Refresh often for constant updates and analysis as the selection committee completes the field of the NCAA tournament.
Kentucky is, as we all expected, the No. 1 overall seed.
The rest of the 68-team field has been named.
Here’s the full bracket.
Below, you’ll find an early look at the matchups, with a closer look at the 8/9 and 7/10 games to help you fill out your bracket.
Follow our bracketologist, Shelby Mast, on Twitter for his thoughts on the official announcement.
MIDWEST REGION
Kentucky Wildcats players celebrate after a win in the SEC Conference Championship game. (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Hampton/Manhattan
Kentucky has looked like the best team in the country all season and enters the tournament 34-0. The Wildcats are dominant down low, with lottery picks Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein manning the middle. Kentucky ranks in the Top 5 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to kenpom.com. The Jaspers, meanwhile, nearly pulled off a first-round upset of Louisville in 2014, and they will be dangerous again this year. Steve Masiello, a former assistant of Rick Pitino, loves to press and will force opposing teams into turnovers, but his team has had problems protecting the ball themselves. Hampton is the lone team in the bracket with a losing record. Poor shooting and sloppy offensive execution should make the Pirates an easy out.
No. 8 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Purdue
Cincinnati gets after teams on the defensive end, but the effort can sometimes be wasted by poor defensive rebounding. The Bearcats can also waste offensive possessions with a turnover rate that ranks 302nd in the nation, per kenpom.com. The Boilermakers, meanwhile, return to the tournament for the first time in three years, largely based on strong veteran play from juniors A.J. Hammons and Raphael Davis. The center and guard lead Purdue in scoring with 11.8 and 10.9 points per game, respectively, and four other players average at least 7.6 per game.
No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 12 Buffalo
When it comes to West Virginia’s game, efficiency is key. The Mountaineers rank first in the country in turnover percentage (28.2), according to kenpom.com. West Virginia also ranks 36th in the nation in scoring (73.9 ppg), 50th in assists per game (14.5) and 57th in rebounds per game (36.8). Guard Juwan Staten and forward Devin Williams carry the Mountaineers on both sides of the floor. Former Duke great Bobby Hurley coached Buffalo to its first NCAA tournament in program history. Forward Justin Moss leads a Bulls offense that can struggle to shoot the ball from the outside but makes up for it with a blistering pace. With the Mountaineers’ tendency to press, this could be an up-and-down affair.
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Valparaiso
March Madness legend Bryce Drew’s team will be tough to score on. Teams are shooting just 42.1 % inside the arc against Valpo, the 14th best mark in the nation. The key man is rim protector Vashil Fernandez, who blocks three shots a game. Interestingly enough, the Terrapins rank 64th in the country in two-point field goal percentage (44.6), according to kenpom.com. Maryland’s trio of Melo Trimble (16.3), Dez Wells (15.4) and Jake Layman (12.8) are the ones who do most of the scoring. If Valpo can slow them down early, it may be an attractive bet for a 13-4 upset
No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 15 New Mexico State
Kansas had the best record (13-5) in the Big 12 in the regular season, thanks in large part to junior forward Perry Ellis, who was the Jayhawks’ best scorer and rebounder this season. Though Kansas lost to Iowa State in the conference title game, the Jayhawks made their case as one of the Big 12’s most consistent teams. New Mexico State has made the tournament in four of the last five years but hasn’t won a game in that time. If this is the year the Aggies reverse that trend, it will come against one of the country’s most tried and tested tournament teams. Marvin Menzies’ squad might be the best at defending the 3-point line in the nation and are efficient offensively when not turning the ball over.
No. 7 Wichita St. vs No. 10 Indiana
Good luck finding a weakness with this Shockers team. Wichita State shares the basketball, shoots it well and rebounds well on both ends of the floor. Lead guard Fred VanVleet and swiss-army knife Ron Baker are the stars of the show. The Hoosiers are just 4-7 since February started, and coach Tom Crean’s future with the program remains in question. But Indiana does get strong point guard play from Junior Yogi Ferrell. His improved 3-point shooting (41 percent) coupled with the long-range accuracy of freshman James Blackmon (39 percent) means the Hoosiers have largely relied on hitting shots to create offense.
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Northeastern
Notre Dame may be the best shooting team in the country and maximizes possessions by taking care of the basketball. A lack of toughness inside could be the Irish’s undoing, though. Notre Dame ranks outside of the Top 200 in both offensive and defensive rebounding rate, per kenpom.com. Northeastern needs to shoot the ball well to have any chance of winning. The Terriers turn the ball over at a high rate and aren’t great on the offensive glass, so second-chance opportunities are few and far between.
No. 6 Butler vs. No. 11 Texas
This game shapes up to be a battle of the boards. Butler has limped down the stretch a bit after a strong start to the season. The Bulldogs can shoot it from deep but don’t get a lot of easy buckets inside. Chris Holtmann’s team plays solid defense; it doesn’t cause a lot of turnovers, but rebounds well and contests every shot. The Longhorns’ strength is their ferocious rebounding, and surprisingly, it’s a team effort. There’s not one single player that sets the tone in Texas’ board crashing. Instead, the team has four players — Myles Turner (6.4), Jonathan Holmes (6.2), Cameron Ridley (5.2), and Connor Lammert (5.2) — with at least five boards per game.
EAST REGION
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 16 Lafayette
Villanova is the epitome of team basketball. Six Wildcats average between nine and 15 points. Jay Wright’s teams passes it well and can score inside and out. Villanova does have problems cleaning the defensive glass and can be over-reliant on the 3. The Leopards , meanwhile, are the second-best 3-point shooting team in the nation, but ranked 337th in defensive efficiency. Making matters worse, opposing brab more than a third of their misses against Lafayette, putting even more pressure on a weak defense.
No. 8 North Carolina St. vs. No. 9 LSU
North Carolina State is a good offensive team that shoots it well from deep and crashes the offensive boards hard. That could be a problem for LSU, which finished 265th nationally in defensive rebounding rate per kenpom.com. The Tigers need to protect the ball to keep up with the Wolfpack offensively. NC State point guard Cat Barber is the key to this game. If LSU can stay in front of him on the defensive end and force him into mistakes, it will have a good shot at advancing.
No. 5 Northern Iowa vs. No. 12 Wyoming
The Missouri Valley champs are on of the best shooting teams in the league. Northern Iowa ranked 11th nationally from beyond the arc and 15th on two-pointers. The Panthers will run their offense through talented big man Seth Tuttle. Wyoming stole a bid by winning the Mountain West tournament. The Cowboys can score inside but aren’t great from deep — though they will take a lot of 3s. Larry Nance Jr., the son of the former NBA player, is the best player on the team.
No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 13 UC Irvine
If there’s one matchup to watch in the NCAA tournament, it might be the battle between Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell and UC Irvine’s 7-foot-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye. UC Irvine is one of the better teams at guarding the paint in the country, which is no surprise with Ndiaye lurking in the middle. On the other end, the Anteaters are a major threat from behind the arc, but Louisville is one of the country’s better teams at blocking and stealing the ball.
No. 2 Virginia vs. No. 15 Belmont
This may have been the worst possible matchup for the Bruins. Belmont can really shoot the basketball, but struggles in almost every other area of the game. If the shots aren’t falling, the Bruins will be an easy out. Virginia ended up with the ACC’s best conference record (16-2) and overall record (29-3), but an unexpected loss against North Carolina in the ACC Championship lowered the Cavaliers down a few notches. Still, kenpom.com ranked Virginia as the fourth-best team in the country — thanks to a nation-best defensive adjusted efficiency rate of 85.4 — and the highest in its conference. If the Cavaliers do make a deep run in the NCAA tournament, it’s likely on the back of junior Malcolm Brogdon, but with Tony Bennett’s team the emphasis is always on defense … and that probably means huge trouble for Belmont.
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Georgia
This is what makes Tom Izzo such a special coach: Even his less talented teams find a way to become tougher as the season goes forward. And clearly Izzo realizes how overmatched the Spartans should be this year: He cried after just making it to the Big Ten Tournament final (during which the Spartans pushed No. 1 seed Wisconsin to OT). Senior Branden Dawson is the engine for this Michigan State team. Georgia is a good defensive team and gets to the line a ton on the offensive end. Keeping teams off the line has been a problem for the Spartans all year.
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Albany
Though the Sooners were tied as the Big 12’s second-best team in the regular season (12-6), kenpom.com ranked Oklahoma as his top team in the conference and ninth-best team, overall. Junior guard Buddy Hield was Oklahoma’s most reliable player all season long, but it’s a three-point specialist that could be the X-factor for the Sooners. Isaiah Cousins paced the team in field goal percentage from beyond the arc (45.4 %) and if he catches fire in the tournament, the Sooners could be poised for a run. Albany is a well-rounded team with NCAA tournament experience. The Great Danes’ lack of athleticism can hinder their ability to contest shots, but stellar rebounding and defensive discipline can make up for it.
No. 6 Providence vs. No. 11 Boise St/Dayton
The Friars are a team that does a lot of things well, and that should help them come tournament time. And that balance on both sides of the ball — ranking 38th in adjusted offensive efficiency (110.7) and 48th in adjusted defensive efficiency (95.5), according to kenpom.com — will be key toward taking care of either Boise State or Dayton. The Broncos appear to be the more dangerous team of the two, although both are below average at keeping possessions alive. The Flyers rank 330th in the country in offensive rebound percentage (24.2 %), while the Broncos rank 288th (27.6 %). Providence, thanks to forward LaDontae Henton and guard Kris Dunn, are a sound rebounding team.
SOUTH REGION
Duke Blue Devils guard Quinn Cook (2) and forward Amile Jefferson (21). (Evan Pike, USA TODAY Sports)
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 North Florida/Robert Morris
Duke has one of the most potent offenses in the entire country (they’re averaging a fourth-best 80.6 points per game and third-best 50.2 field goal percentage). A large part of that is thanks to an almost-unstoppable big man in Jahlil Okafor (17.7 ppg, nine rebounds per game). Though they suffered an upset loss in the ACC tournament against eventual champions Notre Dame, the Blue Devils are one of the country’s strongest teams. The Atlantic Sun, though, always seems to produce dangerous tournament teams; in fact, Mercer beat the Blue Devils last year. North Florida played a number of power conference schools tough early in the year and even pulled off a win over Purdue. The Ospreys are best on the offensive end but struggle to rebound the basketball. Robert Morris can shoot it from deep but turnover and rebounding problems have plagued the Colonials. Wasted possessions on offense and extended possessions on defense are two of the reasons they lost 14 games this season.
No. 8 San Diego State vs. No. 9 St. John’s
The Red Storm’s chances took a severe hit Sunday when head coach Steve Lavin announced that center Chris Obekpa will be suspended two weeks for a violation of team rules. The 6-foot-10 Obekpa averages 7 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game (fifth in the nation.) Even before the suspension was announced a low-energy loss to Providence in the Big East quarterfinals certainly didn’t appear to show a team on the rise. Even worse for St. John’s, they’ll face one of the country’s top defensive teams in San Diego State, which kenpom.com ranked fourth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency (88.3). One worry for the Aztecs? If the nation’s 305th-best offense (61.8 points per game) starts off slow, even a depleted St. John’s team could pull off the victory.
No. 5 Utah vs. No. 12 Stephen F. Austin
Utah relies on do-it-all guard Delon Wright on the offensive end but that can be a problem on nights Wright isn’t at his best. Tough defense — both inside and out — has carried the Utes when Wright cannot. You may remember the Lumberjacks from last March, when they upset VCU in the second round, and they may be better this time around. Stephen F. Austin shoots it well, crashes the offensive glass and gets to the line consistently. If the ‘Jacks can avoid turnovers and contain Wright, don’t be surprised if they pull off the upset.
No. 4 Georgetown vs. No. 13 Eastern Washington
This Georgetown team will remind you of a classic Hoyas squad. Georgetown blocks 14. 5 % of opponents’ shots, 15th best in the country according to kenpom.com. The Hoyas, however, can get into trouble against good 3-point shooting teams. Unluckily for the Hoyas, they’ll face the country’s third-best scoring offense.The Eagles (80.8 points per game) can fill it up offensively but allow teams to do the same on the other end. Don’t sleep on the Big Sky champs, though: they beat Indiana in Bloomington back in late November. Guard Tyler Harvey is one of the most efficient scorers in the nation.
No. 2 Gonzaga vs. No. 15 North Dakota St.
You’ll remember the Bison from last March, but this is a completely different team. North Dakota, an offensive powerhouse in 2014, now struggles on that end. But Dave Richman’s team doesn’t turn the ball over and ends possessions on the defensive end with good rebounding. If the shots are falling, the Bison are dangerous. That’s bad news for the Bulldogs. Gonzaga hasn’t looked great the last few weeks, playing close games against weak West Coast Conference competition. But it’s hard to count out a team as well-rounded as the ‘Zags. Mark Few’s team ranks fifth in offensive efficiency and 22nd in defensive efficiency.
No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Davidson
The Hawkeyes entered the Big Ten tournament on a six-game win streak and promptly lost to lowly Penn State. Led by forward Aaron White (16 points per game, 7.5 rebounds) and Jarrod Uthoff (12.3 and 6.3), Iowa is rugged and will be a matchup problem for some teams. Davidson is more of a finesse team that shoots the ball well from the outside. The Wildcats can struggle on the boards which could be a problem against a Big Ten team.
No. 3 Iowa St. vs. No. 14 UAB
The “Comeback Kids” overcame three-straight double-digit deficits to win the Big 12 tournament. Iowa State ranks in the top-10 nationally thanks to PG Monte Morris and play-making forward Georges Niang. The Blazers make up for poor shooting on the offensive end with aggressive play on defense, but forcing turnovers against a experienced Cyclones team may be asking too much. UAB blocked 13.5 % of opponents shots, ranking 33rd in the nation according to Kenpom.com, but that aggressiveness allowed teams to pummel the Blazers on the offensive glass.
No. 6 SMU vs. No. 11 UCLA
UCLA just snuck into the bracket but that doesn’t mean the Bruins aren’t capable of pulling an upset. When the 3-pointers are falling, UCLA can hang with any team. The Bruins were shorthanded for a number of their conference losses, but there are no excuses now. UCLA faces a very tough SMU team that kenpom.com ranked 27th in adjusted offensive efficiency (112.1) and 41st in adjusted defensive efficiency (94.8). Part of what makes the Mustangs so tough is that they get second chances, ranking 19th-best in the nation in offensive rebound percentage (37.1 %).
WEST REGION
Frank Kaminsky. (Caylor Arnold, USA TODAY Sports)
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 16 Coastal Carolina
Frank Kaminsky is a candidate for player of the year after averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds per game, but the team developing around him is the real story. Forward Sam Dekker has only gotten better at doing all the little things to help a team win, and reserve Bronson Koenig has stepped up in place of injured point guard Traevon Jackson. The Badgers, with kenpom.com’s most efficient offense, have the look of a team poised to return to the Final Four. Cliff Ellis’ team is as good a No. 16 seed as you’ll see. Coastal Carolina is well-rounded on both sides of the court and crashes the boards hard. Offensively, the Chanticleers do not rely on a single player, but have several guys capable of taking over a game. They beat Auburn on the road and nearly pulled off a win over Mississippi.
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Oklahoma St.
This matchup is about strength versus strength: Oklahoma State’s defense against Oregon’s offense. The Cowboys are one of those teams that don’t do one thing in particular very well, but are solid at most. Oklahoma State ranks 178th in the nation in scoring (67.3), 261st in assists per game (11.5) and 262nd in rebounds per game (32.5). But when you combine Oklahoma State’s 53rd-ranked two-point field goal percentage (43.5 %) with a stingy defense, coach Travis Ford’s team can be a tough test come tournament time. The Ducks and Pac-12 player of the year Joseph Young are going to put up points. But Oregon’s defense has been inconsistent all year. The main problem? Ending defensive possessions has been hard for Oregon, which ranks 210th in defensive rebounding rate, per Kenpom.com.
No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 12 Wofford
Mike Anderson wants his Razorbacks to get up and down the court and force opposing teams into turnovers. While defense has long been Arkansas’ strength, it has shot the ball well this year and taken care of the ball on that end. Wofford’s calling card is a solid defense that guards the three-point line well and cleans the glass. When the Terriers need a bucket, they’ll rely on star guard Kyle Cochran.
No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Harvard
The Tar Heels lost in the ACC championship to Notre Dame, but North Carolina is a very dangerous team, ranking second in the country in both rebounds (41) and assists per game (17.7). Harvard coach Tommy Amaker’s team gets after it defensively, but is too reliant on star Wesley Saunders on the offensive end. The Crimson don’t use the 3-point shot very much, so it could be in trouble if behind late. The Crimson play a slow pace that frustrates opponents and makes up for a lack of depth; against an athletic Tar Heel team, that may not matter.
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Texas Southern
Sean Miller’s team isn’t pretty to watch at times and has been known to go on long scoring droughts, but there isn’t a tougher defensive team in the country. With guys like Stanley Johnson, Kaleb Tarczewski and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the Wildcats may be the most athletic team outside of Kentucky. Mike Davis, meanwhile — yes, that Mike Davis — has his Texas Southern team playing well at the right time. The Tigers have won 11 in a row heading into the tournament. Texas Southern does do anything extremely well, but it did knock off Michigan State in East Lansing earlier this season. Despite that, the Tigers haven’t faced anyone quite like the Wildcats all season long.
No. 7 VCU vs. No. 10 Ohio State
The Buckeyes are 1-7 against teams in the Top 50 of the RPI, but beat all 13 teams they played rated above 100. That’s the definition of average. They lost by 24 points to Wisconsin at home and have shown no ability to beat better teams. That’s unfortunate, because freshman guard D’Angelo Russell is one of the most exciting players in this tournament — and this may be the only time he’ll play in it. But the Buckeyes could be a tough matchup for VCU because take care of the ball on the offensive end. The Rams thrive on turning their opponents mistakes into points at the other end.
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Georgia St.
Baylor consistently won the games it’s supposed to win. But unfortunately for the Bears, they more often than not dropped games against some of the Big 12’s best. Still, Baylor is a dangerous team because of the way it crashes the boards. The Bears rank 13th in the nation in rebounds per game (39.2), with junior forward Rico Gathers being the dominant force in the middle. Gathers should keep his team in most games, thanks to his 11.7 ppg and 11.6 rpg. The Panthers boast a couple familiar faces. Former Louisville guard Kevin Ware, who suffered a gruesome leg injury during the 2013 tournament, and Kentucky transfer Ryan Harrow lead Georgia State.
No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 11 BYU/Ole Miss
Xavier survived one of the nation’s toughest schedules to make the Big Dance. The Musketeers play inside-out with Matt Stainbrook in the middle of it all. Xavier isn’t much of a threat from outside. No matter which team the Musketeers face, it will be against a good offensive team. The Rebels rank 53rd in the country in scoring (72.6 points per game), while the Cougars rank second in the nation (83.6 points per game), though they didn’t play a very difficult schedule.
Where they came from
Automatic bids (32): Albany Great Danes (America East); Arizona Wildcats (Pac-12); Belmont Bruins (Ohio Valley); Buffalo Bills (Mid-American); Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (Big South); Eastern Washington Eagles (Big Sky); Georgia State Panthers (Sun Belt); Gonzaga Bulldogs (West Coast); Hampton Pirates (Mid-Eastern); Harvard Crimson (Ivy League); Iowa State Cyclones (Big 12); Kentucky Wildcats (Southeastern); Lafayette Leopards (Patriot League); Manhattan Jaspers (Metro Atlantic); New Mexico State Aggies (Western Athletic); Northeastern Huskies (Colonial); Northern Iowa Panthers (Missouri Valley); North Dakota State Bison (Summit); North Florida Ospreys (Atlantic Sun); Notre Dame (Atlantic Coast); Robert Morris Colonials (Northeast); SMU Mustangs (American); Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (Southland); Texas Southern Tigers (SWAC); UAB Blazers (C-USA); UC Irvine Anteaters (Big West); Valparaiso Crusaders (Horizon); VCU (A-10); Villanova Wildcats (Big East); Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten); Wofford Terriers (Southern); Wyoming Cowboys (Mountain West)
Locks (32): Arizona (Pac-12), Arkansas (SEC), Baylor (Big 12), Butler (Big East), Cincinnati (American), Davidson (A-10), Duke (ACC), Georgetown (Big East), Georgia (SEC), Gonzaga (West Coast), Indiana (Big Ten), Iowa (Big Ten), Kansas (Big 12), Louisville (ACC), Maryland (Big Ten), Michigan State (Big Ten), North Carolina (ACC), NC State (ACC), Ohio State (Big Ten), Oklahoma (Big 12), Oregon (Pac-12), Providence (Big East), Purdue (Big Ten), St. John’s (Big East), San Diego State (Mountain West), UCLA (Pac-12), Utah (Pac-12), Villanova (Big East), Virginia (ACC), West Virginia (Big 12), Wichita State (Missouri Valley), Xavier (Big East)
Last four in: Boise State, Dayton, BYU, Ole Miss
Last four out: Temple, Colorado State, Richmond, Old Dominion
How we saw it before the show
As we count down until the start of the selection show, here are a few links with must-read info to get you caught up on everything.
BRACKETOLOGY: The final projection
TRACKER: Six teams likely to be snubbed on Selection Sunday
PREDICTION MACHINE: How likely is Kentucky to win the NCAA tournament?
PRISBELL: Ten questions for Selection Sunday
AUERBACH: No. 1 Kentucky fends off Arkansas for SEC title