NCAA Tournament: Top Contenders & Upsets

0:00On March 17th, the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament tips off this Tuesday with the first four games. Out of 68 teams, analytics expert Evamy Akawa sees just eight as true title contenders. Those are Arizona, Duke, Florida, Houston, Illinois, Iowa State Michigan, and Purdue, based on their predicted offensive and defensive efficiencies. The first four kicks things off Tuesday, pitting number 16 seeds UMBC against Howard. Right after, Texas faces NC State for the number 11 spot in the West region. Then the full opening round starts Thursday and runs nonstop through Sunday night at venues across the country. Fans are buzzing about potential upsets early on. Popular picks include Santa Clara knocking off Kentucky on Friday afternoon, and VCU taking down North Carolina in the first round. Those kinds of shocks could shake up bracket pools everywhere. Miyakawa also flags teams like Alabama, Arkansas, Gonzaga, St. John's, and Yukon with real final four upside.

1:05Meanwhile, programs such as Kentucky, Louisville, and Wisconsin fall into a riskier hitter miss group where deep runs feel uncertain. With so many storylines unfolding over the next few weeks, all eyes stay glued to Indianapolis for the final net's cutting moment. Made in AI.