2026 March Madness Thread

[kskenyon4]

Feels like its becoming very clear that beating UCF simply isn't enough to jump 2-5 teams (who knows where the committee has us). However, beating Arizona certainly leap frogs you...

Still need SMU/Ind/Auburn etc to not go and rattle off a run to their semis or finals

[Carthage World]

• NC State is likely in but not a sure thing if they lose -- favored by 9.5 points
• SMU is likely comfortable with a win, but uncomfortable without -- 6.5 point underdogs
• Auburn still alive with a win, but probably done with a loss that would move them to 16-16 -- 7.5 point favorites
• IU is either barely in or barely out coming into today's game -- 4.5 point favorites but recently lost at home to Northwestern
• Don't have a good sense on Texas, but probably similar to NC State -- 6.5 point favorites
• UC is favored by 2.5 against UCF -- the Knights could potentially solidify an at-large bid with a win but will be sweating with an L to the Bearcats
• UC probably needs more than just wins over Utah yesterday and UCF today but they are very much in the conversation with a W today

For what it is worth, Lunardi has:

LAST FOUR BYES - NC State, Texas, Santa Clara (lost in WCC finals yesterday), Missouri
LAST FOUR IN - UCF, VCU, SMU, Indiana
FIRST FOUR OUT - Auburn, Stanford (lost in ACC opener yesterday), New Mexico, Cincinnati
NEXT FOUR OUT - San Diego State, Virginia Tech (lost in ACC opener yesterday, Oklahoma, Cal

(Cal plays FSU at 7 p.m., Oklahoma plays South Carolina at 9:30 p.m.)

New Mexico and San Diego St would face off in the Mountain West Semi-Finals should they both win their Quarterfinal match-ups on Thursday. You'd have to think that the loser of that game would be sweating quite a bit on Sunday. Both teams should be challenged in their Quarterfinal match-up should the higher seeds (#6 Boise St and #7 Colorado St) win tonight.

[swilsonsp4]

• NC State is likely in but not a sure thing if they lose -- favored by 9.5 points
• SMU is likely comfortable with a win, but uncomfortable without -- 6.5 point underdogs
• Auburn still alive with a win, but probably done with a loss that would move them to 16-16 -- 7.5 point favorites
• IU is either barely in or barely out coming into today's game -- 4.5 point favorites but recently lost at home to Northwestern
• Don't have a good sense on Texas, but probably similar to NC State -- 6.5 point favorites
• UC is favored by 2.5 against UCF -- the Knights could potentially solidify an at-large bid with a win but will be sweating with an L to the Bearcats
• UC probably needs more than just wins over Utah yesterday and UCF today but they are very much in the conversation with a W today

For what it is worth, Lunardi has:

LAST FOUR BYES - NC State, Texas, Santa Clara (lost in WCC finals yesterday), Missouri
LAST FOUR IN - UCF, VCU, SMU, Indiana
FIRST FOUR OUT - Auburn, Stanford (lost in ACC opener yesterday), New Mexico, Cincinnati
NEXT FOUR OUT - San Diego State, Virginia Tech (lost in ACC opener yesterday, Oklahoma, Cal

(Cal plays FSU at 7 p.m., Oklahoma plays South Carolina at 9:30 p.m.)

NC State just wrapped up a win over Pitt, 98-88.

[GoBearcats31]

Bubble team SMU is underway versus Louisville

Remember when U of L seemed like a legit top 10 team earlier this season / a potential Final Four contender? Right now they are 6 seed-ish in the NCAA Tournament, a year after being supposedly underseeded as an 8 (and losing first round) -- seemed like Kelsey was building something special but seems he has the Cards back in solid standing but nothing spectacular. That said, I'd take UC back as a perennial tourney team and fringe ranked squad.

[GoBearcats31]

Bubble team SMU is underway versus Louisville

Remember when U of L seemed like a legit top 10 team earlier this season / a potential Final Four contender? Right now they are 6 seed-ish in the NCAA Tournament, a year after being supposedly underseeded as an 8 (and losing first round) -- seemed like Kelsey was building something special but seems he has the Cards back in solid standing but nothing spectacular. That said, I'd take UC back as a perennial tourney team and fringe ranked squad.

Another ACC bubble team goes down -- SMU falls to Louisville 62-58.

Perennial UC nemesis Ryan Conwell hit a go-ahead 3 with about 75 seconds to go and added another bucket late for the Cards.

[GoBearcats31]

Auburn beats Mississippi State, moves to 17-15

[London 'Cat]

It seemed every bubble team ahead of UC lost yesterday. UC sealed it own fate by blowing the late lead against UCF. Though I am confident they wouldn’t have got an at large bid either way.

[GoBearcats31]

UC will NOT play in the Crown, reports Scott Springer