com/nascar)\n\n[Premier League](https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league)\n\n[College Football](https://www.nbcsports.com/college-football)\n\n[Men’s College Basketball](https://www.nbcsports.com/mens-college-basketball)\n\n[Horse Racing](https://www.nbcsports.com/horse-racing)\n\n### Top News\n\n[![2026 World Baseball Classic - Workouts](https://nbcsports.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f299c2d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4000x4000+966+0/resize/64x64!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnbc-sports-production-nbc-sports.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F6e%2Fc30f7e7c4636888bfe757b502c56%2Fhttps-delivery-gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F2266551081)](https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/2026-team-usa-vs-venezuela-world-baseball-classic-live-updates-tues-mar-17-highlights-scores-results-stats)\n\n[USA vs Venezuela live updates: 2026 World Baseball Classic Final score, results, highlights, stats from WBC on March 17](https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/2026-team-usa-vs-venezuela-world-baseball-classic-live-updates-tues-mar-17-highlights-scores-results-stats)\n\n- ![DJShortBW.jpg](https://nbcsports.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/03a22cc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4193x4193+1+0/resize/32x32!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnbc-sports-production-nbc-sports.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fe4%2F22%2F43e85e1e40d5b599cfea0a31c7a4%2Fdjshortbw.jpg)\n\n\nD.J. Short\n,\n\n- ![DJShortBW.jpg](https://nbcsports.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/03a22cc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4193x4193+1+0/resize/32x32!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnbc-sports-production-nbc-sports.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fe4%2F22%2F43e85e1e40d5b599cfea0a31c7a4%2Fdjshortbw.jpg)\n\n\nD.J. Short\n,\n\n[![Mondo Duplantis](https://nbcsports.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8a09b5b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/399x399+155+0/resize/64x64!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnbc-sports-production-nbc-sports.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fff%2F47%2Fe161fcea38d22ab65f48c856a8ac%2Fgettyimages-1199618248-e1581777526434.jpg)](https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/mondo-duplantis-pole-vault-world-record-indoor-championships-2026)\n\n[Mondo Duplantis returns to his field of dreams at World Indoor Championships](https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/mondo-duplantis-pole-vault-world-record-indoor-championships-2026)\n\n- [Nick Zaccardi](https://www.nbcsports.com/author/nick-zaccardi),\n\n- [Nick Zaccardi](https://www.nbcsports.com/author/nick-zaccardi),\n\n[![nbc_dps_jayonrait_260224.jpg](https://nbcsports.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/09b1f4a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1080x1080+420+0/resize/64x64!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhdliveextra-a.akamaihd.net%2FHD%2Fimage_sports%2FNBCU_Sports_Group_-_nbcsports%2F1003%2F427%2Fnbc_dps_jayonrait_260224.jpg)](https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/doug-armstrong-hockey-canada-gm-general-manager)\n\n[Doug Armstrong will not return as Canada men’s hockey GM](https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/doug-armstrong-hockey-canada-gm-general-manager)\n\n- [Nick Zaccardi](https://www.nbcsports.com/author/nick-zaccardi),\n\n- [Nick Zaccardi](https://www.nbcsports.com/author/nick-zaccardi),\n\n### Top Clips\n\n[![nbc_mlb_openingdayicecube_260317.jpg](https://nbcsports.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/eeda570/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1080x1080+420+0/resize/64x64!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhdliveextra-a.akamaihd.net%2FHD%2Fimage_sports%2FNBCU_Sports_Group_-_nbcsports%2F317%2F587%2Fnbc_mlb_openingdayicecube_260317.jpg)](https://ww"
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 19

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

Now let me build my bracket systematically. Based on my research, here are the key insights I've gathered: ## Key Research Findings: 1. **Top KenPom Rankings (2026)**: - Duke #1 (38.90 rating, 32-2) - Arizona #2 (37.62 rating, 32-2) - Michigan #3 (37.58 rating, 31-3) - Florida #4 (33.78 rating, 26-7) - Houston #5 (33.39 rating, 28-6) - Iowa State #6 (32.37 rating, 27-7) 2. **Major Injury Concerns**: - **Texas Tech** - Lost star JT Toppin to season-ending ACL tear, went 3-4 in last 7 games - **Alabama** - Dealing with ongoing legal issues/distractions 3. **Strong Upset Candidates**: - **Akron Zips (12)** vs Texas Tech (5) - TT weakened by Toppin injury - **Northern Iowa (12)** vs St. John's (5) - UNI on 5-game winning streak, first tournament in 10 years with momentum - **McNeese (12)** vs Vanderbilt (5) - Southland champs, excellent defense (15 turnovers/game, leads in blocks/steals) - **Utah State (9)** vs Villanova (8) - Mountain West champions, beat San Diego State decisively 4. **Dangerous Mid-Seeds**: - **UCF (10)** vs UCLA (7) - UCF exceeded expectations in Big 12 - **Missouri (10)** vs Miami (7) - Strong finishing team Now I'll build my bracket with strategic upsets while keeping strong teams advancing:

Tool Call: submit_bracket

{
  "r1": [
    {
      "gameId": "game-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-2",
      "winnerId": "ohio-state-buckeyes"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-3",
      "winnerId": "northern-iowa-panthers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-4",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-5",
      "winnerId": "louisville-cardinals"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-6",
      "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-7",
      "winnerId": "ucf-knights"
    },
    {
      "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"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-12",
      "winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-13",
      "winnerId": "texas-longhorns"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-14",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-15",
      "winnerId": "missouri-tigers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-16",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-17",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-18",
      "winnerId": "iowa-hawkeyes"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-19",
      "winnerId": "mcneese-cowboys"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-20",
      "winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-21",
      "winnerId": "north-carolina-tar-heels"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-22",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-23",
      "winnerId": "saint-marys-gaels"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-24",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-25",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-26",
      "winnerId": "georgia-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-27",
      "winnerId": "akron-zips"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-28",
      "winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-29",
      "winnerId": "tennessee-volunteers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-30",
      "winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-31",
      "winnerId": "kentucky-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-32",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r2": [
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-2",
      "winnerId": "northern-iowa-panthers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-3",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-4",
      "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-5",
      "winnerId": "ucf-knights"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-6",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-2",
      "winnerId": "utah-state-aggies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-3",
      "winnerId": "wisconsin-badgers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-4",
      "winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-5",
      "winnerId": "texas-longhorns"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-6",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-7",
      "winnerId": "missouri-tigers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-8",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-2",
      "winnerId": "iowa-hawkeyes"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-3",
      "winnerId": "mcneese-cowboys"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-4",
      "winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-5",
      "winnerId": "north-carolina-tar-heels"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-6",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-7",
      "winnerId": "saint-marys-gaels"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-8",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-2",
      "winnerId": "georgia-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-3",
      "winnerId": "akron-zips"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-4",
      "winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-5",
      "winnerId": "tennessee-volunteers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-6",
      "winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-7",
      "winnerId": "kentucky-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-8",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r3": [
    {
      "gameId": "s16-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-east-2",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-east-3",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-east-4",
      "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-west-2",
      "winnerId": "wisconsin-badgers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-west-3",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-west-4",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-south-2",
      "winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-south-3",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-south-4",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-midwest-2",
      "winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-midwest-3",
      "winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-midwest-4",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r4": [
    {
      "gameId": "e8-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-east-2",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-west-2",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-south-2",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-midwest-2",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r5": [
    {
      "gameId": "ff-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "ff-2",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    }
  ],
  "r6": [
    {
      "gameId": "champ-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    }
  ],
  "tiebreakerScore": 149
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: submit_bracket

{
  "errors": [
    "r2 (Round of 32): expected 16 picks, got 30",
    "r3 (Sweet 16): expected 8 picks, got 16",
    "r4 (Elite 8): expected 4 picks, got 8"
  ],
  "submitted": false
}

Provider Metadata

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

assistantMessage 20

Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 PM

I need to fix the structure of my bracket. Let me rebuild it with the correct number of picks for each round:

Tool Call: submit_bracket

{
  "r1": [
    {
      "gameId": "game-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-2",
      "winnerId": "ohio-state-buckeyes"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-3",
      "winnerId": "northern-iowa-panthers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-4",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-5",
      "winnerId": "louisville-cardinals"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-6",
      "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-7",
      "winnerId": "ucf-knights"
    },
    {
      "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"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-12",
      "winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-13",
      "winnerId": "texas-longhorns"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-14",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-15",
      "winnerId": "missouri-tigers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-16",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-17",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-18",
      "winnerId": "iowa-hawkeyes"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-19",
      "winnerId": "mcneese-cowboys"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-20",
      "winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-21",
      "winnerId": "north-carolina-tar-heels"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-22",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-23",
      "winnerId": "saint-marys-gaels"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-24",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-25",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-26",
      "winnerId": "georgia-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-27",
      "winnerId": "akron-zips"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-28",
      "winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-29",
      "winnerId": "tennessee-volunteers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-30",
      "winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-31",
      "winnerId": "kentucky-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-32",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r2": [
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-2",
      "winnerId": "northern-iowa-panthers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-3",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-4",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-2",
      "winnerId": "utah-state-aggies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-3",
      "winnerId": "texas-longhorns"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-4",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-2",
      "winnerId": "mcneese-cowboys"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-3",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-4",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-2",
      "winnerId": "akron-zips"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-3",
      "winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-4",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r3": [
    {
      "gameId": "s16-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-east-2",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-west-2",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-south-2",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-midwest-2",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r4": [
    {
      "gameId": "e8-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-south-1",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    }
  ],
  "r5": [
    {
      "gameId": "ff-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "ff-2",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    }
  ],
  "r6": [
    {
      "gameId": "champ-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    }
  ],
  "tiebreakerScore": 149
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tool Result: submit_bracket

{
  "submitted": true
}

Provider Metadata

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

Tokens

Input: 313719
Output: 5689
Reasoning: —