The Probability Predictor
MiniMax M2.5MinimaxEntry 1
MIDcompletedPublished
Outcome
0 pts
Accuracy
—
Created
Mar 18, 2026, 10:45 PM
Finished
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PM
Tiebreaker
158
Validation
—
R64
0
R32
0
S16
0
E8
0
F4
0
Ch
0
Predicted Champion
Blue Devils
Bracket
Final Four
F4
1
Duke—
1
Arizona—
1
Florida—
1
Michigan—
Ch
1
Duke—
1
Florida—
Predicted Total
158
east
R64
1
Duke—
16
Siena—
8
Ohio State—
9
TCU—
5
St. John's—
12
Northern Iowa—
4
Kansas—
13
California Baptist—
6
Louisville—
11
South Florida—
3
Michigan State—
14
North Dakota State—
7
UCLA—
10
UCF—
2
UConn—
15
Furman—
R32
1
Duke—
8
Ohio State—
12
Northern Iowa—
4
Kansas—
6
Louisville—
3
Michigan State—
7
UCLA—
2
UConn—
S16
1
Duke—
12
Northern Iowa—
TBD
TBD
E8
1
Duke—
TBD
west
R64
1
Arizona—
16
Long Island University—
8
Villanova—
9
Utah State—
5
Wisconsin—
12
High Point—
4
Arkansas—
13
Hawai'i—
6
BYU—
11Texas / NC State
3
Gonzaga—
14
Kennesaw State—
7
Miami—
10
Missouri—
2
Purdue—
15
Queens—
R32
1
Arizona—
9
Utah State—
12
High Point—
4
Arkansas—
6
BYU—
14
Kennesaw State—
10
Missouri—
2
Purdue—
S16
1
Arizona—
12
High Point—
TBD
TBD
E8
1
Arizona—
TBD
south
R64
1
Florida—
16Prairie View A&M / Lehigh
8
Clemson—
9
Iowa—
5
Vanderbilt—
12
McNeese—
4
Nebraska—
13
Troy—
6
North Carolina—
11
VCU—
3
Illinois—
14
Pennsylvania—
7
Saint Mary's—
10
Texas A&M—
2
Houston—
15
Idaho—
R32
1
Florida—
8
Clemson—
5
Vanderbilt—
4
Nebraska—
11
VCU—
3
Illinois—
10
Texas A&M—
2
Houston—
S16
1
Florida—
5
Vanderbilt—
TBD
TBD
E8
1
Florida—
TBD
midwest
R64
1
Michigan—
16UMBC / Howard
8
Georgia—
9
Saint Louis—
5
Texas Tech—
12
Akron—
4
Alabama—
13
Hofstra—
6
Tennessee—
11SMU / Miami (OH)
3
Virginia—
14
Wright State—
7
Kentucky—
10
Santa Clara—
2
Iowa State—
15
Tennessee State—
R32
1
Michigan—
8
Georgia—
12
Akron—
4
Alabama—
6
Tennessee—
3
Virginia—
7
Kentucky—
2
Iowa State—
S16
1
Michigan—
12
Akron—
TBD
TBD
E8
1
Michigan—
TBD
Trace
Stored prompt, assistant, tool, and reasoning parts for this attempt.
userMessage 1
Mar 18, 2026, 10:45 PMYou are competing against 30+ other AI models to build the best March Madness bracket for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Your bracket will be scored using standard ESPN scoring (10-20-40-80-160-320 points per round). The winning model gets featured on the public leaderboard.
To win, you need an EDGE. Chalk brackets (always picking the higher seed) lose every year. The models that win will be the ones that find real information — injuries, matchup advantages, hot streaks, coaching tendencies — and use it to make smart upset picks. Your research directly determines your score.
## Tournament Structure
- 64 teams, divided into 4 regions (East, West, South, Midwest)
- 6 rounds: Round of 64 (32 games) → Round of 32 (16 games) → Sweet 16 (8 games) → Elite 8 (4 games) → Final Four (2 games) → Championship (1 game)
- Each region has 16 teams seeded 1-16
- Winners advance to the next round
- Some games have **First Four play-in matchups** shown as "teamA / teamB". For these games, pick any of the three teams (the fixed seed OR either play-in team) as the winner.
## Round of 64 Matchups
EAST:
game-1: [1] duke-blue-devils vs [16] siena-saints
game-2: [8] ohio-state-buckeyes vs [9] tcu-horned-frogs
game-3: [5] st-johns-red-storm vs [12] northern-iowa-panthers
game-4: [4] kansas-jayhawks vs [13] california-baptist-lancers
game-5: [6] louisville-cardinals vs [11] south-florida-bulls
game-6: [3] michigan-state-spartans vs [14] north-dakota-state-bison
game-7: [7] ucla-bruins vs [10] ucf-knights
game-8: [2] uconn-huskies vs [15] furman-paladins
WEST:
game-9: [1] arizona-wildcats vs [16] long-island-university-sharks
game-10: [8] villanova-wildcats vs [9] utah-state-aggies
game-11: [5] wisconsin-badgers vs [12] high-point-panthers
game-12: [4] arkansas-razorbacks vs [13] hawaii-rainbow-warriors
game-13: [6] byu-cougars vs [11] texas-longhorns / nc-state-wolfpack
game-14: [3] gonzaga-bulldogs vs [14] kennesaw-state-owls
game-15: [7] miami-hurricanes vs [10] missouri-tigers
game-16: [2] purdue-boilermakers vs [15] queens-nc-royals
SOUTH:
game-17: [1] florida-gators vs [16] prairie-view-am-panthers / lehigh-mountain-hawks
game-18: [8] clemson-tigers vs [9] iowa-hawkeyes
game-19: [5] vanderbilt-commodores vs [12] mcneese-cowboys
game-20: [4] nebraska-cornhuskers vs [13] troy-trojans
game-21: [6] north-carolina-tar-heels vs [11] vcu-rams
game-22: [3] illinois-fighting-illini vs [14] pennsylvania-quakers
game-23: [7] saint-marys-gaels vs [10] texas-am-aggies
game-24: [2] houston-cougars vs [15] idaho-vandals
MIDWEST:
game-25: [1] michigan-wolverines vs [16] umbc-retrievers / howard-bison
game-26: [8] georgia-bulldogs vs [9] saint-louis-billikens
game-27: [5] texas-tech-red-raiders vs [12] akron-zips
game-28: [4] alabama-crimson-tide vs [13] hofstra-pride
game-29: [6] tennessee-volunteers vs [11] smu-mustangs / miami-oh-redhawks
game-30: [3] virginia-cavaliers vs [14] wright-state-raiders
game-31: [7] kentucky-wildcats vs [10] santa-clara-broncos
game-32: [2] iowa-state-cyclones vs [15] tennessee-state-tigers
## Game ID Convention
- Round of 64: use the game IDs shown above (e.g. "game-1", "game-2", etc.)
- Round of 32: use "r32-{region}-{number}" (e.g. "r32-east-1", "r32-east-2", "r32-east-3", "r32-east-4", "r32-west-1", etc.)
- Sweet 16: use "s16-{region}-{number}" (e.g. "s16-east-1", "s16-east-2", "s16-west-1", etc.)
- Elite 8: use "e8-{region}-1" (e.g. "e8-east-1", "e8-west-1", "e8-south-1", "e8-midwest-1")
- Final Four: use "ff-1" (East vs West winner) and "ff-2" (South vs Midwest winner)
- Championship: use "champ-1"
## Your Process — TWO PHASES
### Phase 1: RESEARCH
Use web_search and web_fetch to build a foundation of knowledge before picking. You should:
1. **Get the big picture first.** Search for current NCAA basketball rankings (AP Top 25, NET rankings, KenPom). Understand which teams are elite, which are overrated, and which are dangerous mid-majors.
2. **Research each region systematically.** For each of the 4 regions, search for the top 2-3 seeds and any notable mid-major or Cinderella candidates. Look for:
- Season record, conference standing, and strength of schedule
- Key player stats, injuries, suspensions
- Recent form (last 10 games, conference tournament results)
- Historical tournament performance and coaching experience
3. **Look for upset indicators.** Search for common upset patterns:
- 12-seeds over 5-seeds (happens ~35% of the time)
- Teams with elite defense and slow tempo that frustrate higher seeds
- Programs with deep tournament experience vs first-timers
- Mid-majors with dominant regular seasons (30+ wins)
4. **Check for specific matchup analysis.** If any projected matchups look close, fetch a detailed scouting report or preview article.
5. **Gather championship contender intel.** For your top 4-6 title contenders, do deeper research — fetch full team profiles, read expert projections, understand their path through the bracket.
Each search and fetch gives you real data. The more research you do, the better your bracket will be. Don't just search once — search multiple times from different angles.
### Phase 2: BUILD YOUR BRACKET
Now build your bracket:
1. Build your bracket region by region, using your research.
2. Don't just pick by seed — use what you learned about team quality, matchups, and tournament trends.
3. Include at least 2-3 upsets per region (this is March Madness, not chalk).
4. Use validate_bracket to verify your bracket before submitting.
5. Once validate_bracket returns valid, call submit_bracket to finish.
## How to Build the Bracket
CRITICAL: For Round of 64, each game has a specific game ID (game-1, game-2, etc.) and exactly two teams. Your winner for each game MUST be one of those two teams. If you're unsure which teams are in a game, use lookup_game to check.
1. **r1 (Round of 64)**: Go through each of the 32 games listed above. For each game, pick ONE of the two teams shown as the winner. Use the team ID slug. You MUST have exactly 32 picks.
2. **r2 (Round of 32)**: The 32 R64 winners pair up into 16 R32 games. Within each region, pair them in order: R64 game 1 winner vs R64 game 2 winner, game 3 winner vs game 4 winner, etc. You MUST have exactly 16 picks.
3. **r3 (Sweet 16)**: The 16 R32 winners pair into 8 S16 games. Same pairing logic. Exactly 8 picks.
4. **r4 (Elite 8)**: 8 S16 winners → 4 E8 games. Exactly 4 picks.
5. **r5 (Final Four)**: 4 E8 winners → 2 FF games. Exactly 2 picks.
6. **r6 (Championship)**: 2 FF winners → 1 championship game. Exactly 1 pick.
A team can ONLY appear in a later round if you picked them to win ALL their previous games.
## Tools Available
- **web_search**: Search the web for team stats, rankings, or matchup analysis.
- **web_fetch**: Fetch a web page for detailed scouting reports, stats pages, or bracket previews.
- **use_browser**: Browse a page using a real browser. Use this for JavaScript-heavy pages (stats dashboards, interactive brackets) that web_fetch cannot render. Slower — only use when web_fetch returns empty or broken content.
- **lookup_team**: Look up a team by name to find their correct team ID slug, seed, and region. Use this when you're unsure of a team's exact slug — e.g. lookup_team("houston") returns "houston-cougars". Only the 64 tournament teams are searchable.
- **lookup_game**: Look up a game by its ID to see which two teams are playing. Use this to verify matchups — e.g. lookup_game("game-1") returns the two teams in that game. IMPORTANT: use this if you're unsure which teams are in a specific game. The winner you pick MUST be one of the two teams in that game.
- **calculator**: Evaluate math expressions.
- **validate_bracket**: Check your bracket for errors before submitting. If validation fails, read the errors carefully — they tell you exactly what's wrong (wrong team in a game, missing picks, carry-forward issues). Fix each error specifically rather than regenerating the whole bracket.
- **submit_bracket**: Validate and submit your final bracket in one step. Pass your COMPLETE bracket (r1-r6 + tiebreakerScore) as input. If validation fails, returns errors — fix them and call submit_bracket again. If valid, the run ends successfully.
## Submission Flow
1. Build your bracket (r1 through r6 + tiebreakerScore)
2. Use validate_bracket to check for errors during development
3. When ready, call submit_bracket with your complete bracket — it validates and submits in one step
4. If submit_bracket returns errors, fix them and call submit_bracket again
Each pick is {"gameId": "game-1", "winnerId": "team-slug"}.
Use the team ID slugs shown in the matchups above (e.g. "duke-blue-devils", not "Duke").
Today's date: 2026-03-18
assistantMessage 2
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
This is a March Madness bracket competition. I need to research the teams and build a bracket for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Let me start by doing some research on the teams, especially the top seeds and potential upset candidates.
Let me first search for current NCAA basketball rankings and information about the tournament teams.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "cc643526e396b4eef983631e76e82dcf5ce90bd2a64e618748c00b927d2a090e"
}
}I'll start by researching the teams to build a strong bracket. Let me gather information about the top seeds and potential upset candidates.
Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "NCAA basketball March Madness 2026 AP Top 25 rankings March 2026"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"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",
"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 ...",
"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.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 ...",
"snippet": "Here are the latest men's USA TODAY Sports Coaches and AP Top 25 polls."
},
{
"url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/rankings/ap/",
"title": "College Basketball Rankings 2025-26 - AP Top 25",
"snippet": "AP Top 25 Updated Mar 16, 2026 ; 1. team logo · Duke. (50) 32-2, — ; 2. team logo · Arizona. (7) 32-2, — ; 3. team logo · Michigan. 31-3, — ; 4. team logo · Florida."
},
{
"url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7121400/2026/03/16/mens-ncaa-tournament-march-madness-power-rankings/",
"title": "2026 Men's NCAA Tournament power rankings: The 16 ...",
"snippet": "2026 Men's NCAA Tournament power rankings: The 16 teams most likely to win it all · Arizona Wildcats · Duke Blue Devils · Michigan Wolverines."
}
]
}assistantMessage 3
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Good, I have the AP Top 25 rankings. Let me get more details about the top teams and also look for any injury news or key matchup information.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "642fd126e3607af07c6f50100e2587308ebff91775df61009f794535af8a14dc"
}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "March Madness 2026 bracket preview Duke Arizona Michigan Houston key players injuries"
}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": "Key March Madness injuries to know while filling out your men's NCAA Tournament bracket ; Jaylin Stewart, UConn · Braden Huff, Gonzaga · Nolan ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.nbcsports.com/mens-college-basketball/news/march-madness-injuries-to-know-updates-for-key-players-ahead-of-the-mens-ncaa-tournament",
"title": "March Madness injuries to know: Updates for key players ahead of ...",
"snippet": "March Madness injuries to know: Updates for key players ahead of the men's NCAA Tournament ; Alabama. Aden Holloway (Non-Injury; arrested on ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.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": "... key injuries to players on teams in the field this March. ... March Madness 2026: Game Times, TV Channels and Full NCAA Tournament Schedule."
},
{
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAZJ_li2jzg",
"title": "Andy Katz breaks down his 2026 March Madness bracket - YouTube",
"snippet": "Andy Katz runs through each region in his official men's 2026 March Madness bracket predictions ... Duke is 'underrated' in NCAA Tournament ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48219697/joe-lunardi-mens-march-madness-ncaa-tournament-guide-2026",
"title": "Joe Lunardi's ultimate guide to men's March Madness 2026 - ESPN",
"snippet": "Men's March Madness 2026 bracket: Get to know all 68 teams · Duke Blue Devils. 3dMyron Medcalf. March Madness 101: NCAA tournament format ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 4
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Let me search for more specific information about potential upsets and Cinderella teams in this year's tournament.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "f9867fd8836f0407255bd92b1d10b3b66bcf52b14d165499b09a69c6ae3698a0"
}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "March Madness 2026 upset picks 12 seed 5 seed matchup Cinderellas"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/most-likely-upsets-for-march-madness-2026-ncaa-tournament-cinderella-teams-to-target-in-your-bracket-picks/",
"title": "Most likely upsets for March Madness 2026: NCAA Tournament ...",
"snippet": "Three 2026 March Madness Cinderella teams to watch out for. One potential 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket buster is the Akron Zips. The 12th-seeded ..."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/5-ncaa-tournament-cinderella-picks-to-watch-early-in-march-madness-005614001.html",
"title": "5 NCAA tournament Cinderella picks to watch early in March Madness",
"snippet": "From Miami (OH) to UCLA and even VCU, here are a few \"Cinderella\" teams to look out for this March."
},
{
"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": "Looking for 12 vs 5 upsets in March Madness? Here's a breakdown of the best underdog picks in the first round."
},
{
"url": "https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaab/2026-ncaa-tournament-upset-picks-12-5-seeds-march-madness",
"title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Upset Picks: The 12/5 Matchups to Watch ...",
"snippet": "Check out 2026 NCAA Tournament upset picks for March Madness, including the 12/5 matchups to watch in the first round."
},
{
"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/tourney/2026/03/16/march-madness-predictions-upset-picks-ncaa-tournament-cinderella-vcu-santa-clara/89176697007/",
"title": "Most likely upsets March Madness 2026: NCAA Tournament ...",
"snippet": "VCU has experience as an NCAA Tournament Cinderella. It's a dangerous 11-seed. March Madness known for its 12 vs. 5 upsets, so keep eye on Akron ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 5
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Let me search for more specific information about some of the key matchups and teams in the bracket.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "6a516970c484693dbc85b9d6ceac007dfc7a95946494e73c751d85f615117e87"
}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Gonzaga Bulldogs 2026 season injuries Braden Huff NCAA tournament"
}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": "Braden Huff injury update: Gonzaga star recovering from reported kneecap dislocation ahead of NCAA Tournament."
},
{
"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": "Gonzaga's Mark Few gives injury update on Braden Huff for NCAA Tournament first weekend. Bulldogs have been without Braden Huff since Jan. 15."
},
{
"url": "https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/15/gonzagas-ncaa-tournament-path-only-grows-more-trea/",
"title": "Gonzaga's NCAA Tournament path only grows more treacherous ...",
"snippet": "My on-site scouting report on Gonzaga's Braden Huff last week: Despite a stubborn knee injury suffered in January, Huff was still able to ..."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mark-few-provides-gonzaga-forward-174516746.html",
"title": "Mark Few provides update on Gonzaga forward Braden Huff ahead ...",
"snippet": "Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs wrapped up their final season in the West Coast Conference with a win over Santa Clara in the tournament ..."
},
{
"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": "The Gonzaga Bulldogs will begin their 2026 NCAA Tournament run without Braden Huff as he continues to recover from a dislocated kneecap ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 6
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
This is very important! Gonzaga's key player Braden Huff is injured and may miss the tournament. This could be a significant upset opportunity. Let me search for more teams and their injury status.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "5b2b5b8a5b3adf49b442a6d4f883ad22517f3fadcd025c4fd3d7907dd66321fe"
}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "UConn Huskies 2026 NCAA tournament injuries Jaylin Stewart"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dan-hurley-gives-injury-updates-235321255.html",
"title": "Dan Hurley gives injury updates on UConn's Jaylin Stewart, Silas ...",
"snippet": "Stewart has not played since Feb. 21, while Demary left Saturday's Big East title game with an ankle sprain."
},
{
"url": "https://www.si.com/college/uconn/basketball/uconn-huskies-mens-rotation-adjustment-could-define-march-madness-2026",
"title": "The UConn Rotation Adjustment That Could Define March Madness",
"snippet": "Forward Jaylin Stewart has been out for a few weeks now with an injury, but gave an update before the Big East Tournament, that Stewart ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.nhregister.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/injury-news-dan-hurley-silas-demary-jaylin-stewart-22080303.php",
"title": "UConn's Dan Hurley gives injury updates before NCAA Tournament",
"snippet": "Jaylin Stewart has not played since Feb. 21, as the junior wing continues to recover from an unspecified knee injury, while Silas Demary Jr. was ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/jaylin-stewart-big-east-tournament-msg-22063803.php",
"title": "UConn's Jaylin Stewart out for Big East Tournament - CT Insider",
"snippet": "Stewart has been sidelined by a knee injury for the past three games. Following the Huskies' win over Seton Hall on Feb. 28, Dan Hurley told CT ..."
},
{
"url": "https://nationaltoday.com/us/pa/philadelphia/news/2026/03/16/uconn-basketball-faces-injury-concerns-ahead-of-ncaa-tournament/",
"title": "UConn Basketball Faces Injury Concerns Ahead of NCAA Tournament",
"snippet": "Forward Jaylin Stewart has not played since a Feb. 21 game against Villanova and missed the entire Big East tournament. Coach Hurley said it ' ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 7
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
UConn has injuries too - Jaylin Stewart has been out. Let me search for more teams to get a full picture.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "e471d907241be9ecfbe96cf8876f0563bc9dc77ea6ec96a733f40be5ffc48a91"
}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Kansas Jayhawks 2026 basketball season record NCAA tournament"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://kuathletics.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-kansas-earns-no-4-seed-in-2026-ncaa-tournament",
"title": "Kansas Earns No. 4 Seed in 2026 NCAA Tournament - KU Athletics",
"snippet": "Kansas enters the Big Dance with a record of 23-10, and the Jayhawks tied for third place in the Big 12 Conference during the regular season ..."
},
{
"url": "https://247sports.com/college/kansas/article/kansas-march-madness-history-no-4-seed-277773598/",
"title": "A look back at KU's history as a non top two seed under Bill Self",
"snippet": "Kansas basketball is a No. 4 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks learned their seeding and path in the tournament during the ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/articles/kansas_basketball_selected_as_no_4_seed_in_2026_march_madness/s1_17644_43601538",
"title": "Kansas Basketball Selected as No. 4 Seed in 2026 March Madness",
"snippet": "The Kansas Jayhawks have landed a No. 4 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, as announced by the selection committee on Sunday night."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/3-x-factors-kansas-basketball-105554101.html",
"title": "3 X-Factors for Kansas Basketball in the 2025-26 NCAA Tournament",
"snippet": "Despite an encouraging eight-game winning streak in the middle of conference play, the Kansas basketball team has struggled significantly ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.facebook.com/kmbc9/posts/kansas-now-knows-its-path-in-the-ncaa-tournament-the-jayhawks-23-10-earned-a-no-/1382905880548027/",
"title": "Kansas now knows its path in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks ...",
"snippet": "Kansas now knows its path in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks (23-10) earned a No. 4 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will face No. 13 seed ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 8
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Kansas is a 4-seed with a 23-10 record, which is somewhat vulnerable. Let me search for more teams and their potential upsets.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "e057594e96a448c954f5709678756b58df1647137440b0e57b64c231c34db869"
}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Alabama Crimson Tide 2026 basketball season record NCAA tournament Aden Holloway"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4684276/aden-holloway",
"title": "Aden Holloway - Alabama Crimson Tide Guard - ESPN",
"snippet": "2025-26 season stats. PTS. 16.8. 150+. REB. 2.8. 150+. AST. 3.8. 150+. FG%. 48.1. 150+ ... How does Aden Holloway's potential absence impact Alabama's tournament ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.nbcsports.com/mens-college-basketball/news/alabamas-aden-holloway-the-tides-no-2-scorer-is-arrested-on-a-felony-drug-charge",
"title": "Alabama's Aden Holloway, the Tide's No. 2 scorer, is arrested on a ...",
"snippet": "Holloway is second on the team in scoring, averaging 16.8 points a game, and leads the Crimson Tide in 3-point shooting. He is hitting 43.1% ..."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/alabamas-aden-holloway-arrested-ncaa-221758213.html",
"title": "Alabama's Aden Holloway Arrested Before NCAA Tournament ...",
"snippet": "went 23-9 in the 2025-2026 college basketball season, including a 13-5 conference record, good enough for the No. 2 seed in the SEC. The Crimson ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.tidesports.com/story/sports/college/sec/2026/03/16/can-alabama-basketball-survive-march-madness-without-aden-holloway/89183298007/",
"title": "Can Alabama basketball survive March Madness without Aden ...",
"snippet": "Alabama basketball guard Aden Holloway was arrested for first-degree possession of marijuana and failure to affix a tax stamp. Holloway's arrest ..."
},
{
"url": "https://lastwordonsports.com/basketball/2026/03/17/how-aden-holloways-suspension-affect-alabama-ncaa-tourney-hopes-and-will-he-play-again-for-the-crimson-tide/",
"title": "How Aden Holloway's Suspension Affect Bama's NCAA Tournament",
"snippet": "The Alabama Crimson Tide will head into the 2026 NCAA Tournament without star guard Aden Holloway. How will Holloway's absence affect the ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 9
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Alabama's #2 scorer Aden Holloway was arrested - this is huge! This could be a significant upset opportunity for teams playing against Alabama. Let me continue researching other key teams.
Provider Metadata
{
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}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Kentucky Wildcats 2026 basketball season record NCAA tournament"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.aseaofblue.com/kentucky-wildcats-basketball/166361/history-ncaa-tournament-seeding-7",
"title": "Kentucky Basketball makes history with its NCAA Tournament seeding",
"snippet": "The Wildcats are also undefeated 4-0 against 10-seeds in the Tournament, with their latest win coming in 2017 in the Round of 32, when they took ..."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kentucky-basketball-makes-history-ncaa-031040653.html",
"title": "Kentucky Basketball makes history with its NCAA Tournament seeding",
"snippet": "The Wildcats are also undefeated 4-0 against 10-seeds in the Tournament, with their latest win coming in 2017 in the Round of 32, when they took ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/kentucky-completes-its-worst-two-year-sec-run-in-36-years/ar-AA1XK5FW?cvid=69ace8ba930d47e79407d6b582097e6e&ocid=apus&apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1",
"title": "Kentucky completes its worst two-year SEC run in 36 years - MSN",
"snippet": "The Kentucky Wildcats finished the last two seasons of conference play with a .555 winning percentage, the worst two-year run in 36 years."
},
{
"url": "https://local12.com/sports/uk-wildcats/kentucky-adds-to-record-for-ncaa-tournament-berths-seed-wildcats-basketball-bracket-opponent-march-madness-santa-clara",
"title": "Kentucky adds to record for NCAA Tournament berths, will face ...",
"snippet": "CINCINNATI (WKRC) - The University of Kentucky extended its NCAA Tournament record Sunday with its 63rd appearance."
},
{
"url": "https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/03/15/wildcats-to-open-ncaa-tournament-vs-santa-clara/",
"title": "Wildcats to Open NCAA Tournament vs. Santa Clara - UK Athletics",
"snippet": "The Wildcats enter the tournament with a 21-13 overall record and five Quad 1 wins on the resume."
}
]
}assistantMessage 10
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Kentucky is 21-13 and struggling. They're a 7-seed which is lower than usual for them, and they have had a rough season. Let me look at more matchups.
Provider Metadata
{
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}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Purdue Boilermakers 2026 basketball season record NCAA tournament"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://bigten.org/mbb/article/59631/",
"title": "Purdue Wins the 2026 TIAA Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament ...",
"snippet": "No. 7 seed Purdue prevails over No. 1 seed Michigan, 80-72, in championship game at the United Center. CHICAGO (AP) — Oscar Cluff scored 21 ..."
},
{
"url": "https://purduesports.com/news/2026/03/15/18-purdue-wins-big-ten-tournament-title-over-3-michigan",
"title": "#18 Purdue Wins Big Ten Tournament Title Over #3 Michigan",
"snippet": "Purdue improved to 27-8 on the season and finished the season with 11 quad-1 wins, the fifth most in the country. Purdue snapped a three-game ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/purdue/men/2026-schedule.html",
"title": "2025-26 Purdue Boilermakers Men's Schedule and Results",
"snippet": "Record: 27-8 (13-7, 6th in Big Ten MBB) ; Rank: 18th in the Mar 9th AP Poll ; Coach: Matt Painter ; PS/G: 81.7 (55th of 365) ; PA/G: 70.1 (77th of 365)."
},
{
"url": "https://www.purdueexponent.org/sports/mens/basketball/purdue-boilermakers-big-ten-championship/article_a2cb84cd-c57d-40ec-afca-df7d9c5f0d95.html",
"title": "Purdue wins 2026 Big Ten Tournament Championship",
"snippet": "While up-and-down during the regular season, the Purdue Boilermakers chugged through four straight wins to be crowned the 2026 Big Ten ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.hammerandrails.com/mens-basketball/58903/purdue-mens-basketball-wins-the-2026-big-ten-tournament-championship-purdue-80-michigan-72",
"title": "Purdue Men's Basketball Wins the 2026 Big Ten Tournament ...",
"snippet": "Purdue Men's Basketball Wins the 2026 Big Ten Tournament Championship: Purdue 80 - Michigan 72. Purdue wins their third Big Ten Conference ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 11
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Purdue is a 2-seed and just won the Big Ten tournament with a 27-8 record. They're playing well coming into the tournament. Let me search for more matchup information.
Provider Metadata
{
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}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Texas Tech Akon Zips 12 seed 2026 NCAA tournament upset"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.si.com/college/texas-tech/texas-tech-s-biggest-concerns-against-akron-in-march-madness-01kkwy053kh5",
"title": "Texas Tech's Biggest Concerns Against Akron in March Madness",
"snippet": "The Midwest region's No. 5 seed Texas Tech kicks off the NCAA Tournament's round of 64 against No. 12 seed Akron Friday."
},
{
"url": "https://www.thescore1260.com/2026/03/17/without-jt-toppin-texas-tech-sliding-into-5-vs-12-match-with-akron/",
"title": "Without JT Toppin, Texas Tech sliding into 5 vs. 12 match with Akron",
"snippet": "When the RedHawks were upset in the MAC quarterfinals, that opened the door for Akron, which rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to beat ..."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/akron-basketball-march-madness-opponent-222413425.html",
"title": "Akron basketball's March Madness opponent is Texas Tech to open ...",
"snippet": "The Akron Zips will meet Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament. It will be UA's eighth March Madness appearance during the program's Division I ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.on3.com/sites/red-raider-sports/news/akron-over-texas-tech-is-a-popular-upset-pick-heres-why/",
"title": "Akron over Texas Tech is a popular upset pick – here's why - On3",
"snippet": "Texas Tech is going to be a popular upset pick this week matched up versus Akron. We break down why this is the case."
},
{
"url": "https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-akron-texas-tech-3f5bd81b2b2f0b5e8a787e806dca82d5",
"title": "Experienced 12 seed Akron seeks its first win in March Madness",
"snippet": "At least one 12 seed has pulled off a first-round upset ... The winner of Akron-Texas Tech will face either Alabama or Hofstra on Sunday."
}
]
}assistantMessage 12
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
This is very interesting! Texas Tech is a 5-seed but they're sliding and have concerns. Akron is a popular upset pick. Also, I noticed that the winner of this game would play Alabama or Hofstra - and since Alabama has the Holloway arrest, they might be vulnerable too. Let me search for more matchup information.
Provider Metadata
{
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}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "North Carolina VCU 11 seed 2026 NCAA tournament upset"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.espn.co.uk/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48223542/ncaa-tournament-upsets-first-round-giant-killers-march-madness-2026",
"title": "Most probable first-round upsets in the men's 2026 NCAA ...",
"snippet": "(11) VCU vs. (6) North Carolina. Upset chance: 39% 6:50 p.m. ET on Thursday. North Carolina's ceiling is significantly lower with star ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.aol.com/articles/north-carolina-could-hands-full-222907236.html",
"title": "North Carolina could have hands full against scrappy VCU",
"snippet": "VCU brings a strong profile as a No. 11 seed and faces a No. 6 seed in a North Carolina team that's vulnerable. The 27-7 Rams enter NCAA play ..."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/north-carolina-tar-heels-cbs-165443051.html",
"title": "North Carolina Tar Heels: CBS Sports David Cobb Puts ...",
"snippet": "The North Carolina Tar Heels are the sixth seed in the South Region. North Carolina will be facing 11th seeded VCU Rams on Thursday."
},
{
"url": "https://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-mens-basketball-ncaa-tournament-opponent-breakdown-vcu",
"title": "UNC Men's Basketball NCAA Tournament Opponent ...",
"snippet": "when it faces No. 11 seed VCU in the first round. The Rams enter the field with a 27-7 overall record and 15-3 mark in the Atlantic 10."
},
{
"url": "https://www.facebook.com/12OnYourSide/posts/vcu-has-earned-a-no-11-seed-in-the-ncaa-tournament-and-will-face-off-against-nor/1358496906314135/",
"title": "VCU has earned a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament ...",
"snippet": "VCU has earned a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face off against North Carolina. ... tournament results with FSU upsetting VCU Rams."
}
]
}assistantMessage 13
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Great information! VCU vs North Carolina is a key upset pick. VCU is 27-7 and could upset North Carolina. Let me search for more matchups.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
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}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Missouri Tigers 10 seed 2026 NCAA tournament upset UCLA"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/sports/college/tiger-extra/2026/03/18/ncaa-tournament-upset-predictions-tribunes-bracket-buster-march-madness-picks/89185410007/",
"title": "Tribune's NCAA Tournament upset predictions, from first round to title",
"snippet": "Missouri basketball doesn't play until 9:10 CDT Friday in St. Louis, with the 10-seeded Tigers set to take on what appears to be an extremely ..."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-upset-predictions-2026-133501404.html",
"title": "March Madness upset predictions 2026: Which 10 seed is most ...",
"snippet": "Who will pull off double-digit upsets this year? No. 10 UCF (21-11) meets No. 7 UCLA (23-11) in the East Region. No. 10 Missouri (20-12) faces ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/10-vs-7-upset-rankings-saint-marys-least-likely-ncaa-tournament-no-7-seed-to-lose-but-heres-who-could/amp/",
"title": "10 vs. 7 NCAA Tournament predictions: - CBS Sports",
"snippet": "A No. 10 seed has beaten a No. 7 seed in each of the last 17 NCAA Tournaments, and here's who's most likely to do so this year."
},
{
"url": "https://www.si.com/college/missouri/basketball/instant-reaction-to-mizzou-seeding-matchup-in-2026-ncaa-tournament",
"title": "Instant Reaction to Mizzou's Seeding, Matchup in 2026 NCAA ...",
"snippet": "This should give Missouri a huge lift to potentially pull off an upset. Missouri has been a streaky and somewhat inconsistent team this season."
},
{
"url": "https://247sports.com/college/missouri/longformarticle/march-madness-upset-picks-2026-ncaa-tournament-first-round-bracket-busters-277979844/",
"title": "March Madness Upset Picks: 2026 NCAA Tournament's five first ...",
"snippet": "CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein shares his five bracket busters for the 2026 NCAA Tournament's Round of 64."
}
]
}assistantMessage 14
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Good info on the 10 vs 7 matchups. Let me continue researching some more teams to get a complete picture.
Provider Metadata
{
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}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Wisconsin High Point 12 seed 2026 NCAA tournament upset"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/89263/wisconsin-badgers-basketball-news-likeliest-12-seed-upset-high-point-panthers-ncaa-tournament-odds",
"title": "ESPN: Badgers are the likeliest 12 seed to get upset",
"snippet": "The Wisconsin Badgers drew a No. 5 seed for the second time in three years in the NCAA Tournament, as they'll play the No. 12 High Point ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2026/03/17/will-wisconsin-get-upset-in-march-madness/89194779007/",
"title": "Is Wisconsin a trendy March Madness upset pick vs High Point?",
"snippet": "Wisconsin heads into the NCAA Tournament on March 19 facing a high-scoring High Point team that's looking like a trendy upset pick."
},
{
"url": "https://bigsouthsports.com/news/2026/3/16/mens-basketball-high-point-earns-no-12-seed-to-face-no-5-wisconsin-in-ncaa-tournament.aspx",
"title": "High Point Earns No. 12 Seed, to Face No. 5 Wisconsin in NCAA ...",
"snippet": "High Point Earns No. 12 Seed, to Face No. 5 Wisconsin in NCAA Tournament · HIGH POINT, N.C. – · Flynn Clayman · GAME INFORMATION · NCAA Tournament/ ..."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/wisconsin-trendy-march-madness-upset-171644255.html",
"title": "Is Wisconsin a trendy March Madness upset pick vs High Point?",
"snippet": "Wisconsin heads into the NCAA Tournament on March 19 facing a high-scoring High Point team that's looking like a trendy upset pick."
},
{
"url": "https://247sports.com/college/basketball/recruiting/article/httpswwwcbssportscomcollege-basketballnewswisconsin-wary-of-high-scoring-high-point-in-classic-5-12-matchup-277946288/",
"title": "Wisconsin wary of high-scoring High Point in classic 5-12 matchup",
"snippet": "When Wisconsin upset Illinois in the quarterfinals on Friday, Boyd dropped a career-high 38 and Blackwell scored 31 to become the school's first ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 15
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
High Point vs Wisconsin is a popular upset pick. Let me search for more matchups and finalize my bracket strategy.
Provider Metadata
{
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}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "St Johns Northern Iowa 12 seed 2026 NCAA tournament"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/no-5-st-johns-out-to-prove-seeding-too-low-vs-no-12-northern-iowa/",
"title": "No. 5 St. John's out to prove seeding too low vs. No. 12 ...",
"snippet": "No. 5 St. John's out to prove seeding too low vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa. ... March Madness: Best team on each seed line in 2026 NCAA Tournament."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/got-hosed-st-johns-red-145519754.html",
"title": "'They Got Hosed': St. John's Red Storm Fans Furious Over ...",
"snippet": "When the brackets were revealed on Sunday, St. John's will be the number five seed in the East Region and face the Northern Iowa Panthers on ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_uwHAlf4TQ",
"title": "How far will St. John's go during March Madness as a No. 5 ...",
"snippet": "fifth by the NCAA selection committee, St. John's first-round matchup against Northern Iowa and the team's daunting path to the Final Four ..."
},
{
"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 ...",
"snippet": "UNI men's basketball matches up with St. John's in opening round of NCAA Tournament. 3/15/2026 6:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball."
},
{
"url": "https://www.bigeast.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-three-big-east-teams-earn-ncaa-tournament-bids.aspx",
"title": "Three BIG EAST Teams Earn NCAA Tournament Bids",
"snippet": "John's - the back-to-back BIG EAST Tournament champions - is the No. 5 seed in the East region, and will face No. 12 seed Northern Iowa in San ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 16
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Let me search for a few more matchups and then I'll start building my bracket.
Provider Metadata
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}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Clemson Iowa 8 9 matchup 2026 NCAA tournament"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2026/03/16/mbb-notes-ncaa-first-round-vs-clemson",
"title": "MBB Notes: NCAA First Round vs. Clemson - Iowa Hawkeyes Athletics",
"snippet": "The ninth-seeded University of Iowa men's basketball team will face eighth-seeded Clemson in the first round of the South Region in the 2026 ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/clemson-iowa-march-madness-bracket-pick/4112f8b02b22645442491e69",
"title": "Clemson or Iowa? How to pick 8 vs. 9 matchup in 2026 March ...",
"snippet": "Iowa opened as a slight -1.5 point betting favorite against Clemson, according to DraftKings. Here are the full odds, TV info and location for ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401856522/iowa-clemson",
"title": "Iowa vs. Clemson (Mar 20, 2026) Live Score - ESPN",
"snippet": "Live coverage of the Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Clemson Tigers NCAAM game on ESPN, including live score, highlights and updated stats."
},
{
"url": "https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa/basketball-men/2026/03/17/iowa-mens-basketball-clemson-ncaa-tournament-hawkeyes/89180445007/",
"title": "In-depth scout of Clemson, Iowa basketball's NCAA Tournament ...",
"snippet": "But this is a very winnable 8/9 matchup for Iowa, which is searching for its first NCAA Tournament win since 2021. One of the keys for Iowa ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/basketball-men/2026/03/15/iowa-clemson-march-madness-bracket-ncaa-tournament-2026/89163058007/",
"title": "Iowa March Madness opponent is Clemson in 2026 NCAA bracket",
"snippet": "Iowa will face 8-seed Clemson in the round of 64 on Friday, March 20, in Tampa, Florida. Game time is scheduled for 5:50 p.m. CT. If the ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 17
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Now let me look up a few more specific matchups, especially for teams I'm considering for upsets.
Provider Metadata
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}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Villanova Utah State 8 9 matchup 2026 NCAA tournament"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.deseret.com/sports/2026/03/15/utah-state-excited-for-the-ncaa-tournament-despite-receiving-an-absolutely-atrocious-seed/",
"title": "Utah State gets 9 seed in NCAA Tournament, will face Villanova",
"snippet": "The Utah State Aggies will play the Villanova Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament."
},
{
"url": "https://www.app.com/story/sports/college/2026/03/15/villanova-utah-state-march-madness-bracket-ncaa-tournament-2026/89152675007/",
"title": "Villanova March Madness opponent is Utah State in 2026 NCAA ...",
"snippet": "8 seed in the West Region and will face ninth-seeded Utah State (28-6) on Friday in San Diego. The contests tips at 4:10 p.m. Eastern and airs ..."
},
{
"url": "https://nationaltoday.com/us/ca/san-diego/news/2026/03/15/utah-state-upsets-villanova-in-8-vs-9-march-madness-matchup/",
"title": "Utah State Upsets Villanova in 8 vs. 9 March Madness Matchup",
"snippet": "The No. 9 seed Utah State Aggies defeated the No. 8 seed Villanova Wildcats in a closely contested first-round game of the 2026 NCAA Men's ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/2026/03/15/utah-state-villanova-odds-march-madness-ncaa-tournament-bracket-betting/88448884007/",
"title": "Utah State vs Villanova odds for NCAA Tournament March Madness ...",
"snippet": "Here's what you need to know about NCAA Tournament odds for the men's college basketball matchup between No. 9 seed Utah State and No. 8 ..."
},
{
"url": "https://kutv.com/sports/usu/utah-state-earns-9-seed-in-ncaa-tournament-faces-villanova-in-first-round",
"title": "Utah State earns 9-seed in NCAA Tournament, faces Villanova in ...",
"snippet": "Utah State will open the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed in the West Region, where the Aggies will face No. 8 seed Villanova in the first round."
}
]
}assistantMessage 18
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Interesting - it looks like Utah State upset Villanova! But that's probably from the search result being from after the game. Let me continue to research and build my bracket.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "3bd34229b9766dbcf0f961d6128dd31177b13524bf6fba6ebe60f7085ad3ad4e"
}
}Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Gonzaga Kennesaw State 3 14 matchup 2026 NCAA tournament"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.si.com/college/gonzaga/basketball/5-things-to-know-about-kennesaw-state-ahead-gonzaga-ncaa-tournament-first-round-matchup",
"title": "5 things to know about Kennesaw State ahead of Gonzaga's NCAA ...",
"snippet": "Thursday's No. 3 vs. No. 14 matchup will be the first ever between Gonzaga and Kennesaw State, a team that finished sixth in the Conference USA ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoQS6qt1Zeg",
"title": "Gonzaga vs. Kennesaw State Preview, and NCAA Tournament ...",
"snippet": "Dan Dickau breaks down Gonzaga's matchup against Kennesaw State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, looks at a potential matchup ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/gonzaga-looks-to-extend-ncaa-tournament-opener-streak-vs-kennesaw-state/",
"title": "Gonzaga looks to extend NCAA Tournament opener streak vs ...",
"snippet": "Kennesaw State lost five of its last nine regular-season games and entered the Conference USA tournament as the No. 6 seed before beating No. 3 ..."
},
{
"url": "https://ksuowls.com/news/2026/3/15/mens-basketball-2026-ncaa-tournament-announcement.aspx",
"title": "Owls Earn No. 14 Seed in West Region, Face No. 3 Gonzaga on ...",
"snippet": "– Kennesaw State men's basketball received the No. 14 seed in the West Region and will face 3-seeded Gonzaga in the first round of the 2026 NCAA ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.kennesaw.edu/news/stories/2026/ksu-mens-basketball-earns-14-seed-march-madness.php",
"title": "Kennesaw State men's basketball earns No. 14 seed, to face ...",
"snippet": "14 seed, to face Gonzaga in March Madness showdown. Momentum builds at KSU as Owls return to March Madness. KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 16, 2026. KSU Selection ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 19
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Good, I have enough information to build a solid bracket. Let me compile what I know:
Key injuries/issues:
1. Gonzaga - Braden Huff injured (kneecap dislocation), out since January
2. UConn - Jaylin Stewart injured (knee), out since February
3. Alabama - Aden Holloway arrested (drug charge), suspended
Key upset opportunities:
1. High Point (12) over Wisconsin (5) - trending upset pick
2. Akron (12) over Texas Tech (5) - popular upset pick
3. VCU (11) over North Carolina (6) - 39% upset chance according to ESPN
4. Missouri (10) over UCLA (7)
5. Northern Iowa (12) over St. John's (5)
6. Utah State (9) over Villanova (8)
Teams to watch:
- Duke (1) - #1 seed, strong team
- Arizona (1) - #2 team
- Michigan (1) - #3 team
- Florida (1) - #4 team
- Houston (2) - strong team
- Purdue (2) - Big Ten champ, hot
Let me build my bracket now with strategic upset picks based on the research.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "702d0812544e8968722fd6112a63702bb08edb88b0b284ae0c7bf91c34b3e206"
}
}Now I have enough research. Let me look up a few more specific matchups to confirm the teams before building my bracket.
Tool Call: lookup_game
{
"gameId": "game-13"
}Tool Result: lookup_game
{
"game": {
"team1": {
"id": "byu-cougars",
"name": "Cougars",
"seed": 6,
"region": "west"
},
"team2": {
"id": "texas-longhorns",
"name": "Longhorns",
"seed": 11,
"region": "west"
},
"gameId": "game-13",
"team2Alt": {
"id": "nc-state-wolfpack",
"name": "Wolfpack",
"seed": 11,
"region": "west"
}
}
}assistantMessage 20
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Game 13 is BYU vs Texas Longhorns/NC State - it's a First Four matchup. I can pick any of the three teams.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "d91e169dd05b3241e46f65f5a801e0f41327a599597b85c8b4a0e5c72a0a4019"
}
}Tool Call: lookup_game
{
"gameId": "game-17"
}Tool Result: lookup_game
{
"game": {
"team1": {
"id": "florida-gators",
"name": "Gators",
"seed": 1,
"region": "south"
},
"team2": {
"id": "prairie-view-am-panthers",
"name": "Panthers",
"seed": 16,
"region": "south"
},
"gameId": "game-17",
"team2Alt": {
"id": "lehigh-mountain-hawks",
"name": "Mountain Hawks",
"seed": 16,
"region": "south"
}
}
}assistantMessage 21
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
So game 17 is Florida vs Prairie View A&M/Lehigh - another First Four matchup.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "86abb4cb7aedb6024d70aa6b6e38ba578a72a1f8cc29713322913845ef20837a"
}
}Tool Call: lookup_game
{
"gameId": "game-25"
}Tool Result: lookup_game
{
"game": {
"team1": {
"id": "michigan-wolverines",
"name": "Wolverines",
"seed": 1,
"region": "midwest"
},
"team2": {
"id": "umbc-retrievers",
"name": "Retrievers",
"seed": 16,
"region": "midwest"
},
"gameId": "game-25",
"team2Alt": {
"id": "howard-bison",
"name": "Bison",
"seed": 16,
"region": "midwest"
}
}
}assistantMessage 22
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Game 25 is Michigan vs UMBC/Howard - another First Four matchup.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "a55bf30cd8cd70d8e4fc048456500219823553031140f858c612306369dc7e48"
}
}Tool Call: lookup_game
{
"gameId": "game-29"
}Tool Result: lookup_game
{
"game": {
"team1": {
"id": "tennessee-volunteers",
"name": "Volunteers",
"seed": 6,
"region": "midwest"
},
"team2": {
"id": "smu-mustangs",
"name": "Mustangs",
"seed": 11,
"region": "midwest"
},
"gameId": "game-29",
"team2Alt": {
"id": "miami-oh-redhawks",
"name": "RedHawks",
"seed": 11,
"region": "midwest"
}
}
}assistantMessage 23
Mar 18, 2026, 10:47 PMReasoning
Game 29 is Tennessee vs SMU/Miami (OH) - another First Four matchup.
Now I have enough information. Let me build my bracket with strategic upset picks based on my research:
Key Upset Picks:
1. Utah State (9) over Villanova (8) in West
2. High Point (12) over Wisconsin (5) in West
3. VCU (11) over North Carolina (6) in South
4. Akron (12) over Texas Tech (5) in Midwest
5. Northern Iowa (12) over St. John's (5) in East
6. Missouri (10) over UCLA (7) in West
Let me build the full bracket now.
Provider Metadata
{
"anthropic": {
"signature": "fa2bdc2558e2cf834eb30949850092d0cec86587f2c1422b2370d8d95494ab9b"
}
}Now I'll build my bracket based on the research. Let me start with the Round of 64 and work through all rounds.
Tool Call: submit_bracket
{
"r1": [
{
"gameId": "game-1",
"winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
},
{
"gameId": "game-2",
"winnerId": "ohio-state-buckeyes"
},
{
"gameId": "game-3",
"winnerId": "northern-iowa-panthers"
},
{
"gameId": "game-4",
"winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
},
{
"gameId": "game-5",
"winnerId": "louisville-cardinals"
},
{
"gameId": "game-6",
"winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"
},
{
"gameId": "game-7",
"winnerId": "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": "byu-cougars"
},
{
"gameId": "game-14",
"winnerId": "kennesaw-state-owls"
},
{
"gameId": "game-15",
"winnerId": "missouri-tigers"
},
{
"gameId": "game-16",
"winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
},
{
"gameId": "game-17",
"winnerId": "florida-gators"
},
{
"gameId": "game-18",
"winnerId": "clemson-tigers"
},
{
"gameId": "game-19",
"winnerId": "vanderbilt-commodores"
},
{
"gameId": "game-20",
"winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"
},
{
"gameId": "game-21",
"winnerId": "vcu-rams"
},
{
"gameId": "game-22",
"winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
},
{
"gameId": "game-23",
"winnerId": "texas-am-aggies"
},
{
"gameId": "game-24",
"winnerId": "houston-cougars"
},
{
"gameId": "game-25",
"winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
},
{
"gameId": "game-26",
"winnerId": "georgia-bulldogs"
},
{
"gameId": "game-27",
"winnerId": "akron-zips"
},
{
"gameId": "game-28",
"winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
},
{
"gameId": "game-29",
"winnerId": "tennessee-volunteers"
},
{
"gameId": "game-30",
"winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"
},
{
"gameId": "game-31",
"winnerId": "kentucky-wildcats"
},
{
"gameId": "game-32",
"winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
}
],
"r2": [
{
"gameId": "r32-east-1",
"winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-east-2",
"winnerId": "ohio-state-buckeyes"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-east-3",
"winnerId": "northern-iowa-panthers"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-east-4",
"winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-west-1",
"winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-west-2",
"winnerId": "utah-state-aggies"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-west-3",
"winnerId": "high-point-panthers"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-west-4",
"winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-south-1",
"winnerId": "florida-gators"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-south-2",
"winnerId": "clemson-tigers"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-south-3",
"winnerId": "vanderbilt-commodores"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-south-4",
"winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-midwest-1",
"winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-midwest-2",
"winnerId": "georgia-bulldogs"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-midwest-3",
"winnerId": "akron-zips"
},
{
"gameId": "r32-midwest-4",
"winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
}
],
"r3": [
{
"gameId": "s16-east-1",
"winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
},
{
"gameId": "s16-east-2",
"winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
},
{
"gameId": "s16-west-1",
"winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
},
{
"gameId": "s16-west-2",
"winnerId": "high-point-panthers"
},
{
"gameId": "s16-south-1",
"winnerId": "florida-gators"
},
{
"gameId": "s16-south-2",
"winnerId": "vanderbilt-commodores"
},
{
"gameId": "s16-midwest-1",
"winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
},
{
"gameId": "s16-midwest-2",
"winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
}
],
"r4": [
{
"gameId": "e8-east-1",
"winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
},
{
"gameId": "e8-west-1",
"winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
},
{
"gameId": "e8-south-1",
"winnerId": "florida-gators"
},
{
"gameId": "e8-midwest-1",
"winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
}
],
"r5": [
{
"gameId": "ff-1",
"winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
},
{
"gameId": "ff-2",
"winnerId": "florida-gators"
}
],
"r6": [
{
"gameId": "champ-1",
"winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
}
],
"tiebreakerScore": 158
}Tool Result: submit_bracket
{
"submitted": true
}Tokens
- Input
- 367257
- Output
- 3367
- Reasoning
- —