BracketGPT: The Deep Dunk
GPT OSS 120BOpenAIEntry 1
MIDfailedDQ
Outcome
failed
Accuracy
—
Created
Mar 18, 2026, 11:19 PM
Finished
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PM
Tiebreaker
—
Validation
no-submit-bracket-call
Failure Reason
Model never called submit_bracket before the step limit.
R64
0
R32
0
S16
0
E8
0
F4
0
Ch
0
Bracket
No saved picks for this entry.
Trace
Stored prompt, assistant, tool, and reasoning parts for this attempt.
userMessage 1
Mar 18, 2026, 11:19 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, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need to research current 2026 NCAA season. Use web_search.
Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "2026 NCAA men's basketball rankings AP Top 25 March 2026"
}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."
},
{
"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://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/rankings/ap/",
"title": "College Basketball Rankings 2025-26 - AP Top 25 - CBS Sports",
"snippet": "AP Top 25 Updated Mar 16, 2026 ; 1. team logo · Duke. (50) 32-2, — ; 2. team logo · Arizona. (7) 32-2, — ; 3. team logo · Michigan. 31-3, — ; 4. team logo · Florida."
},
{
"url": "https://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 ( ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 3
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need to research each region's top teams, upset candidates, injuries, etc. Let's open first result USA Today.
Tool Call: web_fetch
{
"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/15/college-rankings-basketball-top-25-ap-coaches-poll-march-15/89169875007/"
}Tool Result: web_fetch
{
"content": "[Close](https://www.usatoday.com/sports/) [Close](https://www.usatoday.com/sports/)\n\n[MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL](https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaab/)\n\nNCAA Men's Basketball Tournament\n\nAdd Topic\n\n# Men's college basketball rankings after Week 19: Updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25\n\n[ Ehsan Kassim](https://www.usatoday.com/staff/5763590001/ehsan-kassim/)\n\nUSA TODAY NETWORK\n\nMarch 15, 2026, 5:58 p.m. ET\n\nHear this story\n\n[Share to Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?display=popup&app_id=1279862243338849&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fncaab%2F2026%2F03%2F15%2Fcollege-rankings-basketball-top-25-ap-coaches-poll-march-15%2F89169875007%2F)[Share to Twitter](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fncaab%2F2026%2F03%2F15%2Fcollege-rankings-basketball-top-25-ap-coaches-poll-march-15%2F89169875007%2F&text=Men%27s%20college%20basketball%20rankings%20after%20Week%2019%3A%20Updated%20Coaches%20Poll%2C%20AP%20Top%2025&via=usatoday)[Share by email](mailto:?subject=Men%27s%20college%20basketball%20rankings%20after%20Week%2019%3A%20Updated%20Coaches%20Poll%2C%20AP%20Top%2025%20-%20from%20USA%20TODAY&body=Men%27s%20college%20basketball%20rankings%20after%20Week%2019%3A%20Updated%20Coaches%20Poll%2C%20AP%20Top%2025%0A%0AHere%20are%20the%20latest%20men%27s%20USA%20TODAY%20Sports%20Coaches%20and%20AP%20Top%2025%20polls.%0A%0ACheck%20out%20this%20story%20on%20usatoday.com%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fncaab%2F2026%2F03%2F15%2Fcollege-rankings-basketball-top-25-ap-coaches-poll-march-15%2F89169875007%2F)\n\nPencils down.\n\nThe regular season and conference championships for the [2025-26 men's college basketball season](https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaab/) are now complete. With that, the [2026 men's NCAA Tournament](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/15/march-madness-bracketology-live-updates-ncaa-tournament-selection-sunday-predictions/89159004007/) is mere hours away from having its 68-team field revealed on [Selection Sunday.](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/14/selection-sunday-time-ncaa-tournament-womens-mens/89099086007/)\n\nWhile some teams helped their cause with a big week — [including Arkansas winning the SEC Tournament](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/15/arkansas-vanderbilt-live-updates-score-sec-championship/89168338007/) for the first time since 2000 — championship week was a likely formality for the top four teams in last week's poll. Each is likely headed for a No. 1 seed in March Madness.\n\nDuke, of course, won the ACC Tournament and is likely cemented as the No. 1 overall seed. Despite a quarterfinal loss for No. 4 Florida, the defending champion Gators have a strong claim for the No. 1 seed with UConn losing in the Big East Conference tournament title game.\n\nHere’s a look at the latest Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 for March 15:\n\n## [USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll](https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/basketball/ncaab/coaches-poll/2025)\n\n01. Duke (26)\n02. Arizona (5)\n03. Michigan\n04. Florida\n05. Houston\n06. Iowa State\n07. Connecticut\n08. Virginia\n09. St. John's\n10. Gonzaga\n11. Michigan State\n12. Illinois\n13. Purdue\n14. Nebraska\n15. Arkansas\n16. Vanderbilt\n17. Kansas\n18. Alabama\n19. Texas Tech\n20. Wisconsin\n21. North Carolina\n22. Saint Mary's\n23. Miami\n24. Louisville\n25. Tennessee\n\n**Others receiving votes:** Miami (Ohio) 36; UCLA 25; Utah State 19; Brigham Young 14; Saint Louis 7; Villanova 6; Virginia Commonwealth 5; Akron 1; Ohio State 1; South Florida 1.\n\n## AP Top 25\n\n_This section will be updated when the poll is released._\n\n[Share to Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?display=popup&app_id=1279862243338849&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fncaab%2F2026%2F03%2F15%2Fc"
}assistantMessage 4
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need comprehensive research across regions, then build bracket. Let's continue gathering info: we need specifics on each team performance, injuries, etc. Search for each top seed.
Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Duke Blue Devils 2025-26 season injuries March 2026"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.si.com/college/duke/blue-devils-rotation-adjustment-that-could-define-march-madness",
"title": "The Duke Rotation Adjustment That Could Define March Madness",
"snippet": "Mar 14, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon ... Foster and Ngongba Injuries Make Duke Weakness Glaring. Published ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/article315059036.html",
"title": "Duke basketball injury update for March Madness tournament",
"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/duke/news/caleb-foster-injury-updates-duke-march-madness/7f05a259c4a753839b85ea8a",
"title": "Caleb Foster injury updates: Will Duke star play in 2026 March ...",
"snippet": "Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba II and Isaiah Evans, all reserves last season, are now starters and essential parts of what the Blue Devils do."
},
{
"url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/teams/main/duke-blue-devils/injuries",
"title": "Duke Blue Devils Injuries 2025-2026 - Updated NCAAB Injury Report",
"snippet": "Injuries ; P. Ngongba II, C · Questionable - Foot ( Thu, Mar 5) ; Ngongba II is dealing with a foot injury and is uncertain to take the court for the Blue Devils."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dukes-jon-scheyer-confirms-key-165110316.html",
"title": "Duke's Jon Scheyer Confirms Key Players May Return for NCAA ...",
"snippet": "Along with Ngongba, Blue Devils junior guard Caleb Foster also missed the ACC Tournament after suffering a fractured foot during the regular- ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 5
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need to do thorough research for each region. We should fetch some articles about top seeds, upset possibilities, and injuries.
First, we need data: season records, etc.
Let's fetch a general season summary like KenPom or NET. Search for "2025-26 KenPom rankings".
Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "2025-26 KenPom rankings March 2026"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://kenpom.com/",
"title": "2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings",
"snippet": "2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings ; 3, Michigan 1, B10 ; 4, Florida 1, SEC ; 5, Houston 2, B12 ..."
},
{
"url": "https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/ncaab/ncaa-tournament-bracket-based-using-kenpom-ratings-sgc/",
"title": "Updated KenPom Rankings for the 2026 NCAA Tournament - BetMGM",
"snippet": "Updated KenPom Rankings for the 2026 NCAA Tournament ; 55, Virginia Tech, 62 ; 56, Florida St. 56 ; 57, Stanford, 65 ; 58, Northwestern, 61 ..."
},
{
"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": "Using KenPom ratings as a barometer, here's how the 36 games rank in terms of competitiveness — from most to least: West No. 8 Villanova vs ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/1ohlfwo/kenpom_202526_preseason_march_madness_bracket/",
"title": "KenPom 2025-26 Preseason March Madness Bracket - Reddit",
"snippet": "Best KenPom rankings for March 2026. KenPom bracketology insights ... KenPom 2025-26 Preseason March Madness Bracket. Analysis ..."
},
{
"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": "Adjusted offensive efficiency rank: 6th · Adjusted defensive efficiency rank: 29th · Adjusted efficiency margin rank: 6th · Adjusted tempo rank: ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 6
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need to collect info per region about top seeds and upset candidates.
We should fetch some specific articles for each region. For example, East: Duke, Ohio State, St. John's, Kansas. Let's fetch article about Duke injuries already.
Tool Call: web_fetch
{
"url": "https://www.sports.yahoo.com/articles/dukes-jon-scheyer-confirms-key-165110316.html"
}Tool Result: web_fetch
{
"content": "Advertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[16\\\\\n\\\\\nHOURS LEFT\\\\\n\\\\\n\\\\\n\\\\\nThink you've got the perfect bracket? Prove it.\\\\\n\\\\\n$50k is on the line. Enter by 3/19\\\\\n\\\\\nFill Out Bracket](https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/mens-basketball-bracket/register/createteam?ncid=100003769)\n\nTRENDING\n\n- [Play Bracket Mayhem](http://yahoofantasy.com/bracketmayhem)\n\n- [March Madness bracket picks](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-bracket-picks-cinderellas-upsets-final-four-predictions-and-more-for-the-ncaa-mens-and-womens-tournaments-134128076.html)\n\n- [Printable brackets](https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/march-madness-printable-brackets-for-mens-and-womens-2026-ncaa-basketball-tournaments-141418306.html)\n\n- [About WNBA's new CBA and season](https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-wnbas-new-cba-and-upcoming-season-173735615.html)\n\n- [No silver lining for USA](https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/world-baseball-classic-for-team-usa-juggernaut-offense-never-materializes-in-another-wbc-disappointment-075418149.html)\n\n\nStory by [\\\\\n\\\\\n](https://athlonsports.com/)\n\nChris Phelps\n\nMon, March 16, 2026 at 4:51 PM UTC·\n\n2 min read\n\nJon Scheyer and the No. 1 [Duke](https://athlonsports.com/college/duke-blue-devils) Blue Devils secured the No. 1 seed in the [ACC](https://athlonsports.com/tag/acc) Tournament after finishing the 2025-26 college basketball regular season with a 29-2 overall record and 17-1 in conference play. After taking down the [Florida State](https://athlonsports.com/college/florida-state-seminoles) Seminoles and the [Clemson Tigers](https://athlonsports.com/college/clemson-tigers), Duke advanced to the ACC Championship, where they secured a second straight conference title after taking down the No. 10 [Virginia Cavaliers](https://athlonsports.com/college/virginia-cavaliers) 74-70.\n\nNow, Scheyer and the Blue Devils (32-2) turn their focus to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, where they secured the No. 1 overall seed. Their first matchup in the East region will be against the No. 16 seed Siena Saints, who earned a spot in the tourney after winning the MAAC crown. And Duke could be getting some key players back for the big dance.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAdvertisement\n\n\n\nDuke Blue Devils head coach Jon ScheyerJim Dedmon-Imagn Images\n\n(Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)\n\nPatrick Ngongba II has been one of Scheyer's top options throughout the season. The sophomore center out of Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, Virginia, has averaged 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and a team-high 1.1 blocks per game. But a foot injury sidelined Ngongba for the entire ACC Tournament, leaving his status for the NCAA Tournament up in the air.\n\nAlong with Ngongba, Blue Devils junior guard Caleb Foster also missed the ACC Tournament after [suffering a fractured foot](https://www.fayobserver.com/story/sports/college/basketball/2026/03/10/caleb-foster-injury-update-duke-basketball-guard-out-for-foreseeable-time/89052932007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z115714p119050l004050c119050u111609v115714&gca-ft=61&gca-ds=sophi) during the regular-season fi"
}assistantMessage 7
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need to research other teams too. Continue searching for top seeds like Arizona, Michigan, Florida, Houston, etc. Also find upset candidates: 12-seeds etc. Let's get info on 12-seeds: Northern Iowa, North Dakota State, etc.
Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Northern Iowa Panthers 2025-26 season record and injuries"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.rotowire.com/cbasketball/team/northern-iowa-1544",
"title": "CBB Team Stats - Northern Iowa | RotoWire",
"snippet": "2025-26 Northern Iowa Team Stats ; Pace, 63.8 (364) ; Effective FG%, 54.17 (65), 47.21 (23) ; Turnover %, 13.24 (76), 16.04 (83) ; Off Reb %, 22.03 (356), 26.31 (23)."
},
{
"url": "https://unipanthers.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2025-26",
"title": "2025-26 Men's Basketball Cumulative Statistics - UNI Athletics",
"snippet": "University of Northern Iowa Athletics · 2025-26 Men's Basketball Cumulative Statistics · Footer."
},
{
"url": "https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/northern-iowa/men/2026.html",
"title": "2025-26 Northern Iowa Panthers Men's Roster and Stats",
"snippet": "2025-26 Northern Iowa Panthers Men's Roster and Stats ; Record: 23-12 (11-9, 6th in MVC MBB) ; Coach: Ben Jacobson ; PS/G: 69.9 (309th of 365)."
},
{
"url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/teams/main/northern-iowa-panthers/injuries",
"title": "Updated NCAAB Injury Report - Northern Iowa Panthers - Covers.com",
"snippet": "Stay In the Know: Check Out Northern Iowa Panthers Injuries Impacting The 2025-2026 NCAAB Season."
},
{
"url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/teams/NOIOWA/northern-iowa-panthers/stats/",
"title": "Northern Iowa Panthers Stats and Team Leaders 2025-26",
"snippet": "Find official stats for the Northern Iowa Panthers and view team stat leaders for the 2025 College Football season on CBS Sports."
}
]
}assistantMessage 8
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need to research all regions to decide picks. Time limited. We can perhaps rely on known rankings: top seeds: Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida. We have mid-major seeds: Siena 16, etc. Need upsets.
We should get specific info for each region top seeds: East (Duke, Arizona? Actually Arizona in West). East top seeds: Duke #1, Ohio State #8, St Johns #5, Kansas #4, Louisville #6, Michigan State #3, UCLA #7, UConn #2. Likely Duke advances, UConn likely too. Potential upset: 12 northern iowa vs St Johns? Actually matchup game-3: 5 St Johns vs 12 Northern Iowa. 12-seed upset chance. Also 10 vs 7 (UCF vs UCLA) could be upset. 6 Louisville vs 11 South Florida may be close. Let's research St Johns vs Northern Iowa.
Tool Call: web_fetch
{
"url": "https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/northern-iowa/men/2026.html"
}Tool Result: web_fetch
{
"content": "[NCAA Tournaments](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/)\n\n[Postseason History](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/)\n\nNCAA Tournament Brackets (and Champion):\n\n- 2026 [Men](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2026-ncaa.html), [Women](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2026-ncaa.html)\n- 2025 ( [Florida](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/florida/men/2025.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2025-ncaa.html) , [UConn](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/connecticut/women/2025.html) [(W)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2025-ncaa.html))\n\n- 2024 ( [UConn](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/connecticut/men/2024.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2024-ncaa.html) , [South Carolina](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/south-carolina/women/2024.html) [(W)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2024-ncaa.html))\n\n- 2023 ( [UConn](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/connecticut/men/2023.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2023-ncaa.html) , [LSU](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/louisiana-state/women/2023.html) [(W)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2023-ncaa.html))\n\n- 2022 ( [Kansas](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/kansas/men/2022.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2022-ncaa.html) , [South Carolina](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/south-carolina/women/2022.html) [(W)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2022-ncaa.html))\n\n- 2021 ( [Baylor](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/baylor/men/2021.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2021-ncaa.html) , [Stanford](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/stanford/women/2021.html) [(W)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2021-ncaa.html))\n\n- 2020 [Men](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2020-ncaa.html), [Women](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2020-ncaa.html)\n- 2019 ( [Virginia](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/virginia/men/2019.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2019-ncaa.html) , [Baylor](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/baylor/women/2019.html) [(W)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2019-ncaa.html))\n\n- 2018 ( [Villanova](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/villanova/men/2018.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2018-ncaa.html) , [Notre Dame](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/notre-dame/women/2018.html) [(W)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2018-ncaa.html))\n\n- 2017 ( [UNC](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/north-carolina/men/2017.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2017-ncaa.html) , [South Carolina](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/south-carolina/women/2017.html) [(W)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2017-ncaa.html))\n\n- 2016 ( [Villanova](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/villanova/men/2016.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2016-ncaa.html) , [UConn](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/connecticut/women/2016.html) [(W)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2016-ncaa.html))\n\n- 2015 ( [Duke](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/duke/men/2015.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2015-ncaa.html) , [UConn](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/connecticut/women/2015.html) [(W)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2015-ncaa.html))\n\n- 2014 ( [UConn](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/connecticut/men/2014.html) [(M)](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/men/2014-ncaa.html) , [UConn](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/con"
}assistantMessage 9
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need to produce bracket picks. But first we need to research teams for upsets etc. Time is limited. Might make educated picks based on seeding and known strengths. Use some data: top seeds: Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida. But we need to consider injuries: Duke foot injuries for Ngongba and Foster uncertain. Could be vulnerable early but still strong.
We can find specific info for some mid-majors: Northern Iowa decent, likely upset 12 over 5? St. Johns vs Northern Iowa is a 5 vs 12. Historically 12 seeds upset ~35%; need to check Northern Iowa stats: record 23-12; strong defense maybe good upset.
Team Kansas (4 seed) vs California Baptist (13). Likely Kansas wins.
Look up Kansas recent info.
Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Kansas Jayhawks 2025-26 season injuries March 2026"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/matchup/horned-frogs-jayhawks-2026-03-12/injuries",
"title": "2025-2026 NCAA BB Games: Horned Frogs Jayhawks Injury Report -",
"snippet": "TCU has no reported injuries at this time. Kansas Injuries. Name, Pos, Updated, Injury, Status, Details. Corbin Allen ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/matchup/jayhawks-cougars-2026-03-13/injuries",
"title": "2025-2026 NCAA BB Games: Jayhawks Cougars Injury Report -",
"snippet": "Name, Pos, Updated, Injury, Status, Details. Kordelius Jefferson, G, 1/10, Knee, OUT, Jefferson is out of commission due to knee injury, ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/teams/main/kansas-jayhawks/injuries",
"title": "Kansas Jayhawks Injuries 2025-2026 - Updated NCAAB Injury Report",
"snippet": "Bench. #, Player. 0, Nginyu Ngala. 1, Jayden Dawson. 2, Corbin Allen. 6, Samis Calderon. 7, Kohl Rosario. 11, Jamari McDowell. 12, Wilder Evers."
},
{
"url": "https://www2.kusports.com/sports/college/basketball-men/2026/mar/02/as-calendar-flips-to-march-jayhawks-still-seek-consistency/",
"title": "As calendar flips to March, Jayhawks still seek consistency - KU Sports",
"snippet": "That has to do in large part with Peterson's injuries, and specifically the cramping he has battled at various points since mid-December, ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/football/ncaaf/teams/main/kansas-jayhawks/injuries",
"title": "Kansas Jayhawks Injuries 2025-2026 - Updated NCAAF Injury Report",
"snippet": "Offense. POS, #, Player. QB, 6, Jalon Daniels. RB, 9, Daniel Hishaw Jr. WR, 10, Levi Wentz. WR, 11, Bryson Canty. TE, 88, Boden Groen. OG, 56, Amir Herring."
}
]
}assistantMessage 10
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need to research all regions etc. The user wants the best bracket. We need to gather enough data to decide picks.
We have some info: AP ranking shows top seeds: Duke #1, Arizona #2, Michigan #3, Florida #4, Houston #5, Iowa State #6, UConn #7, Virginia #8, St. John's #9, Gonzaga #10, etc.
Teams in our bracket: East includes Duke (1), Arizona in West, etc. Good.
We need to identify upset candidates: 12-seed northern iowa vs St. Johns? Actually St. Johns is 5 seed vs northern iowa 12; typical upset is 12 over 5.
Check northern iowa record: from sports-reference indicates record 23-12, good mid-major.
Check Arkansas big: In West 4 vs Hawaii, Arkansas got SEC title.
We need other mid-majors like Prairie View, Lehigh, UMBC/Howard.
Let's gather some info about Prairie View vs Florida: Prairie View appears as 16? Actually game-17: Florida #1 vs Prairie View AM Panthers / Lehigh Mountain Hawks (play-in winners). So likely 16 seed.
Prairie View is small.
Check Gonzaga form. Use search.
Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Gonzaga Bulldogs 2025-26 season record injuries"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/matchup/bulldogs-pilots-2026-02-04/injuries",
"title": "2025-2026 NCAA BB Games: Bulldogs Pilots Injury Report -",
"snippet": "Gonzaga has no reported injuries at this time. Portland Injuries. Name, Pos, Updated, Injury, Status, Details. Riley Parker ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/teams/main/gonzaga-bulldogs/injuries",
"title": "Updated NCAAB Injury Report - Gonzaga Bulldogs",
"snippet": "Stay In the Know: Check Out Gonzaga Bulldogs Injuries Impacting The 2025-2026 NCAAB Season."
},
{
"url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/stats/_/id/2250/gonzaga-bulldogs",
"title": "Gonzaga Bulldogs 2025-26 Men's College Basketball Stats",
"snippet": "Visit ESPN for Gonzaga Bulldogs live scores, video highlights, and latest news. Find standings and the full 2025-26 season schedule."
},
{
"url": "https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-basketball/college-basketball-2025-2026-buzz",
"title": "College Basketball 2025-2026 Buzz: Aden Holloway ...",
"snippet": "Gonzaga forward Braden Huff injury update. Huff will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 regular-season because of a left knee injury sustained in ..."
},
{
"url": "https://gozags.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2025-26?path=mbball",
"title": "2025-26 Men's Basketball Cumulative Statistics",
"snippet": "The official 2025-26 Men's Basketball cumulative statistics for the Gonzaga University Bulldogs."
}
]
}assistantMessage 11
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need to produce bracket picks. Need research for each region, identify upsets etc. We have limited time. We could use known rankings and some news. Let's compile quick insights.
From AP poll: top seeds: Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida, Houston, Iowa State, UConn, Virginia, St. John's, Gonzaga etc. In our bracket seeds: East top seed Duke, West top Arizona, South top Florida, Midwest top Michigan.
We need upsets: 12-seed vs 5 often. Identify 12 seeds in each region: East 12 northern-iowa-panthers (good mid-major); West 12 high-point-panthers; South 12 mcneese-cowboys; Midwest 12 akron-zips. Also 13 seeds etc.
In West game13 is play-in: Texas Longhorns (6) vs NC State Wolfpack (11) as play-in? Actually format: game13: [6] byu vs [11] texas-longhorns / nc-state-wolfpack – meaning play-in for 11 seed? Likely Texas and NC State play for 11 seed? Not sure. We'll need pick winner from either.
We need research for each team.
Search for Texas Longhorns 2025-26 injuries.
Tool Call: web_search
{
"query": "Texas Longhorns basketball 2025-26 season injuries"
}Tool Result: web_search
{
"results": [
{
"url": "https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/matchup/tigers-longhorns-2026-02-17/injuries",
"title": "2025-2026 NCAA BB Games: Tigers Longhorns Injury Report -",
"snippet": "Dedan Thomas Jr. G, 2/14, Foot, OUT, Thomas Jr. has been undergone foot surgery, and he is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Jalen ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.si.com/college/texas/basketball/texas-longhorns-injury-report-vs-nc-state-for-march-madness-first-four",
"title": "Texas Longhorns Injury Report vs NC State for March Madness First ...",
"snippet": "With Traore out, the Longhorns have leaned more on forward Nic Codie off the bench. Codie started the first four games of the season but ..."
},
{
"url": "https://thedailytexan.com/2026/01/26/texas-sees-return-to-full-health-strengthening-inner-roster-competitiveness/",
"title": "Texas sees return to full health, strengthening inner-roster ...",
"snippet": "Freshman guard Aaliyah Crump, sophomore guard Bryanna Preston, sophomore forward Justice Carlton, senior forward Teya Sidberry and senior guard ..."
},
{
"url": "https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/teams/main/texas-longhorns/injuries",
"title": "Texas Longhorns Injuries 2025-2026 - Updated NCAAB Injury Report",
"snippet": "L. Traore, F · Questionable - Undisclosed ( Thu, Feb 12) ; Traore is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is uncertain to take the court for the Longhorns."
},
{
"url": "https://volswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/volunteers/mens-basketball/2026/01/06/tennessee-vols-texas-longhorns-basketball-game-injury-report/88045441007/",
"title": "Tennessee-Texas basketball game injury report - Vols Wire",
"snippet": "Tennessee junior forward Cade Phillips is out. He will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 basketball season due to a recurring shoulder injury. \" ..."
}
]
}assistantMessage 12
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
We need to compile research for bracket picks. The user expects us to do Phase 1: research, then Phase 2: build bracket, validate, submit.
We must output final bracket via submit_bracket tool. Need to produce picks for all rounds.
We need to research each team’s strength, upsets.
We have some data: rankings list etc. We haven't yet collected detailed info for each team. But we might rely on known seeds and typical upsets.
But to be competitive, we need to find upset candidates based on real info like season record, injuries. Time limited.
We could focus on known strong teams: Duke (1), Arizona (1 in West), Florida (1 South?), Michigan (1 Midwest). Looking at bracket: East region top seeds: Duke, Ohio State (8), St. John's (5), Kansas (4), Louisville (6), Michigan State (3), UCLA (7), UConn (2). West: Arizona (1), Villanova (8), Wisconsin (5), Arkansas (4), BYU (6) vs Texas Longhorns / NC State (unclear matchup), Gonzaga (3), Kennesaw State (14), Miami (7), Purdue (2). South: Florida (1), Clemson (8), Vanderbilt (5), Nebraska (4), North Carolina (6), Illinois (3), Saint Mary's (7), Houston (2). Midwest: Michigan (1), Georgia (8), Texas Tech (5), Alabama (4), Tennessee (6) vs SMU/ Miami-OH, Virginia (3), Kentucky (7), Iowa State (2).
We should identify upset candidates: 12 seeds often beat 5 seeds. In East: Northern Iowa (12) vs St. Johns (5) - maybe upset if strong. Look at Northern Iowa record 23-12, decent. Could be upset. West: High Point vs Wisconsin (unlikely). Hawaii vs Arkansas (unlikely). Kennesaw State vs Gonzaga (unlikely). South: VCU vs North Carolina (11 vs 6). Not typical but possible upset. Penn State vs Illinois (14 vs 3) rare. Texas A&M (10) vs Saint Mary's (7) maybe moderate upset. Midwest: SMU or Miami OH vs Tennessee (underdog). Wright State vs Virginia (14 vs 3) unlikely.
Also 10-seed vs 7 seed upset: Texas Longhorns (11) vs BYU? Actually game 13 is BYU (6) vs Texas Longhorns / NC State (11). Might be a play-in? Actually seems ambiguous; maybe Texas Longhorns are 11 seed? Actually BYU is 6 seed, Texas Longhorns maybe 11, NC State 10? Need clarification. The game is "byu-cougars vs texas-longhorns / nc-state-wolfpack". Might be a play-in where Texas and NC State play each other for 11? Hard.
But for simplicity, we can treat winner as BYU (6) but we could pick Texas Longhorns as upset.
Also 9 vs 8 matchups are toss-ups: Ohio State (8) vs TCU (9) in East - could pick TCU upset. Villanova (8) vs Utah State (9) West - pick Utah State upset. Clemson (8) vs Iowa (9) South - pick Iowa upset. Georgia (8) vs Saint Louis (9) Midwest - pick Saint Louis upset.
Also 6 vs 11: Louisville (6) vs South Florida (11) - maybe South Florida upset.
3 vs 14: Michigan State (3) vs North Dakota State (14) - likely MSU wins. UConn (2) vs Furman (15) - UConn wins.
In West: Wisconsin (5) vs High Point (12) - maybe High Point upset? but unlikely.
Arkansas (4) vs Hawaii (13) - could be upset.
Gonzaga (3) vs Kennesaw (14) - likely Gonzaga.
Miami (7) vs Missouri (10) - could be upset Miami 7 wins.
Purdue (2) vs Queens (15) - Purdue wins.
South: Florida (1) vs Prairie View (16) / Lehigh (16) - Florida wins.
Clemson (8) vs Iowa (9) - we may pick Iowa.
Vanderbilt (5) vs McNeese (12) - maybe upset McNeese.
Nebraska (4) vs Troy (13) - Nebraska wins.
North Carolina (6) vs VCU (11) - maybe VCU upset.
Illinois (3) vs Penn State (14) - Illinois wins.
Saint Mary's (7) vs Texas A&M (10) - maybe Texas A&M upset.
Houston (2) vs Idaho (15) - Houston wins.
Midwest: Michigan (1) vs UMBC / Howard (16) - Michigan wins.
Georgia (8) vs Saint Louis (9) - maybe pick Saint Louis upset.
Texas Tech (5) vs Akron (12) - maybe upset Akron.
Alabama (4) vs Hofstra (13) - Alabama wins.
Tennessee (6) vs SMU / Miami OH (11) - could be upset SMU or Miami OU, need decide.
Virginia (3) vs Wright State (14) - Virginia wins.
Kentucky (7) vs Santa Clara (10) - maybe Santa Clara upset.
Iowa State (2) vs Tennessee State (15) - Iowa State wins.
Now also pick first four? Not listed; none.
Now for round 2 etc., we need to propagate.
We must ensure picks are valid: each later round's winner must be among earlier winners.
Thus we need to construct full bracket.
Given many uncertainties, we need to produce a bracket with some upsets but also plausible.
We also need tiebreakerScore (total combined score of championship game). Could guess 148.
Now we must validate.
First, we need to verify exact game IDs and ensure team IDs correct.
All team slugs are given. Need candidate picks.
Let's list round 1 picks (R1). We'll pick winners.
I'll decide picks:
game-1: duke-blue-devils (1) vs siena-saints (16) -> Duke
game-2: ohio-state-buckeyes (8) vs tcu-horned-frogs (9) -> tcu (upset)
game-3: st-johns-red-storm (5) vs northern-iowa-panthers (12) -> northern-iowa (upset)
game-4: kansas-jayhawks (4) vs california-baptist-lancers (13) -> kansas
game-5: louisville-cardinals (6) vs south-florida-bulls (11) -> south-florida (upset)
game-6: michigan-state-spartans (3) vs north-dakota-state-bison (14) -> michigan-state
game-7: ucla-bruins (7) vs ucf-knights (10) -> ucla (maybe pick ucla)
game-8: uconn-huskies (2) vs furman-paladins (15) -> uconn
West:
game-9: arizona-wildcats (1) vs long-island-university-sharks (16) -> arizona
game-10: villanova-wildcats (8) vs utah-state-aggies (9) -> utah-state (upset)
game-11: wisconsin-badgers (5) vs high-point-panthers (12) -> high-point (upset)
game-12: arkansas-razorbacks (4) vs hawaii-rainbow-warriors (13) -> hawaii (upset)
game-13: byu-cougars (6) vs texas-longhorns / nc-state-wolfpack (???). We need exact opponent. The format maybe play-in for 11 seed? Might be Texas Longhorns (11) vs NC State (10) play-in, winner faces BYU. But the match-up listed as "byu-cougars vs texas-longhorns / nc-state-wolfpack". Likely it's "byu-cougars vs (Texas Longhorns) / (NC State Wolfpack)" meaning Texas and NC State are playing a First Four where winner plays BYU? Actually region West has 16 teams plus maybe two play-in games. In this bracket, game13 includes two possible opponents, one coming from a play-in. Game14? Not. So we need decide winner of game13: we need to select BYU vs either Texas Longhorns or NC State Wolfpack? The winner could be BYU, Texas, or NC State. Since we need to pick a winnerId that's one of listed: either BYU, Texas Longhorns, or NC State Wolfpack.
We need to decide which team will advance. Since Texas and NC State are 11/10 seeds, BYU is 6. Probably BYU wins. Let's pick byu-cougars.
game-14: gonzaga-bulldogs (3) vs kennesaw-state-owls (14) -> gonzaga
game-15: miami-hurricanes (7) vs missouri-tigers (10) -> miami (higher seed but could be upset; but we may keep miami)
game-16: purdue-boilermakers (2) vs queens-nc-royals (15) -> purdue
South:
game-17: florida-gators (1) vs prairie-view-am-panthers / lehigh-mountain-hawks (both 16) -> florida
game-18: clemson-tigers (8) vs iowa-hawkeyes (9) -> iowa (upset)
game-19: vanderbilt-commodores (5) vs mcneese-cowboys (12) -> mcneese (upset)
game-20: nebraska-cornhuskers (4) vs troy-trojans (13) -> nebraska
game-21: north-carolina-tar-heels (6) vs vcu-rams (11) -> vcu (upset)
game-22: illinois-fighting-illini (3) vs pennsylvania-quakers (14) -> illinois
game-23: saint-marys-gaels (7) vs texas-am-aggies (10) -> texas-am (upset)
game-24: houston-cougars (2) vs idaho-vandals (15) -> houston
Midwest:
game-25: michigan-wolverines (1) vs umbc-retrievers / howard-bison (both 16) -> michigan
game-26: georgia-bulldogs (8) vs saint-louis-billikens (9) -> saint-louis (upset)
game-27: texas-tech-red-raiders (5) vs akron-zips (12) -> akron (upset)
game-28: alabama-crimson-tide (4) vs hofstra-pride (13) -> alabama
game-29: tennessee-volunteers (6) vs smu-mustangs / miami-oh-redhawks (11) -> smu (pick SMU as upset)
game-30: virginia-cavaliers (3) vs wright-state-raiders (14) -> virginia
game-31: kentucky-wildcats (7) vs santa-clara-broncos (10) -> santa-clara (upset)
game-32: iowa-state-cyclones (2) vs tennessee-state-tigers (15) -> iowa-state
Now we have 32 picks.
Now need to compute Round of 32 pairings: In each region, winners of games 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4, 5 vs 6, 7 vs 8, etc.
Let's list East region round 2 games:
r32-east-1: winner of game-1 (duke) vs winner of game-2 (tcu) -> pick duke (higher seed). (could pick tcu? but unlikely). We'll pick duke.
r32-east-2: winner game-3 (northern-iowa) vs winner game-4 (kansas) -> pick kansas (higher seed).
r32-east-3: winner game-5 (south-florida) vs winner game-6 (michigan-state) -> pick michigan-state (higher seed 3 vs 11). We'll pick michigan-state.
r32-east-4: winner game-7 (ucla) vs winner game-8 (uconn) -> pick uconn (2 seed vs 7). Wait ucla is 7 seed. So uconn wins.
Now Sweet 16 east:
s16-east-1: winner r32-east-1 (duke) vs r32-east-2 (kansas) -> pick duke.
s16-east-2: winner r32-east-3 (michigan-state) vs r32-east-4 (uconn) -> pick uconn (2 vs 3). Actually Michigan State is 3 seed, UConn 2, pick uconn.
Elite 8 east:
e8-east-1: duke vs uconn -> likely uconn (2) over duke? Upset potential but we could stick with higher seed uconn to be safe. We'll pick uconn.
Now West region:
R32 pairings: games 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16.
r32-west-1: arizona vs utah-state -> pick arizona
r32-west-2: high-point vs hawaii -> pick hawaii (13) vs 12; maybe pick hawaii as higher seed? Actually high-point is 12, hawaii 13, both low; choose hawaii maybe.
r32-west-3: byu vs gonzaga -> pick gonzaga
r32-west-4: miami vs purdue -> pick purdue (2 vs 7)
Sweet 16 West:
s16-west-1: arizona vs hawaii -> pick arizona
s16-west-2: gonzaga vs purdue -> pick gonzaga (3 vs 2) might be upset; but gonzaga 3 seed, Purdue 2 seed, perhaps Purdue stronger; but we might keep gonzaga as upset? Might be risky. Let's pick purdue (higher seed). Actually better choose purdue.
So s16-west-2: pick purdue.
Elite 8 West:
e8-west-1: arizona vs purdue -> higher seed purdue (2) versus arizona 1. Could be upset. Choose arizona (1) as overall #1 overall seed overall maybe. Let's pick arizona.
Now South region:
R32 pairings: games 17-18, 19-20, 21-22, 23-24.
r32-south-1: florida vs iowa -> pick florida
r32-south-2: mcneese vs nebraska -> pick nebraska
r32-south-3: vcu vs illinois -> pick illinois (3 vs 11)
r32-south-4: texas-am vs houston -> pick houston (2 vs 10)
Sweet 16 South:
s16-south-1: florida vs nebraska -> pick florida (1 vs 4)
s16-south-2: illinois vs houston -> pick houston (2 vs 3). Actually Illinois 3 vs houston 2: pick houston.
Elite 8 South:
e8-south-1: florida vs houston -> pick florida (1 vs 2)
Now Midwest region:
R32 pairings: games 25-26, 27-28, 29-30, 31-32.
r32-midwest-1: michigan vs saint-louis -> pick michigan
r32-midwest-2: akron vs alabama -> pick alabama
r32-midwest-3: smu vs virginia -> pick virginia (3 vs 11)
r32-midwest-4: santa-clara vs iowa-state -> pick iowa-state (2 vs 10)
Sweet 16 Midwest:
s16-midwest-1: michigan vs alabama -> pick alabama (4 vs 1) actually alabama 4 seed vs michigan 1 seed; upset maybe too many. Might pick michigan. Let's pick michigan as safer.
s16-midwest-2: virginia vs iowa-state -> pick iowa-state (2 vs 3).
Elite 8 Midwest:
e8-midwest-1: michigan vs iowa-state -> pick michigan (1 vs 2)
Now Final Four:
ff-1: East winner (uconn) vs West winner (arizona) -> pick arizona (higher seed 1 vs 2)
ff-2: South winner (florida) vs Midwest winner (michigan) -> pick michigan (1 vs 1; both 1 seeds). Could pick either. Choose michigan.
Championship:
champ-1: winner arizona vs michigan -> pick michigan (maybe 1 seed vs 1 seed). Could be tie. Choose michigan.
Now tiebreakerScore: guess 150.
Now we need to prepare bracket object.
Let's construct JSON. Ensure gameId names match format.
R1 list with gameId and winnerId.
R2 list with gameId like "r32-east-1" etc.
But validate_bracket expects fields named r2, r3, r4, r5, r6, r1 and tiebreakerScore (as number). We'll need proper keys.
Let's construct.
R1 picks array of objects 32.
R2 picks 16.
R3 picks 8.
R4 picks 4.
R5 picks 2.
R6 picks 1.
Now call validate_bracket to test.
Tool Call: validate_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": "hawaii-rainbow-warriors"
},
{
"gameId": "game-13"
}
]
}assistantMessage 13
Mar 18, 2026, 11:20 PMReasoning
The validation error is at r1 entry 12 (game-12) winnerId "hawaii-rainbow-warriors" is not an allowed winner for that game; game-12 is [4] arkansas-razorbacks vs [13] hawaii-rainbow-warriors. Wait hawaii is allowed? In the list of allowed winners for r1 includes hawaii-rainbow-warriors. Yes it's there. Actually the error says invalid option, but hawaii is present in the list. Wait maybe there is a typo: the slug used is "hawaii-rainbow-warriors". That's correct. The list includes "hawaii-rainbow-warriors". So why flagged? Actually the list includes "hawaii-rainbow-warriors". Let's double-check: In the allowed list near the start: "...hawaii-rainbow-warriors...". Yes it's allowed. However the error path says index 12 winnerId invalid. Could be that we omitted game-13 entry entirely; we also have incomplete entry for game-13 (blank). Also the error might be because the object omitted winnerId for game-13, causing mismatch? Actually error is on entry 12, but maybe game numbers off by one because we omitted game-13 causing length issues. Also winnerId missing for game-13, but validation can't parse.
We need to provide full r1 with 32 entries, each with a valid winnerId from the game choices.
First, need to research and decide picks. But we can start building a bracket with informed picks after research.
Given time constraints, could maybe rely on known rankings: top seeds: Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida, Houston etc. Let's get regional seeds: East top seeds: Duke (1), Arizona not in East; Arizona is West 1. East 2: UConn? Actually East 2 is uconn-huskies. East includes Duke 1, UConn 2? Wait listing: East includes games 1-8. Seeds: 1 Duke, 8 Ohio State, 5 St. Johns, 4 Kansas, 6 Louisville, 3 Michigan State, 7 UCLA, 2 UConn. So East appears strong.
West top seeds: 1 Arizona, 2 Purdue, 3 Gonzaga, 4 Arkansas, 5 Wisconsin, 6 BYU, 7 Miami, 8 Villanova.
South top seeds: 1 Florida, 2 Houston, 3 Illinois, 4 Nebraska, 5 Vanderbilt, 6 North Carolina, 7 Saint Mary's, 8 Clemson.
Midwest top seeds: 1 Michigan, 2 Iowa State, 3 Virginia, 4 Alabama, 5 Texas Tech, 6 Tennessee, 7 Kentucky, 8 Georgia.
We need to research upset candidates: 12-seeds: Northern Iowa (12) vs St. Johns (5). Northern Iowa maybe decent; often 12 over 5. Our earlier pick was Northern Iowa; need to verify.
Other 12s: high-point (12) vs Wisconsin (5) in West. High Point might be upset? Probably not. Texas Longhorns/NC State at game-13 is a play-in between 11 Texas Longhorns and 11 NC State. Actually both 11 seeds, play-in? Actually game-13 says [6] byu vs [11] texas-longhorns / nc-state-wolfpack. So Texas Longhorns vs NC State Wolfpack play-in to determine 11 seed? Wait unclear. But we must pick one of the three: BYU (6) vs Texas Longhorns (11) / NC State (11). So winner can be BYU, Texas, or NC State. Probably BYU favorite.
Game-17: Florida vs (16) Prairie View AM or Lehigh. Usually pick Florida.
Game-25: Michigan vs (16) UMBC or Howard. Likely Michigan.
Game-29: Tennessee vs (11) SMU / Miami-OH. Likely Tennessee.
Also need to consider injuries: Duke has foot injuries to Ngongba and Foster, but they may return. Might still be favorite vs Siena.
Arizona vs Long Island (16). Likely Arizona.
UConn vs Furman (15) - uconn winner.
Other upsets: 10 vs 7 combos: game-15: Miama (7) vs Missour_Tigers (10): 10-seed Missouri maybe upset. Or 7 vs 10 maybe pick 7.
Game-2: Ohio State (8) vs TCU (9). Could go either way; maybe TCU.
Also 10 vs 7: game-7: UCLA (7) vs UCF (10). Could be UCLA.
Game-30: Virginia (3) vs Wright State (14). Likely Virginia.
Game-32: Iowa State (2) vs Tennessee State (15). Iowa State.
Potential upsets: 12 vs 5 northern iowa (5 St. Johns). Could we pick Northern Iowa? Possibly; might be upset.
Also consider 12 vs 5 high point vs Wisconsin: likely Wisconsin.
Game-13: BYU vs Texas/NC State play-in. BYU likely.
Game-21: North Carolina (6) vs VCU (11). Could be UNC.
Game-22: Illini vs Pennsylvania (14). Illini win.
Game-23: Saint Mary's (7) vs Texas A&M (10). Possibly Saint Mary's.
Game-24: Houston (2) vs Idaho (15) - Houston.
Game-27: Texas Tech (5) vs Akron (12) likely Texas Tech.
Game-31: Kentucky (7) vs Santa Clara (10) likely Kentucky.
Now need to count upsets: (1) Northern Iowa over St. Johns (5) is upset. (2) Maybe TCU over Ohio State? That's 9 over 8 not upset. (3) Missouri over Miami? Up 10 over 7 maybe considered upset. (4) Maybe VCU over UNC? that's 11 over 6, big upset. Might be risk.
Need at least 2-3 upsets per region. East: need upset(s). East games: maybe pick Ohio State over TCU? That's 8 vs 9, not upset. Maybe pick Southern Florida over Louisville (11 over 6) upset. Also pick UCLA (7) over UCF (10) not upset. Could pick UConn over Furman (2 vs 15), not upset.
We could pick southern Florida (11) over Louisville (6) – big upset. Also pick Northern Iowa (12) over St. Johns (5) but that's in East? Actually Northern Iowa is East game-3.
Now West upsets: maybe High Point (12) over Wisconsin (5) unlikely. Could pick Texas Longhorns over NC State over BYU? But BYU is 6 vs 11/11. Could pick NC State (11) over BYU (6) as upset. Also pick Miami (7) vs Missouri (10) probably not upset; but could pick Missouri (10). Also could pick 13 Hawaii over Arkansas? no.
South upsets: maybe North Carolina over VCU? that's higher seed. Maybe pick VCU (11) over UNC (6) upset. Also maybe pick Clemson (8) over Iowa Hawkeyes (9)? Not upset. Might pick Minnesota? Not there.
Midwest upsets: maybe pick Tennessee (6) over SMU (11) not upset. Need upsets: maybe pick Texas Tech (5) over Akron (12) not upset. Could pick Missouri (10) over Miami (7) up? Actually 10 over 7.
We need 2-3 upsets per region. Let's design picks:
East:
- Game1 Duke over Siena (1)
- Game2 TCU over Ohio State (9) (slight upset? but 9 vs 8)
- Game3 Northern Iowa (12) over St. Johns (5) upset 1
- Game4 Kansas (4) over California Baptist (13) (no upset)
- Game5 South Florida (11) over Louisville (6) upset 2
- Game6 Michigan State (3) over North Dakota State (14) (no)
- Game7 UCLA (7) over UCF (10) (no)
- Game8 UConn (2) over Furman (15) (no)
West:
- Game9 Arizona (1) over Long Island (16)
- Game10 Villanova (8) vs Utah State (9) maybe Villanova (8) wins (no)
- Game11 Wisconsin (5) over High Point (12) (no)
- Game12 Arkansas (4) over Hawaii (13) (no)
- Game13 NC State (11) over BYU (6) upset 1 (choose NC State)
- Game14 Gonzaga (3) over Kennesaw State (14) (no)
- Game15 Missouri (10) over Miami (7) upset 2 (choose Missouri)
- Game16 Purdue (2) over Queens (15) (no)
South:
- Game17 Florida (1) over Prairie View AM (16) (no)
- Game18 Iowa Hawkeyes (9) over Clemson (8) upset? Actually 9 over 8 not upset but okay.
- Game19 Vanderbilt (5) over McNeese (12) (no)
- Game20 Nebraska (4) over Troy (13) (no)
- Game21 VCU (11) over North Carolina (6) upset 1
- Game22 Illinois (3) over Pennsylvania (14) (no)
- Game23 Saint Mary's (7) over Texas A&M (10) (no)
- Game24 Houston (2) over Idaho (15) (no)
Midwest:
- Game25 Michigan (1) over UMBC/Howard (16) (no)
- Game26 Georgia (8) vs Saint Louis Billikens (9) maybe Georgia (8) wins (no)
- Game27 Texas Tech (5) over Akron (12) (no)
- Game28 Alabama (4) over Hofstra (13) (no)
- Game29 Tennessee (6) over SMU (11) (no) – could pick SMU (11) upset? maybe pick SMU.
- Game30 Virginia (3) over Wright State (14) (no)
- Game31 Kentucky (7) over Santa Clara (10) (no)
- Game32 Iowa State (2) over Tennessee State (15) (no)
We need at least 2-3 upsets per region: East we have 2 (NIU and South Florida). West we have 2 (NC State over BYU, Missouri over Miami). South we have 1 (VCU over UNC). Need at least one more upset in South, maybe pick Clemson (8) over Iowa (9) actually that's 8 vs 9 not upset. Could pick Iowa (9) over Clemson (8) that's a minor upset but okay; but it's 9 over 8. Might be acceptable as upset. Also could pick VCU (11) over UNC, and pick North Carolina (6) over VCU?? Already up. Need another: maybe pick Idaho? Actually pick Texas A&M (10) over Saint Mary's (7) as upset. Let's do that: Texas A&M upset.
Midwest need 2-3 upsets: we have none yet. Choose SMU (11) over Tennessee (6) upset 1, and perhaps pick Akron (12) over Texas Tech (5) is big upset, but likely low chance. Could pick Howard (??) but no. Could pick Saint Louis (9) over Georgia (8) as minor upset. Also could pick Toledo? Not there. Let's pick Saint Louis Billikens (9) over Georgia (8) upset 2. Also maybe pick Hofstra (13) over Alabama (4) too big. Might stick with two upsets.
Now need to construct whole bracket picks for later rounds based on these winners. Need to decide subsequent rounds predictions: need to carry forward winners, and pick winners for each round onward.
We must list all picks for each round. This is a lot. But we can perhaps let validation help.
But we need to compute matchups for later rounds. Let's list R64 winners per game.
I'll enumerate:
Game-1: duke-blue-devils
Game-2: tcu-horned-frogs (our pick) (instead of Ohio State)
Game-3: northern-iowa-panthers
Game-4: kansas-jayhawks
Game-5: south-florida-bulls
Game-6: michigan-state-spartans
Game-7: ucla-bruins
Game-8: uconn-huskies
Game-9: arizona-wildcats
Game-10: villanova-wildcats (or utah-state? we pick villanova)
Game-11: wisconsin-badgers
Game-12: arkansas-razorbacks
Game-13: nc-state-wolfpack (winner of play-in)
Game-14: gonzaga-bulldogs
Game-15: missouri-tigers
Game-16: purdue-boilermakers
Game-17: florida-gators
Game-18: iowa-hawkeyes (choose Iowa over Clemson)
Game-19: vanderbilt-commodores
Game-20: nebraska-cornhuskers
Game-21: vcu-rams
Game-22: illinois-fighting-illini
Game-23: texas-am-aggies (we pick Texas A&M to win over Saint Mary's)
Game-24: houston-cougars
Game-25: michigan-wolverines
Game-26: georgia-bulldogs
Game-27: texas-tech-red-raiders
Game-28: alabama-crimson-tide
Game-29: smu-mustangs (upset Tennessee)
Game-30: virginia-cavaliers
Game-31: kentucky-wildcats
Game-32: iowa-state-cyclones
Now need to set Round of 32 matchups per region:
East region: games r32-east-1 (game-1 winner vs game-2 winner) => duke vs tcu. Likely duke wins. r32-east-2: game-3 winner vs game-4 winner => northern iowa vs kansas. Likely Kansas wins (higher seed). r32-east-3: game-5 vs game-6 => south florida vs michigan state. Might pick michigan state (higher seed). r32-east-4: game-7 vs game-8 => ucla vs uconn. UConn higher seed (2 vs 7), pick uconn.
West region r32-west-1: game-9 vs game-10 => arizona vs villanova. Pick Arizona. r32-west-2: game-11 vs game-12 => wisconsin vs arkansas. Likely Arkansas (4) over Wisconsin (5) maybe choose Arkansas. r32-west-3: game-13 vs game-14 => nc state vs gonzaga. Pick Gonzaga. r32-west-4: game-15 vs game-16 => missouri vs purdue. Pick Purdue.
South region r32-south-1: game-17 vs game-18 => florida vs iowa. Pick Florida. r32-south-2: game-19 vs game-20 => vanderbilt vs nebraska. Pick Nebraska (4 vs 5). r32-south-3: game-21 vs game-22 => vcu vs illinois. Pick Illinois (higher seed 3). r32-south-4: game-23 vs game-24 => texas a&m vs houston. Pick Houston.
Midwest region r32-midwest-1: game-25 vs game-26 => michigan vs georgia. Pick Michigan (1). r32-midwest-2: game-27 vs game-28 => texas tech vs alabama. Pick Alabama (4 vs 5). r32-midwest-3: game-29 vs game-30 => smu vs virginia. Pick Virginia (3). r32-midwest-4: game-31 vs game-32 => kentucky vs iowa state. Pick Iowa State (2).
Now Sweet 16 (r3): East: s16-east-1: duke vs kansas. Pick Duke. s16-east-2: michigan state vs uconn. Pick uconn. West: s16-west-1: arizona vs arkansas. Pick Arizona (1 over 4). s16-west-2: gonzaga vs purdue. Pick Gonzaga. South: s16-south-1: florida vs nebraska. Pick Florida. s16-south-2: illinois vs houston. Pick Houston (2). Midwest: s16-midwest-1: michigan vs alabama. Pick Michigan. s16-midwest-2: virginia vs iowa state. Pick Iowa State (2) maybe? Choose Iowa State.
Elite 8 (r4): East: e8-east-1: duke vs uconn. Pick Duke. West: e8-west-1: arizona vs gonzaga. Could be close, maybe Arizona? We'll pick Arizona. South: e8-south-1: florida vs houston. That is 1 vs 2, pick Florida maybe. Midwest: e8-midwest-1: michigan vs iowa state. Pick Michigan.
Final Four (r5): ff-1: East winner vs West winner => Duke vs Arizona. Probably Arizona (higher seed). ff-2: South winner vs Midwest winner => Florida vs Michigan. Likely Michigan.
Championship (r6): champ-1: Arizona vs Michigan. Who wins? Maybe Michigan (strong defense). Choose Michigan.
Now need tiebreakerScore: choose a plausible combined score: maybe 150.
Now need to assemble bracket JSON with all picks for r1-r6.
But we must ensure that each round IDs follow naming conventions: r2 keys are "r2" with array of objects each with gameId matching format "r32-{region}-{number}". Actually spec: Round of 32 is in r2, called "r2" array with gameId as e.g. "r32-east-1". They expect exactly 16 picks.
Similarly r3 for Sweet 16 uses "s16-{region}-{number}". r4 uses "e8-{region}-1". r5 uses "ff-1" and "ff-2". r6 uses "champ-1". Also need tiebreakerScore.
Let's build the JSON.
First r1 array we need 32 entries. Fill missing game IDs accordingly.
List with picks:
1 game-1 duke-blue-devils
2 game-2 tcu-horned-frogs
3 game-3 northern-iowa-panthers
4 game-4 kansas-jayhawks
5 game-5 south-florida-bulls
6 game-6 michigan-state-spartans
7 game-7 ucla-bruins
8 game-8 uconn-huskies
9 game-9 arizona-wildcats
10 game-10 villanova-wildcats
11 game-11 wisconsin-badgers
12 game-12 arkansas-razorbacks
13 game-13 nc-state-wolfpack
14 game-14 gonzaga-b
Tokens
- Input
- 179842
- Output
- 9720
- Reasoning
- —