March Madness Men's Tournament Analysis: Teams And Players To Watch

The NCAA tourney bracket is set and nan games are group to statesman Tuesday pinch nan First Four.

Here’s a rundown of nan players to watch, imaginable Cinderella teams and what to cognize astir nan 2026 NCAA men’s hoops tournament.

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips, left, presents Duke coach Jon Scheyer pinch nan convention title trophy aft nan Blue Devils’ triumph complete Virginia connected Saturday.

(Nell Redmond / Associated Press)

No. 1 Duke: The Blue Devils participate arsenic nan No. 1 wide seed, riding an 11-game winning streak and having conscionable claimed their 2nd consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference tourney title and 3rd successful 4 years nether coach Jon Scheyer. In each of his 3 seasons, Scheyer has guided Duke deeper into nan tourney than nan twelvemonth before. Five players mean double figures, including 18-year-old Cameron Boozer, nan celebrated freshman. Duke opens against Siena successful Greenville, S.C.

No. 2 Connecticut: The two-time defending nationalist champions get successful Philadelphia aft losing nan Big East title crippled to St. John’s 72-52. Five players mean double figures and who could lucifer Connecticut’s caller March Madness success? The Huskies look Furman, backmost successful nan NCAA tourney for nan first clip since 2023, erstwhile nan Paladins famously stunned No. 4 seed Virginia 68-67 successful nan first round, truthful Connecticut can’t return thing for granted.

No. 3 Michigan: Tom Izzo extends his grounds to 28 consecutive NCAA tourney appearances, surpassing nan people he already collapsed successful 2023 erstwhile he eclipsed Mike Krzyzewski’s erstwhile grounds of 24 successful a row. The Spartans caput to Buffalo aft an early Big Ten tourney exit. Izzo’s history of overachieving pinch his seed makes his squad dangerous, starting pinch a matchup against North Dakota State.

No. 4 Kanasas: The Jayhawks widen their grounds of 36 consecutive NCAA tourney appearances, and 3 wins complete top-five teams this play bespeak this is nary mean 4 seed. But Kansas hasn’t made it retired of nan opening play since its 2022 nationalist title run, including a first-round exit past year, making San Diego a captious proving crushed for Bill Self’s programme against California Baptist, nan Western Athletic Conference’s last automatic qualifier.

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Hard to telephone this bunch nan gutty small Bruins erstwhile UCLA has won a grounds 11 nationalist titles, but this team could make a heavy tally if defender Donovan Dent (calf strain) and starring scorer Tyler Bilodeau (knee strain) are healthy. It each starts against Central Florida successful Philadelphia.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bruce Thornton, guard, Ohio State: The Buckeyes’ all-time starring scorer helped get Ohio State backmost to nan tourney for nan first clip successful 4 years. He has scored 2,110 points successful his profession but astatine 6-feet-2 has group skeptical astir his NBA future.

Cameron Boozer, forward, Duke: The heralded freshman has lived up to each expectation, anchoring a five-player double-figure scoring lineup that made Duke nan No. 1 wide seed and nan squad everyone other is chasing.

Zuby Ejiofor, forward, St. John’s: A 6-foot-9 senior, Ejiofor was nan Big East Player of nan Year and Defensive Player of nan Year, and he’s nan only subordinate successful high-major hoops to rank successful nan apical 10 successful his convention successful points, rebounds, assists and blocks.

RIM SHOTS

• A grounds six teams successful nan East Region person aggregate NCAA championships: UCLA (11), Connecticut (six), Kansas (four), Duke (five), Michigan State (two) and Louisville (two).
  
• California Baptist makes its NCAA tourney debut successful nan last twelvemonth of nan Western Athletic Conference’s existent format, giving nan Lancers a storybook sendoff arsenic nan WAC’s past automatic qualifier successful this era.
  
• Duke twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer are sons of erstwhile NBA prima Carlos Boozer, who won a nationalist title pinch nan Blue Devils 25 years ago.

— Sam Farmer

Gonzaga guardant Graham Ike controls nan shot during a crippled against Portland successful February.

(Young Kwak / Associated Press)

No.1 Arizona: The Wildcats started and vanished fast. They won their first 23 games earlier suffering their only defeats successful consecutive games against Kansas and Texas Tech. Coach Tommy Lloyd led his squad to nan Big 12 Conference title. Now he will effort to get them to nan Final Four for nan first clip since 2001.

No. 2 Purdue: The Boilermakers upset Michigan to triumph nan Big Ten tourney title. They are making their 11th consecutive NCAA tourney appearance. Guard Braden Smith averaged 14 points and 9 assists. He is 1 assistance awkward of tying erstwhile Duke prima Bobby Hurley’s all-time grounds of 1,076.

No. 3 Gonzaga: Forward Graham Ike is nan starring scorer and rebounder for a squad that is making its 27th consecutive NCAA tourney quality — and still searching for its first title nether coach Mark Few. Guard Braden Huff averaged 17.8 points and defender Tyon Grant-Foster 11.2 for nan West Coast Conference champions.

No. 4 Arkansas: Razorbacks coach John Calipari, who has guided teams to 4 Final Fours, won a Southeastern Conference title for nan first clip since 2018, erstwhile he coached astatine Kentucky. Guard Darius Acuff Jr., nan SEC subordinate of nan year, and defender Meleek Thomas lead nan Razorbacks.

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Under first-year coach Flynn Clayman, No. 12 High Point averaged 90 points per game, which classed 3rd nationally and tied them pinch Arkansas. Forward Terry Anderson averaged 16 points and six rebounds for nan Panthers, who are making their 2nd consecutive tourney appearance. High Point plays Wisconsin successful nan first round.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

AJ Dybantsa, forward, Brigham Young: The freshman averaged a nation-leading 25.3 points per crippled and is regarded arsenic a apical NBA prospect.

Darius Acuff Jr., guard, Arkansas: The first subordinate since Louisiana State’s Pete Maravich successful 1970 to lead nan SEC successful scoring and assists successful nan aforesaid season.

Brayden Burries, guard, Arizona: The freshman averaged a team-best 15.9 points a crippled connected a roster that includes guardant Koa Peat and defender Jaden Bradley.

RIM SHOTS

• After Miami vanished 7-24 past season, first-year coach Jai Lucas led nan Hurricanes to a 25-8 grounds and a first-round matchup against Missouri.
  
• Queens University, for illustration High Point, is located successful North Carolina. The Royals moved up from Division II successful 2022, and they person earned their first NCAA tourney appearance.
  
• Long Island University, making its first tourney quality since 2018, is coached by erstwhile NBA subordinate Rod Strickland, who is successful his 4th play pinch nan Sharks.

— Gary Klein

Alabama defender Labaron Philon Jr. celebrates a double-overtime triumph complete Arkansas connected Feb. 18.

(Vasha Hunt / Associated Press)

No. 1 Michigan: The Wolverines, who recorded 24 double-digit victories, are a apical seed for nan 4th clip successful programme history. They will play nan victor of nan First Four matchup betwixt Baltimore, Maryland County and Howard. Michigan vanished nan regular play by winning its last 15 Big Ten games, mounting triumph records for some nan programme and conference.

No. 2 Iowa State: The Cyclones started basking and astatine 1 constituent were classed 2nd successful nan country. They cooled astatine midseason, however, earlier hitting their stride again arsenic they headed into nan tournament. Iowa State opens against Tennessee State successful St. Louis, which is simply a five-hour thrust from Ames, Iowa, but is still a quasi-home game.

No. 3 Virginia: Virginia mislaid by 4 to Duke successful nan ACC tourney championship, but it was an betterment complete a 26-point nonaccomplishment to nan Blue Devils 2 weeks earlier. Playing for first-year coach Ryan Odom, nan Cavaliers improved by 14 wins from past season, a schoolhouse record. The matchup is simply a gangly bid for Wright State, which won a First Four crippled successful 2022 by beating Bryant.

No. 4 Alabama: The Crimson Tide is nan highest-scoring squad successful nan state astatine 91.7 points per game. Alabama won 23 games and mislaid to Mississippi successful nan SEC quarterfinals. Hofstra, which has won 7 successful a row, could beryllium a reliable first-round matchup. Outstanding inferior defender Labaron Philon Jr. leads Alabama and averages 21.7 points.

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Texas Tech is hobbling into nan tourney without prima guardant J.T. Toppin, who suffered a season-ending knee injury. Opportunity awaits for nan No. 12 Akron Zips, who won 20 of their last 21 games and person 4 players averaging double-figures successful scoring.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Yaxel Lendeborg, forward, Michigan: A 6-foot-9 standout, Lendeborg withdrew from nan NBA draught past May and chose to play his last play successful Michigan aft playing astatine Arizona Western and Alabama Birmingham earlier successful his career. He was Big Ten Player of nan Year.

Christian Anderson, guard, Texas Tech: After nan Red Raiders mislaid Toppin, Anderson helped prime up nan scoring slack. The constituent defender was named nan Big 12’s astir improved subordinate and is coming backmost from a groin wounded he suffered past Thursday against Iowa State.

Ugonna Onyenso, center, Virginia: The 7-foot subordinate from Nigeria is simply a shot-blocking machine, pinch a grounds 9 blocks successful nan ACC title crippled against Duke and 21 complete 3 tourney games. The erstwhile grounds of 14 for nan tourney was group 31 years earlier by Tim Duncan of Wake Forest.

RIM SHOTS

• Nolan Smith, a erstwhile Duke guard, took nan Tennessee State coaching occupation successful July and led nan schoolhouse to its first NCAA tourney quality since 1994.
  
• It has been 30 years since Santa Clara sewage an induce to nan tournament: That was backmost erstwhile nan Broncos had a dazzling Canadian constituent defender named Steve Nash.
  
• Miami (Ohio) is nan first Mid-American Conference schoolhouse to person an at-large bid since 1999.

— Sam Farmer

Florida guardant Thomas Haugh dunks against Georgia connected Feb. 11.

(Colin Hubbard / Associated Press)

No. 1 Florida: The Gators mislaid their starting backcourt from past play nationalist title squad, but coach Todd Golden rebuilt his lineup and led nan group to a Southeastern Conference regular play title. The Gators’ balanced onslaught ranks 10th nationally successful accelerated break points per crippled (16.2) and closed nan regular play connected an 11-game triumph streak.

No. 2 Houston: After losing to Florida successful past year’s nationalist title game, Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson landed prima freshman constituent defender Kingston Flemings to springiness his squad a spark. Houston ranks 2nd nationally successful scoring defense, allowing 62.4 points per game. Flemings joins 2024-25 Big 12 Defensive Player of nan Year Joseph Tugler and an array of different playmakers who make nan 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 crippled 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 play and person an fantabulous chance of scoring nan first NCAA tourney triumph successful programme history, earning a favorable matchup against No. 13 seed Troy. Nebraska has won pinch beardown protect play, ranking No. 22 nationally successful scoring defense aft allowing 66.2 points per game.

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No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s makes regular trips to nan NCAA tourney aft battling annually pinch Gonzaga successful nan West Coast Conference and is simply a vulnerable squad successful nan mediate of nan bracket. Paulius Murauskas softly leads nan squad pinch 18.8 points per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Thomas Haugh, forward, Florida: After embracing a sixth-man domiciled connected past season’s nationalist title team, Haugh emerged arsenic a squad leader. He earned first squad All-SEC honors aft averaging 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Kingston Flemings, constituent guard, Houston: The Cougars’ move leader averaged 16.4 points and 5.4 assists per crippled during nan regular season. The 6-foot-4 crippled changer is projected to beryllium an NBA draught lottery pick.

Tyler Tanner, guard, Vanderbilt: The 6-foot playmaker has enjoyed a breakout season, averaging 19.2 points per crippled for a Commodores squad that went 16-0 to commencement nan season.

RIM SHOTS

• Florida is trying to triumph back-to-back championships for nan 2nd clip successful schoolhouse history, a feat that has only been accomplished by UCLA.
  
• North Carolina freshman prima Caleb Wilson suffered a season-ending surgery thumb connected March 5, causing nan Tar Heels to tumble to a No. 6 seed.
  
• Nebraska earned a No. 4 seed, its highest spot successful nan section since nan Huskers sewage a No. 3 seed successful 1991.

— Iliana Limón Romero