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The NCAA tournament bracket is set and the games are set to begin Tuesday with the First Four.
Here’s a rundown of the players to watch, potential Cinderella teams and what to know about the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
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EAST REGION
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No. 1 Duke: The Blue Devils enter as the No. 1 overall seed, riding an 11-game winning streak and having just claimed their second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title and third in four years under coach Jon Scheyer. In each of his three seasons, Scheyer has guided Duke deeper into the tournament than the year before. Five players average double figures, including 18-year-old Cameron Boozer, the celebrated freshman. Duke opens against Siena in Greenville, S.C.
No. 2 Connecticut: The two-time defending national champions arrive in Philadelphia after losing the Big East title game to St. John’s 72-52. Five players average double figures and who could match Connecticut’s recent March Madness success? The Huskies face Furman, back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2023, when the Paladins famously stunned No. 4 seed Virginia 68-67 in the first round, so Connecticut can’t take anything for granted.
No. 3 Michigan: Tom Izzo extends his record to 28 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, surpassing the mark he already broke in 2023 when he eclipsed Mike Krzyzewski’s previous record of 24 in a row. The Spartans head to Buffalo after an early Big Ten tournament exit. Izzo’s history of overachieving with his seed makes his team dangerous, starting with a matchup against North Dakota State.
No. 4 Kanasas: The Jayhawks extend their record of 36 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, and three wins over top-five teams this season indicate this is no ordinary four seed. But Kansas hasn’t made it out of the opening weekend since its 2022 national title run, including a first-round exit last year, making San Diego a critical proving ground for Bill Self’s program against California Baptist, the Western Athletic Conference’s final automatic qualifier.
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Hard to call this bunch the gutty little Bruins when UCLA has won a record 11 national titles, but this team could make a deep run if guard Donovan Dent (calf strain) and leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau (knee strain) are healthy. It all starts against Central Florida in Philadelphia.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bruce Thornton, guard, Ohio State: The Buckeyes’ all-time leading scorer helped get Ohio State back to the tournament for the first time in four years. He has scored 2,110 points in his career but at 6-feet-2 has people skeptical about his NBA future.
Cameron Boozer, forward, Duke: The heralded freshman has lived up to every expectation, anchoring a five-player double-figure scoring lineup that made Duke the No. 1 overall seed and the team everyone else is chasing.
Zuby Ejiofor, forward, St. John’s: A 6-foot-9 senior, Ejiofor was the Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and he’s the only player in high-major basketball to rank in the top 10 in his conference in points, rebounds, assists and blocks.
RIM SHOTS
- A record six teams in the East Region have multiple NCAA championships: UCLA (11), Connecticut (six), Kansas (four), Duke (five), Michigan State (two) and Louisville (two).
- California Baptist makes its NCAA tournament debut in the final year of the Western Athletic Conference’s current format, giving the Lancers a storybook sendoff as the WAC’s last automatic qualifier in this era.
- Duke twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer are sons of former NBA star Carlos Boozer, who won a national championship with the Blue Devils 25 years ago.
— Sam Farmer
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WEST REGION
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No.1 Arizona: The Wildcats started and finished fast. They won their first 23 games before suffering their only defeats in consecutive games against Kansas and Texas Tech. Coach Tommy Lloyd led his team to the Big 12 Conference title. Now he will try to get them to the Final Four for the first time since 2001.
No. 2 Purdue: The Boilermakers upset Michigan to win the Big Ten tournament title. They are making their 11th straight NCAA tournament appearance. Guard Braden Smith averaged 14 points and nine assists. He is one assist shy of tying former Duke star Bobby Hurley’s all-time record of 1,076.
No. 3 Gonzaga: Forward Graham Ike is the leading scorer and rebounder for a team that is making its 27th straight NCAA tournament appearance — and still searching for its first championship under coach Mark Few. Guard Braden Huff averaged 17.8 points and guard Tyon Grant-Foster 11.2 for the West Coast Conference champions.
No. 4 Arkansas: Razorbacks coach John Calipari, who has guided teams to four Final Fours, won a Southeastern Conference title for the first time since 2018, when he coached at Kentucky. Guard Darius Acuff Jr., the SEC player of the year, and guard Meleek Thomas lead the Razorbacks.
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Under first-year coach Flynn Clayman, No. 12 High Point averaged 90 points per game, which ranked third nationally and tied them with Arkansas. Forward Terry Anderson averaged 16 points and six rebounds for the Panthers, who are making their second straight tournament appearance. High Point plays Wisconsin in the first round.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
AJ Dybantsa, forward, Brigham Young: The freshman averaged a nation-leading 25.3 points per game and is regarded as a top NBA prospect.
Darius Acuff Jr., guard, Arkansas: The first player since Louisiana State’s Pete Maravich in 1970 to lead the SEC in scoring and assists in the same season.
Brayden Burries, guard, Arizona: The freshman averaged a team-best 15.9 points a game on a roster that includes forward Koa Peat and guard Jaden Bradley.
RIM SHOTS
- After Miami finished 7-24 last season, first-year coach Jai Lucas led the Hurricanes to a 25-8 record and a first-round matchup against Missouri.
- Queens University, like High Point, is located in North Carolina. The Royals moved up from Division II in 2022, and they have earned their first NCAA tournament appearance.
- Long Island University, making its first tournament appearance since 2018, is coached by former NBA player Rod Strickland, who is in his fourth season with the Sharks.
— Gary Klein
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Midwest Region
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No. 1 Michigan: The Wolverines, who recorded 24 double-digit victories, are a top seed for the fourth time in program history. They will play the winner of the First Four matchup between Baltimore, Maryland County and Howard. Michigan finished the regular season by winning its final 15 Big Ten games, setting victory records for both the program and conference.
No. 2 Iowa State: The Cyclones started hot and at one point were ranked second in the country. They cooled at midseason, however, before hitting their stride again as they headed into the tournament. Iowa State opens against Tennessee State in St. Louis, which is a five-hour drive from Ames, Iowa, but is still a quasi-home game.
No. 3 Virginia: Virginia lost by four to Duke in the ACC tournament championship, but it was an improvement over a 26-point loss to the Blue Devils two weeks earlier. Playing for first-year coach Ryan Odom, the Cavaliers improved by 14 wins from last season, a school record. The matchup is a tall order for Wright State, which won a First Four game in 2022 by beating Bryant.
No. 4 Alabama: The Crimson Tide is the highest-scoring team in the country at 91.7 points per game. Alabama won 23 games and lost to Mississippi in the SEC quarterfinals. Hofstra, which has won seven in a row, could be a tough first-round matchup. Outstanding junior guard Labaron Philon Jr. leads Alabama and averages 21.7 points.
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Texas Tech is hobbling into the tournament without star forward J.T. Toppin, who suffered a season-ending knee injury. Opportunity awaits for the No. 12 Akron Zips, who won 20 of their final 21 games and have four players averaging double-figures in scoring.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Yaxel Lendeborg, forward, Michigan: A 6-foot-9 standout, Lendeborg withdrew from the NBA draft last May and chose to play his final season in Michigan after playing at Arizona Western and Alabama Birmingham earlier in his career. He was Big Ten Player of the Year.
Christian Anderson, guard, Texas Tech: After the Red Raiders lost Toppin, Anderson helped pick up the scoring slack. The point guard was named the Big 12’s most improved player and is coming back from a groin injury he suffered last Thursday against Iowa State.
Ugonna Onyenso, center, Virginia: The 7-foot player from Nigeria is a shot-blocking machine, with a record nine blocks in the ACC championship game against Duke and 21 over three tournament games. The previous record of 14 for the tournament was set 31 years earlier by Tim Duncan of Wake Forest.
RIM SHOTS
- Nolan Smith, a former Duke guard, took the Tennessee State coaching job in July and led the school to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1994.
- It has been 30 years since Santa Clara got an invite to the tournament: That was back when the Broncos had a dazzling Canadian point guard named Steve Nash.
- Miami (Ohio) is the first Mid-American Conference school to receive an at-large bid since 1999.
— Sam Farmer
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SOUTH REGION
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No. 1 Florida: The Gators lost their starting backcourt from last season national championship squad, but coach Todd Golden rebuilt his lineup and led the group to a Southeastern Conference regular season title. The Gators’ balanced attack ranks 10th nationally in fast break points per game (16.2) and closed the regular season on an 11-game win streak.
No. 2 Houston: After losing to Florida in last year’s national championship game, Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson landed star freshman point guard Kingston Flemings to give his team a spark. Houston ranks second nationally in scoring defense, allowing 62.4 points per game. Flemings joins 2024-25 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Joseph Tugler and an array of other playmakers who make the Cougars a formidable No. 2 seed.
No. 3 Illinois: The Illini boast an elite scoring offense, averaging 84.4 points game. Keaton Wagler has been a game changer for Illinois’ offense, averaging 17.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
No. 4 Nebraska: The Cornhuskers are enjoying a breakthrough season and have an excellent chance of scoring the first NCAA tournament win in program history, earning a favorable matchup against No. 13 seed Troy. Nebraska has won with strong defensive play, ranking No. 22 nationally in scoring defense after allowing 66.2 points per game.
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No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s makes regular trips to the NCAA tournament after battling annually with Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference and is a dangerous team in the middle of the bracket. Paulius Murauskas quietly leads the team with 18.8 points per game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Thomas Haugh, forward, Florida: After embracing a sixth-man role on last season’s national title team, Haugh emerged as a team leader. He earned first team All-SEC honors after averaging 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Kingston Flemings, point guard, Houston: The Cougars’ dynamic leader averaged 16.4 points and 5.4 assists per game during the regular season. The 6-foot-4 game changer is projected to be an NBA draft lottery pick.
Tyler Tanner, guard, Vanderbilt: The 6-foot playmaker has enjoyed a breakout season, averaging 19.2 points per game for a Commodores squad that went 16-0 to start the season.
RIM SHOTS
- Florida is trying to win back-to-back championships for the second time in school history, a feat that has only been accomplished by UCLA.
- North Carolina freshman star Caleb Wilson suffered a season-ending broken thumb on March 5, causing the Tar Heels to tumble to a No. 6 seed.
- Nebraska earned a No. 4 seed, its highest spot in the field since the Huskers got a No. 3 seed in 1991.
— Iliana Limón Romero
The post March Madness men’s tournament analysis: Teams and players to watch appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
