March Madness Bracket: Ranking Every Men's NCAA Tournament First-round Game, From Best To Worst

You’ve called out sick from work. You’ve filled out 17 different brackets. You’ve ordered enough pizzas and chicken wings to feed the Denver Broncos’ starting offensive line.

That can only mean one thing: The best two days of the sporting calendar have finally arrived.

Over the course of 48 action-packed hours on Thursday and Friday, CBS and Turner Sports will televise 32 first-round NCAA tournament games. Below is a 1-to-32 ranking of which ones are must-see from start to finish and which you can afford to click away from unless it’s close in the final few minutes.

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TIER 1: SKIP WORK, YOUR BOSS WILL UNDERSTAND

1. Kentucky (7) vs. Santa Clara (10) — Friday, 12:15 p.m. (CBS)

A Santa Clara vs. Kentucky first-round matchup epitomizes everything that we love about the NCAA tournament. This is an evenly matched game pitting a deep-pocketed blue blood with a reported $22 million roster against a true mid-major dancing for the first time since 1996.

There may not be a Steve Nash on this year’s Santa Clara’s team, but the Broncos boast high-major size and talent up and down their roster. Sixth man Allen Graves will be one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal this spring should he decide to enter it. Fellow reserve Thierry Darlan spent the past two seasons in the G League.

Santa Clara attempts a lot of 3s, gobbles up offensive rebounds and forces turnovers with its aggressive, full-court defense. The Broncos lost all three of their matchups against Gonzaga this season but earned an at-large bid anyway by beating the likes of Xavier, Minnesota, Nevada and McNeese and taking two of three from Saint Mary’s.

One concern for Santa Clara is how it will deal with an early tip-off time Friday in Saint Louis. The Broncos should pose a challenge for Kentucky provided they can adjust to playing at the equivalent of 9:15 a.m. PST.

TIER 2: FAVORITES ON UPSET WATCH

2. St. John’s (5) vs. Northern Iowa (12) — Friday, 7:10 p.m. (CBS)

Northern Iowa entered the season with high expectations after winning 20 games the previous season and bringing back players who logged a national-best 72.1% of the minutes. The Panthers also welcomed NAIA first-team All-American Tristan Smith, a forward who averaged 20.5 points for Concordia University, Nebraska, and led the team in just about every other statistical category as well.

The season didn’t always go as planned. Northern Iowa lost six of seven during one dreadful January stretch that coincided with an injury that sidelined Smith for nearly a month. But when the versatile Smith was healthy enough to play, the Panthers went 21-6. They’ve been the No. 41 team in the country since Smith’s Feb. 6 return from injury, according to Bart Torvik’s T-Rankings.

What makes Northern Iowa a scary draw for St. John’s is more than just its history of pulling NCAA tournament upsets. The Panthers play at the third-slowest pace in the country. They’ll turn their matchup with St. John’s into a half-court slog and force the Johnnies to shoot over the top of their set defense.

Northern Iowa is going to put St. John’s through hell on Friday night. Can the Big East regular season and tournament champs force enough turnovers and dominate the glass enough to survive?

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 18: Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John’s Red Storm looks on against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the first half at Fiserv Forum on February 18, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) — Does Rick Pitino need to worry about St. John’s losing in the first round as a No. 2 seed? (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

(Patrick McDermott via Getty Images)

3. North Carolina (6) vs. VCU (11) — Thursday, 6:50 p.m. (TNT)

North Carolina is very beatable without a healthy Caleb Wilson drawing extra defenders to the paint, creating extra possessions on the offensive glass and altering opposing shots at the rim. When the projected lottery pick was on the floor, North Carolina outscored opponents by 16.6 points per 100 possessions this season, according to CBB Analytics. That gap shrank to 7.6 points per 100 possessions when Wilson wasn’t playing.

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 best team in the Atlantic 10 by the end of the season.

4. Wisconsin (5) vs. High Point (12) — Thursday, 1:50 p.m. (TBS)

Since Wisconsin takes a staggering 52.6% of its shots from behind the arc and doesn’t rebound many of its misses, the high-variance Badgers are one of the most unpredictable teams in this year’s NCAA tournament. They have toppled the likes of Michigan, Illinois, Purdue and Michigan State already this season, but they have also mixed in some duds when their shots weren’t falling.

High Point is talented enough to put a scare into Wisconsin if the high-scoring, fast-paced Panthers catch the Badgers on an off night. This is a team that has won at least 27 games each of the past three seasons thanks in part to a budget that far exceeds that of a typical Big South program. Its second- and third-leading scorers, Rob Martin and Cam’Ron Fletcher, are players that power-conference programs sought in the transfer portal last spring.

One concern for High Point is that its knack for forcing turnovers may not bother Wisconsin’s experienced backcourt of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell. The Badgers are third nationally in limiting turnovers. They won’t give the ball away.

5. Louisville (6) vs. South Florida (11) — Thursday, 1:30 p.m. (TNT)

How healthy is freshman phenom Mikel Brown Jr.? That’s the question that likely will determine how vulnerable Louisville is to an upset against a 25-win South Florida team that last lost in late January and has quickly emerged as a trendy underdog pick.

Brown has missed the past few weeks with a lingering back injury. Louisville coach Pat Kelsey told reporters Monday that Brown “made great progress last week,” but he did not confirm that the projected lottery pick will play in the Cardinals’ first-round matchup against South Florida.

While Brown has missed 12 games due to injury this season, he has lived up to expectations when he has been on the floor. He’s averaging 18.2 points and 4.7 assists for a Louisville team that is 16-5 in games he has played.

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6. BYU (6) vs. Texas (11) — Thursday, 7:25 p.m. (TBS)

Can BYU’s AJ Dybantsa bolster his case to go No. 1 overall in this year’s NBA Draft by carrying the Cougars deep into the NCAA tournament? That will be the primary storyline ahead of his March Madness debut against Texas.

Season-ending ACL tears suffered by glue guy Dawson Baker in late November and all-Big 12 guard Richie Saunders in mid-February contributed to BYU not meeting preseason expectations. A regular season that began with talk of BYU making the Final Four for the first time in program history ended with the Cougars settling for the 10th seed in the Big 12 tournament.

Dybantsa helped BYU regain its footing in the Big 12 tournament. He piled up a tournament-record 93 points in wins over Kansas State and West Virginia and a narrow loss to Houston.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 11: AJ Dybantsa #3 of the BYU Cougars drives to the basket as Chance Moore #13 of the West Virginia Mountaineers defends during the second round game of the Men's 2026 Big 12 Tournament at T-Mobile Center on March 11, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) — AJ Dybantsa has taken over for BYU late in the season after injuries to several other Cougars. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

(Jamie Squire via Getty Images)

7. Alabama (4) vs. Hofstra (13) — Friday, 3:15 p.m. (TruTV)

The morning after Selection Sunday, Alabama’s second-leading scorer was arrested on felony drug charges. The university removed guard Aden Holloway from campus pending an investigation after agents from the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force found more than two pounds of marijuana in his possession.

How will Alabama handle the distraction? Or the absence of a playmaking guard who averages 16.8 points and shoots 44% from behind the arc? The Tide better be ready on Friday because Hofstra is a feisty 13 seed. The Pride have won 12 of 13. They play a slow, grinding style that could frustrate fast-paced Alabama and they have an array of shooters who can get hot from behind the arc.

8. Texas Tech (5) vs. Akron (12) — Friday, 12:40 p.m. (TruTV)

Texas Tech became vulnerable to an upset last month when All-American candidate JT Toppin went down with a torn ACL. The Red Raiders played with something to prove after Toppin’s injury, ripping off three straight wins, including a rare road victory at Iowa State. Cracks have shown since then as Texas Tech has dropped three in a row and has struggled to replace Toppin’s defensive rebounding and rim protection as a small-ball center.

Could Akron take advantage? With all due respect to Miami (Ohio), the Zips have been the best team in the MAC this season. They have a standout guard in Tavari Johnson and plenty of shooting surrounding him, but they’ve yet to actually beat an opponent all season better than Kent State or Toledo.

TIER 3: HISTORY FOR THE HUSKERS?

9. Nebraska (4) vs. Troy (13) — Thursday, 12:40 p.m. (TruTV)

Nebraska is famously the only power-conference team never to experience the joy of winning an NCAA tournament game. Only eight times have the Huskers even secured a spot in March Madness. Each time, they’ve failed to advance. They’ve lost as favorites and as underdogs, by margins as small as five points and as large as 21.

This was supposed to be another dismal season for a Nebraska team projected to finish 14th in the Big Ten, but the Huskers have exceeded even the most pie-in-the-sky expectations. Led by skilled center Rienk Mast, sharpshooter Pryce Sandfort and defensive menace Sam Hoiberg, they got off to a 20-0 start, finished tied for second in the Big Ten and earned the program’s second-best ever NCAA tournament seed.

Surely this has to be the year Nebraska ends its drought, right? Maybe. Troy won at San Diego State, beat Akron by 10 and pushed USC to triple-overtime this season. The Trojans play at a glacial pace, hoist plenty of 3s and rebound their misses well enough to take advantage of Nebraska’s biggest weakness. In short, they are not pushovers.

TIER 4: UPSET PICKS TO AVOID

10. Vanderbilt (5) vs. McNeese (12) — Thursday, 3:15 p.m. (TruTV)

People in your bracket pools will want to pick McNeese because the Cowboys sprung an upset last season and followed that by winning 28 games this year. Exercise caution!

McNeese wins because its swarming, disruptive defense is No. 1 nationally in forcing turnovers and No. 4 in block rate. But Vanderbilt is not the sort of team that is likely to struggle against aggressive full-court pressure. The Commodores are 11th nationally in turnover rate and are loaded with skilled passers and ball handlers.

11. Tennessee (6) vs. SMU/Miami Ohio (11) — Friday, 4:25 p.m. (TBS)

How intriguing this game is depends on whether Miami (Ohio) wins Wednesday’s play-in game or not. If this is Vols-RedHawks, it’s a fascinating matchup between an SEC power and a true mid-major punching above its weight class. If it’s Tennessee against an SMU team that collapsed late in the season was lucky to make the NCAA tournament, well … Zzzzz.

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TIER 5: COIN-TOSS GAMES THAT WILL MESS UP YOUR BRACKET

12. Miami Florida (7) vs. Missouri (10) — Friday, 10:10 p.m. (TruTV)

Jai Lucas produced an encouraging debut season, leading Miami to a third-place finish in the ACC behind the nucleus of freshman Shelton Henderson, Michigan transfer Tre Donaldson and Indiana transfer Malik Reneau. A win over Missouri would earn the Hurricanes a potential crack at second-seeded Purdue.

13. Ohio State (8) vs. TCU (9) — Thursday, 12:15 p.m. (CBS)

This is a matchup of white-hot teams who played themselves off the bubble and into single-digit seeds. Ohio State senior guard Bruce Thornton averages 20.2 points per game, but TCU is likely to try to blitz ball screens and force someone else to carry the scoring load.

14. Villanova (8) vs. Utah State (9) — Friday, 4:10 p.m. (TNT)

Jerrod Calhoun called Utah State’s seeding “absolutely atrocious” after the committee gave the Mountain West champs a No. 9 rather than a No. 6 or 7. Now the Aggies will have the chance to prove they were underseeded when they take on a Villanova team that finished third in the Big East in Kevin Willard’s debut season.

15. Georgia (8) vs. Saint Louis (9) — Thursday, 9:45 p.m. (CBS)

Georgia-Saint Louis pits two similarly seeded teams who enter the NCAA tournament heading in very different directions. The Bulldogs won five of their final seven games and are the nation’s 26th-best team over the past month, per Bart Torvik’s T-Rankings. The Billikens dropped four of their last eight after previously dominating the A-10. They’re No. 148 in that same timespan, per Torvik.

16. Saint Mary’s (7) vs. Texas A&M (10) — Thursday, 7:35 p.m. (TruTV)

Extra possessions will tell the story of this game. Will Texas A&M be able to force enough St. Mary’s turnovers to make up for however much the Gaels win the battle on the glass?

17. UCLA (7) vs. UCF (10) — Friday, 7:25 p.m. (TBS)

Donovan Dent recently has performed like the player UCLA thought it was getting out of the transfer portal, tallying a ridiculous 78-to-6 assist-to-turnover ratio in his past eight games. If he’s healthy and UCLA can avoid getting destroyed on the glass, the Bruins should advance.

18. Clemson (8) vs. Iowa (9) — Friday, 6:50 p.m. (TNT)

Snail races are faster than this game will be. The winner will be whoever executes its half-court offense better. Clemson has struggled defending the pick-and-roll this season, which is not ideal when the other team runs its offense through pick-and-roll savant Bennett Stirtz.

TIER 6: NEVER SAY NEVER

19. Arkansas (4) vs. Hawaii (13) — Thursday, 4:25 p.m. (TBS)

Will Hawaii play its trademark no-help defensive scheme against Arkansas? If so, Darius Acuff might go off for 40-plus. Acuff led the scorching-hot Razorbacks to the SEC tournament title this past week, averaging a ridiculous 30.3 points, 7.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds while logging 39 minutes per game.

20. Kansas (4) vs. Cal Baptist (13) — Friday, 9:45 p.m. (CBS)

America, meet Dominique Daniels. Generously listed at 5-foot-10, the cold-blooded senior point guard averages 23.2 points per game for Cal Baptist and erupted for as many as 47 in a game earlier this season. He’s capable of carrying the Lancers against Kansas … or shooting them out of the game early.

21. Gonzaga (3) vs. Kennesaw State (14) — Thursday, 10 p.m. (TBS)

How long has it been since Gonzaga has lost a first-round matchup? Steph Curry went off for 40 points to lead Davidson to an 82-76 victory. Look for the Zags to keep their streak alive against a Kennesaw State team that went 10-10 in Conference USA this season but took advantage of Liberty’s early exit to win the conference tournament.

22. Michigan State (3) vs. North Dakota State (14) — Thursday, 4:05 p.m. (TNT)

Michigan State’s high-flying Coen Carr elevates the watchability of this game whether or not North Dakota State can keep it close into the second half.

23. Purdue (2) vs. Queens (15) — Friday, 7:35 p.m. (TruTV)

Queens has faced a total of five power-conference opponents so far this season, allowing an average of 102.6 points per game against the likes of Villanova, Virginia, Wake Forest, Arkansas and Auburn.

That doesn’t bode well for the ASUN tournament champions against a Purdue team with the nation’s best offense and a point guard known for carving up even the best defenses.

24. Illinois (3) vs. Pennsylvania (14) — Thursday, 9:25 p.m. (TNT)

After struggling to earn playing time at Duke and Virginia, former five-star recruit TJ Power has excelled at Penn. He is averaging 15.7 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds this season and went for 44 and 14 against top-seeded Yale in the Ivy League title game, including a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation.

Ivy League teams have historically been dangerous in the NCAA tournament, but the size and talent disparity between Illinois and Penn is massive.

25. Virginia (3) vs. Wright State (14) — Friday, 1:50 p.m. (TBS)

Virginia has a recent history losing to double-digit seeds in the NCAA tournament, but this is a favorable matchup. The Cavaliers block shots at the second highest rate of any team in the field and limit teams to an anemic 36.1% shooting in the paint. That’s not good news for a Wright State team that generates much of its offense at the rim.

26. UConn (2) vs. Furman (15) — Friday, 10 p.m. (TBS)

Not even a data-driven model built by Furman professors gives the Paladins much chance of toppling second-seeded UConn on Friday night.

“Furman has about a 7% chance of an upset,” professor Kevin Hutson said in a story published on the university website. “That’s sort of the bad news. The good news is if you look at all the 15 seeds this year, that’s the best chance any of them has.”

TIER 7: OVER BEFORE HALFTIME

27. Houston (2) vs. Idaho (15) — 10:10 p.m. (TruTV)

Thirty-six years after it last played in an NCAA tournament, Idaho is back. Social media is already prepared to anoint Idaho center Brody Rowbury as the next viral March Madness star should the Vandals somehow threaten heavily favored Houston.

#March #Madness #bracket #Ranking #mens #NCAA #tournament #firstround #game #worst

March Madness bracket: Ranking every men’s NCAA tournament first-round game, from best to worst

TIER 1: SKIP WORK, YOUR BOSS WILL UNDERSTAND

TIER 2: FAVORITES ON UPSET WATCH

TIER 3: HISTORY FOR THE HUSKERS?

TIER 4: UPSET PICKS TO AVOID

TIER 5: COIN-TOSS GAMES THAT WILL MESS UP YOUR BRACKET

TIER 6: NEVER SAY NEVER

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TIER 1: SKIP WORK, YOUR BOSS WILL UNDERSTAND

TIER 2: FAVORITES ON UPSET WATCH

TIER 3: HISTORY FOR THE HUSKERS?

TIER 4: UPSET PICKS TO AVOID

TIER 5: COIN-TOSS GAMES THAT WILL MESS UP YOUR BRACKET

TIER 6: NEVER SAY NEVER

TIER 7: OVER BEFORE HALFTIME

TIER 8: OVER BEFORE IT TIPS OFF

Leave a Comment Cancel reply