Brack to the Token Future

Seed 1.6ByteDanceEntry 1

HARDcompletedPublished

Outcome

0 pts

Accuracy

—

Created

Mar 18, 2026, 11:50 PM

Finished

Mar 18, 2026, 11:53 PM

Tiebreaker

158

Validation

—

R64

R32

S16

Predicted Champion

Huskies

Bracket

Final Four

UConn—

Arizona—

Houston—

Michigan—

UConn—

Michigan—

Predicted Total

158

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—

TCU—

Northern Iowa—

Kansas—

South Florida—

Michigan State—

UCLA—

UConn—

S16

Duke—

Kansas—

Michigan State—

UConn—

Duke—

UConn—

west

R64

Arizona—

Long Island University—

Villanova—

Utah State—

Wisconsin—

High Point—

Arkansas—

Hawai'i—

BYU—

11Texas / NC State

Gonzaga—

Kennesaw State—

Miami—

Missouri—

Purdue—

Queens—

R32

Arizona—

Utah State—

High Point—

Arkansas—

Texas—

Gonzaga—

Missouri—

Purdue—

S16

Arizona—

Arkansas—

Gonzaga—

Purdue—

Arizona—

Purdue—

south

R64

Florida—

16Prairie View A&M / Lehigh

Clemson—

Iowa—

Vanderbilt—

McNeese—

Nebraska—

Troy—

North Carolina—

VCU—

Illinois—

Pennsylvania—

Saint Mary's—

Texas A&M—

Houston—

Idaho—

R32

Florida—

Iowa—

McNeese—

Nebraska—

VCU—

Illinois—

Saint Mary's—

Houston—

S16

Florida—

Nebraska—

Illinois—

Houston—

Florida—

Houston—

midwest

R64

Michigan—

16UMBC / Howard

Georgia—

Saint Louis—

Texas Tech—

Akron—

Alabama—

Hofstra—

Tennessee—

11SMU / Miami (OH)

Virginia—

Wright State—

Kentucky—

Santa Clara—

Iowa State—

Tennessee State—

R32

Michigan—

Saint Louis—

Akron—

Alabama—

Miami (OH)—

Virginia—

Santa Clara—

Iowa State—

S16

Michigan—

Alabama—

Virginia—

Iowa State—

Michigan—

Iowa State—

Trace

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

userMessage 1

Mar 18, 2026, 11:50 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, 11:53 PM

Reasoning

Got it, let's start with Phase 1: Research. First, I need to get the big picture by checking current rankings. The user mentioned AP Top 25, NET rankings, and KenPom, so those are good initial search queries. Let me list out the first set of searches to gather that foundational data. First, I should search for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball AP Top 25 rankings as of March 18. That will tell me which teams are considered elite. Then, NET rankings are important for tournament seeding context and team strength. KenPom stats will provide advanced metrics like adjusted efficiency, which is useful for evaluating matchups. Next, since there are four regions, I need to start researching each one. Let's begin with the East Region because it has top seeds like Duke and UConn. A search for East Region 2026 NCAA Tournament analysis will help identify key teams, injuries, and potential upsets. For example, 12-seed Northern Iowa vs 5-seed St. John's is a common 12-5 upset spot, so maybe a specific search on that matchup would be good. Also, I should look for upset indicators. A search for 2026 NCAA Tournament 12-seed upset candidates will help find which 12-seeds have the best chance to beat 5-seeds. Another search for mid-major teams with 30+ wins in 2026 will identify Cinderella candidates. Let me structure these initial web searches to cover the big picture and start regional analysis. I'll do parallel tool calls to make the research efficient.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Men's Basketball AP Top 25 rankings March 18"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Men's Basketball NET rankings March 18"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Men's Basketball KenPom advanced stats March 18"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament East Region analysis key teams injuries upsets"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament 12-seed upset candidates vs 5-seeds"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 mid-major NCAA basketball teams with 30+ wins"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "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": "Here are the latest men's USA TODAY Sports Coaches and AP Top 25 polls."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25",
      "title": "Duke heads into March Madness ranked No. 1 in AP Top 25 - ESPN",
      "snippet": "AP Top 25 Men's College Basketball Poll · 1. Duke (50), 32-2 · 2. Arizona (7), 32-2 · 3. Michigan, 31-3 · 4. Florida, 26-7 · 5. Houston, 28-6 · 6."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25406953-ap-college-basketball-poll-2026-final-rankings-after-march-madness-bracket-reveal",
      "title": "AP College Basketball Poll 2026 Final Rankings After March ...",
      "snippet": "1. Duke (32-2) · 2. Arizona (32-2) · 3. Michigan (31-3) · 4. Florida (26-7) · 5. Houston (28-6) · 6. Iowa State (27-7) · 7. UConn (29-5) · 8. Purdue ( ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/associated-press",
      "title": "NCAA college basketball rankings, polls from the AP and Coaches",
      "snippet": "Get NCAA college basketball rankings from the NET Rankings, Associated Press and USA Today Coaches poll."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll",
      "title": "AP Top 25 Men's College Basketball Poll",
      "snippet": "Rankings ; 1. Blue Devils · Duke 32-2 · 1418 (50) ; 2. Wildcats. Arizona 32-2 · 1372 (7) ; 3. Wolverines · Michigan 31-3 · 1310 (0)."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "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://bballnet.com/",
      "title": "2026 NET Rankings and Quad Wins",
      "snippet": "Rank, Prev, School, Conf, Record. 1, 1, Duke · ACC, 32-2. 2, 2, Michigan · Big Ten, 31-3. 3, 3, Arizona · Big 12, 32-2. 4, 4, Florida · SEC, 26-7."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.warrennolan.com/basketball/2026/net",
      "title": "NET Ranking - Men's College Basketball",
      "snippet": "2026 Men's College Basketball NET Ranking: NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) a ranking of teams based on five factors, team value index, net efficiency, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-ranking-every-team-march-madness-1-to-68/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: Ranking every team ...",
      "snippet": "Matt Norlander's annual must-read ranking of every school playing in this year's men's NCAA Tournament. Read up before you fill out your ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/ncaab/updated-college-basketball-net-rankings-for-ncaa-tournament-bm10/",
      "title": "Updated NET Rankings for 2025-26 For NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "NET Rankings for 2025-26 Season ; 1, Duke, 30-2 ; 2, Michigan, 29-2 ; 3, Arizona, 30-2 ; 4, Florida, 25-6."
    }
  ]
}

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://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-basketball/kenpom-trends-march-madness-bracket",
      "title": "KenPom Trends to Know Before Filling Out Your Men's March ...",
      "snippet": "Every March, advanced metrics become a popular reference point for evaluating men's NCAA Tournament teams. KenPom rankings, which measure ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-cheat-sheet-stats-march-madness-history-bracket-picks/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament cheat sheet of stats, things to ... - CBS Sports",
      "snippet": "Ultimate 2026 NCAA Tournament cheat sheet: March Madness stats and facts before you lock in your bracket picks ; Purdue (131.6); Illinois (131.2)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.on3.com/news/march-madness-ranking-title-contenders-with-historic-kenpom-data-in-week-18/",
      "title": "March Madness: Ranking title contenders with historic KenPom data ...",
      "snippet": "To qualify in this group, each team must hold a KenPom Offensive Rating of 124.1 or higher and a Defensive Rating of 91.3 or lower. The ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankNCSOS&xid=17259,15700022,15700186,15700191,15700248",
      "title": "2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings",
      "snippet": "ADVANCED ANALYSIS OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL. ≡. Stats. Efficiency · Four Factors · Player Stats · Point Distribution · Height/Experience · Misc."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/2026-ncaa-tournament-east-regional-023320775.html",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament East Regional Breakdown: Top storylines ...",
      "snippet": "2026 NCAA Tournament East Regional Breakdown: Top storylines, matchups and Cinderellas to watch - Yahoo Sports."
    },
    {
      "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 may be the toughest bracket in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Duke, UConn, Kansas and St. John's headline a loaded field with ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-bracket-2026-march-madness-upsets/",
      "title": "NCAA bracket 2026: Best March Madness seed upsets to target ...",
      "snippet": "NCAA bracket 2026: Best seed upsets to target based on March Madness trends - CBS Sports."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.outkick.com/sports/outkick-2026-ncaa-tournament-breakdown-east-west-regions",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Quick Analysis: East And West Regions",
      "snippet": "OutKick breaks down the 2026 NCAA Tournament East and West Region bracket with top seeds, Sweet 16 paths, and upset alerts in the first ..."
    },
    {
      "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": "A number of contenders are dealing with crucial injuries on their rosters heading in the NCAA tournament."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/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": "... 12-seeds to win in last year's Dance. (12) Akron vs. (5) Texas Tech. Upset chance: 18% 12:40 p.m. ET on Friday. Tech's national championship ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7121264/2026/03/16/march-madness-upsets-ncaa-tournament-2026-10-most-likely/",
      "title": "The 10 most likely men's NCAA tournament upsets for March ...",
      "snippet": "The 10 most likely men's NCAA tournament upsets for March Madness 2026 ; No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores vs. No. 12 McNeese Cowboys · 41.2 percent ; No ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://deadspin.com/best-12-vs-5-ncaa-tournament-upset-picks-for-2026-march-madness/",
      "title": "Best 12 vs 5 NCAA Tournament Upset Picks for 2026 March Madness",
      "snippet": "Here are the twelve seeds that I think have the best chance to play Cinderella in the first round. #12 UNI (+470) vs #5 St. John's -10.5. St."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-bracket-2026-what-ncaa-tournament-selection-committee-got-right-and-wrong-011750028.html",
      "title": "What NCAA tournament selection committee got right and wrong",
      "snippet": "The men's selection committee didn't do Duke any favors despite giving the Blue Devils the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/ncaa-tournament-2026-bracket-proven-simulation-predicts-surprising-upsets-sleepers-march-madness-picks/",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket: Proven simulation predicts ...",
      "snippet": "The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket is out, and the top seed lines feature many familiar programs like Duke, UConn, Florida and Michigan as ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/46775032/mens-ncaa-basketball-predicting-teams-win-30-games-2025-26",
      "title": "Predicting 30-win men's NCAA basketball teams in 2025-26 - ESPN",
      "snippet": "History says a 30-win season could lead to a national title (see: Florida). Which teams could achieve the feat this season?"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://collegeinsider.com/mens-mid-major-top-25",
      "title": "Mens Mid Major Top 25 - Collegeinsider",
      "snippet": "Mens Mid Major Top 25® Update Date: March 16,2026 ; 1. Gonzaga (30). 30-3 ; 2. Miami. 31-1 ; 3. Santa Clara. 26-8 ; 4. Saint Mary's (1). 27-5 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/02/24/college-basketball-mid-major-power-rankings-gonzaga-miami-saint-louis/88832528007/",
      "title": "College basketball mid-major power rankings: Gonzaga, Miami Ohio ...",
      "snippet": "College basketball mid-major power rankings · 1. Gonzaga (27-2) · 2. Miami (Ohio) (27-0) · 3. Saint Louis (25-2) · 4. Utah State (23-4) · 5. Saint ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://andrewcharlesfischer.substack.com/p/2026-college-basketball-mid-major",
      "title": "2026 College Basketball Mid-Major Top 10 - The Open Notebook",
      "snippet": "1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (West Coast Conference, 27-2) · 2. Saint Louis Billikens (Atlantic 10 Conference, 25-2) · 3. Utah State Aggies (Mountain West ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bustingbrackets.com/mid-major-top-10-rankings-the-best-teams-you-should-be-watching-right-now-basketball",
      "title": "Mid-Major Top 10 Rankings: The Best Teams You Should Be ...",
      "snippet": "Mid-Major Top 10 college basketball rankings, featuring Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Utah State, Miami (OH), and more teams surging toward March ..."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 3

Mar 18, 2026, 11:53 PM

Reasoning

Got it, let's analyze the new research data and plan the next steps. First, the initial searches gave some key insights: 1. AP/Net Rankings: Duke (1), Michigan (2), Arizona (3), Florida (4) are top seeds with strong records. KenPom mentions high offensive ratings for Purdue and Illinois, but we need more detailed KenPom data. 2. East Region is noted as tough, with injury mentions but no specific details yet—critical to follow up on that. 3. 12-seed upset candidates: Akron vs Texas Tech (18% chance), Vanderbilt vs McNeese (41.2% chance), UNI vs St. John's (favored by Deadspin). These are concrete leads for upsets. 4. Mid-majors with 30+ wins: Gonzaga (30-3), Miami (31-1)—wait, Miami is in the West Region as a 7-seed, that's a potential Cinderella. Santa Clara (26-8) is also a mid-major to watch. But we're missing specific details that are essential for making smart picks: - No specific injury reports (the East Region snippet mentions injuries but no names/severity—need to find that) - Detailed KenPom stats (only a hint at offensive/defensive ratings, no team-specific breakdowns) - West/South/Midwest Region deep dives (we only searched East Region earlier) - Specific matchup analysis for high-chance upsets (like McNeese vs Vanderbilt, UNI vs St. John's) - Play-in game details (we haven't researched the play-in teams like Siena/NC State, Prairie View A&M/Lehigh, etc.) So the next round of searches should target these gaps. Let's prioritize: 1. Specific injury reports for top East Region teams (Duke, UConn, Kansas) 2. Detailed KenPom stats for key teams (top seeds, upset candidates) 3. West/South/Midwest Region analysis (mirroring the East Region search) 4. Play-in game team evaluations (to pick winners for those matchups) 5. Deep dive on high-chance 12-seed upsets (McNeese, UNI, Akron) 6. Mid-major 30+ win teams' tournament histories/coaching tendencies (Gonzaga, Miami) We need to use web_search for these specific queries to get actionable data. Let's structure the next parallel calls to cover these areas efficiently.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA East Region top teams key injuries severity return dates"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 KenPom team-specific offensive defensive ratings top seeds upset candidates"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament West Region analysis key teams injuries upsets"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament South Region analysis key teams injuries upsets"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region analysis key teams injuries upsets"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA Tournament play-in teams analysis siena-saints nc-state-wolfpack lehigh-mountain-hawks howard-bison miami-oh-redhawks"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 McNeese Cowboys vs Vanderbilt Commodores matchup analysis stats"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 Northern Iowa Panthers vs St John's Red Storm matchup analysis stats"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 mid-major 30+ win teams tournament history coaching experience"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "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": "A number of contenders are dealing with crucial injuries on their rosters heading in the NCAA tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-injuries-know-updates-190736080.html",
      "title": "Updates for key players ahead of the men's NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "Injuries are an unfortunate reality of sports, and in an event as big as the NCAA Tournament, there is a lot of news to keep track of."
    },
    {
      "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": "In 2026, there is a lengthy list of recent injuries to some big-name players we need to watch out for. We'll take you through the most impactful ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7125224/2026/03/17/march-madness-2026-player-injuries-caleb-foster-mikel-brown/",
      "title": "Key March Madness injuries to know while filling out your men's ...",
      "snippet": "Below is a repository of all the biggest injuries impacting the men's NCAA Tournament. We have split them into two categories: Injuries worth ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/news/college-basketball/march-madness-injuries-know-for-first-round-of-2026-ncaa-tournament/",
      "title": "March Madness Injuries & Absences for 2026 NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "Will Braden Huff return for Gonzaga? See the full list of March Madness injuries to know for 2026. The 68-team field is set and the printable ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-cheat-sheet-stats-march-madness-history-bracket-picks/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament cheat sheet of stats, things to ... - CBS Sports",
      "snippet": "Here are the teams in 2026 + their defensive rankings at KenPom. ... 21 or better: Six of the top 21 teams at KenPom are in the East, including ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7123051/2026/03/17/the-definitive-guide-to-march-madness-2026-first-round-upsets/",
      "title": "The definitive guide to March Madness 2026 first-round upsets",
      "snippet": "An in-depth, region-by-region look at potential first-round upsets based on historical statistical markers."
    },
    {
      "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": "9 TCU: Ohio State has edge, but TCU is a strong defensive team (23rd in KenPom). South No. 7 Saint Mary's vs. 10 Texas A&M: SMC is ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://247sports.com/longformarticle/march-madness-2026-college-basketball-teams-kenpom-national-championship-formula-duke-michigan-arizona-florida-illinois-iowa-state-277161933/",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Five teams with KenPom's national ...",
      "snippet": "KenPom Offense: No. 4 | KenPom Defense: No. 2. Overall Ranking: No. 2. Michigan joins Duke as the only teams with a top-five offense and defense ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/the-best-mens-ncaa-tournament-teams-each-seed-line",
      "title": "Picking the Best Men's NCAA Tournament Teams at Each Seed Line",
      "snippet": "Arizona is one of just two teams to rank inside the top-five in KenPom's offensive and defensive efficiency (Duke is the other). That ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/ncaa-tournament-2026-bracket-simulation-predicts-surprising-upsets-optimal-sleepers-march-madness-picks/",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket: Simulation predicts surprising ...",
      "snippet": "Top 2026 March Madness bracket upset picks 6-seeded North Carolina. The Tar Heels lost star freshman Caleb Wilson to a season-ending hand ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.outkick.com/sports/outkick-2026-ncaa-tournament-breakdown-east-west-regions",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Quick Analysis: East And West Regions",
      "snippet": "OutKick breaks down the 2026 NCAA Tournament East and West Region bracket with top seeds, Sweet 16 paths, and upset alerts in the first ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/2026-ncaa-tournament-west-regional-023316218.html",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament West Regional Breakdown: Top storylines ...",
      "snippet": "Arizona is the favorite, but there are plenty of formidable challengers in this offense-focused region."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.mexc.com/news/947074",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament West Region Picks: Upsets, Injuries & Predictions",
      "snippet": "Gonzaga, TBD high seed, Braden Huff knee injury, defensive collapse without him ; BYU, TBD mid-seed, AJ Dybantsa load dependency, thin secondary ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7123051/2026/03/17/the-definitive-guide-to-march-madness-2026-first-round-upsets/",
      "title": "The definitive guide to March Madness 2026 first-round upsets",
      "snippet": "An in-depth, region-by-region look at potential first-round upsets based on historical statistical markers."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/ncaa-tournament-2026-bracket-picks-upsets-plus-cinderella-teams-model-simulates-march-madness-10k-times/",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket picks, upsets, plus Cinderella teams",
      "snippet": "SportsLine's college basketball model has called 25 first-round NCAA Tournament upsets by double-digit seeds."
    },
    {
      "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": "With the 2026 NCAA tournament upon us, here's everything you need to know about all four regions."
    },
    {
      "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": "A deep dive into the teams, odds, picks, and best bets for the South Region for the upcoming 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.mensjournal.com/news/most-likely-upsets-in-march-madness-2026-mens-tournament",
      "title": "Most Likely Upsets in March Madness 2026 Men's Tournament",
      "snippet": "March Madness 2026 could see major upsets due to key player injuries and strong underdogs. · VCU and Texas Longhorns may upset higher-seeded ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nbcsports.com/mens-college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-south-regional-breakdown-top-storylines-matchups-and-cinderellas-to-watch",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament South Regional Breakdown: Top storylines ...",
      "snippet": "Florida might be the weakest 1-seed of the bunch, but the Gators are still the defending national champions."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.outkick.com/sports/2026-ncaa-tournament-breakdown-midwest-region-best-bets-sleepers-busts",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Breakdown: Midwest Region Best Bets ...",
      "snippet": "Midwest Region picks for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, with Michigan injury questions, Iowa State's case, Tennessee sleeper upside, upset alerts ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/midwest-region-injury-issues-give-alabama-an-unexpectedly-favorable-final-four-path/ar-AA1YGoC9?cvid=69b829d5038d4abe831be64e5bd23eba&ocid=threcir",
      "title": "Midwest region injury issues give Alabama an unexpectedly ... - MSN",
      "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://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espn-analyst-predicts-ncaa-tournament-182043843.html",
      "title": "ESPN Analyst Predicts NCAA Tournament Midwest Region",
      "snippet": "ESPN insider Jeff Borzello made some predictions for the Midwest Region, and the Michigan Wolverines are the team to beat."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.kansascity.com/sports/article315066325.html",
      "title": "Midwest Region preview: NCAA Tournament team on upset watch?",
      "snippet": "Big Ten player of the year Yaxel Lendeborg left the game with an ankle sprain but said afterward that he expects to play this week."
    },
    {
      "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": "With their best player sidelined for the tournament with an injury, the Red Raiders are ripe for an upset. Miami Ohio may be the talk of the ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-1-fun-fact-171905295.html",
      "title": "1 fun fact about each First Four team in the 2026 NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "March Madness: 1 fun fact about each First Four team in the 2026 NCAA Tournament · Howard · UMBC · NC State · Texas · Miami University · SMU · Lehigh."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-ranking-every-team-march-madness-1-to-68/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: Ranking every team ...",
      "snippet": "This is a crash course on every team in the 2026 tournament field. We're about to enter the final stage of what's been arguably the best season ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hoopshq.com/bracketology/seth-davis-ncaa-mens-2026-tournament-bracket",
      "title": "Seth Davis' NCAA Men's 2026 Tournament Bracket",
      "snippet": "Ready for March Madness? Editor in Chief Seth Davis breaks down the NCAA Tournament bracket with deep insight and analysis. Seth Davis."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7123051/2026/03/17/the-definitive-guide-to-march-madness-2026-first-round-upsets/",
      "title": "The definitive guide to March Madness 2026 first-round ...",
      "snippet": "An in-depth, region-by-region look at potential first-round upsets based on historical statistical markers."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/ranking-all-32-mens-march-madness-first-round-games",
      "title": "Ranking All 32 Men's March Madness First-Round Games",
      "snippet": "Here's your guide to a jam-packed slate on Thursday and Friday of the NCAA tournament. Zach Koons| Mar 16, 2026."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856488/mcneese-vanderbilt",
      "title": "McNeese vs. Vanderbilt (Mar 19, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Team Stats ; 80.0. Points. 86.4 ; 66.5. Points Against. 75.2 ; 47%. Field Goal %. 48% ; 35.2. Rebounds. 35.3 ; 14.2. Assists. 16.4."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/vanderbilt/basketball/breaking-down-mcneese-basketball-ahead-of-vanderbilt-s-first-round-matchup",
      "title": "Breaking Down McNeese Basketball Ahead of Vanderbilt's First ...",
      "snippet": "The Commodores were given a No. 5 seed in the South Region and will be playing No. 12 seed and Southland Conference Champions McNeese Cowboys."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/gametracker/preview/NCAAB_20260319_MCNSE@VANDY/",
      "title": "McNeese Cowboys vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Live Score and Stats",
      "snippet": "Vanderbilt's best two players, guards Tyler Tanner (19.1 points, 5.1 assists, 2.4 steals per game) and Duke Miles (16.5 points, 4.5 assists, 2. ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://collegefootballnews.com/college-basketball/vanderbilt-vs-mcneese-prediction-preview-ncaa-tournament-first-round",
      "title": "Vanderbilt vs McNeese Prediction and Preview: NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "Both Vanderbilt and McNeese like to run and get the offense moving. Here's the CFN prediction and preview of a sure-thing fun 5-12 matchup."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/matchup/cowboys-commodores-2026-03-19/stats",
      "title": "2025-2026 NCAA BB Games: Cowboys Commodores Matchup Stats -",
      "snippet": "McNeese vs Vanderbilt Shooting ; Two Point %, 52.9% (#137), 49.1% (#68), Opp Two Point % ; Shooting %, 45.4% (#134), 42.7% (#75), Opp Shooting %."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "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": "Team Stats ; 69.9. Points. 81.6 ; 61.3. Points Against. 70.0 ; 48%. Field Goal %. 45% ; 31.9. Rebounds. 38.6 ; 15.0. Assists. 16.3."
    },
    {
      "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": "Campbell led the Panthers with 13.7 points and 3.9 assists. Tristan Smith averaged a team-high 5.1 rebounds. --Field Level Media. Copyright 2026 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/matchup/panthers-red-storm-2026-03-20",
      "title": "2025-2026 NCAA BB Games: Panthers Red Storm Overview -",
      "snippet": "Betting analysis for the 2025-2026 NCAA Basketball season matchup between N Iowa and St John's. Includes ats, over/under and straight up ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/northern-iowa-panthers-st-johns-red-storm-202603200534/",
      "title": "Northern Iowa Panthers @ St. John's Red Storm - Yahoo Sports",
      "snippet": "The two key Northern Iowa traits that make it intriguing St. John's opponent in March Madness · NCAA bracket tournament picks, odds: 4 March ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/matchup/376822",
      "title": "Northern Iowa @ St. John's Matchups, Results & Stats - Covers.com",
      "snippet": "Get key insights for Northern Iowa Panthers vs St. John's Red Storm on March 20, 2026, including season records, injuries, and essential stats to help you ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://bustingbrackets.com/ranking-all-68-head-coaches-in-2026-ncaa-tournament-basketball",
      "title": "The best, and worst, coaches in the 2026 NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "Fresh off the reveal of the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, we're breaking down and ranking the 68 head coaches in the field."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://herosports.com/cbb-2026-ncaa-tournament-top-mid-major-players-rcrc/",
      "title": "Top Mid-Major Players In The 2026 NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "Here's a look at the Top 10 mid-major players to keep an eye on in the 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://abc11.com/post/2026-mens-college-basketball-coaching-carousel-guide/18648885/",
      "title": "The 2026 men's college basketball coaching carousel guide",
      "snippet": "After struggling in Year 1 in Columbia, Lamont Paris guided the Gamecocks to a 26-win season in 2023-24, earning a 6-seed in the NCAA tournament ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-coaching-carousel-candidates-names-to-know-2026-cycle/",
      "title": "25 coaches, high-major assistants to know in 2026 cycle",
      "snippet": "He's been at Yale since 1999, has 440 wins and coached an NCAA Tournament-level team six times in the past 10 seasons. And Jones is probably ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://benjaminmichael.substack.com/p/projecting-30-win-mens-college-basketball-535",
      "title": "Projecting 30-win Men's College Basketball Teams - The Mid ...",
      "snippet": "Two of last season's four tournament teams replaced their head coaches. San Diego State has been solid but has not clearly separated itself ..."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 4

Mar 18, 2026, 11:53 PM

Reasoning

Got it, let's see. I've done two rounds of web searches already, gathering a bunch of data on rankings, KenPom stats, injury updates, matchup analyses for 12-5 games, and mid-major teams. Now I need to refine my research to fill in the remaining gaps before building the bracket. First, I need specific injury details for key East Region teams—like who's injured, severity, return dates. The previous search (id 0) had general mentions but no specifics. So I should target that more. Then, KenPom has some team-specific ratings, but I need more on top seeds and upset candidates, especially defensive efficiency which is a big upset indicator. For the West Region, I know Gonzaga has a 30-win season and Miami (OH) is a mid-major, but I need more on their injuries and specific matchup strengths. The South Region has Florida as a 1-seed but maybe the weakest one, so I should check their recent form and any injuries. The Midwest Region has Michigan with injury questions and Texas Tech vulnerable, so I need updates on Yaxel Lendeborg's ankle and Texas Tech's sidelined player. Play-in teams like Siena, NC State, Lehigh, Howard, Miami (OH) need more detailed analysis—their recent performance in conference tournaments, key players. The McNeese vs Vanderbilt and Northern Iowa vs St John's matchups have some stats, but I need more on coaching tendencies and recent form, which are crucial for upsets. Also, mid-major 30+ win teams like Gonzaga and Miami (OH) need their tournament history checked—do they have experience advancing? Coaching experience matters too. I should also look into specific upset indicators like slow tempo teams frustrating higher seeds, which KenPom might have data on. Wait, I also need to check recent form (last 10 games, conference tournament results) for top seeds because that's a big factor. For example, did Duke win their conference tournament? Did Arizona have a late slump? Also, historical tournament performance—like how often 12-seeds beat 5-seeds, which is ~35%, but specific to this year's teams. I should also fetch detailed scouting reports for close matchups, like Ohio State vs TCU (KenPom says TCU is strong defensively), Saint Mary's vs Texas A&M, and Georgia vs Saint Louis. Maybe use web_fetch for some of these scouting reports if web_search snippets are too vague. Oh, and play-in game specifics—like which play-in teams are more likely to win their first round. For example, NC State vs Texas Longhorns play-in, who's favored? Lehigh vs Prairie View A&M, Howard vs UMBC. Let me organize the next round of searches to target these specific gaps: 1. East Region key player injury specifics (names, severity, return dates) 2. KenPom defensive efficiency for upset candidates (12-seeds, mid-majors) 3. West Region Gonzaga/Miami injury updates and recent form 4. South Region Florida's recent form and injury updates 5. Midwest Region Michigan's injury status and Texas Tech's sidelined player details 6. Play-in team recent conference tournament results and key players 7. McNeese/Vanderbilt and Northern Iowa/St John's coaching tendencies 8. Mid-major 30+ win teams tournament history and coaching experience 9. Close matchup scouting reports (Ohio State vs TCU, Saint Mary's vs Texas A&M, Georgia vs Saint Louis) 10. Top seeds' recent form (last 10 games, conference tournament results) That should cover the remaining gaps. I'll structure these into specific web_search and web_fetch calls to get detailed, actionable data.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 East Region key players injuries specific names severity return dates Duke UConn Kansas St John's"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 KenPom defensive efficiency rankings 12-seeds mid-major upset candidates"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 West Region Gonzaga Braden Huff injury update Miami Hurricanes recent form last 10 games"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 South Region Florida Gators recent form last 10 games conference tournament results injuries"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 Midwest Region Michigan Wolverines injury updates Yaxel Lendeborg ankle status Texas Tech Red Raiders sidelined player details"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 play-in teams recent conference tournament results key players Siena Saints NC State Wolfpack Lehigh Mountain Hawks Howard Bison Miami Oh Redhawks"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 McNeese Cowboys Vanderbilt Commodores coaching tendencies recent form last 5 games"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 Northern Iowa Panthers St John's Red Storm coaching tendencies recent form last 5 games"
}

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-cheat-sheet-stats-march-madness-history-bracket-picks/"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 top seeds Duke Arizona Michigan Florida last 10 games results conference tournament performance"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7125224/2026/03/17/march-madness-2026-player-injuries-caleb-foster-mikel-brown/",
      "title": "Key March Madness injuries to know while filling out your men's ...",
      "snippet": "Injuries to monitor · Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville · Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II, Duke · Jaylin Stewart, UConn · Braden Huff, Gonzaga · Nolan ..."
    },
    {
      "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": "Duke's Jon Scheyer Confirms Key Players May Return for NCAA Tournament ... Jon Scheyer and the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils secured the No. 1 seed in ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hoopshq.com/acc/duke-acc-tournament-2026",
      "title": "Duke Keeps on Winning as It Adjusts to an Injury-Depleted Lineup",
      "snippet": "With three key pieces down for the count, Duke keeps finding new ways to win. Credit a versatile roster and a renaissance for Cayden Boozer."
    },
    {
      "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": "In 2026, there is a lengthy list of recent injuries to some big-name players we need to watch out for. We'll take you through the most impactful ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.theuconnblog.com/uconn-huskies-mens-basketball/58757/takeaways-from-the-big-east-championship-game-loss-to-st-johns",
      "title": "Takeaways from the Big East championship game loss to St. John's",
      "snippet": "They're in Duke's region and could meet 3-seeded Michigan State or 6 ... UConn 2026 signee Colben Landrew's interview with Storrs Central."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-cheat-sheet-stats-march-madness-history-bracket-picks/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament cheat sheet of stats, things to ... - CBS Sports",
      "snippet": "Here are the teams in 2026 + their defensive rankings at KenPom. Duke: 2nd (Isaiah Evans); Arizona: 3rd (Brayden Burries); Houston: 4th ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaab/2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-busters-ranking-upset-chances-13-seed-15-seed",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Bracket Busters: Ranking Upset Chances ...",
      "snippet": "Read our 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket busters piece, including a ranking of the 13-15 seeds most likely to pull off an upset."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7123051/2026/03/17/the-definitive-guide-to-march-madness-2026-first-round-upsets/",
      "title": "The definitive guide to March Madness 2026 first-round upsets",
      "snippet": "An in-depth, region-by-region look at potential first-round upsets based on historical statistical markers."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/top-seeds-face-early-upset-threats/gm-GM672D8D14?gemSnapshotKey=GM672D8D14-snapshot-7&uxmode=ruby",
      "title": "Top seeds face early upset threats - MSN",
      "snippet": "With the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket set, top seeds Duke, Arizona, Florida, and Michigan headline the field, but injuries, analytics, and ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0qh5vyT8f4",
      "title": "Ranking the 12 Most Dangerous Mid-Majors So Far - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Optimize Your 2026 Bracket Now: https://poolgenius.teamrankings.com/ncaa-bracket-picks/?trk=rs_tr_mm26_yt How to Win Bracket Pools: ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.swxlocalsports.com/spokane/gonzaga/mens-basketball/braden-huff-injury-update-gonzaga-star-recovering-from-reported-kneecap-dislocation-ahead-of-ncaa-tournament/article_78a4eb9e-ab5a-48b7-86e7-6a2da925a078.html",
      "title": "Braden Huff injury update: Gonzaga star recovering from reported ...",
      "snippet": "Huff has missed 15 straight games after suffering a knee injury the day before Gonzaga played Washington State on Jan. 15. At the time, Huff was ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/gonzaga/basketball/gonzaga-mark-few-gives-injury-update-braden-huff-ncaa-tournament-first-weekend",
      "title": "Gonzaga's Mark Few gives injury update on Braden Huff for NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "Huff has not played since suffering a knee injury ahead of Gonzaga's road game at Washington State on Jan. 15. The team initially gave a 4-8 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-basketball/gonzaga-basketball-news-braden-huff-injury-update-sweet-16-return",
      "title": "Gonzaga basketball's Braden Huff injury update suggests Sweet 16 ...",
      "snippet": "Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few had a positive injury update for Braden Huff, suggesting a return is near."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.rotowire.com/cbasketball/player/braden-huff-20591",
      "title": "Braden Huff - Gonzaga Basketball | RotoWire",
      "snippet": "Huff, who is dealing with a dislocated kneecap and has missed the last 15 games for the Zags, won't be able to return unless Gonzaga makes it to the Sweet 16, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FoicDxBCOW4",
      "title": "Gonzaga's Mark Few Gives an Update on Injured Braden ... - YouTube",
      "snippet": "It's been 67 days since Gonzaga's star forward Braden Huff played in a basketball game, and it sounds like it'll be at least another 10 days ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/gators-secure-south-no-1-233438955.html",
      "title": "Gators secure South No. 1 seed after conference ...",
      "snippet": "2026 SEC men's basketball tournament bracket, results: Arkansas holds off Vandy in title game; Florida crashes out. The Gators look primed to ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.alligator.org/article/2026/03/florida-ncaa-tournament-seed-revealed?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_featured",
      "title": "Florida gets No. 1 seed in South Region of NCAA ...",
      "snippet": "The Gators (26-7) were named as the No. 1 seed in the South Region of the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. UF will now face the ..."
    },
    {
      "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": "4 Auburn in the SEC Tournament Finals, where the loss of center Micah Handlogten to a gruesome leg injury early in the game spelled doom in an ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.thederrick.com/ap/sports/florida-secures-no-1-seed-in-ncaa-tournament-s-south-region/article_9bbd349d-ac76-5997-8004-2bd92d43134a.html",
      "title": "Florida secures No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament's South ...",
      "snippet": "— Florida received the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, a day after the Gators' SEC Tournament no-show loss against Vanderbilt ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/teams/main/florida-gators/injuries",
      "title": "Updated NCAAB Injury Report - Florida Gators",
      "snippet": "Bench. #, Player. 3, Micah Handlogten. 4, Alex Lloyd. 7, Urban Klavzar. 8, Alex Kovatchev. 11, CJ Ingram. 12, Viktor Mikic. 20, Isaiah Brown. 23, AJ Brown."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/yaxel-lendeborg-injury-updates-michigan-134756331.html",
      "title": "Yaxel Lendeborg injury updates: Will Michigan star play in 2026 ...",
      "snippet": "Here's the latest on Lendeborg's injury and status for the 2026 ... However, the situation with his ankle will be worth monitoring as the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/michigan/basketball/michigan-forward-yaxel-lendeborg-gives-update-on-his-injury-after-loss-to-purdue",
      "title": "Michigan Forward Yaxel Lendeborg Gives Update on His Injury After ...",
      "snippet": "Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg told me he has a low ankle-sprain and expects to play in the Wolverines' NCAA Tournament opener. — Alejandro ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://gbmwolverine.com/yaxel-lendeborg-shrugs-off-ankle-injury-but-believes-it-could-ve-been-avoided",
      "title": "Yaxel Lendeborg shrugs off ankle injury but believes it could've ...",
      "snippet": "Yaxel Lendeborg shrugs off ankle injury but believes it could've been avoided. The Wolverines leading scorer should be fine, but he believes ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/SportsRadio100.9TheMitt/posts/update-on-yaxel-lendeborg-ankle-injury/1541355114658570/",
      "title": "Update on Yaxel Lendeborg ankle injury: - Facebook",
      "snippet": "As a result, the medical staff has advised that Yamal will require a recovery period of approximately 3 to 4 weeks before he can return to ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2TvyLt2lNg",
      "title": "Yaxel Lendeborg updates his health, discusses Michigan's Big Ten ...",
      "snippet": "Michigan men's basketball forward Yaxel Lendeborg suffered a low-ankle sprain during the Wolverines' Big Ten Tournament loss to Purdue, ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "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/2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-ranking-every-team-playing-in-march-madness-from-no-1-to-68/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament bracket: Ranking every team ...",
      "snippet": "A must-read ranking of every school playing in this year's men's NCAA Tournament. Read up before you fill out your bracket!"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2026-03-18/what-know-about-every-mens-team-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "What to know about every men's team in the ...",
      "snippet": "The 2026 men's NCAA tournament 68-team field is finally set. With each team setting its sights on the Big Dance through 31 auto bids and 37 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hoopshq.com/rankings/bracketology-2026-march-9",
      "title": "Bracketology 2026: Men's NCAA Tournament Projections",
      "snippet": "March 9: Six teams are officially in the Tournament. Florida grabs a No. 1 seed and Stanford joins the field."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/ranking-all-32-mens-march-madness-first-round-games",
      "title": "Ranking All 32 Men's March Madness First-Round Games",
      "snippet": "Ranking All 32 Men's March Madness First-Round Games. Here's your guide to a jam-packed slate on Thursday and Friday of the NCAA tournament."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856488/mcneese-vanderbilt",
      "title": "McNeese vs. Vanderbilt (Mar 19, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Live coverage of the McNeese Cowboys vs. Vanderbilt Commodores NCAAM game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats."
    },
    {
      "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 Tournament",
      "snippet": "LAST 10 GAMES: Commodores: 6-4, averaging 80.8 points, 30.6 rebounds, 14.5 assists, 6.8 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.0% from ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/matchup/376843",
      "title": "McNeese @ Vanderbilt Matchups, Results & Stats - Covers.com",
      "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.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/vanderbilt-mcneese-march-madness-bracket-pick/c0488d29f7c67e95ec6c6b9c",
      "title": "Vanderbilt or McNeese? How to pick 5 vs. 12 matchup in 2026 ...",
      "snippet": "Here is a complete guide to picking No. 5 Vanderbilt and No. 12 McNeese in your 2026 March Madness bracket, including updated odds and our ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/matchup/cowboys-commodores-2026-03-19/stats",
      "title": "2025-2026 NCAA BB Games: Cowboys Commodores Matchup Stats -",
      "snippet": "Betting analysis for the 2025-2026 NCAA Basketball season matchup between McNeese and Vanderbilt. Includes ats, over/under and straight up ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "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://www.thesportsanimal.com/2026/03/18/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://www.sofascore.com/basketball/match/st-johns-red-storm-northern-iowa-panthers/hRnspXu",
      "title": "St. John's vs Northern Iowa scores & predictions | Sofascore",
      "snippet": "St. John's Red Storm is playing against Northern Iowa Panthers on Mar 20, 2026 at 11:10:00 PM UTC. This game is part of NCAA March Madness ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.statsharp.com/NCAAB/matchups/schedule-and-results.php?g=20260320STJOHNS&v=10",
      "title": "CBB - Northern Iowa Panthers vs. St. John's Red Storm, 03/20/2026",
      "snippet": "... final scores and in-depth stats from completed games for the CBB - Northern Iowa Panthers vs. St. John's Red Storm, 03/20/2026 - matchup."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://nypost.com/2026/03/18/sports/northern-iowas-pace-a-march-madness-key-vs-st-johns/",
      "title": "Northern Iowa's pace a March Madness key vs. St. John's - NY Post",
      "snippet": "Tempo could go a long way in determining how St. John's opening-round NCAA Tournament game goes Friday against No. 12 seed Northern Iowa."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "site: media \\| arena: collegebasketball \\| pageType: stories \\|\nsection: \\| slug: 2026-ncaa-tournament-cheat-sheet-stats-march-madness-history-bracket-picks \\| sport: collegebasketball \\| route: article\\_single.us \\|\n6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories\n\n[Skip to Main Content](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-cheat-sheet-stats-march-madness-history-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# Ultimate 2026 NCAA Tournament cheat sheet: March Madness stats and facts before you lock in your bracket picks\n\n## Did you finish your bracket? You shouldn't before scanning through Matt Norlander's annual cornucopia of goodies to get you ready for the Big Dance.\n\n[![            Matt Norlander     ](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2016/05/25/209ff976-7132-40b6-8249-fe6e874880dd/thumbnail/80x80/7dcb32c00a38632ae5830135b26c5202/mattnorlandermug.png)](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/matt-norlander/)\n\nBy\n[Matt Norlander](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/matt-norlander/)\n\n5 hrs ago\n•\n18 min read\n\n\n![stats2026coverstory.jpg](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2026/03/18/5c320daf-1876-43a5-a3b0-cd35d173ec87/thumbnail/770x433/b2c2b376a4cd5ca8d60f6ae83ce04df8/stats2026coverstory.jpg)Getty Images\n\nWelcome back to the happiest week of the year in sports. The bracket is set and so much lies ahead of us. What chaos and cacophony will this year's Big Dance bring?\n\nOver the next few days, we'll all find out together. That's a joyous thought.\n\nBefore you finalize your bracket picks, though, take a little time here to scroll the buffet of data I've once again culled for you. There are all sorts of individual, team, historical and trend-based stats baked into this annual story that, I hope, gets you that much more excited for the first round on Thursday. If it helps bring any more clarity to you as you overthink the process and invariably wreck your bracket, even better.\n\n_Clock is ticking for Brackets! Get back in your pools and enter our Bracket Challenge for your chance to_ **[_win a dream trip_](https://picks.cbssports.com/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament/bracket?ftag=CBS-03-10aed4f)** _to the 2027 Final FourⓇ._\n\nAs always, in addition to my own research, some supplementary stats were provided by CBS Sports' research team (a special thanks to our Nicky Nathanson this year), the NCAA, [KenPom.com](http://www.kenpom.com/), ESPN, Elias Sports, Sports Reference and [BartTorvik.com](http://www.barttorvik.com/).\n\nOnce again, with feeling, here are the statistics, facts and history to know before we begin the 2026 NCAA Tournament in earnest.\n\n- **Highest-scoring team:** [Alabama](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/BAMA/alabama-crimson-tide/) (91.7 points per game)\n\n- **Lowest-scoring team:** [Northern Iowa](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/NIOWA/northern-iowa-panthers/) (69.9 points per game)\n\n- **Fastest team:** Alabama (74.6 possessions per game)\n\n- **Slowest team:** Northern Iowa (63.4 possessions per game)\n\n- **Best free-throw shooting team:** [Saint Mary's (](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/MARYCA/saint-marys-gaels/) 81.1%)\n\n- **Worst free-throw shooting team:** LIU (66.8%)\n\n- **Best 3-point shooting team:** [Saint Louis](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/STLOU/saint-louis-billikens/) (40.5%)\n\n- **Worst 3-point shooting team:** [Siena](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/SIENA/siena-saints/) (30.4%)\n- **Most experienced team(s)**: [SMU](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/SMU/smu-mustangs/) and [Texas](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/TEXAS/texas-longhorns/) (2.74 average seasons)\n- **Least experienced team**: Saint Mary's (0.74 a"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48217804/duke-arizona-michigan-florida-top-ncaa-tournament-seeds",
      "title": "Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida top NCAA tournament seeds - ESPN",
      "snippet": "While Duke (32-2) took the overall top seed on Selection Sunday, with Arizona (32-2), Michigan (31-3) and defending champion Florida (26-7) ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-arizona-michigan-florida-top-035900208.html",
      "title": "Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida get top seeding for March Madness ...",
      "snippet": "The team that went undefeated in the regular season, racked up more victories than anyone but Duke and Arizona — and fewer losses than any ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7120730/2026/03/15/ncaa-tournament-bracket-duke-michigan-arizona/",
      "title": "Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida earn No. 1 seeds in men's ...",
      "snippet": "Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida earn No. 1 seeds in men's NCAA Tournament ; 1 Duke. 16 Siena ; 8 Ohio State. 9 TCU ; 5 St. John's. 12 UNI."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.theintermountain.com/uncategorized/2026/03/duke-arizona-michigan-florida-top-seeds-in-ncaa-tourney/",
      "title": "Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida top seeds in NCAA tourney",
      "snippet": "While Duke (32-2) took the overall top seed on Selection Sunday, with Arizona (32-2), Michigan (31-3) and defending champion Florida (26-7) also ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/ThePostStar/posts/the-top-seeds-this-season-are-florida-duke-michigan-and-arizona-it-would-be-a-se/1495396062595896/",
      "title": "The top seeds this season are Florida, Duke, Michigan and Arizona ...",
      "snippet": "4 out of the top 10 teams in the last 25+ years of KenPom are in this years Final Four! Including 4 out of the top 6 in the past decade."
    }
  ]
}

assistantMessage 5

Mar 18, 2026, 11:53 PM

Reasoning

Got it, let's recap the research so far to identify key insights for bracket picks: 1. **Rankings & Advanced Stats**: - AP Top 25: Duke (1), Arizona (2), Michigan (3), Florida (4) - NET Rankings: Duke (1), Michigan (2), Arizona (3), Florida (4) - KenPom: Duke (top offense/defense), Michigan (top 5 offense/defense), Arizona (top 5 offense/defense) - Key KenPom notes: Northern Iowa (slowest tempo, 63.4 poss/g), Saint Louis (best 3P%, 40.5%), Siena (worst 3P%, 30.4%) 2. **Injuries**: - East Region: Duke has Caleb Foster/Patrick Ngongba II injured; UConn has Jaylin Stewart injured - West Region: Gonzaga's Braden Huff (knee, out until Sweet 16 at earliest) - South Region: Florida's Micah Handlogten (season-ending leg injury) - Midwest Region: Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg (low ankle sprain, expects to play); Texas Tech has a sidelined key player (details pending) 3. **Upset Candidates**: - 12-seed vs 5-seed trends: McNeese (41.2% upset chance vs Vanderbilt), Northern Iowa (slow tempo vs fast St. John's) - Mid-majors: Gonzaga (30-3), Miami (31-1), Santa Clara (26-8), Saint Mary's (27-5) - Play-in teams: Siena (worst 3P%), NC State (TBD vs Texas), Lehigh (TBD vs Prairie View A&M), Howard (TBD vs UMBC), Miami Ohio (recent form pending) 4. **Recent Form**: - Top seeds: Duke (32-2), Arizona (32-2), Michigan (31-3), Florida (26-7, lost SEC Tournament final) - St. John's (28-6, Big East regular/conference tourney champ) - McNeese (Southland champ, recent form pending) - Northern Iowa (slow tempo, 69.9 ppg) Next steps: Need to confirm remaining gaps to finalize bracket picks: - East Region: Specific injury severity for Duke/UConn key players - West Region: Miami Hurricanes' last 10 games (critical for upset potential) - South Region: Florida's recent form post-injury (Micah Handlogten loss) - Midwest Region: Texas Tech's sidelined player details - Play-in teams: Recent conference tourney results for Siena/NC State/Lehigh/Howard/Miami Ohio - Matchup details: McNeese/Vanderbilt and Northern Iowa/St. John's coaching tendencies Wait, let's check if we have enough data to start making preliminary picks, but no—we still need to confirm the above gaps to avoid bad picks. Let's prioritize the most critical gaps first: 1. East Region injury details (Duke/UConn) because they're top seeds 2. West Region Miami Hurricanes' recent form (potential upset candidate) 3. Midwest Region Texas Tech's sidelined player (key for 12-seed Akron upset) 4. Play-in teams' recent results (to pick play-in winners) 5. Coaching tendencies for key 5-12 matchups (McNeese/Vanderbilt, Northern Iowa/St. John's) So we need to run these targeted searches to fill the gaps before building the bracket.

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 Duke UConn key players injury severity return dates Caleb Foster Patrick Ngongba II Jaylin Stewart"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 West Region Miami Hurricanes last 10 games results recent form conference tournament performance"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 Midwest Region Texas Tech Red Raiders sidelined player name injury severity return date"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 play-in teams recent conference tournament results Siena Saints NC State Wolfpack Lehigh Mountain Hawks Howard Bison Miami Oh Redhawks"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 McNeese Cowboys Vanderbilt Commodores coaching tendencies game plans March Madness preparation"
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 Northern Iowa Panthers St John's Red Storm coaching tendencies game plans tempo adjustment strategies"
}

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/key-injuries-to-remember-mens-march-madness-bracket"
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "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": "Patrick Ngongba II and fellow Blue Devils' starter Caleb Foster missed the end of the regular season and the ACC tournament due to foot soreness ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7125224/2026/03/17/march-madness-2026-player-injuries-caleb-foster-mikel-brown/",
      "title": "Key March Madness injuries to know while filling out your men's ...",
      "snippet": "Injuries to monitor · Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville · Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II, Duke · Jaylin Stewart, UConn · Braden Huff, Gonzaga · Nolan ..."
    },
    {
      "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": "Ngongba also missed the ACC Tournament with a foot injury, but he seems to be in a little better shape than Foster. Duke is a better team with ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-injured-players-entering-ncaa-042654003.html",
      "title": "How are Duke's injured players entering NCAA Tournament? Jon ...",
      "snippet": "Duke coach Jon Scheyer provided updates on Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba following the Blue Devils' ACC Championship win Saturday night."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/march-madness-injuries-caleb-foster-jt-toppin-2026-brackets/310f01ec055e579a2f819984",
      "title": "March Madness key injuries to know: How Caleb Foster, JT Toppin ...",
      "snippet": "Patrick Ngongba II, Duke. A less-serious injury for Duke is Patrick Ngongba II's, as the center missed the end of the regular season, plus ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.statmuse.com/cfb/ask/miami-hurricanes-football-last-10-games",
      "title": "Miami Hurricanes Football Last 10 Games",
      "snippet": "miami hurricanes football last 10 games · More Miami Stats · CFB 2025 Leaders · CFB 2025 Rankings · CFB 2025 Standings ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/schedule/_/id/2390/miami-hurricanes",
      "title": "Miami Hurricanes 2026 Regular Season NCAAF Schedule",
      "snippet": "ESPN has the full 2026 Miami Hurricanes Regular Season NCAAF schedule. Includes game times, TV listings and ticket information for all Hurricanes games."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/CBSNewsAtlanta/posts/the-miami-hurricanes-wrapped-up-their-2025-26-regular-season-with-a-difficult-79/1432032348936679/",
      "title": "The Miami Hurricanes wrapped up their 2025-26 regular ...",
      "snippet": "Tonie Morgan is averaging 13.9 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 3-7, averaging 65.5 points, 31.9 rebounds, 14.7 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.statmuse.com/cfb/ask/miami-football-hurricane-last-10-games",
      "title": "Miami Football Hurricane Last 10 Games",
      "snippet": "CFB 2025 Standings ; 2. Jacksonville State. 9 ; 3. Western Kentucky. 9 ; 4. Louisiana Tech. 8 ; 5. Missouri State. 7."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/ncaaf/teams/miami-fl-hurricanes/3417",
      "title": "Miami (FL) Hurricanes News, Schedule, Stats and Roster",
      "snippet": "2Miami (FL) Hurricanes. (0-0). News; Schedule; Stats; Roster. Fri, 9/04 TBA. MIA-FL. 0-0-0. Stan. 0-0-0 · Thu, 9/10 TBA. FlaA&M. 0-0-0. MIA-FL."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://roundtable.io/sports/ncaa/texas-tech/news/texas-tech-rb-set-to-comeback-from-injury-boosting-loaded-2026-backfield",
      "title": "Texas Tech RB Set to Comeback From Injury, Boosting Loaded ...",
      "snippet": "Texas Tech running back Quinten Joyner is set to return from an ACL injury, giving the Red Raiders one of the most explosive backfields in the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/injuries/_/name/ttu",
      "title": "Texas Tech Red Raiders Injury Status - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Visit ESPN for the current injury situation of the 2026 Texas Tech Red Raiders. Latest news from the NCAAF on players that are out, day-by-day, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/texas-tech-football-whats-next-2026-fixing-offense-cfp-loss/",
      "title": "What's next for Texas Tech after dreadful offense halts ... - CBS Sports",
      "snippet": "Texas Tech's wild gamble paid off as an unabashed success, and one that will echo through the future years of Red Raiders football. When players ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/football/ncaaf/teams/main/texas-tech-red-raiders/injuries",
      "title": "Texas Tech Red Raiders Injury Report - Covers.com",
      "snippet": "Stay In the Know: Check Out Texas Tech Red Raiders Injuries Impacting The 2025-2026 NCAAF Season."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.lines.com/ncaaf/teams/texas-tech/injuries",
      "title": "Texas Tech Red Raiders Injuries 2026-27 - Lines.com",
      "snippet": "Get the latest Texas Tech Red Raiders injury news. See up to the minute injury reports of the Bills roster and timelines of player returns."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "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 teams - ESPN",
      "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.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2026-03-18/what-know-about-every-mens-team-ncaa-tournament?amp",
      "title": "What to know about every men's team in the NCAA tournament",
      "snippet": "The 2026 men's NCAA tournament 68-team field is finally set. With each team setting its sights on the Big Dance through 31 auto bids and 37 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25406496-breaking-down-every-2026-mens-ncaa-tournament-teams-chance-win-title",
      "title": "Breaking Down Every 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Team's ...",
      "snippet": "The selection committee has unveiled the 2026 men's NCAA tournament bracket, and the dream of a national title is officially alive for 68 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college-basketball/ranking-all-32-mens-march-madness-first-round-games",
      "title": "Ranking All 32 Men's March Madness First-Round Games",
      "snippet": "Ranking All 32 Men's March Madness First-Round Games. Here's your guide to a jam-packed slate on Thursday and Friday of the NCAA tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/march-madness-2026-mens-first-four-live-updates-scores-results-bracket/FaqP8tALRmPJ/Jf9oP4xgDosk/",
      "title": "SMU outlook - The Athletic - The New York Times",
      "snippet": "Last night's games saw (16) Howard hold off (16) UMBC by three points before (11) Texas edged (11) NC State by two. Tonight's contests ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/vanderbilt-mcneese-pick-5-vs-174200294.html",
      "title": "Vanderbilt or McNeese? How to pick 5 vs. 12 matchup in 2026 ...",
      "snippet": "Here is a complete guide to picking No. 5 Vanderbilt and No. 12 McNeese in your 2026 March Madness bracket, including updated odds and our ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://collegefootballnews.com/college-basketball/vanderbilt-vs-mcneese-prediction-preview-ncaa-tournament-first-round",
      "title": "Vanderbilt vs McNeese Prediction and Preview: NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "Vanderbilt vs McNeese Prediction and Preview: NCAA Tournament First Round. Both Vanderbilt and McNeese like to run and get the offense moving."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2026/03/17/vanderbilt-basketball-jay-bilas-march-madness-prediction-ncaa-tournament/89196569007/",
      "title": "How far ESPN's Jay Bilas predicts Vanderbilt basketball in March ...",
      "snippet": "Bilas predicted every March Madness game and has picked Vanderbilt (26-8), a No. 5 seed in the South Region, to win first- and second-round ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.sling.com/whatson/sports/college-basketball/how-to-watch-vanderbilt-mcneese-march-madness",
      "title": "#5 Vanderbilt vs. #12 McNeese Prediction, Odds, & How to Watch ...",
      "snippet": "Who is the favorite in Vanderbilt vs. McNeese? Vanderbilt is currently an 11.5-point favorite. Where can I stream the 2026 NCAA Tournament?"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/2026/03/16/vanderbilt-mcneese-state-picks-predictions-odds-march-madness-ncaa-tournament/88419840007/",
      "title": "Vanderbilt vs McNeese State picks, odds for March Madness",
      "snippet": "Who will win the March Madness game and advance to the second round in the NCAA Tournament bracket? Check out these March Madness picks and ..."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "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": "... UNI men's basketball team on Sunday learned that it will play the St. John's Red Storm on Friday, March 20 in the first round of the 2026 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-st-john-basketball-upset-021638293.html",
      "title": "Why St. John's basketball is on upset alert in 2026 NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "The Red Storm will face a smothering defense. Northern Iowa allows only 61 points per game, the best mark in the nation. Head coach Ben Jacobsen ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://fieldlevelmedia.com/latest-stories?storyId=251548",
      "title": "No. 5 St. John's out to prove seeding too low vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa",
      "snippet": "John's return to the big dance has raised questions. The Red Storm (28-6) won both the Big East regular-season title and the conference ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.bettingpros.com/articles/st-johns-vs-northern-iowa-ncaa-tournament-predictions-preview/amp/",
      "title": "St. John's vs. Northern Iowa: NCAA Tournament Predictions & Preview",
      "snippet": "We'll have picks and predictions for each first-round 2026 NCAA Tournament game. Here are our NCAA Tournament predictions and previews."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.aol.com/articles/two-key-northern-iowa-traits-043121223.html",
      "title": "The two key Northern Iowa traits that make it intriguing St. John's ...",
      "snippet": "Tempo could go a long way in determining how St. John's opening-round NCAA Tournament game goes Friday against No. 12 seed Northern Iowa."
    }
  ]
}

Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "[Skip to main content](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/key-injuries-to-remember-mens-march-madness-bracket#main)\n\nThe men’s NCAA tournament is upon us [with Selection Sunday’s bracket reveal](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/mens-march-madness-selection-sunday-live-updates-seeds-matchups-analysis). As diehards and casuals alike prepare to fill out their brackets, it’s important to keep in mind key injuries to players on teams in the field this March.\n\nWe’ve been tracking injury news as its come in throughout the week. Most recently, [Louisville announced on Wednesday](https://x.com/jakeweingarten/status/2034287791425650714) that the Cardinals would be without star guard Mikel Brown Jr. for the first weekend of the tournament. 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 need to reach the Sweet 16 for him to have a shot at taking the court.\n\nAdditionally, Duke coach [Jon Scheyer told media on Wednesday](https://x.com/BryanDFischer/status/2034311978299064336) that big man Patrick Ngonba was “very unlikely” to play in the Blue Devils’ first-round matchup against Siena. “He's itching to play, but we're not quite there for tomorrow just yet,” Scheyer said. “I can tell you that in a perfect world, I think he'd be playing tomorrow. But it's nothing other than he's not quite ready to go. We'll do everything we can to get ready for Saturday and go from there.\" While Duke should be good for a win over No. 16 Siena without Ngonba on the floor, his absence will quickly make things difficult for the Blue Devils should it continue through the tournament.\n\nWithout further ado, here’s a look at everything you need to know about the health of some top players in the NCAA tournament field.\n\n## Out for NCAA tournament\n\n### Caleb Wilson, North Carolina\n\nNorth Carolina freshman standout Caleb Wilson fractured his left hand in early February—an injury that was supposed to sideline the 6' 10\" forward for only a few weeks. As he was ramping up his on-court activity to prepare for a return to the lineup, he expressed discomfort in his right thumb after dunking the ball during a non-contact drill in practice.\n\nAn X-ray revealed a fracture, with [the injury requiring season-ending surgery](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/north-carolina-star-caleb-wilson-out-for-season). The Tar Heels’ expectations entering March are drastically different now that Wilson will not be a part of the proceedings. It’s still a good team without Wilson, but it’s a great team when he’s healthy.\n\n### Richie Saunders, BYU\n\nBYU star wing Richie Saunders [tore his ACL less than a minute into an overtime win](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/richie-saunders-byu-career-comes-heartbreaking-end-after-torn-acl) over Colorado on Feb. 14. It took the Cougars some time to adjust to the absence of the sharpshooting senior, as the program lost four of its next five games following his injury. But BYU found something late in the regular season in Saunders’s absence, upsetting No. 10 Texas Tech in the regular-season finale and subsequently winning two games in the Big 12 tournament before falling to No. 5 Houston in the Big 12 quarterfinal.\n\nIt’s hard to replace someone as good as Saunders, who averaged 18.0 points per game and made nearly 38% of his three-point attempts.\n\n### JT Toppin, Texas Tech\n\nThere’s no way around it—the season-ending injury to All-American JT Toppin is one that is [near-impossible to overcome](https://www.si.com/college-basketball/texas-tech-loses-star-jt-toppin-acl-upset-loss-arizona-state) for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have performed admirably since Toppin was lost for the season to a torn ACL on Feb. 17, but it’s hard to envision the program as a true Final Four threat without his presence in the lineup.\n\nToppin was one of college basketball’s best players prior to his injury, averaging 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds on 54.8% shooting.\n\n### L.J."
}

assistantMessage 6

Mar 18, 2026, 11:53 PM

Reasoning

Got it, let's recap all the research I've done so far to start structuring the bracket. First, let's list out the key insights from each search: 1. **Rankings & Advanced Stats**: - AP Top 25: Duke (1), Arizona (2), Michigan (3), Florida (4), Houston (5), Iowa State (6), UConn (7), Purdue (8) - NET Rankings: Duke (1), Michigan (2), Arizona (3), Florida (4) - KenPom: Duke (2nd overall, top 5 offense/defense), Michigan (top 5 offense/defense), Arizona (top 5 offense/defense), Northern Iowa (slowest tempo, 61.3 PPG against - best in nation), Saint Louis (40.5% 3P), Northern Iowa (69.9 PPG - lowest) 2. **Key Injuries**: - Duke: Caleb Foster (foot soreness, out end of regular season/ACC tourney), Patrick Ngongba II (foot soreness, very unlikely first round) - UConn: Jaylin Stewart (injury listed, no specific details yet) - Gonzaga: Braden Huff (knee injury, missed 15 games, possible Sweet 16 return) - Texas Tech: JT Toppin (season-ending ACL tear) - Florida: Micah Handlogten (season-ending leg injury) - North Carolina: Caleb Wilson (season-ending hand/thumb fractures) - BYU: Richie Saunders (season-ending ACL tear) - Michigan: Yaxel Lendeborg (low ankle sprain, expects to play opener) - Louisville: Mikel Brown Jr. (back injury, out first weekend) 3. **Upset Candidates**: - 12 vs 5 matchups: McNeese (41.2% upset chance vs Vanderbilt), Northern Iowa (vs St John's - slow tempo vs St John's fast pace), Akron (vs Texas Tech - Texas Tech missing Toppin) - Mid-majors: Gonzaga (30-3), Miami (31-1), Santa Clara (26-8), Saint Mary's (27-5), Northern Iowa (top defense), McNeese (Southland champs) - Play-in teams: Howard (beat UMBC), Texas (edged NC State), Miami Oh (possible sleeper) 4. **Recent Form**: - Duke: 32-2 (ACC champs, but missing key players) - St John's: 28-6 (Big East regular/conf champs, 5 seed - upset alert vs Northern Iowa) - Miami Hurricanes (West): 3-7 last 10 games - Vanderbilt: 6-4 last 10 games - McNeese: Southland champs, fast pace - Northern Iowa: slowest tempo (63.4 possessions), top defense 5. **Matchup Specifics**: - Northern Iowa vs St John's: UNI's slow tempo could frustrate St John's fast pace; UNI's top defense (61 PPG against) vs St John's offense - McNeese vs Vanderbilt: both fast pace; McNeese has upset chance - Texas Tech vs Akron: Texas Tech missing Toppin, Akron has upset chance - Gonzaga vs Kennesaw State: Gonzaga missing Huff, but still strong mid-major - Miami Hurricanes vs Missouri Tigers: Miami's poor recent form (3-7 last 10) makes them upset candidate Now, let's start building the bracket region by region, ensuring at least 2-3 upsets per region. **East Region (3 upsets planned):** - R1 (Round of 64): - game-1: Duke (1) vs Siena (16) → Duke (even with Ngongba out, 1 vs 16 is low upset chance) - game-2: Ohio State (8) vs TCU (9) → TCU (upset 1: TCU is strong defensive team per KenPom) - game-3: St John's (5) vs Northern Iowa (12) → Northern Iowa (upset 2: slow tempo, top defense frustrates St John's) - game-4: Kansas (4) vs California Baptist (13) → Kansas - game-5: Louisville (6) vs South Florida (11) → South Florida (upset 3: Louisville missing Mikel Brown Jr. first weekend) - game-6: Michigan State (3) vs North Dakota State (14) → Michigan State - game-7: UCLA (7) vs UCF (10) → UCLA - game-8: UConn (2) vs Furman (15) → UConn - R2 (Round of 32): - r32-east-1: Duke vs TCU → Duke - r32-east-2: Northern Iowa vs Kansas → Kansas (Kansas is higher seed, but UNI put up fight) - r32-east-3: South Florida vs Michigan State → Michigan State - r32-east-4: UCLA vs UConn → UConn - R3 (Sweet 16): - s16-east-1: Duke vs Kansas → Duke - s16-east-2: Michigan State vs UConn → UConn - R4 (Elite 8): - e8-east-1: Duke vs UConn → UConn (Duke's injuries catch up) - Final Four: UConn (East winner) **West Region (3 upsets planned):** - R1 (Round of 64): - game-9: Arizona (1) vs LIU (16) → Arizona - game-10: Villanova (8) vs Utah State (9) → Utah State (upset 1: Utah State is strong mid-major) - game-11: Wisconsin (5) vs High Point (12) → High Point (upset 2: 12 vs 5 trend) - game-12: Arkansas (4) vs Hawaii (13) → Arkansas - game-13: BYU (6) vs Texas (11, play-in winner) → Texas (upset 3: BYU missing Richie Saunders) - game-14: Gonzaga (3) vs Kennesaw State (14) → Gonzaga - game-15: Miami (7) vs Missouri (10) → Missouri (Miami's 3-7 last 10) - game-16: Purdue (2) vs Queens NC (15) → Purdue - R2 (Round of 32): - r32-west-1: Arizona vs Utah State → Arizona - r32-west-2: High Point vs Arkansas → Arkansas - r32-west-3: Texas vs Gonzaga → Gonzaga (Gonzaga's mid-major strength) - r32-west-4: Missouri vs Purdue → Purdue - R3 (Sweet 16): - s16-west-1: Arizona vs Arkansas → Arizona - s16-west-2: Gonzaga vs Purdue → Arizona (wait, no, Sweet 16 is r32 winners: Arizona vs Arkansas, Gonzaga vs Purdue → let's correct: - s16-west-1: Arizona vs Arkansas → Arizona - s16-west-2: Gonzaga vs Purdue → Purdue - R4 (Elite 8): - e8-west-1: Arizona vs Purdue → Arizona - Final Four: Arizona (West winner) **South Region (3 upsets planned):** - R1 (Round of 64): - game-17: Florida (1) vs Lehigh (16, play-in winner) → Florida - game-18: Clemson (8) vs Iowa (9) → Iowa (upset 1) - game-19: Vanderbilt (5) vs McNeese (12) → McNeese (upset 2: 41.2% chance) - game-20: Nebraska (4) vs Troy (13) → Nebraska - game-21: North Carolina (6) vs VCU (11) → VCU (upset 3: North Carolina missing Caleb Wilson) - game-22: Illinois (3) vs Pennsylvania (14) → Illinois - game-23: Saint Mary's (7) vs Texas A&M (10) → Saint Mary's - game-24: Houston (2) vs Idaho (15) → Houston - R2 (Round of 32): - r32-south-1: Florida vs Iowa → Florida - r32-south-2: McNeese vs Nebraska → Nebraska - r32-south-3: VCU vs Illinois → Illinois - r32-south-4: Saint Mary's vs Houston → Houston - R3 (Sweet 16): - s16-south-1: Florida vs Nebraska → Florida - s16-south-2: Illinois vs Houston → Houston - R4 (Elite 8): - e8-south-1: Florida vs Houston → Houston (Florida missing Micah Handlogten) - Final Four: Houston (South winner) **Midwest Region (3 upsets planned):** - R1 (Round of 64): - game-25: Michigan (1) vs Howard (16, play-in winner) → Michigan (Lendeborg expects to play) - game-26: Georgia (8) vs Saint Louis (9) → Saint Louis (upset 1: 40.5% 3P shooting) - game-27: Texas Tech (5) vs Akron (12) → Akron (upset 2: Texas Tech missing JT Toppin) - game-28: Alabama (4) vs Hofstra (13) → Alabama - game-29: Tennessee (6) vs Miami Oh (11, play-in winner) → Miami Oh (upset 3: Miami Oh is strong mid-major) - game-30: Virginia (3) vs Wright State (14) → Virginia - game-31: Kentucky (7) vs Santa Clara (10) → Santa Clara (Santa Clara's recent form) - game-32: Iowa State (2) vs Tennessee State (15) → Iowa State - R2 (Round of 32): - r32-midwest-1: Michigan vs Saint Louis → Michigan - r32-midwest-2: Akron vs Alabama → Alabama - r32-midwest-3: Miami Oh vs Virginia → Virginia - r32-midwest-4: Santa Clara vs Iowa State → Iowa State - R3 (Sweet 16): - s16-midwest-1: Michigan vs Alabama → Michigan - s16-midwest-2: Virginia vs Iowa State → Iowa State - R4 (Elite 8): - e8-midwest-1: Michigan vs Iowa State → Michigan - Final Four: Michigan (Midwest winner) **Final Four & Championship:** - r5 (Final Four): - ff-1: UConn (East) vs Arizona (West) → UConn - ff-2: Houston (South) vs Michigan (Midwest) → Michigan - r6 (Championship): - champ-1: UConn vs Michigan → UConn - Tiebreaker Score: 158 (UConn 82, Michigan 76) Now, let's verify all game IDs and team slugs to ensure correctness. Let's build the full bracket: **r1 (Round of 64 - 32 picks):** - game-1: {"gameId": "game-1", "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"} - game-2: {"gameId": "game-2", "winnerId": "tcu-horned-frogs"} - game-3: {"gameId": "game-3", "winnerId": "northern-iowa-panthers"} - game-4: {"gameId": "game-4", "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"} - game-5: {"gameId": "game-5", "winnerId": "south-florida-bulls"} - game-6: {"gameId": "game-6", "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"} - game-7: {"gameId": "game-7", "winnerId": "ucla-bruins"} - game-8: {"gameId": "game-8", "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"} - game-9: {"gameId": "game-9", "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"} - game-10: {"gameId": "game-10", "winnerId": "utah-state-aggies"} - game-11: {"gameId": "game-11", "winnerId": "high-point-panthers"} - game-12: {"gameId": "game-12", "winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"} - game-13: {"gameId": "game-13", "winnerId": "texas-longhorns"} - game-14: {"gameId": "game-14", "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"} - game-15: {"gameId": "game-15", "winnerId": "missouri-tigers"} - game-16: {"gameId": "game-16", "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"} - game-17: {"gameId": "game-17", "winnerId": "florida-gators"} - game-18: {"gameId": "game-18", "winnerId": "iowa-hawkeyes"} - game-19: {"gameId": "game-19", "winnerId": "mcneese-cowboys"} - game-20: {"gameId": "game-20", "winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"} - game-21: {"gameId": "game-21", "winnerId": "vcu-rams"} - game-22: {"gameId": "game-22", "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"} - game-23: {"gameId": "game-23", "winnerId": "saint-marys-gaels"} - game-24: {"gameId": "game-24", "winnerId": "houston-cougars"} - game-25: {"gameId": "game-25", "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"} - game-26: {"gameId": "game-26", "winnerId": "saint-louis-billikens"} - game-27: {"gameId": "game-27", "winnerId": "akron-zips"} - game-28: {"gameId": "game-28", "winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"} - game-29: {"gameId": "game-29", "winnerId": "miami-oh-redhawks"} - game-30: {"gameId": "game-30", "winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"} - game-31: {"gameId": "game-31", "winnerId": "santa-clara-broncos"} - game-32: {"gameId": "game-32", "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"} **r2 (Round of 32 - 16 picks):** - East: - r32-east-1: {"gameId": "r32-east-1", "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"} (game1 winner vs game2 winner) - r32-east-2: {"gameId": "r32-east-2", "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"} (game3 winner vs game4 winner) - r32-east-3: {"gameId": "r32-east-3", "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"} (game5 winner vs game6 winner) - r32-east-4: {"gameId": "r32-east-4", "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"} (game7 winner vs game8 winner) - West: - r32-west-1: {"gameId": "r32-west-1", "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"} (game9 winner vs game10 winner) - r32-west-2: {"gameId": "r32-west-2", "winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"} (game11 winner vs game12 winner) - r32-west-3: {"gameId": "r32-west-3", "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"} (game13 winner vs game14 winner) - r32-west-4: {"gameId": "r32-west-4", "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"} (game15 winner vs game16 winner) - South: - r32-south-1: {"gameId": "r32-south-1", "winnerId": "florida-gators"} (game17 winner vs game18 winner) - r32-south-2: {"gameId": "r32-south-2", "winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"} (game19 winner vs game20 winner) - r32-south-3: {"gameId": "r32-south-3", "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"} (game21 winner vs game22 winner) - r32-south-4: {"gameId": "r32-south-4", "winnerId": "houston-cougars"} (game23 winner vs game24 winner) - Midwest: - r32-midwest-1: {"gameId": "r32-midwest-1", "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"} (game25 winner vs game26 winner) - r32-midwest-2: {"gameId": "r32-midwest-2", "winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"} (game27 winner vs game28 winner) - r32-midwest-3: {"gameId": "r32-midwest-3", "winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"} (game29 winner vs game30 winner) - r32-midwest-4: {"gameId": "r32-midwest-4", "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"} (game31 winner vs game32 winner) **r3 (Sweet 16 - 8 picks):** - East: - s16-east-1: {"gameId": "s16-east-1", "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"} (r32-east-1 winner vs r32-east-2 winner) - s16-east-2: {"gameId": "s16-east-2", "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"} (r32-east-3 winner vs r32-east-4 winner) - West: - s16-west-1: {"gameId": "s16-west-1", "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"} (r32-west-1 winner vs r32-west-2 winner) - s16-west-2: {"gameId": "s16-west-2", "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"} (r32-west-3 winner vs r32-west-4 winner) - South: - s16-south-1: {"gameId": "s16-south-1", "winnerId": "florida-gators"} (r32-south-1 winner vs r32-south-2 winner) - s16-south-2: {"gameId": "s16-south-2", "winnerId": "houston-cougars"} (r32-south-3 winner vs r32-south-4 winner) - Midwest: - s16-midwest-1: {"gameId": "s16-midwest-1", "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"} (r32-midwest-1 winner vs r32-midwest-2 winner) - s16-midwest-2: {"gameId": "s16-midwest-2", "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"} (r32-midwest-3 winner vs r32-midwest-4 winner) **r4 (Elite 8 - 4 picks):** - East: - e8-east-1: {"gameId": "e8-east-1", "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"} (s16-east-1 winner vs s16-east-2 winner) - West: - e8-west-1: {"gameId": "e8-west-1", "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"} (s16-west-1 winner vs s16-west-2 winner) - South: - e8-south-1: {"gameId": "e8-south-1", "winnerId": "houston-cougars"} (s16-south-1 winner vs s16-south-2 winner) - Midwest: - e8-midwest-1: {"gameId": "e8-midwest-1", "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"} (s16-midwest-1 winner vs s16-midwest-2 winner) **r5 (Final Four - 2 picks):** - ff-1: {"gameId": "ff-1", "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"} (e8-east-1 winner vs e8-west-1 winner) - ff-2: {"gameId": "ff-2", "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"} (e8-south-1 winner vs e8-midwest-1 winner) **r6 (Championship - 1 pick):** - champ-1: {"gameId": "champ-1", "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"} (ff-1 winner vs ff-2 winner) **Tiebreaker Score:** 158 Now, let's ensure all team slugs are in the allowed list and game IDs are correct. All team slugs are from the allowed enum, and game IDs follow the convention. All picks are consistent (teams only advance if they win previous games).

Tool Call: submit_bracket

{
  "r1": [
    {
      "gameId": "game-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-2",
      "winnerId": "tcu-horned-frogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-3",
      "winnerId": "northern-iowa-panthers"
    },
    {
      "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": "high-point-panthers"
    },
    {
      "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": "vcu-rams"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-22",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-23",
      "winnerId": "saint-marys-gaels"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-24",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-25",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-26",
      "winnerId": "saint-louis-billikens"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-27",
      "winnerId": "akron-zips"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-28",
      "winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-29",
      "winnerId": "miami-oh-redhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-30",
      "winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-31",
      "winnerId": "santa-clara-broncos"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-32",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r2": [
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-2",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-3",
      "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-4",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-2",
      "winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-3",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-4",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-2",
      "winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-3",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-4",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-2",
      "winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
    },
    {
      "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": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "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": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "ff-2",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    }
  ],
  "r6": [
    {
      "gameId": "champ-1",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    }
  ],
  "tiebreakerScore": 158
}

Tool Result: submit_bracket

{
  "submitted": true
}

Tokens

Input: 81014
Output: 10391
Reasoning: 7769