The process of trimming down the 2018 NCAA Tournament field from 68 teams to one champion starts this week around the country. The annual men’s college basketball tournament is one of the most thrilling sporting events of the year, and this spring should be no different. It’s time for underdogs and buzzer-beaters galore.
Xavier, Virginia, Villanova, and Kansas are the No. 1 seeds in this year’s bracket, which was revealed Sunday. The Cavaliers, looking to bounce back from last season’s second-round knockout, are the No. 1 overall seed after defeating North Carolina to win the ACC tournament.
Tony Bennett’s team brings a fierce defense that’s No. 1 in the country in adjusted rating, according to KenPom.com. There are two teams entering the NCAAs with top-10 rankings in offense and defense (Duke, Michigan State), but the Cavs are atop the website’s overall rankings.
The first round of the tournament begins Thursday, while the second round will be played Saturday and Sunday. The Sweet Sixteen is set for March 22-23, the Elite Eight for March 24-25, and the Final Four for March 31. The national championship game will be played April 2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
2018 NCAA Tournament schedule and scores
All times CT, some tip off times depend on conclusion of other games
First Four
Tuesday, March 13
No. 16 Radford 71, No. 16 LIU Brooklyn 61
No. 11 St. Bonaventure 65, No. 11 UCLA 58
Wednesday, March 14
No. 16 Texas Southern 64, No. 16 N.C. Central 46
No. 11 Syracuse 60, No. 11 Arizona State 56
First round
Thursday, March 15
No. 7 Rhode Island 83, No. 10 Oklahoma 78 (OT)
No. 3 Tennessee 73, No. 14 Wright State 47
No. 4 Gonzaga 68, No. 13 UNC Greensboro 64
No. 1 Kansas 76, No. 16 Penn 60
No. 2 Duke 89, No. 15 Iona 67
No. 11 Loyola 64, No. 6 Miami 62
No. 5 Ohio State 81, No. 12 South Dakota State 73
No. 8 Seton Hall 94, No. 9 NC State 83
No. 1 Villanova 87, No. 16 Radford 61
No. 5 Kentucky 78, No. 12 Davidson 73
No. 6 Houston 67 No. 11 San Diego State 65
No. 3 Texas Tech 70, No. 14 Stephen F. Austin 60
No. 9 Alabama 86, No. 8 Virginia Tech 83
No. 13 Buffalo 89, No. 4 Arizona 68
No. 3 Michigan 61, No. 14 Montana 47
No. 6 Florida 77, No. 11 St. Bonaventure 62
Friday, March 16
No. 7 Texas A&M 73, No. 10 Providence 69
No. 2 Purdue 74, No. 15 Cal State Fullerton 48
No. 13 Marshall 81, No. 4 Wichita State 75
No. 2 Cincinnati 68, No. 15 Georgia State 53
No. 2 North Carolina 84, No. 15 Lipscomb 66
No. 10 Butler 79, No. 7 Arkansas 62
No. 5 West Virginia 85, No. 12 Murray State 68
No. 7 Nevada 87, No. 10 Texas 83 (OT)
No. 9 Kansas State 69, No. 8 Creighton 59
No. 3 Michigan State 82, No. 14 Bucknell 78
No. 1 Xavier 102, No. 16 Texas Southern 83
No. 4 Auburn 62, No. 13 Charleston 58
No. 16 UMBC 74, No. 1 Virginia
No. 11 Syracuse 57, No. 6 TCU 52
No. 9 Florida State 67, No. 8 Missouri 54
No. 5 Clemson 79, No. 12 New Mexico State 68