No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10 Boise State/Colorado
Boise State and Colorado will face off in a play-in game, dubbed the First Four, on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Oakland
You’ll also see these two teams in Pittsburgh on Thursday.
No. 6 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 NC State
This game will happen on the first day of the Madness, Thursday, in Pittsburgh.
That’s all for the South
We’re already halfway through the men’s tournament seeding.
The East Region is all set
The men’s East Region is stacked. Three of last year’s Final Four are in the one region, which was just announced.
No. 4 Duke vs. No. 13 Vermont
The teams will meet in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday for each of their first games of the tournament.
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 James Madison
All eyes were on Wisconsin earlier today in the Big 10 Tournament final against Illinois. Had it pulled through with the win, the Midwestern team might have been seeded higher.
No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Texas A&M
This tight matchup will be a tough one, thanks to Texas A&M being “sizzling hot,” according to the Selection Sunday announcers.
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Longwood
The South Region kicks off with Houston on top.
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 South Dakota State
Iowa State took home the Big 12 Tournament trophy after upsetting Houston.
No. 7 Washington vs. No. 10 Drake
This is the University of Washington’s first time in the tournament since 2008.
No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Morehead State
Illinois was almost knocked out of the Big 10 Tournament by Wisconsin in the finals but pulled through to take the title today.
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Duquense
The Duquesne men’s team is heading back to the Big Dance for the first time since 1977. It was a lock to make the tournament after winning the Atlantic 10 championship.
No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 Yale
The teams will meet up in Spokane on Friday.
No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 University of Alabama-Birmingham
The teams will face off in Spokane, Washington.
No. 8 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 9 Northwestern
Northwestern was knocked out of the Big 10 Tournament as the fourth seed when Wisconsin upset it on its path to the final.
Long Beach State coach still has a job
Don Monson didn’t spend the day sending out résumés and looking up want ads today.
The Long Beach State coach, who was told Monday he’ll be out of job, still has work to do after his team came out of nowhere to win the Big West Tournament to extend the lame duck’s career by another week.
“What a great week, what a great week,” Monson told reporters late last night after his team beat UC Davis in the title game. “And what a privilege to have a team that has that kind of character.”
It’s March Madness, and more people than ever can legally bet on basketball games
People in North Carolina may have a little more riding on this year’s NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, as they will be able to legally bet on the games through their smartphone apps and computers for the first time.
For the sixth straight year, the number of states allowing legal sports betting has expanded since the last rendition of March Madness. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia now allow some form sports betting, including 30 states that allow online wagering, along with the nation’s capital.
That’s up from one state, Nevada, where people could legally wager on games during the 2018 college basketball tournaments, before the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for expansion.
The rules for sports betting vary by state. Some states prohibit bets on home-state college teams or the performances of specific players. Others allow bets not only on the outcomes of any college games but also on a variety of other things, such as the number of points, rebounds and assists that a particular player will tally.
Click through to read more about some things to know about sports betting as the tourneys open, with the men’s games starting Tuesday and the women’s competition beginning Wednesday.
No team more deserving of a restful Sunday than N.C. State
Before North Carolina State goes dancing, Wolfpack players will be off their feet, taking it easy today with the most well-earned time off of any team in March Madness.
N.C. State won a stunning five games in five days, capturing the ACC Tournament title and possibly denying an at-large bid to hopefuls like St. John’s, Virginia or Seton Hall.
N.C. State’s miraculous wins this past week evoked memories of the Wolfpack’s 1983 run through the ACC tourney, which led to the national title.
Temple, under gambling probe, playing for tourney’s last spot
Temple and UAB are playing for the last spot in March Madness, a week after the famed Philadelphia school acknowledged it’s looking into possible gambling irregularities involving the basketball program.
The Owls and the Blazers are fighting for the American Athletic Conference title and the league’s automatic bid in a game that’ll end at about 5 p.m. ET.
The nation’s final contest today, the Big Ten’s title game between Wisconsin and Illinois, will probably end closer to 5:30 p.m., but the loser here is a shoo-in for an at-large bid.
Kent State coach backing player after brutal mistake
The sun appeared over northeast Ohio at 7:33 a.m. ET today just as Kent State coach Rob Senderoff predicted, in hopes Earth’s rotation brings solace to his heartbroken team.
The Golden Flashes were on the verge of winning the MAC championship and the league’s automatic bid after Cli’Ron Hornbeak’s putback gave Kent State a 61-60 lead over rival Akron with 6.2 seconds left.
That’s when Hornbeak’s teammate Julius Rollins shocked everyone inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland by intentionally fouling Akron’s Greg Tribble as the Kent State player believed his team was behind and needed to stop the clock. Instead, Tribble made two free throws and sent the Zips dancing.
“The thing that I told him [Rollins] … if it’s the worst thing that ever happens to you when you’re 50 years old like I am, [then] you’ve lived a pretty, pretty charmed life,” Senderoff told reporters. “Tomorrow the sun will come up. It will be a little cloudy for me and for our guys, but the sun will come up tomorrow.”