Bracketologists Start Your Engines: March Madness 2026 🏀

[jmyrlefuller]

(note: the title is an old headline I used to use on my personal Web site for many years and I liked it so much I just keep using it)

Official men's bracket

Official women's bracket

[jmyrlefuller]

Upset! 12-seed High Point knocks off 5-seed Wisconsin
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/tourney/2026/03/19/high-point-wisconsin-score-upset-march-madness-2026-bracket/89231595007/

[Wingnut]

Has Obama posted his yet.

[jmyrlefuller]

16-seed Siena blows an 11-point lead to 1-seed Duke by refusing to make any substitutions
https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/no-16-siena-nearly-upsets-no-1-duke-in-ncaa-tournament-while-making-only-1-sub--for-2-seconds-215050757.html

[mountaineer]

VCU upsets UNC. I love first round upsets.

[Hoodat]

Has Obama posted his yet.

Yes.

https://www.obama.org/stories/march-madness-2026/

[Hoodat]

VCU upsets UNC. I love first round upsets.

Especially when it's against the Tarheels.

[Wingnut]

Yes.

https://www.obama.org/stories/march-madness-2026/

Thanks.  He's great at picking losers!.

[jmyrlefuller]

More almosts and coulda-shouldas:

10-seed Santa Clara takes 7-seed Kentucky to overtime, then botches the final possession by attempting an intentional foul in a one-possession game with 17 seconds left.
https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/game/231

12-seed McNeese State squanders lead to 5-seed Vanderbilt
https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/game/211

Regular season undefeated Miami University (the Ohio one) gets trounced by 6-seed Tennessee
https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/game/229

14-seed Kennesaw State squanders first-half lead, then comeback effort comes short against 3-seed Gonzaga
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48256269/gonzaga-relieved-survives-kennesaw-state-ncaa-tournament
https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/game/222

[Free Vulcan]

A possible IA/IA State championship game? Can I dream?

The Big 10, excuse me, Big 43, is representing well this year.

[DCPatriot]

Duke Blue Devils over the St. John's Red Storm 80-75.

[Hoodat]

Duke Blue Devils over the St. John's Red Storm 80-75.

You misspelled D-O-O-K.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

The Dooks didn't make it past that pesky UCONN who have the best pedigree over the past 30 years of any in college basketball.

Bet against the Huskies at your peril.

[cato potatoe]

Why didn’t he just dribble the ball instead of throwing a pass over two defenders.  What a terrible burden of regret he must carry.  Oh well, not as if he will need to face his classmates.

[bigheadfred]

You misspelled D-O-O-K.

You misspelled D-O-O-K-I-E.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Why didn’t he just dribble the ball instead of throwing a pass over two defenders.  What a terrible burden of regret he must carry.  Oh well, not as if he will need to face his classmates.

It's all about coaching.

The best coaches will have their smartest players handling the ball near end of game.

Same thing happened to Michigan in losing to UNC in 1993.

Michigan had no timeouts and Chris Webber decided to dribble the entire court and try to call one anyway. 

The technical foul assessed and the resulting free throw was made which lost Michigan the game.

A shame as Michigan had arguably one of the most talented teams of all time, with all starters being freshmen.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QPB9NBUG2g

[DCPatriot]

Two words...Christian Laettner.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo3G2MfOYeA

First thing I thought of when that half court range shot got nothing but net!!

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Two words...Christian Laettner.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo3G2MfOYeA

First thing I thought of when that half court range shot got nothing but net!!

Laetner had a lot of time compared to Uconn in 1990.  And Uconn is still in the tournament.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAhzjYIE3n4

[DCPatriot]

Laetner had a lot of time compared to Uconn in 1990.  And Uconn is still in the tournament.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAhzjYIE3n4

I was taking the approach that "Payback is a Bleep!"  Duke had no business losing that game.  But it happened! 

[Hoodat]

Two words...Christian Laettner.

I remember that game like it was yesterday.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I was taking the approach that "Payback is a Bleep!"  Duke had no business losing that game.  But it happened! 

And there appears to be a pattern to playing Uconn in the tournament over the years, isn't there?

I would not cross them off your bracket quite yet.

[Free Vulcan]

Happy to see the old Midwest teams well represented in the last rounds of the tourney this year. After hearing the East/West coast commentators bash on middle of the country b-ball for decades, it's a nice little middle finger to give back.

[DefiantMassRINO]

It's April ... April Agida for compulsive gamblers who bet their mortgages and childrens' college funds on the remaining games.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

It's April ... April Agida for compulsive gamblers who bet their mortgages and childrens' college funds on the remaining games.

Yep, disappointments and thrills.

I am already tapped out on my brackets.

Lived in Connecticut in the 80s during Uconn's initial surge, followed them over the years, but failed to include them in the Final 4 this year.

Always lessons to be learned, no matter how old one is.

[DCPatriot]

I remember that game like it was yesterday.

Indeed!   A different era. 

Nobody was more 'shocked' than Laettner, himself.   Meanwhile Bobby Hurley was bawling rubbing his eyes laying on the hardwood inside the paint.

 

[DCPatriot]

Yep, disappointments and thrills.

I am already tapped out on my brackets.

Lived in Connecticut in the 80s during Uconn's initial surge, followed them over the years, but failed to include them in the Final 4 this year.

Always lessons to be learned, no matter how old one is.

Totally agree regarding UConn.  Dynasty as it is, they recruit through 'osmosis'.   

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Totally agree regarding UConn.  Dynasty as it is, they recruit through 'osmosis'.   

That 'osmosis' recruiting included Nadav Henefeld that helped UConn win its first National Championship in 1990.

Nadav is an Israeli who set an NCAA Freshman record in steals in Div I.

Loved to see him work defensively as he was incredibly quick and, with a 6'6" frame, had a long reach.

He only lasted at Uconn that one year, as he returned to Israel as a professional and helped Israel get into the European Final Four 4 times.

A remarkable basketball player.

[mountaineer]

I watched most of the 2nd half of the UConn-South Carolina women's game. Pretty much a slopfest,  which USC won. UConn coach complained about the officiating and then screamed at the USC coach after the game; she screamed back. It all was fairly classless.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Uconn remains in the game.

Don't count them out, no matter who they match up against.

They currently have a winning streak of 18 games in the Sweet 16 and later.

That is approaching John Wooden type winning

[Hoodat]

I watched most of the 2nd half of the UConn-South Carolina women's game. Pretty much a slopfest,  which USC won. UConn coach complained about the officiating and then screamed at the USC coach after the game; she screamed back. It all was fairly classless.

Is Dawn Staley still coaching USC?  I remember when she played for UVA.

[mountaineer]

Is Dawn Staley still coaching USC?  I remember when she played for UVA.

Yes.

[Wingnut]

I watched most of the 2nd half of the UConn-South Carolina women's game. Pretty much a slopfest,  which USC won. UConn coach complained about the officiating and then screamed at the USC coach after the game; she screamed back. It all was fairly classless.

Looked like a scene from a Carnival Cruise, without the weave pulling.

[mountaineer]

This was a real blowout.  UCLA wins first NCAA women's basketball championship after defeating South Carolina.