A preview of the NCAA Tournament men's Final Four

Has anyone ever had a perfect bracket for March Madness? The odds and precedents for NCAA predictions

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With the 2024 NCAA men’s tournament underway and the women’s tournament set to begin Friday, the chase for the perfect March Madness bracket has also officially begun. While anyone has a chance to get it completely right, odds are 1 in 9.2. quintillion, according to the NCAA.

In other words, as Tim Chartier, a mathematics and computer science professor at Davidson College in North Carolina, told CBS News, it’s like picking a single second in 297 billion years. “It’s very difficult,” he said.

As of Thursday evening, following No. 14 Oakland’s upset of No. 3 Kentucky, the NCAA estimated that only 0.0396% of men’s tournament brackets remained perfect.

NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament - Practice Day - Brooklyn — The odds of getting a perfect bracket are one in 9.2 quintillion, according to the NCAA.

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Has anyone had a perfect bracket?

No, but a neurologist from Columbus, Ohio, named Gregg Nigl had the verified bracket closest to perfection. Back in 2019, he correctly guessed the first 49 games of the men’s tournament until then-No. 3 ranked Purdue defeated No. 2 Tennessee in the Sweet 16 — ending his bid for perfection.

He told a local newspaper he almost didn’t fill out his bracket because he was home sick hours before the deadline. His record as the longest perfect bracket continues to stand — at least for now.

Before him, someone picked 39 games to start the tournament correctly in 2017, according to the NCAA. That bid fell apart when Purdue defeated Iowa State. In the 2023 NCAA men’s tournament, it took only 25 games after No. 16 seeded Fairleigh Dickinson University took down No.1 Purdue.

What are the odds of getting a perfect March Madness bracket?

The NCAA said the odds of a perfect 63-game bracket can be as high as 1 in 9.2 quintillion. Those odds are in play if every game was a coin flip – or a fair 50/50 shot. The amount of different possible outcomes comes out to exactly 9,223,372,036,854,775,808, according to the NCAA.

However, you have a better chance of, say, you and your partner each buying one ticket for a Powerball with a billion dollar jackpot and both winning it than a single person producing a perfect bracket, Chartier, the mathematics professor, told CBS News.

Knowledge of college basketball can tip the scales a bit, as the odds of picking a perfect bracket can be as low as 1 in 128 billion, late DePaul University professor Jeff Bergen said in 2019.

Factors such as travel and injury and other random acts make the tournament hard to predict, according to Chartier. Additionally, the stakes weighing on student athletes during the tournament can’t be compared to the season.

“There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on some players that were just in high school just a few years ago,” he said. “I don’t care what happens in the season. None of it really kind of matches the dynamics and the pressure in the history that they set with what happens in the tournament.”

Will there ever be a perfect bracket?

Christopher O’Byrne, a lecturer in management information systems at San Diego State University and a college basketball fan, believes a perfect bracket could come if teams followed their “true trajectory” along their seeding positions. O’Byrne told CBS News that one could analyze seeding given out to teams and find some weaknesses there.

But he’s not optimistic a perfect bracket will ever happen in his lifetime.

“I hope I live a very long life and have many opportunities or iterations to see a perfect bracket, but I don’t have much faith,” he said.

Christopher Brito

Christopher Brito is a social media manager and trending content writer for CBS News.

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March 21, 2024

Revisit the 2023 March Madness bracket results as the 2024 NCAA tournament kicks off

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March Madness is upon us and over the next three weeks, dozens of teams will compete to win the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. Fans have locked in brackets – trying to predict who will make it through all six rounds of the tournament and come out on top. Here’s a look back on what last year’s final bracket looked like.

Full results for the 2023 March Madness bracket

University of Connecticut won the 2023 NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship, beating San Diego State. UConn is five for five in title games, winning the tournament five times in the last 25 years and Dan Hurley became the third UConn coach to win a national championship, joining Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie.

Below are the full results of the 2023 tournament.

In the final four were UConn, University of Miami, San Diego State and Florida Atlantic University.

What were the biggest upsets in the 2023 March Madness bracket?

No. 5 seed Miami got a spot in the Final Four by eliminating No 1. seed Houston, which was the only remaining No. 1 seed in the tournament. Miami won the game 89-75.

Florida Atlantic was another lower seed team that made it into the Final Four. The No. 9 seed was down 7 points in the second half but ended up turning it around to beat No. 1 seed Kansas State, 79-76.

No. 5 seed San Diego made its first trip to the Elite Eight – the final eight games of the tournament – by beating No. 1 seed Alabama.

Several other teams upset higher seeds, but the biggest upset of them all was Fairleigh Dickinson University’s win over Purdue. FDU made history as the only No. 16 seeds to ever beat a No. 1. But their run in the tournament ended when Florida Atlanta eked them out on their way to the Sweet 16.

Other upsets: No. 15 seed Princeton beat No. 7 seed Missouri; No. 7 seed Michigan State beat No. 2 seed Marquette; and No. 8 seed Arkansas beat No. 1 seed Kansas.

What was the final score for the 2023 NCAA basketball championship game?

The UConn Huskies beat the San Diego Aztecs in a 76-59 victory at the championship game in Houston on April 3.

UConn had won all six NCAA Tournament games by double digits – becoming the fifth team since the bracket expanded in 1985 to do so. Their star forward Adama Sanogo finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the final and won Most Outstanding Player. Tristen Newton also brought in 19 points and 10 boards. Sanogo went on to play for the Bulls in the NBA, but Newton is still a Huskie.

San Diego State v Connecticut — Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies celebrates with his team after defeating the San Diego State Aztecs 76-59 during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament National Championship game at NRG Stadium on April 03, 2023 in Houston, Texas.

/ Getty Images

When are 2024 March Madness brackets due?

Brackets had to be locked in on Thursday, March 21, when the first round of the tournament began. Sixty-four teams will play games on Thursday and Friday. The remaining 32 move on to Saturday and Sunday games. The Sweet 16 play on March 28 and 28, the Elite Eight on March 30 and 31 and the final four will play on April 6.

Some high-profile basketball fans have released their brackets – revealing who they think will make it to the final on April 8.

President Biden has UConn winning for the second straight year, with Houston, North Carolina and Tennessee in the final four. Former President Barack Obama also chose UConn for the tournament champs with Kentucky, Baylor and Purdue in the final four.

Several other NCAA experts have also weighed in. Experts at SportsLine evaluate lines, teams, coaching styles, offensive trends, defensive trends and opponent tendencies to assess the strength of each team and predict how they will fair in the tournament.

Note: CBS Essentials, CBS, Paramount+ and Sportsline are all subsidiaries of Paramount. CBS is one of the broadcast homes of the 2024 men’s March Madness tournament.

How to watch the 2024 NCAA college basketball season without cable

NCAA college basketball this season will air live on ESPN, ESPN+, CBS, FS1, BTN, and the Pac 12 Network, among others.

The men’s First Four games will air March 19-20, 2024 on TruTV.
The rest of men’s March Madness 2024, including the Final Four, will air on CBS and Turner Sports — which means you’ll be able to watch March Madness 2024 on TBS, CBS, TNT and TruTV.
Women’s March Madness 2024, including the Final Four, will air on ESPN and ESPN+.

Caitlin O’Kane

Caitlin O’Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces “The Uplift,” CBS News’ streaming show that focuses on good news.

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March 21, 2024

CU Buffs grind past Boise State in NCAA Tournament First Four, advance to face Florida

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DAYTON, Ohio — The iron was unkind to CU almost all night long. But in March, an ugly win with a ticket to the next round of the Big Dance beats a pretty flight home to Boulder any day of the week.

Thanks to a double-double from guard KJ Simpson and clutch buckets by forward Tristan da Silva, the Buffs advanced out of the NCAA Tournament’s First Four with a 60-53 win over Boise State at UD Arena.

CU (25-10) will meet Florida (24-11) on Friday in a first-round matchup in Indianapolis.

It was the third NCAA tourney win for the Buffs under Tad Boyle since 2012 and the program’s second since 2021.

With CU trailing 49-45, the Buffs’ Big Two of Simpson and da Silva brought their squad up off the mat, and extended a wild, roller-coaster season in the process.

The latter’s trey from the corner made it a 49-48 game, and Simpson scored the next four points — via two free throws and a runner in the lane — to put CU up three. Center Eddie Lampkin Jr.’s soft follow with 32.8 seconds left, released just before the shot clock expired, gave the Buffs a 54-49 cushion.

Wednesday was CU’s fourth game in seven days, and late in the tilt, the Buffs’ legs appeared to show some wear. Jumpers off the fingers of Simpson that he normally swishes trended short, and 50-50 rebounds near the rim on Boise misses were more often snagged by the scrappier Broncos in the second half.

The Buffs opened the second stanza on a 9-4 run that also served as one of their best stretches of play to that point. Simpson accounted for four of those points, and the point guard’s layup with 15:58 left in the game elevated the CU lead to 35-28.

But for much of the evening, anytime the Buffs started to build up breathing room, Boise found a way to claw right back into the fight. Broncos forward Cam Martin’s layup with 12:58 left capped a 9-3 Boise run.

Martin’s putback with 9:11 to go, the culmination of a da Silva turnover and a mad scramble the other way, knotted the score at 43-all.

While the Buffs’ offense stalled, O’Mar Stanley’s layup with 7:11 left put the Broncos up 45-43. Roddie Anderson III missed an open bunny on a backdoor cut, but Tyson Degenhart’s high-arcing follow was true, extending that Boise cushion to 47-43 and forcing Boyle to call a timeout.

If you liked your basketball games to resemble a rock fight, the first half of Buffs-Broncos was for you.

In a contest begging for someone who could create their own shot off the dribble, only CU’s da Silva obliged early. The senior forward led all scorers at the break with 11 points, and the Buffs upperclassman’s 3-point play gave CU an early 9-6 lead about six minutes into the tilt.

But Boise countered with a 7-0 run of its own, and a Chibuzo Agbo layup put the Broncos ahead 13-9 with 11:54 to go until halftime.

Both sides retrenched after a television timeout. On the first possession coming out of it, however, CU incurred a shot-clock violation. It wasn’t Virginia cold, but Boyle’s Buffs weathered a scoring drought of 2:16 midway through the opening stanza.

Luke O’Brien’s 3-point play with 2:42 until the break pushed CU’s cushion to 24-18. But the Buffs managed only one more field goal for the rest of the first half, and clung to a 26-24 edge at the break. The Pac-12 reps misfired on seven of their first eight 3-point attempts, while the Broncos of the Mountain West opened 1 for 10 from beyond the arc.

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Sean Keeler

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March 20, 2024

Listen to March Madness First Round Games on SiriusXM

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The first round of the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship will air across SiriusXM channels from March 21-22. Tune in live on the SiriusXM app and car radios to find out whether your favorite team moves on or a Cinderella busts your March Madness bracket. Plus, check out the full first round schedule below.

March Madness on the SiriusXM app

SiriusXM subscribers can tune in to live coverage of all 32 first round games – plus every other March Madness matchup in the men’s and women’s tournaments – on the SiriusXM app and web player. Audio coverage is provided by Westwood One. Not a subscriber? Sign up for three months free here.

March Madness First Round Schedule

Thursday, March 21 (Round of 64)

Friday, March 22 (Round of 64)

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Matt Simeone

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March 20, 2024

How to watch today’s Colorado vs. Boise State NCAA First Four college basketball game: Livestream options, more

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KJ Simpson #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes calls a play as he bring the ball up court against the Washington State Cougars in the second half of a semifinal game during the the Pac-12 Conference basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 15, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Buffaloes defeated the Cougars 58-52.

David Becker/Getty Images

The Colorado Buffaloes face Boise State tonight for the second of tonight’s two First Four games. Both the Buffaloes and the Broncos hope to punch a ticket to the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but only one team can move on to the Big Dance.

The road to the Final Four starts with the First Four, which is paved with heart, heartbreak and Cinderella stories we’ll be talking about for years to come. If you don’t want to miss a big March Madness moment, game or play, you’ll want to start by watching the First Four. Keep reading to learn how and when to watch the Colorado vs. Boise State game tonight.

CBS Essentials and CBS are subsidiaries of Paramount. CBS is one of the broadcast homes of the 2024 men’s March Madness tournament.

How and when to watch the Colorado vs. Boise State game with cable

The Colorado vs. Boise State game will be played on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 9:10 p.m. ET (6:10 p.m. PT). The game will be broadcast live on TruTV and stream on Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV.

The Colorado vs. Boise State game will immediately follow the Grambling vs. Montana State First Four game, which is also being broadcast on TruTV starting at 6:40 p.m. ET (3:40 p.m. PT).

How to stream the Colorado vs. Boise State game without cable

If you’ve given up your cable subscription, or your cable provider doesn’t include TruTV, you can subscribe to one of the streaming or live TV platforms featured below. Note that streaming options require an internet provider.

Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle: The one way to stream every March Madness game

You can watch March Madness 2024, including both the men’s and women’s tournaments, with the Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle. The bundle features 95 channels, including TruTV, ESPN, ABC and CBS, and includes ESPN+, so you’ll be able to watch every game of both tournaments. The women’s Final Four will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Unlike other live TV streaming platforms like Fubo (which doesn’t carry TruTV so you won’t be able to watch the First Four), or SlingTV (which doesn’t carry CBS so you won’t be able to watch many men’s March Madness games), Hulu + Live TV is the only live TV streaming platform that allows you to catch every men’s and women’s March Madness 2024 game. If you’re looking to stream just today’s First Four game, SlingTV is a more cost-effective option and you can cancel anytime. If you’re in for today’s game plus more NCAA tournament games over the next few weeks, Hulu + Live TV carries every channel you’ll need to access to watch the entire tournament, including the champion game. Unlimited DVR storage is also included.

Watch every March Madness game on every network this season with Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle. Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+. It’s priced at $77.

Sling TV: The most cost-effective way to stream the Colorado vs. Boise State game

Howard Bison forward Steve Settle (2) and Kansas Jayhawks guard Gradey Dick (4) go after a loose ball during the first round of the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship West Regional.

Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Image

If you don’t have cable TV that includes TruTV, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream March Madness this year is through a subscription to Sling TV’s Blue tier. The streamer offers access to your local network affiliate’s live feed (excluding CBS) and also includes the NFL Network and March Madness games on ESPN with its Orange tier plan.

Right now, SlingTV is offering your first month of service on the Orange, Blue and Orange + Blue tiers for half price. The Sling TV Blue tier normally costs $45 per month, but you can start watching March Madness for just $22.50. The Sling Orange + Blue tier is regularly $60, but it’s discounted to $30 for the first month.

Note: Because some men’s March Madness 2024 games will broadcast on CBS, you won’t be able to watch all men’s March Madness 2024 games with a just Sling TV subscription. If you’re looking to stream the entire men’s tournament on one platform, we suggest a subscription to Hulu + Live TV.

Top features of Sling TV Blue tier:

There are 42 channels to watch in total, including local ABC, Fox, NBC affiliates (where available).
You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games next season at the lowest price.
All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.

What is the full schedule for the First Four games?

Below, are the dates and times for the First Four games of the 2024 NCAA men’s tournament, held in Dayton, OH.

Tuesday, March 19 (First Four)

Wednesday, March 20 (First Four)

Key dates for the 2024 NCAA men’s college tournament

Below are key dates for March Madness 2024.

First Four: Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20, 2024
First round: Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22
Second round: Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24
Sweet 16: Wednesday, March 28 and Thursday, March 29
Elite Eight: Saturday, March 30 and Sunday, March 31
Final Four: Saturday, April 6 (TBS)
National championship: Monday, April 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (TBS)

Key dates for the 2024 NCAA women’s college basketball tournament

First Four: Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21, 2024
First round: Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23
Second round: Sunday, March 24 and Monday, March 25
Sweet 16: Thursday, March 29 and Friday, March 30
Elite Eight: Sunday, March 31 and Monday, April 1
Final Four: Friday, April 5 (ESPN+)
National championship: Sunday, April 7 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio (ABC)

What is the First Four in March Madness?

The First Four is a play-in round of March Madness for both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments. The First Four consists of two games between the four lowest-ranked teams, usually comprised of the four lowest-ranked conference champions. It also consists of two games between the four lowest-seeded teams who have earned at-large bids to the tournament. The winners of the First Four determine the last four teams to qualify for the 64-team bracket that goes on to the first round of the tournament.

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March 20, 2024

Listen to Every First Four March Madness Matchup on SiriusXM

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March Madness 2024 is officially underway with the First Four games kicking off March 19-20. Will your bracket stay perfect after day 1? Find out with SiriusXM’s March Madness audio coverage.

Listen live to each First Four duel (along with every other March Madness matchup) on the SiriusXM app and car radios. See the full First Four schedule and SiriusXM channel lineup below.

Additionally, check out the First Four game odds according to SportsGrid below.

First Four March Madness Schedule (Dayton, Ohio)

Tuesday, March 19

(16) Wagner Seahawks vs. (16) Howard Bison | 6:40pm ET on SiriusXM College Sports Radio (ch. 84)

(10) Colorado State vs. (10) Virginia | 9:10pm ET on SiriusXM College Sports Radio (ch. 84)

Wednesday, March 20

(16) Grambling State vs. (16) Montana State | 6:40pm ET on SiriusXM College Sports Radio (ch. 84)

(10) Colorado vs. (10) Boise State | 9:10pm ET on SiriusXM College Sports Radio (ch. 84)

First Four Odds (via SportsGrid)

Wagner vs. Howard

Howard is a 3.5-point favorite against Wagner. The over/under is 127.5 points.

Colorado State vs. Virginia

Colorado State is a 2.5-point favorite against Virginia. The over/under is 119.5 points.

Grambling State vs. Montana State

Montana State is a 3.5-point favorite against Grambling State. The over/under is 134.5.

Colorado vs. Boise State

Colorado is a 2.5-point favorite against Boise State. The over/under is 138.5

College Basketball on SiriusXM

Game broadcast schedule

Don’t miss a single March Madness matchup. See the full play-by-play broadcast schedule on the SiriusXM app and web player.

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Matt Simeone

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March 19, 2024

Howard University men’s basketball team makes history, ‘dancing’ for 2nd year in a row – WTOP News

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Howard University’s men’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA tournament for the “Big Dance,” for the second consecutive year and just the fourth time ever.

Howard head coach Kenny Blakeney watches during the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)(AP/Morry Gash)

Howard University’s men’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA tournament for the “Big Dance.”

The Bison beat Delaware State 70-67 on Saturday to secure the MEAC Championship and one of 68 spots in the NCAA tournament. It’s the first time ever the program has made the tournament twice in a row.

“The school spirit’s amazing,” said student Kajean Talette. “As soon as we hear we’re going to March Madness, I’m seeing everyone talk about it and having little parties and stuff.”

Howard will play Wagner in Dayton, Ohio, Tuesday. The winner will face No. 1 seed UNC.

“Do your best out there. I know you guys can do it, I know you guys can win, but God forbid you don’t put your best foot forward,” said student Gabrielle Francis.

Last year, the Bison lost in the first round to No. 1 seed Kansas.

“We put the whole campus behind the teams that are winning, so it definitely changes the environment,” said student Miles Suit.

In all, this will be Howard’s fourth NCAA tournament appearance, with the Bison looking to notch their first ever tournament win Tuesday.

“It’s funny, people who don’t even go to Howard are like, ‘Wow, Howard is doing well, going back to the tournament again,’” said student Drew McIntyre. “It’s nice to see Howard recognized.”

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Cheyenne Corin

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March 18, 2024

March Madness: Northwestern, Illinois among men’s basketball teams seeded in NCAA Tournament

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CHICAGO (WLS) — Northwestern University and the University of Illinois were among the teams Sunday who were selected and seeded for the March Madness college basketball tournament.

Northwestern will be a No. 9 seed in the east region, playing No. 8 seed Florida Atlantic on Friday in Brooklyn, New York. Illinois will be a No. 3 seed in the east region, facing Moorhead State in a first-round game Thursday in Omaha, Nebraska.

Most Northwestern Wildcats fans celebrating the announcement Sunday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston said they were expecting to get in, and they can’t wait to keep cheering the team on.

Just to see us in the dance for the second year in a row is incredible

Will Klearman, Wildcats fan

The Northwestern men’s basketball team is going dancing. For the first time in school history, the men’s team has clinched back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

The Northwestern men’s basketball team is going dancing. For the first time in school history, the team has clinched back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

Fans of all ages packed Welsh-Ryan Arena to take in the moment with the team.

“I mean it’s incredible… it’s a blessing,” Northwestern fan Will Klearman said. “I’ve been coming to these games since I was four years old, and just to see us in the dance for the second year in a row is incredible.”

Fans at the watch party didn’t have to wait long for the celebration as Northwestern’s matchup was quickly announced as the second matchup to open the selection show.

“Very quick… not much time before the confetti started to fall, which was great,” Northwestern fan Elliot Kadar said.

Some fans were never worried.

“We knew we were making it,” Northwestern fan Yosef Bolkowitz said. “There was no sweating.”

It has been a special year for the Wildcats, with the team upsetting some of the top teams in the nation during the regular season.

Members of the team took time to sign autographs for kids after the announcement. The community continues to rally around the school.

“It’s a great experience,” team equipment manager Jaren McGee said. “Northwestern back-to-back years in the NCAA Tournament… never happened before, so we’re happy to do this and bring our fans out, and experience this as well. It’s been great.”

Fans know a tough road is ahead as the reigning national champs at UConn are in their region, but there’s no shortage of confidence as March Madness begins.

“I’m happy. Go cats!” Northwestern fan Jayden Wharton said. “It’s our year, we’re winning the natty. Let’s go!”

Defending champion Connecticut, along with Houston, Purdue and North Carolina, are the top seeds in a March Madness bracket that started going haywire even before the pairings came.

Of the four top seeds, only UConn heads into the tournament coming off a win. That played into the Huskies receiving the No. 1 overall seed. The other three top seeds lost in their conference tournaments.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Maher Kawash

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March 17, 2024

Keeler: NCAA Tournament selection committees did CU Buffs, CSU Rams dirty

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BOULDER — The NCAA still can’t read a room. But man, can they ever kill one.

Kindyll Wetta and her teammates on the CU women’s basketball team were belles of the ball inside the Dal Ward Center. You shoulda seen it. Balloons. Cheerleaders. Catering. One of the sweetest pep rallies to grace the Touchdown Club since Coach Prime got injected into the Buffs’ bloodstream here some 16 months ago.

As the NCAA Tournament brackets came on the screen, the party hushed. Then when Kansas State came up as a 4 seed and as a host for the first weekend of the women’s Big Dance, it sank.

“It’s definitely a bummer for me because I wanted to play at home and I wanted to be in front of my family,” Wetta, the firebrand of a Buffs guard and former Valor Christian star, told me after CU found out its first stop in Bracketville would be as a 5 seed opposite K-State in the Little Apple of Manhattan, Kan. “I thought this year we really had a great shot of doing that. It’s disappointing in that sense.”

There was a lot of that going around here Sunday night. The mood was even less jovial a few hours earlier up in Fort Collins, where the men’s selection committee decided to take its annual dose of stupid out on the Mountain West as a whole — and on the Rams in particular.

Want a laugh? Committee member Bubba Cunningham contended on CBS that teams selected from the Mountain West, save for San Diego State, got strapped to double-digit seedings because their best wins were over one another.

“(That) made it more challenging for us,” Cunningham explained.

Not half as challenging, apparently, as trying to stay up past 10 p.m. Eastern to do homework on teams west of Lincoln. Poor guy.

At least five teams — lookin’ at you, Oregon, NC State and New Mexico — “stole” bids from more worthy at-larges by winning their respective conference tourneys. But any ‘S’ curve that’s got CSU as the “last team in” gets an automatic F.

Do you watch the games, Bubba? Or do you watch “X” and Instagram and hope for the best? CSU beat Creighton by 21 on a neutral court. The Jays were slotted as a No. 3 seed Sunday. The Rammies (24-10) were unveiled as a 10.

Boise State, who’ll take on Tad Boyle’s CU men on Wednesday night, beat Saint Mary’s on a semi-neutral floor by three. The Gaels are dancing as a 5 seed. The Broncos, like CSU and CU, are a 10 seed having to scrap their way over to the Big Kids’ Bracket by winning in Dayton first.

“To be honest, I was really surprised how most of the Mountain West was seeded,” stunned CSU coach Niko Medved, who’ll face Virginia on Tuesday in Ohio, told reporters.

“But you know what? That’s fine. They always disrespect our league. And now it’s time to go out and do something about it.”

Amen. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the Cavaliers (23-10), on paper, are certainly in the Rammies’ weight class. For one thing, unlike Michigan in 2022, UVa doesn’t have a Hunter Dickinson down low, taking up a duplex’s worth of space in the paint. On the surface, it’s the irresistible force (CSU’s shooters) against the immovable object (Tony Bennett’s trademark tire-iron defense), a classic Clark Kellogg “contrast-in-styles” scrum between a Rams offense ranked 42nd nationally by KenPom.com in adjusted offensive efficiency and a Cavs D that’s seventh in adjusted defense. If you’re hopping over to Dayton, take the under and take your pizza square-cut.

If the Oppenheimers on the men’s committee dinged CSU for its 4-7 mark away from Moby Madness, their counterparts on the women’s side docked the Buffs (22-9) for losing six of their last eight, including a maddening, come-from-ahead loss to Oregon State in the Pac-12 tourney.

In March, you make your own luck. The Buffs women — despite being one of the best draws in all of college basketball, male or female — didn’t.

“I mean, (it’s) definitely frustrating,” Wetta said. “But like (Coach JR Payne) said, you can’t dwell on that, because (now) it’s completely different conferences, completely different teams, styles of play.”

CU women’s basketball players react to being selected as the fifth seed for the NCAA tournament during a watch party in the Touchdown Club at Dal Ward at the University of Colorado at Boulder in Boulder, Colorado on March 17, 2024. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

At least Wetta and her teammates know the drill. Payne’s Buffs got shipped to third seed and host Duke at this time last year and earned their Sweet 16 berth the hard way, stomping 11th-seeded Middle Tennessee and then shocking the Blue Devils in overtime to advance out of Durham.

“I feel like the same situation’s happened to us the past two years, where we thought we should’ve been a higher seed and we weren’t,” Wetta reflected. “So, again, it’s nothing new. Disappointing, but we’re used to it.

“I think we definitely do better with underdog mentality. So I think that’s a good thing going into the NCAA Tournament. It just adds a little bit of fuel to the fire.”

Why bust brackets when you can burn ’em? Pack your bags, kids. And your grudges. This dance just got personal.

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Sean Keeler

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March 17, 2024

St. John’s snubbed from 2024 NCAA Tournament, reject NIT invitation | amNewYork

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St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor dunks against UConn during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East men’s tournament Friday, March 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)