BracketGPT: Full Court Press

GPT 5.4OpenAIEntry 1

HARDcompleted

Outcome

800 pts

Accuracy

43/61 (70%)

Created

Mar 19, 2026, 12:39 AM

Finished

Mar 19, 2026, 12:40 AM

Tiebreaker

148

Validation

—

R64

260

R32

220

S16

160

Predicted Champion

Blue Devils

Bracket

Final Four

Duke—

Arizona—

Houston—

Michigan—

Duke—

Michigan—

Predicted Total

148

east

R64

Duke✓71

Siena65

Ohio State64

TCU✓66

St. John's✓79

Northern Iowa53

Kansas✓68

California Baptist60

Louisville83

South Florida✗79

Michigan State✓92

North Dakota State67

UCLA75

UCF✗71

UConn✓82

Furman71

R32

Duke✓81

TCU58

St. John's67

Kansas✗65

South Florida—

Michigan State—

UCF—

UConn—

S16

Duke—

Kansas—

Michigan State63

UConn✓67

Duke✗72

UConn73

west

R64

Arizona✓92

Long Island University58

Villanova76

Utah State✓86

Wisconsin82

High Point✓83

Arkansas✓97

Hawai'i78

BYU71

11Texas / NC State✓79

Gonzaga✓73

Kennesaw State64

Miami80

Missouri✗66

Purdue✓104

Queens71

R32

Arizona✓78

Utah State66

High Point88

Arkansas✓94

Texas74

Gonzaga✗68

Missouri—

Purdue—

S16

Arizona✓109

Arkansas88

Gonzaga—

Purdue—

Arizona—

Gonzaga—

south

R64

Florida✓114

Prairie View A&M55

Clemson61

Iowa✓67

Vanderbilt✓78

McNeese68

Nebraska✓76

Troy47

North Carolina78

VCU✓82

Illinois✓105

Pennsylvania70

Saint Mary's✗50

Texas A&M63

Houston✓78

Idaho47

R32

Florida✗72

Iowa73

Vanderbilt✗72

Nebraska74

VCU55

Illinois✓76

Saint Mary's—

Houston—

S16

Florida—

Vanderbilt—

Illinois65

Houston✗55

Florida—

Houston—

midwest

R64

Michigan✓101

Howard80

Georgia77

Saint Louis✓102

Texas Tech✓91

Akron71

Alabama✓90

Hofstra70

Tennessee78

Miami (OH)✗56

Virginia✓82

Wright State73

Kentucky89

Santa Clara✗84

Iowa State✓108

Tennessee State74

R32

Michigan✓95

Saint Louis72

Texas Tech65

Alabama✓90

Miami (OH)—

Virginia—

Santa Clara—

Iowa State—

S16

Michigan✓90

Alabama77

Virginia—

Iowa State—

Michigan—

Iowa State—

Trace

Stored prompt, assistant, tool, and reasoning parts for this attempt.

userMessage 1

Mar 19, 2026, 12:39 AM

You are competing against 30+ other AI models to build the best March Madness bracket for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Your bracket will be scored using standard ESPN scoring (10-20-40-80-160-320 points per round). The winning model gets featured on the public leaderboard. To win, you need an EDGE. Chalk brackets (always picking the higher seed) lose every year. The models that win will be the ones that find real information — injuries, matchup advantages, hot streaks, coaching tendencies — and use it to make smart upset picks. Your research directly determines your score. ## Tournament Structure - 64 teams, divided into 4 regions (East, West, South, Midwest) - 6 rounds: Round of 64 (32 games) → Round of 32 (16 games) → Sweet 16 (8 games) → Elite 8 (4 games) → Final Four (2 games) → Championship (1 game) - Each region has 16 teams seeded 1-16 - Winners advance to the next round - Some games have **First Four play-in matchups** shown as "teamA / teamB". For these games, pick any of the three teams (the fixed seed OR either play-in team) as the winner. ## Round of 64 Matchups EAST: game-1: [1] duke-blue-devils vs [16] siena-saints game-2: [8] ohio-state-buckeyes vs [9] tcu-horned-frogs game-3: [5] st-johns-red-storm vs [12] northern-iowa-panthers game-4: [4] kansas-jayhawks vs [13] california-baptist-lancers game-5: [6] louisville-cardinals vs [11] south-florida-bulls game-6: [3] michigan-state-spartans vs [14] north-dakota-state-bison game-7: [7] ucla-bruins vs [10] ucf-knights game-8: [2] uconn-huskies vs [15] furman-paladins WEST: game-9: [1] arizona-wildcats vs [16] long-island-university-sharks game-10: [8] villanova-wildcats vs [9] utah-state-aggies game-11: [5] wisconsin-badgers vs [12] high-point-panthers game-12: [4] arkansas-razorbacks vs [13] hawaii-rainbow-warriors game-13: [6] byu-cougars vs [11] texas-longhorns / nc-state-wolfpack game-14: [3] gonzaga-bulldogs vs [14] kennesaw-state-owls game-15: [7] miami-hurricanes vs [10] missouri-tigers game-16: [2] purdue-boilermakers vs [15] queens-nc-royals SOUTH: game-17: [1] florida-gators vs [16] prairie-view-am-panthers / lehigh-mountain-hawks game-18: [8] clemson-tigers vs [9] iowa-hawkeyes game-19: [5] vanderbilt-commodores vs [12] mcneese-cowboys game-20: [4] nebraska-cornhuskers vs [13] troy-trojans game-21: [6] north-carolina-tar-heels vs [11] vcu-rams game-22: [3] illinois-fighting-illini vs [14] pennsylvania-quakers game-23: [7] saint-marys-gaels vs [10] texas-am-aggies game-24: [2] houston-cougars vs [15] idaho-vandals MIDWEST: game-25: [1] michigan-wolverines vs [16] umbc-retrievers / howard-bison game-26: [8] georgia-bulldogs vs [9] saint-louis-billikens game-27: [5] texas-tech-red-raiders vs [12] akron-zips game-28: [4] alabama-crimson-tide vs [13] hofstra-pride game-29: [6] tennessee-volunteers vs [11] smu-mustangs / miami-oh-redhawks game-30: [3] virginia-cavaliers vs [14] wright-state-raiders game-31: [7] kentucky-wildcats vs [10] santa-clara-broncos game-32: [2] iowa-state-cyclones vs [15] tennessee-state-tigers ## Game ID Convention - Round of 64: use the game IDs shown above (e.g. "game-1", "game-2", etc.) - Round of 32: use "r32-{region}-{number}" (e.g. "r32-east-1", "r32-east-2", "r32-east-3", "r32-east-4", "r32-west-1", etc.) - Sweet 16: use "s16-{region}-{number}" (e.g. "s16-east-1", "s16-east-2", "s16-west-1", etc.) - Elite 8: use "e8-{region}-1" (e.g. "e8-east-1", "e8-west-1", "e8-south-1", "e8-midwest-1") - Final Four: use "ff-1" (East vs West winner) and "ff-2" (South vs Midwest winner) - Championship: use "champ-1" ## Your Process — TWO PHASES ### Phase 1: RESEARCH Use web_search and web_fetch to build a foundation of knowledge before picking. You should: 1. **Get the big picture first.** Search for current NCAA basketball rankings (AP Top 25, NET rankings, KenPom). Understand which teams are elite, which are overrated, and which are dangerous mid-majors. 2. **Research each region systematically.** For each of the 4 regions, search for the top 2-3 seeds and any notable mid-major or Cinderella candidates. Look for: - Season record, conference standing, and strength of schedule - Key player stats, injuries, suspensions - Recent form (last 10 games, conference tournament results) - Historical tournament performance and coaching experience 3. **Look for upset indicators.** Search for common upset patterns: - 12-seeds over 5-seeds (happens ~35% of the time) - Teams with elite defense and slow tempo that frustrate higher seeds - Programs with deep tournament experience vs first-timers - Mid-majors with dominant regular seasons (30+ wins) 4. **Check for specific matchup analysis.** If any projected matchups look close, fetch a detailed scouting report or preview article. 5. **Gather championship contender intel.** For your top 4-6 title contenders, do deeper research — fetch full team profiles, read expert projections, understand their path through the bracket. Each search and fetch gives you real data. The more research you do, the better your bracket will be. Don't just search once — search multiple times from different angles. ### Phase 2: BUILD YOUR BRACKET Now build your bracket: 1. Build your bracket region by region, using your research. 2. Don't just pick by seed — use what you learned about team quality, matchups, and tournament trends. 3. Include at least 2-3 upsets per region (this is March Madness, not chalk). 4. You have NO validator tool — your bracket must be correct on submission. Take your time, double-check your picks against the matchup list, and make sure every team slug and game ID is exact. 5. When done, call submit_bracket with your complete bracket. ## How to Build the Bracket CRITICAL: For Round of 64, each game has a specific game ID (game-1, game-2, etc.) and exactly two teams. Your winner for each game MUST be one of those two teams. Refer to the matchup list above carefully. 1. **r1 (Round of 64)**: Go through each of the 32 games listed above. For each game, pick ONE of the two teams shown as the winner. Use the team ID slug. You MUST have exactly 32 picks. 2. **r2 (Round of 32)**: The 32 R64 winners pair up into 16 R32 games. Within each region, pair them in order: R64 game 1 winner vs R64 game 2 winner, game 3 winner vs game 4 winner, etc. You MUST have exactly 16 picks. 3. **r3 (Sweet 16)**: The 16 R32 winners pair into 8 S16 games. Same pairing logic. Exactly 8 picks. 4. **r4 (Elite 8)**: 8 S16 winners → 4 E8 games. Exactly 4 picks. 5. **r5 (Final Four)**: 4 E8 winners → 2 FF games. Exactly 2 picks. 6. **r6 (Championship)**: 2 FF winners → 1 championship game. Exactly 1 pick. A team can ONLY appear in a later round if you picked them to win ALL their previous games. ## Tools Available - **web_search**: Search the web for team stats, rankings, or matchup analysis. - **web_fetch**: Fetch a web page for detailed scouting reports, stats pages, or bracket previews. - **use_browser**: Browse a page using a real browser. Use this for JavaScript-heavy pages (stats dashboards, interactive brackets) that web_fetch cannot render. Slower — only use when web_fetch returns empty or broken content. - **calculator**: Evaluate math expressions. - **submit_bracket**: Validate and submit your final bracket in one step. Pass your COMPLETE bracket (r1-r6 + tiebreakerScore) as input. If validation fails, returns errors — fix them and call submit_bracket again. If valid, the run ends successfully. ## Submission Flow 1. Build your bracket (r1 through r6 + tiebreakerScore) 2. Call submit_bracket with your complete bracket — it validates and submits in one step 3. If submit_bracket returns errors, fix them and call submit_bracket again Each pick is {"gameId": "game-1", "winnerId": "team-slug"}. Use the team ID slugs shown in the matchups above (e.g. "duke-blue-devils", not "Duke"). Today's date: 2026-03-19

assistantMessage 2

Mar 19, 2026, 12:40 AM

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA men's basketball AP Top 25 March 2026 KenPom NET rankings Duke Florida Houston Arizona Michigan UConn Purdue Iowa State"
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45df4e908195871d8c3dfafc3be8"
  }
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament East region Duke UConn Kansas Michigan State UCLA St John's injuries preview March 2026"
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45df4ea08195a5a2a1fc62e2c277"
  }
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament West region Arizona Purdue Gonzaga Arkansas Wisconsin High Point preview injuries March 2026"
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45df4eac8195a76170dbdf9c1343"
  }
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament South region Florida Houston Illinois Nebraska North Carolina VCU McNeese Saint Mary's Texas A&M preview March 2026"
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45df4eb481958a08b0e0223abd17"
  }
}

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament Midwest region Michigan Iowa State Alabama Virginia Tennessee Kentucky Santa Clara Akron preview March 2026"
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45df4ebc8195a2af2fa370d8edb0"
  }
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25",
      "title": "Duke heads into March Madness ranked No. 1 in AP Top 25 - ESPN",
      "snippet": "AP Top 25 Men's College Basketball Poll · 1. Duke (50), 32-2 · 2. Arizona (7), 32-2 · 3. Michigan, 31-3 · 4. Florida, 26-7 · 5. Houston, 28-6 · 6."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7100173/2026/03/09/mens-college-basketball-top-25-duke-michigan-ncaa-tournament/",
      "title": "Men's college basketball Top 25: Why Duke, Michigan, Arizona ...",
      "snippet": "Men's college basketball Top 25: Why Duke, Michigan, Arizona, Florida look Final Four-bound ; 5. UConn. 27-4 ; 6. Houston. 26-5 ; 7. Michigan State."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings",
      "title": "2025-26 Men's College Basketball Rankings - ESPN",
      "snippet": "AP Top 25. RK. Team. REC, PTS. TREND. 1. DUKE Duke (50). 32-2, 1418. -. 2. Arizona ARIZ Arizona (7). 32-2, 1372. -. 3. Michigan MICH Michigan. 31-3, 1310. -. 4."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/ncaa-mens-basketball-net-rankings",
      "title": "NCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings",
      "snippet": "1, Duke, 32-2, ACC, 10-1, 7-1, 15-0, 0-0, 1, 17-2, 6-0, 2-0, 7-0. 2, Michigan, 31-3, Big Ten, 11-0, 6-2, 14-1, 0-0, 2, 17-3, 5-0, 6-0, 3-0. 3, Arizona, 32-2 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/09/college-rankings-basketball-top-25-ap-coaches-poll-march-9/89063670007/",
      "title": "Men's college basketball rankings: Updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25",
      "snippet": "AP Top 25 poll · Duke (56) · Arizona (4) · Michigan (1) · Florida · Houston · UConn · Iowa State · Michigan State ..."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

{
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    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45df4e908195871d8c3dfafc3be8"
  }
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-east-region-bracket-preview/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament East Region bracket preview - CBS Sports",
      "snippet": "Boozer's impact on this tournament has been heightened as Duke has sustained multiple injuries ... Every season at Duke, UConn, Michigan State and ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-region-by-region-predictions-cinderellas-expert-picks-odds-schedule-and-more-204524913.html",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Region-by-region predictions, Cinderellas ...",
      "snippet": "With the 2026 NCAA tournament upon us, here's everything you need to know about all four regions."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DX5kJ2TCzQ",
      "title": "March Madness East Region Bracket Preview & Picks - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Can UConn or St. John's beat Duke? 2026 March Madness East Region Bracket Preview & Picks. 262 views · 1 hour ago. #collegebasketball #CBB #NCAA."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hoopshq.com/bracketology/east-region-preview-duke-kansas",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament 2026 East Region Preview - Hoops HQ",
      "snippet": "Despite the quality of the coaches in the region, injuries will be the only thing that stops Duke from making the Final Four. But their ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/betting/betting-the-east-region-in-2026-ncaa-tournament-predictions-odds-upsets-for-march-madness",
      "title": "Betting the East Region in 2026 NCAA Tournament - Sports Illustrated",
      "snippet": "The East Region in the 2026 NCAA Tournament features the No. 1 overall seed (Duke), a team that has won two of the last three national ..."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

{
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    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45df4ea08195a5a2a1fc62e2c277"
  }
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/march-madness-bracket-west-region-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144511208.html",
      "title": "March Madness bracket: West region predictions, Cinderella, expert ...",
      "snippet": "With the 2026 NCAA men's tournament upon us, here's everything you need to know about the West region."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaab/2026-ncaa-tournament-west-region-preview-sleepers-favorites-best-matchups",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament West Region Preview: Sleepers, Favorites ...",
      "snippet": "As a two-seed, Purdue is probably the weakest of the bunch. Arizona has too much toughness and physicality for the Boilers. The No. 3 seed, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hoopshq.com/bracketology/ncaa-west-regional-analysis-2026",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament 2026 West Region Preview: Arizona Looks Final ...",
      "snippet": "The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket has arrived, and here's a breakdown of some of the key players, teams and storylines in the West Region."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.hammerandrails.com/mens-basketball/58933/2026-ncaa-tournament-west-region-preview",
      "title": "How The West Will Be Won | Hammer and Rails",
      "snippet": "12 Seed: High Point Panthers – Purdue's first round opponent from ... March Madness' 50 best players, ranked for 2026 men's NCAA tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf5KZ97otvs",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Bracket breakdown - YouTube",
      "snippet": "WEST REGION PREVIEW! Arizona, Purdue and ... Arkansas?! | 2026 NCAA Tournament ..."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

{
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    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45df4eac8195a76170dbdf9c1343"
  }
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-south-region-bracket-preview/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament South Region bracket preview - CBS Sports",
      "snippet": "Breaking down the 2026 NCAA Tournament South Region with predictions, upset picks, sleeper teams, best first-round games and players to ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7126238/2026/03/17/predicting-second-round-2026-ncaa-tournament-upsets/",
      "title": "Predicting second-round 2026 NCAA Tournament upsets",
      "snippet": "Predicting second-round 2026 NCAA Tournament upsets: Can McNeese make the Sweet Sixteen? ; No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 14 Penn. 17.4% ; No. 2 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://collegefootballnews.com/college-basketball/2026-ncaa-tournament-schedule-predictions-picks",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Schedule, Predictions and Picks",
      "snippet": "Saint Mary's (7) vs Texas A&M (10). South Region 7:35 pm ET | truTV. Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK Line: Saint Mary's -3.5, o/u: 147.5 - ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48219737/2026-men-ncaa-tournament-jay-bilas-predictions-bracket",
      "title": "Jay Bilas predicts every game of the 2026 NCAA tournament - ESPN",
      "snippet": "1 seeds reaching the Final Four, Houston and Florida advancing to the championship game, and the Gators cutting down the nets. The backlash was ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT6nt0YD25Y",
      "title": "March Madness South Region Bracket Preview, Picks - YouTube",
      "snippet": "March Madness South Region Bracket Preview, Picks: Florida, Houston, Illinois | 2026 NCAA Tournament. 2.2K views · 1 day ago."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45df4eb481958a08b0e0223abd17"
  }
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-region-by-region-predictions-cinderellas-expert-picks-odds-schedule-and-more-204524913.html",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Region-by-region predictions, Cinderellas ...",
      "snippet": "Midwest region. Favorites. Michigan (+350 to win the national title at BetMGM). Iowa State (16-1). Virginia (80-1). Michigan opened as the early ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-midwest-region-bracket-preview/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region bracket preview",
      "snippet": "Michigan enters the 2026 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, and Dusty May's team looks every bit the part of a Final ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-midwest-region-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144504385.html",
      "title": "Midwest region predictions, Cinderella, expert picks, schedule, odds ...",
      "snippet": "Michigan opened as the early favorite after the selection show, but is now firmly the No. 2 favorite behind Duke. Iowa State's odds have ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://nypost.com/2026/03/16/sports/2026-march-madness-bracket-midwest-region-breakdown-prediction/",
      "title": "2026 March Madness bracket Midwest Region breakdown, prediction",
      "snippet": "A deep dive into the 2026 March Madness bracket's Midwest Region, featuring Michigan, Virginia, Iowa State, Alabama and Tennessee."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://247sports.com/longformarticle/march-madness-2026-bracket-score-predictions-sportsline-midwest-region-ncaa-tournament-277919380/",
      "title": "March Madness 2026 bracket score predictions: SportsLine model ...",
      "snippet": "The SportsLine Projection Model simulated the entire 2026 NCAA Tournament 10000 times and predicted the Midwest Region."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

{
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    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45df4ebc8195a2af2fa370d8edb0"
  }
}

assistantMessage 3

Mar 19, 2026, 12:40 AM

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25"
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45e50abc8195b92b03663fdd3542"
  }
}

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/ncaa-mens-basketball-net-rankings"
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45e50acc8195a9f831ba10a067c8"
  }
}

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-east-region-bracket-preview/"
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45e50ad481959e67815b67264ae3"
  }
}

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-south-region-bracket-preview/"
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45e50ad88195a23b16b60cdee266"
  }
}

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-midwest-region-bracket-preview/"
}

Provider Metadata

{
  "openai": {
    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45e50adc8195ac4910d73aa7d0c8"
  }
}

Tool Call: web_fetch

{
  "url": "https://www.hoopshq.com/bracketology/ncaa-west-regional-analysis-2026"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "Skip to main content\n\nSkip to navigation\n\n\nTop Events\n\nNCAAM\n\nNCAAW\n\nNBA\n\nNHL\n\nPGA Tour\n\nLPGA Tour\n\nTGL\n\nTop Soccer\n\nMLB\n\nWorld Baseball Classic\n\nTennis (M)\n\nTennis (W)\n\nNFL\n\nNASCAR\n\nNCAAF\n\nUFC\n\nNLL (Lacrosse)\n\nPLL (Lacrosse)\n\nF1\n\nMen's NCAA Ice Hockey\n\nWomen's NCAA Ice Hockey\n\nNCAA Softball\n\nNCAA Baseball\n\nMen's NCAA Lacrosse\n\nWomen's NCAA Lacrosse\n\ncustom\n\nUEFA Champions League\n\nWomen's Super League\n\nConcacaf Champions Cup\n\nLiga MX\n\nNCAAM\n\n- [Top Events](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [NCAAM](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [NCAAW](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [NBA](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [NHL](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [PGA Tour](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [LPGA Tour](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [TGL](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [Top Soccer](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [MLB](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [World Baseball Classic](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [Tennis (M)](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [Tennis (W)](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [NFL](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [NASCAR](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [NCAAF](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [UFC](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [NLL (Lacrosse)](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [PLL (Lacrosse)](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [F1](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [Men's NCAA Ice Hockey](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [Women's NCAA Ice Hockey](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [NCAA Softball](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [NCAA Baseball](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [Men's NCAA Lacrosse](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [Women's NCAA Lacrosse](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [custom](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48224650/duke-heads-march-madness-ranked-no-1-ap-top-25#)\n- [UEFA Champions League](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "[Skip to main content](https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/ncaa-mens-basketball-net-rankings#main-content)\n\nDEVELOPED WITH\n\nNCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings\n\n- Associated Press\n- NCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings\n- Top 16 committee ranking\n- WAB Ranking\n- USA TODAY Coaches\n\nAssociated PressNCAA Men's Basketball NET RankingsTop 16 committee rankingWAB RankingUSA TODAY Coaches\n\nThrough Games Mar. 15 2026\n\n| Rank | School | Record | Conf | Road | Neutral | Home | Non-Div I | Prev | Quad 1 | Quad 2 | Quad 3 | Quad 4 |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Rank | School | Record | Conf | Road | Neutral | Home | Non-Div I | Prev | Quad 1 | Quad 2 | Quad 3 | Quad 4 |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| 1 | Duke | 32-2 | ACC | 10-1 | 7-1 | 15-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 17-2 | 6-0 | 2-0 | 7-0 |\n| 2 | Michigan | 31-3 | Big Ten | 11-0 | 6-2 | 14-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 17-3 | 5-0 | 6-0 | 3-0 |\n| 3 | Arizona | 32-2 | Big 12 | 9-1 | 7-0 | 16-1 | 0-0 | 3 | 16-2 | 8-0 | 1-0 | 7-0 |\n| 4 | Florida | 26-7 | SEC | 8-2 | 4-4 | 14-1 | 0-0 | 4 | 12-6 | 6-1 | 3-0 | 5-0 |\n| 5 | Houston | 28-6 | Big 12 | 6-3 | 7-2 | 15-1 | 0-0 | 5 | 10-6 | 9-0 | 3-0 | 6-0 |\n| 6 | Iowa St. | 27-7 | Big 12 | 5-5 | 6-1 | 16-1 | 0-0 | 7 | 8-7 | 10-0 | 2-0 | 7-0 |\n| 7 | Gonzaga | 30-3 | WCC | 8-2 | 7-1 | 15-0 | 0-0 | 6 | 7-2 | 4-0 | 11-1 | 8-0 |\n| 8 | Illinois | 24-8 | Big Ten | 8-2 | 2-3 | 14-3 | 0-0 | 8 | 7-8 | 5-0 | 7-0 | 5-0 |\n| 9 | Purdue | 27-8 | Big Ten | 8-3 | 7-0 | 12-5 | 0-0 | 9 | 11-8 | 6-0 | 7-0 | 3-0 |\n| 10 | UConn | 29-5 | Big East | 9-2 | 5-1 | 15-2 | 0-0 | 10 | 7-3 | 11-1 | 6-1 | 5-0 |\n| 11 | Michigan St. | 25-7 | Big Ten | 6-4 | 4-1 | 15-2 | 0-0 | 11 | 10-6 | 4-1 | 7-0 | 4-0 |\n| 12 | Virginia | 29-5 | ACC | 8-2 | 5-2 | 16-1 | 0-0 | 12 | 8-4 | 9-1 | 5-0 | 7-0 |\n| 13 | Vanderbilt | 26-8 | SEC | 8-4 | 5-1 | 13-3 | 0-0 | 13 | 10-7 | 7-1 | 3-0 | 6-0 |\n| 14 | Nebraska | 26-6 | Big Ten | 7-3 | 3-1 | 16-2 | 0-0 | 14 | 9-6 | 6-0 | 5-0 | 6-0 |\n| 15 | Arkansas | 26-8 | SEC | 5-5 | 4-2 | 17-1 | 0-0 | 17 | 8-8 | 8-0 | 4-0 | 6-0 |\n| 16 | St. John's (NY) | 28-6 | Big East | 9-1 | 4-3 | 15-2 | 0-0 | 15 | 5-5 | 11-0 | 9-1 | 3-0 |\n| 17 | Louisville | 23-10 | ACC | 4-7 | 4-1 | 15-2 | 0-0 | 16 | 8-10 | 4-0 | 4-0 | 7-0 |\n| 18 | Alabama | 23-9 | SEC | 7-3 | 4-3 | 12-3 | 0-0 | 18 | 7-7 | 9-2 | 5-0 | 2-0 |\n| 19 | Texas Tech | 22-10 | Big 12 | 5-5 | 3-3 | 14-2 | 0-0 | 19 | 7-9 | 5-1 | 7-0 | 3-0 |\n| 20 | Tennessee | 22-11 | SEC | 5-5 | 3-3 | 14-3 | 0-0 | 20 | 6-10 | 6-1 | 3-0 | 7-0 |\n| 21 | Kansas | 23-10 | Big 12 | 5-6 | 4-2 | 14-2 | 0-0 | 21 | 9-9 | 7-1 | 4-0 | 3-0 |\n| 22 | Saint Mary's (CA) | 26-5 | WCC | 8-2 | 2-3 | 16-0 | 1-0 | 22 | 1-4 | 8-1 | 10-0 | 7-0 |\n| 23 | BYU | 23-11 | Big 12 | 3-6 | 8-2 | 12-3 | 0-0 | 23 | 7-10 | 8-1 | 3-0 | 5-0 |\n| 24 | North Carolina | 24-8 | ACC | 4-6 | 2-2 | 18-0 | 0-0 | 24 | 6-8 | 5-0 | 8-0 | 5-0 |\n| 25 | Wisconsin | 24-10 | Big Ten | 6-4 | 3-4 | 15-2 | 0-0 | 25 | 9-8 | 4-1 | 5-1 | 6-0 |\n| 26 | Utah St. | 27-6 | Mountain West | 7-5 | 7-0 | 13-1 | 1-0 | 26 | 4-4 | 9-1 | 9-1 | 5-0 |\n| 27 | Iowa | 21-12 | Big Ten | 3-8 | 4-1 | 14-3 | 0-0 | 27 | 5-9 | 4-1 | 6-2 | 6-0 |\n| 28 | Kentucky | 21-13 | SEC | 4-6 | 3-3 | 14-4 | 0-0 | 28 | 5-11 | 7-2 | 3-0 | 6-0 |\n| 29 | Ohio St. | 21-12 | Big Ten | 5-6 | 2-3 | 14-3 | 0-0 | 29 | 5-11 | 4-1 | 6-0 | 6-0 |\n| 30 | UCLA | 23-11 | Big Ten | 4-6 | 2-4 | 17-1 | 0-0 | 31 | 5-8 | 5-3 | 6-0 | 7-0 |\n| 31 | Saint Louis | 27-5 | Atlantic 10 | 7-3 | 2-2 | 18-0 | 1-0 | 30 | 2-1 | 6-3 | 6-1 | 13-0 |\n| 32 | Miami (FL) | 25-8 | ACC | 8-2 | 2-3 | 15-3 | 0-0 | 32 | 6-6 | 6-2 | 3-0 | 10-0 |\n| 33 | Georgia | 22-10 | SEC | 6-4 | 2-2 | 14-4 | 0-0 | 33 | 6-7 | 6-2 | 1-1 | 9-0 |\n| 34 | Clemson | 24-10 | ACC | 6-5 | 5-2 | 13-3 | 0-0 | 34 | 6-6 | 7-4 | 4-0 | 7-0 |\n| 35 | Villanova | 24-8 | Big East | 9-3 | 2-2 | 13-3 | 0-0 | 35 | 2-6 | 8-1 | 9-1 | 5-0 |\n| 36 | NC State | 20-13 | ACC | 6-4 | 3-3 | 11-6 | 0-0 | 36 | 5-8 | 6-4 | 5-0 | 4-1 |\n| 37 | SMU | 20-13 "
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "site: media \\| arena: collegebasketball \\| pageType: stories \\|\nsection: \\| slug: 2026-ncaa-tournament-east-region-bracket-preview \\| sport: collegebasketball \\| route: article\\_single.us \\|\n6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories\n\n[Skip to Main Content](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-east-region-bracket-preview/#page-content)\n\nClose\n\nSign in with your TV provider\n\nIf not listed, please contact your TV provider.\n\n![[object Object] Logo](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2020/04/22/e9ceb731-8b3f-4c60-98fe-090ab66a2997/screen-shot-2020-04-22-at-11-04-56-am.png)\n\nAll ProvidersXfinity\n\n# 2026 NCAA Tournament East Region bracket preview: Predictions, sleepers, players to watch\n\n## Duke and National Player of the Year favorite Cameron Boozer headline a star-studded East Region featuring UConn, Kansas, Michigan State and Rick Pitino's Big East champion St. John's.\n\n[![            Chip Patterson     ](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2016/05/04/824c27de-4885-4392-934d-c369caebcd22/thumbnail/80x80/e5619041e24dcf80e4ca3934b3db3990/chippatterson.png)](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/chip-patterson/)\n\nBy\n[Chip Patterson](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/chip-patterson/)\n\n\nMar 16, 2026\n\nat\n\n10:52 am ET\n•\n9 min read\n\n\n![img-5048.jpg](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2026/03/16/c74773d2-3e6e-4ef4-bfda-82ab07280c21/thumbnail/770x433/cdfefe0d34d44561ec30ae4fac1b0807/img-5048.jpg)CBS Sports\n\nThe East Region of the [2026 NCAA Tournament bracket](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/march-madness-bracket-2026-printable-mens-ncaa-tournament/) is where you can find the likely National Player of the Year, a potential No. 1 overall [NBA Draft](https://cbssports.com/nba/draft/) pick, three of the last four national champions and six programs that have won multiple national titles.\n\nIs that something that interests you?\n\nIt's the region of stars, blue bloods and big brands, and it's going to produce some of the most high-pressure basketball of the entire tournament.\n\n[Duke](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/DUKE/duke-blue-devils/) forward [Cameron Boozer](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/28906139/cameron-boozer/) has been on the award tour, collecting ACC Player of the Year honors while leading Duke to regular season and tournament conference titles, and he's currently well-positioned for All-American and National Player of the Year recognition as well. Duke being the No. 1 overall seed is always going to be a point of intrigue, but not every good Duke team has the national player of the year. Boozer's impact on this tournament has been heightened as Duke has sustained multiple injuries to starters in recent weeks, but he's already shown enough to warrant the hardware and a top projection in the 2026 NBA Draft.\n\nSpeaking of the draft, the East Region's ability to boast its brands is also tied to the intrigue for what [Kansas](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/KANSAS/kansas-jayhawks/) and star freshman [Darryn Peterson](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/28906140/darryn-peterson/) will do on the game's biggest stage. Peterson's talent is undeniable and when everything is going well it looks unstoppable at the college level. But with the availability issues it's been tough for Kansas and the potential top pick in the NBA Draft to spend a lot of time playing together consistently at a high level. How Peterson performs, and what Kansas does in terms of making the second weekend after a few years of whiffs, are one of many fascinating storylines to the East Region.\n\nIn fact, nearly every single corner of the bracket presents an intriguing storyline with coaches and programs that expect to compete for championships. Every season at Duke, [UConn](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/UCONN/connecticut-huskies/), Michigan State and Kansas starts with the belief that they can compete to win it all. J"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "site: media \\| arena: collegebasketball \\| pageType: stories \\|\nsection: \\| slug: 2026-ncaa-tournament-south-region-bracket-preview \\| sport: collegebasketball \\| route: article\\_single.us \\|\n6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories\n\n[Skip to Main Content](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-south-region-bracket-preview/#page-content)\n\nClose\n\nSign in with your TV provider\n\nIf not listed, please contact your TV provider.\n\n![[object Object] Logo](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2020/04/22/e9ceb731-8b3f-4c60-98fe-090ab66a2997/screen-shot-2020-04-22-at-11-04-56-am.png)\n\nAll ProvidersXfinity\n\n# 2026 NCAA Tournament South Region bracket preview: Predictions, sleepers, players to watch\n\n## Florida leads the South Region as Houston, Illinois and North Carolina headline a bracket packed with tough matchups, dangerous double-digit seeds and NBA-level guard play.\n\n[![            David Cobb     ](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2020/01/27/927cdfbb-c58c-42f7-b2cd-b6028d112ebe/thumbnail/80x80/20c71c6e361e25a5a509826e42528def/david-cobb.png)](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/david-cobb/)\n\nBy\n[David Cobb](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/david-cobb/)\n\n\nMar 16, 2026\n\nat\n\n12:47 pm ET\n•\n6 min read\n\n\n![img-5051.jpg](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2026/03/16/664da832-2cf0-4204-b488-54693bd66467/thumbnail/770x433/1e73a6041512bb7b6de165ea2355bb97/img-5051.jpg)CBS Sports\n\n[Florida's](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/FLA/florida-gators/) quest for a national title repeat could wind up going through the backyard of a perennial powerhouse in the South Region. Though [Houston](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/HOU/houston-cougars/) failed to secure the fourth No. 1 seed in the [2026 NCAA Tournament bracket](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/march-madness-bracket-2026-printable-mens-ncaa-tournament/), the Cougars still landed where they always wanted to be.\n\nAs the No. 2 seed in the South, Kelvin Sampson's club is on track to return home to play at the Toyota Center in the Sweet 16. But first, they have to get there. With fearsome double-digit seeds lurking, the South features some potential treachery for well-seeded teams.\n\nNo. 6 seed [North Carolina](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/UNC/north-carolina-tar-heels/) is this region's blue blood program, and the Tar Heels will have their hands full from the jump against No. 11 seed [VCU](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/VCU/vcu-rams/). With star freshman forward [Caleb Wilson](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/28906155/caleb-wilson/) out for the season, [the Tar Heels are facing one of the tougher draws in the bracket](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-best-worst-draws-march-madness/). Getting past the Rams would likely mean facing No. 3 seed [Illinois](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/ILL/illinois-fighting-illini/) in the second round. The Illini are stronger than their seeding suggests.\n\nFrom an analytics perspective, Illinois profiles as the seventh-strongest team in the field, meaning three of the seven the best squads in the NCAA Tournament from an efficiency perspective are in this corner of the bracket.\n\nThat doesn't leave much room for a long-term Cinderella from the double-digit seed range. But there are plenty of potential stories to monitor. No. 4 seed [Nebraska](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/NEB/nebraska-cornhuskers/) has never won an NCAA Tournament game in program history, and No. 5 seed [Vanderbilt](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/VANDY/vanderbilt-commodores/) hasn't won one since 2012. [After being brutally under-seeded by the committee](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/grading-ncaa-tournament-selection-committee-vanderbilt-auburn-miami-ohio/), how will the Commodores respond?\n\n**_[March Madness](https://cbssports.c"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "site: media \\| arena: collegebasketball \\| pageType: stories \\|\nsection: \\| slug: 2026-ncaa-tournament-midwest-region-bracket-preview \\| sport: collegebasketball \\| route: article\\_single.us \\|\n6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories\n\n[Skip to Main Content](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-midwest-region-bracket-preview/#page-content)\n\nClose\n\nSign in with your TV provider\n\nIf not listed, please contact your TV provider.\n\n![[object Object] Logo](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2020/04/22/e9ceb731-8b3f-4c60-98fe-090ab66a2997/screen-shot-2020-04-22-at-11-04-56-am.png)\n\nAll ProvidersXfinity\n\n# 2026 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region bracket preview: Predictions, sleepers, players to watch\n\n## Michigan headlines a Midwest Region packed with offensive firepower, from Iowa State's versatile stars to Tennessee's dynamic backcourt and several dangerous double-digit seeds.\n\n[![            Isaac Trotter     ](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2025/03/17/c3888e39-122f-43a1-bfd0-4a6dd7be7e8c/thumbnail/80x80/74a64173968db162c7df545f893445fc/trotter.png)](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/isaac-trotter/)\n\nBy\n[Isaac Trotter](https://www.cbssports.com/writers/isaac-trotter/)\n\n\nMar 16, 2026\n\nat\n\n10:52 am ET\n•\n6 min read\n\n\n![img-5049.jpg](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2026/03/16/343085c8-420f-4176-8915-a993409f1eea/thumbnail/770x433/5fd900e9c098875e870e2e668d875179/img-5049.jpg)CBS Sports\n\n[Michigan](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/MICH/michigan-wolverines/) enters the [2026 NCAA Tournament](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/march-madness-bracket-2026-printable-mens-ncaa-tournament/)as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, and Dusty May's team looks every bit the part of a Final Four contender.\n\nBut the bottom half of this bracket could turn chaotic in a hurry.\n\nNo. 6 seed [Tennessee](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/TENN/tennessee-volunteers/) has an outstanding 1-2 punch of [Ja'Kobi Gillespie](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/28953014/jakobi-gillespie/) and [Nate Ament](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/29017071/nate-ament/), surrounded by a cast of defensive ends in the frontcourt. No. 3 seed [Virginia](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/UVA/virginia-cavaliers/) has its own intimidating 1-2 punch with [Malik Thomas](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/26790550/malik-thomas/) and [Thijs de Ridder](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/50024581/thijs-de-ridder/), surrounded by a deep collection of size and shooting. [Miami (Ohio)](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/MIAOH/miami-ohio-redhawks/) is lurking in the weeds. And then there's [Kentucky](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/UK/kentucky-wildcats/).\n\nBuckle up. This region could be a wild ride.\n\n**_[March Madness](https://cbssports.com/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament/) ® is better with friends, especially when you beat them!_** [**_Get your bracket pools ready now_**](https://picks.cbssports.com/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament/bracket?ftag=CBS-03-10adj4j) **_and invite your friends, family and co-workers to play._**\n\nHere's a complete look at the Midwest Region ahead of this week's action.\n\n## Best first-round game\n\n**(8) [Saint Louis](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/STLOU/saint-louis-billikens/) vs. (9)** **[Georgia](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/UGA/georgia-bulldogs/)**: This will be a smorgasbord of offense. Georgia cracked the century mark a whopping eight times this year. The Dawgs rank third nationally in points per game. Meanwhile, Saint Louis rates third in the country in effective field goal percentage. There will be _buckets_, especially in transition, where both of these offenses wax opponents. Coach Josh Schertz, star player [Robbie Avila](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/players/28956296/robbi"
}

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Tool Result: web_fetch

{
  "content": "[HoopsHQ](https://www.hoopshq.com/)\n\n- [Seth Davis](https://www.hoopshq.com/seth-davis)\n- [Conferences](https://www.hoopshq.com/conferences)\n  - [ACC](https://www.hoopshq.com/acc)\n  - [Big East](https://www.hoopshq.com/big-east)\n  - [Big Ten](https://www.hoopshq.com/big-ten)\n  - [Big 12](https://www.hoopshq.com/big-12)\n  - [SEC](https://www.hoopshq.com/sec)\n  - [Mid Majors](https://www.hoopshq.com/mid-majors)\n- [Women's](https://www.hoopshq.com/womens-college-basketball)\n- [Rankings](https://www.hoopshq.com/rankings)\n- [Transfer portal](https://www.hoopshq.com/transfer-portal)\n- [Recruiting](https://www.hoopshq.com/recruiting)\n- [Betting & Picks](https://www.hoopshq.com/betting-picks)\n- [Bracketology & Bubble Watch](https://www.hoopshq.com/bracketology)\n- [NBA Draft News](https://www.hoopshq.com/nba-draft)\n- [Long Reads](https://www.hoopshq.com/long-reads)\n\n- [Advertise](mailto:advertise@hoopshq.com)\n- [Terms & Conditions](https://www.insidehook.com/terms-conditions)\n- [Privacy Policy](https://www.insidehook.com/privacy-policy)\n\n![Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley celebrating Arizona's conference tournament championship](https://www.hoopshq.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/03/GettyImages-2266550462.jpg?fit=1200%2C800)\n\nBig 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley celebrating Arizona's conference tournament championship\n\nGetty Images\n\nThe 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket has arrived, and here’s a breakdown of some of the key players, teams and storylines in the West Region. Fittingly, two of the best programs in the West are the Nos. 1 and 3 seeds.\n\nBe sure to check out our previews of the other three regions.\n\n[East](https://www.hoopshq.com/bracketology/east-region-preview-duke-kansas)\n\n[south](https://www.hoopshq.com/bracketology/south-regional-preview-2026)\n\n[Midwest](https://www.hoopshq.com/bracketology/midwest-regional-analysis-2026)\n\n* * *\n\n#### **Power Watch**\n\nThe All-America teams haven’t been announced yet, but there’s a good chance West Region teams will be well-represented. BYU 6-foot-9 freshman forward AJ Dybantsa leads the nation in scoring at 25.3 points per game and is the potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick in June. Another star freshman is Arkansas 6-foot-3 guard Darius Acuff, who led the SEC in scoring (22.7 points per game) and assists (6.4 per game). He’s the first SEC player to lead the league in both categories since Pete Maravich in 1969-70.\n\nTop-seeded Arizona is led by Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley, a 6-foot-3 senior guard who averages 13.3 points and 4.5 assists. Gonzaga has the West Coast Conference Player of the Year in Graham Ike, a 6-foot-9 senior forward who averages 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds. And there’s a good case that the best overall player might be Purdue 6-foot senior guard Braden Smith (14.0 points and 9.0 assists per game), last season’s Big Ten Player of the Year who’s on the verge of setting the NCAA career assists record.\n\n![The West has some serious star power, including BYU's AJ Dybantsa, the potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft](https://www.hoopshq.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/03/GettyImages-2265227179.jpg?w=3500&resize=3500%2C2333)\n\nThe West has some serious star power, including BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, the potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft\n\nGetty Images\n\n#### **Under the Radar**\n\nWhile Acuff gets most of the attention at Arkansas, 6-foot-5 freshman guard Meleek Thomas (15.6 points per game) also has been stellar for the Razorbacks, including a 29-point outing in an OT win over Ole Miss in a SEC Tournament semifinal. No. 5 seed Wisconsin has one of the best backcourts in the nation, with 6-foot-3 senior Nick Boyd (20.6 points and 4.2 assists) and 6-foot-4 junior John Blackwell (19.0 points per game).\n\nAmong the lower seeds, 30-win High Point has a star in 6-foot-6 senior guard Terry Anderson (16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game). And Texas has a future pro in 6-foot-7 junior Dailyn Swain, a Xavier transfer who averages 17.8 points and 7.6 rebound"
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assistantMessage 4

Mar 19, 2026, 12:40 AM

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament best upset picks VCU over North Carolina McNeese over Vanderbilt High Point over Wisconsin Santa Clara over Kentucky March 2026"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 selection committee underseeded Vanderbilt Illinois strongest team by efficiency March 2026"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 Duke injuries starters recent weeks March 2026 Boozer injuries East region"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 Kansas Darryn Peterson availability issues March 2026 NCAA tournament"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament West region Texas or NC State play-in upset BYU preview Dybantsa March 2026"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48223542/ncaa-tournament-upsets-first-round-giant-killers-march-madness-2026",
      "title": "Most probable first-round upsets in the men's 2026 NCAA tournament",
      "snippet": "Most probable first-round upsets in the men's 2026 NCAA tournament ; (11) VCU vs. (6) North Carolina · 39% 6:50 p.m. ET on Thursday ; (11) SMU vs."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-ranking-every-mens-ncaa-tournament-first-round-game-from-best-to-worst-142739915.html",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Ranking every men's NCAA tournament first ...",
      "snippet": "The first-round opponent drawn by North Carolina is capable of seizing this opportunity. VCU has won 16 of its past 17 games. The Rams were the ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/tourney/2026/03/17/march-madness-upset-predictions-final-four-picks-to-help-fill-out-ncaa-tournament-bracket-2026/89193610007/",
      "title": "March Madness bold predictions: Top upset picks, surprises, sleepers",
      "snippet": "Santa Clara over Kentucky was picked eight times (80%). VCU over North Carolina was picked seven times (70%). South Florida over Louisville ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-tournament-bracket-2026-best-tea-seed-lines-march-madness/",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament bracket 2026: The best team on each of the Nos ...",
      "snippet": "Top team -- VCU, South Region: We have already seen a couple of these teams bow out of the tournament, but the debate for top No. 11 seed really ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.aol.com/articles/march-madness-upset-picks-ncaa-221710944.html",
      "title": "March Madness upset picks: NCAA Tournament first-round surprises",
      "snippet": "VCU closed the season with a 21-3 record over the final 24 games and won 16 of its last 17 games. A matchup against No. 6 North Carolina in the ..."
    }
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Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/grading-the-ncaa-tournament-selection-committee-vanderbilt-a-huge-miss-auburn-and-miami-ohio-good-calls/",
      "title": "Grading the NCAA Tournament selection committee: Vanderbilt a ...",
      "snippet": "All Vanderbilt did from there was add four more wins over NCAA Tournament teams, including a whopping three \"Quad 1A\" victories in the nine days ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25406020-power-ranking-all-68-teams-2026-mens-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Power Ranking All 68 Teams in the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament",
      "snippet": "Selection Sunday has finally arrived, and with it the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament field has been set."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/vanderbilt/basketball/the-country-says-vanderbilt-was-underseeded-it-doesn-t-seem-to-care-though",
      "title": "The Country Says Vanderbilt Was Underseeded. It Doesn't Seem to ...",
      "snippet": "Even without the metrics, Vanderbilt's upper-end resume that included 10 quad one wins, five Q1A wins and 17 wins between the upper two quads."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-ranking-every-ncaa-tournament-team-from-1-to-68-130623230.html",
      "title": "March Madness: Ranking every NCAA tournament team, from 1 to 68",
      "snippet": "Who's the best team in the NCAA tournament? Why settle for knowing just that when there are 68 teams in the field?"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/MarchMadnessMBB/posts/the-selection-committees-official-rankings-of-the-2026-marchmadness-field-/1327229562773433/",
      "title": "The Selection Committee's official rankings of the 2026 ... - Facebook",
      "snippet": "The Selection Committee's official rankings of the 2026 #MarchMadness field!"
    }
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Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.hoopshq.com/acc/duke-acc-tournament-2026",
      "title": "Duke Keeps on Winning as It Adjusts to an Injury-Depleted Lineup",
      "snippet": "While freshman Cayden Boozer, has taken over for Caleb Foster as the team's primary ballhandler, others – including his 6-foot-10 brother ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/duke-insider-ncaa-tournament-injury-update-caleb-foster-11693837",
      "title": "Duke: Insider Drops Crushing NCAA Tournament Injury Update on ...",
      "snippet": "With Foster out of the lineup in the ACC Tournament, Duke relied on freshman guard Cayden Boozer to pick up the slack. Boozer struggled against ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/duke-shrugs-off-health-issues-sets-sights-on-siena/",
      "title": "Duke shrugs off health issues, sets sights on Siena - CBS Sports",
      "snippet": "Injured starters Patrick Ngongba and Caleb Foster did not play in the ACC tournament. Foster (8.5 points per game) suffered a fractured right ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/article315063867.html",
      "title": "Duke basketball injury update from NCAA Tournament site",
      "snippet": "Duke won the ACC championship without two starters. While Caleb Foster won't play this weekend, Pat Ngongba still has a chance to return."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/caleb-foster-injury-updates-duke-134753743.html",
      "title": "Caleb Foster injury updates: Will Duke star play in 2026 March ...",
      "snippet": "Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba II and Isaiah Evans, all reserves last season, are now starters and essential parts of what the Blue Devils do."
    }
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Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.nbcsports.com/mens-college-basketball/news/is-darryn-peterson-playing-in-march-madness-latest-on-kansas-stars-status",
      "title": "Is Darryn Peterson playing in March Madness? Latest on ...",
      "snippet": "Now, though, it seems Peterson is in his best condition of the season — just in time for Kansas' most important games. Kansas Jayhawks March ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kansas-basketball-nightmare-2026-march-212215200.html",
      "title": "Kansas basketball's nightmare 2026 March Madness ...",
      "snippet": "Peterson's injury status was the main story for the Jayhawks' early, but he has not missed a game since Feb. 9, which was the final leg of their ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.profootballnetwork.com/mens-cbb/darryn-peterson-cleared-ncaa-tournament-kansas-march-2026/",
      "title": "Darryn Peterson Cleared for NCAA Tournament After ...",
      "snippet": "Kansas Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson confirmed he is healthy and will play in the 2026 NCAA Tournament after battling injuries."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://throughthephog.com/darryn-peterson-needs-a-deep-ncaa-tournament-more-than-any-other-nba-prospect",
      "title": "Darryn Peterson needs a deep NCAA Tournament more ...",
      "snippet": "The Jayhawks are a four-seed in one of the toughest regions in the tournament, and Peterson needs to help Kansas make a deep run if he wants to ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/college/cbb-hq/player-profiles/darryn-peterson-could-be-biggest-x-factor-entering-ncaa-tournament",
      "title": "Darryn Peterson Could Be Biggest X-Factor Entering ...",
      "snippet": "After losses in 4-of-7 games to close the regular season, Kansas will be looking to ride Darryn Peterson in the postseason with its rematch ..."
    }
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Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/texas-vs-byu-prediction-picks-001200000.html",
      "title": "Texas vs BYU Prediction, Picks & Odds for Thursday's ...",
      "snippet": "Superstar freshman AJ Dybantsa leads the Cougars, and my Texas vs. BYU predictions are backing him to have a big game."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nbcsports.com/betting/college-basketball/news/2026-march-madness-odds-and-predictions-breakdown-of-the-first-round-in-the-west-region-byu-on-upset-alert",
      "title": "2026 March Madness odds and predictions: Breakdown of ...",
      "snippet": "2026 NCAA Tournament: West Region. Arizona is the clear favorite to win the West. They bring to the court everything a team needs to succeed – ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.deseret.com/sports/2026/03/16/byu-basketball-aj-dybantsa-rob-wright-kevin-young-portland-ncaa-dance/",
      "title": "Predictions for BYU in Big Dance are all over the board",
      "snippet": "The Cougars (23-11) will face the Texas-NC State winner Thursday (5:25 p.m. MDT, TBS) at Moda Center in Portland, with the winner of that game ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://vsin.com/college-basketball/byu-vs-texas-prediction-ncaa-tournament-west-region-no-6-vs-no-11-march-madness-preview/",
      "title": "March Madness Picks: BYU vs. Texas Prediction",
      "snippet": "In the No. 11 vs. No. 11 matchup in the NCAA Tournament West Region, BYU vs. Texas is the first round game at 7:25 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7121264/2026/03/16/march-madness-upsets-ncaa-tournament-2026-10-most-likely/",
      "title": "The 10 most likely men's NCAA tournament upsets for ...",
      "snippet": "(Note: If BYU plays Texas, the upset chance would be 34 percent). We have already mentioned N.C. State and Texas as two of the types of teams ..."
    }
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assistantMessage 5

Mar 19, 2026, 12:40 AM

Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament East region sleeper Northern Iowa St John's UCF UCLA South Florida Louisville upset preview"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament West region High Point Wisconsin Villanova Utah State Miami Missouri Arkansas Hawaii preview"
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament Midwest region Saint Louis Georgia Akron Texas Tech SMU Tennessee Santa Clara Kentucky upset preview"
}

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Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament championship contenders Duke Michigan Arizona Florida Houston expert picks Final Four"
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Tool Call: web_search

{
  "query": "2026 NCAA tournament first-round upset South Florida over Louisville Northern Iowa over St John's Utah State over Villanova Akron over Texas Tech expert picks"
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Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.outkick.com/sports/2026-ncaa-tournament-breakdown-east-region-best-bets-sleepers-busts",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament Breakdown: East Region Best Bets ...",
      "snippet": "First-Round Upset Alert: #11 South Florida over #6 Louisville. \"But Dan, how can you say Louisville is a sleeper Final Four team but also going ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.si.com/betting/betting-the-east-region-in-2026-ncaa-tournament-predictions-odds-upsets-for-march-madness",
      "title": "Betting the East Region in 2026 NCAA Tournament - Sports Illustrated",
      "snippet": "Breaking down the odds, predictions and upsets for the East Region in the 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-bracket-2026-upset-002756742.html",
      "title": "Upset predictions, sleepers, Final Four pick in East Region",
      "snippet": "Jamie Dixon's group has been at its best against elite competition, having beaten highly seeded NCAA Tournament teams Florida, Iowa State, and ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaab/2026-ncaa-tournament-east-region-preview-sleepers-favorites-best-matchups",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament East Region Preview: Sleepers, Favorites ...",
      "snippet": "The Bulls will have a favorable matchup in the first round against Louisville, which plays a style similar to USF's. Then it will likely face ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/15/march-madness-bracket-ncaa-tournament-east-region-predictions/89117306007/",
      "title": "NCAA tournament 2026 East Region predictions for March Madness",
      "snippet": "NCAA Tournament East Region sleeper: St. John's. In this case, the Red Storm qualify as a sleeper by being outside the region's top four seeds."
    }
  ]
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Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/march-madness-bracket-west-region-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144511208.html",
      "title": "March Madness bracket: West region predictions, Cinderella, expert ...",
      "snippet": "With the 2026 NCAA men's tournament upon us, here's everything you need to know about the West region."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-tournament-predictions-west-region-cinderella-bracket-buster-winner-from-college-basketball-expert/",
      "title": "NCAA Tournament predictions: West Region Cinderella, bracket ...",
      "snippet": "College basketball expert Thomas Casale looks at the West Region in the 2026 tournament and picks a Cinderella, team to avoid and regional ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-region-by-region-predictions-cinderellas-expert-picks-odds-schedule-and-more-204524913.html",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Region-by-region predictions, Cinderellas ...",
      "snippet": "With the 2026 NCAA tournament upon us, here's everything you need to know about all four regions."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.thelines.com/prediction-markets/trending/march-madness-west-region-preview-ncaa-tournament-prediction-markets/",
      "title": "March Madness West Region Preview: NCAA Tournament Markets",
      "snippet": "West Region NCAA Tournament prediction markets preview with picks, probabilities, & matchups for Arizona, Purdue, Arkansas, Wisconsin, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/03/15/march-madness-bracket-ncaa-tournament-west-region-predictions/89117533007/",
      "title": "NCAA tournament 2026 West Region predictions for March Madness",
      "snippet": "West Region best first-round matchup: Villanova vs Utah State ... West Region potential upset in first round: High Points over Wisconsin."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

{
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    "itemId": "fc_0ca8e69745f0dedc0169bb45ef173481958dacb6c6ce5085b2"
  }
}

Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXV5RHjKEc0",
      "title": "March Madness Midwest Region Bracket Preview & Picks - YouTube",
      "snippet": "Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander make their game-by-game picks and predictions for the Midwest Region in the 2026 NCAA Tournament."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-midwest-region-predictions-cinderella-expert-picks-schedule-odds-betting-lines-and-more-144504385.html",
      "title": "Midwest region predictions, Cinderella, expert picks, schedule, odds ...",
      "snippet": "The Wolverines opened as the betting favorites to win the national title and it's hard to see how they won't make it out of the Midwest ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/march-madness-2026/12309/march-madness-2026-midwest-region-preview",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Midwest Region Preview",
      "snippet": "Both KenPom and Torvik see them as a top 25 offense, and Torvik even gives them the edge overall in their first round matchup against Kentucky."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.anonymouseagle.com/anonymously-through-the-brackets/36113/ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-midwest-region-preview-michigan-texas-tech-miami-avila-momcilovic-johnson",
      "title": "2026 Anonymously Through The Brackets: Midwest Region",
      "snippet": "CRUSH YOUR MAN Upset Special. Well, the OBVIOUS one here is #10 Santa Clara over #7 Kentucky, as the Wildcats have been struggling all season ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://nypost.com/2026/03/15/sports/midwest-regional-march-madness-2026-bracket-preview-top-teams-players-to-watch/",
      "title": "Midwest Regional March Madness 2026 bracket preview: Top teams ...",
      "snippet": "Here's a look at the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament as March Madness 2026 gets set to tip off Tuesday."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-region-by-region-predictions-cinderellas-expert-picks-odds-schedule-and-more-204524913.html",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Region-by-region predictions, Cinderellas ...",
      "snippet": "Duke is the No. 1 overall seed after a 32-2 campaign that featured a 17-1 record in ACC play and a win over fellow No. 1 seed Michigan on a ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48219737/2026-men-ncaa-tournament-jay-bilas-predictions-bracket",
      "title": "Jay Bilas predicts every game of the 2026 NCAA tournament - ESPN",
      "snippet": "Last season, my bracket was chalky: I had all four No. 1 seeds reaching the Final Four, Houston and Florida advancing to the championship game, ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-ncaa-tournament-bracket-predictions-march-madness-expert-picks-upsets/",
      "title": "2026 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions: March Madness expert ...",
      "snippet": "Our experts' brackets are below with title picks and explainers included on why we picked upsets, our Final Four teams, and of course, the most ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpcrEFPU2P0",
      "title": "Initial 2026 NCAA tournament Final Four and championship picks",
      "snippet": "Seth Davis, Clark Kellogg, and Bruce Pearl gave their immediate picks for the Final Four and national championship of the 2026 NCAA ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25407235-best-picks-every-matchup-2026-mens-ncaa-tournament-bracket",
      "title": "Best Picks for Every Matchup in the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament ...",
      "snippet": "Final Four Picks. 6 of 7. Purdue v Michigan. Michael Reaves/Getty Images. Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg. East Region: No. 1 Duke over No. 3 ..."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

{
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Tool Result: web_search

{
  "results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/sports/college/tiger-extra/2026/03/18/ncaa-tournament-upset-predictions-tribunes-bracket-buster-march-madness-picks/89185410007/",
      "title": "Tribune's March Madness upset predictions, bracket-buster picks for ...",
      "snippet": "Here are our upset predictions for the NCAA Tournament, from the first round through the title game."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-2026-region-by-region-predictions-cinderellas-expert-picks-odds-schedule-and-more-204524913.html",
      "title": "March Madness 2026: Region-by-region predictions, Cinderellas ...",
      "snippet": "With the 2026 NCAA tournament upon us, here's everything you need to know about all four regions."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.aol.com/articles/march-madness-upset-picks-ncaa-221710944.html",
      "title": "March Madness upset picks: NCAA Tournament first-round surprises",
      "snippet": "March Madness bracket busters eye the next big upset · No. 11 VCU over No. 6 North Carolina · No. 11 South Florida over No. 6 Louisville · No. 11 ..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://vsin.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-ncaa-tournament-first-round-betting-trends/",
      "title": "College Basketball NCAA Tournament First Round Betting Trends",
      "snippet": "Steve Makinen shares his top college basketball NCAA Tournament First Round betting trends for Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7127597/2026/03/18/ncaa-tournament-march-madness-mens-consensus-predictions-bracket/",
      "title": "Men's NCAA Tournament consensus bracket predictions",
      "snippet": "While there were no 12-over-5s, 13-over-4s or even larger upsets that got a majority vote, there were a number of individual longshot picks."
    }
  ]
}

Provider Metadata

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assistantMessage 6

Mar 19, 2026, 12:40 AM

Research synthesis: - Top national tier by AP/NET: Duke, Michigan, Arizona, Florida, Houston. Strong next tier: Iowa State, Gonzaga, Illinois, Purdue, UConn, Michigan State, Virginia. - East: Duke dominant but injured (Caleb Foster out, Ngongba uncertain). Kansas tied to Peterson health but apparently cleared. UConn very solid 2. South Florida widely cited as live 11 over Louisville. TCU and UCF are plausible 8/9 and 10/7 edges. - West: Arizona looks like strongest 1-seed path. Purdue considered weaker 2. High Point flagged upset over Wisconsin. BYU on upset alert vs Texas/NC State. Gonzaga strong NET 7 despite 3-seed. Missouri over Miami possible. - South: Florida defending champ and dangerous. Houston gets potential home-ish Sweet 16 in Houston. Illinois underseeded/analytics top-7. VCU one of most common upset picks over UNC; UNC missing Caleb Wilson for season. McNeese possible over Vandy, but Vandy notably underseeded and strong NET 13. Saint Mary's low-upside but disciplined. - Midwest: Michigan elite and title-caliber. Iowa State strong 2. Tennessee/Virginia dangerous. Saint Louis-Georgia coin flip. Santa Clara commonly picked over inconsistent Kentucky. SMU/Miami(OH) live vs Tennessee; Miami(OH) especially noted by CBS. Need edge without overdoing early chaos. Need coherent bracket with some leverage but preserving late-round equity.

Tool Call: submit_bracket

{
  "r1": [
    {
      "gameId": "game-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-2",
      "winnerId": "tcu-horned-frogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-3",
      "winnerId": "st-johns-red-storm"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-4",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-5",
      "winnerId": "south-florida-bulls"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-6",
      "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-7",
      "winnerId": "ucf-knights"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-8",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-9",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-10",
      "winnerId": "utah-state-aggies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-11",
      "winnerId": "high-point-panthers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-12",
      "winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-13",
      "winnerId": "texas-longhorns"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-14",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-15",
      "winnerId": "missouri-tigers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-16",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-17",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-18",
      "winnerId": "iowa-hawkeyes"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-19",
      "winnerId": "vanderbilt-commodores"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-20",
      "winnerId": "nebraska-cornhuskers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-21",
      "winnerId": "vcu-rams"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-22",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-23",
      "winnerId": "saint-marys-gaels"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-24",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-25",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-26",
      "winnerId": "saint-louis-billikens"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-27",
      "winnerId": "texas-tech-red-raiders"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-28",
      "winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-29",
      "winnerId": "miami-oh-redhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-30",
      "winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-31",
      "winnerId": "santa-clara-broncos"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "game-32",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r2": [
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-2",
      "winnerId": "kansas-jayhawks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-3",
      "winnerId": "michigan-state-spartans"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-east-4",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-2",
      "winnerId": "arkansas-razorbacks"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-3",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-west-4",
      "winnerId": "purdue-boilermakers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-2",
      "winnerId": "vanderbilt-commodores"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-3",
      "winnerId": "illinois-fighting-illini"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-south-4",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-2",
      "winnerId": "alabama-crimson-tide"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-3",
      "winnerId": "virginia-cavaliers"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "r32-midwest-4",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r3": [
    {
      "gameId": "s16-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-east-2",
      "winnerId": "uconn-huskies"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-west-2",
      "winnerId": "gonzaga-bulldogs"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-south-1",
      "winnerId": "florida-gators"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-south-2",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "s16-midwest-2",
      "winnerId": "iowa-state-cyclones"
    }
  ],
  "r4": [
    {
      "gameId": "e8-east-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-west-1",
      "winnerId": "arizona-wildcats"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-south-1",
      "winnerId": "houston-cougars"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "e8-midwest-1",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    }
  ],
  "r5": [
    {
      "gameId": "ff-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    },
    {
      "gameId": "ff-2",
      "winnerId": "michigan-wolverines"
    }
  ],
  "r6": [
    {
      "gameId": "champ-1",
      "winnerId": "duke-blue-devils"
    }
  ],
  "tiebreakerScore": 148
}

Provider Metadata

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}

Tool Result: submit_bracket

{
  "submitted": true
}

Provider Metadata

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  }
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Tokens

Input: 75932
Output: 2341
Reasoning: 0