Villanova, Michigan, Kansas, and Loyola Chicago, the " Cinderella team" of the tournament, reached the Final Four. The tournament also featured the first regional final matchup of a 9-seed ( Kansas State) and an 11-seed ( Loyola-Chicago). For the first time in tournament history, none of the four top seeded teams in a single region (the South) advanced to the Sweet 16. The 80th annual edition of the tournament began on March 13, 2018, and concluded with the championship game on April 2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.ĭuring the first round, UMBC became the first 16-seed to defeat a 1-seed in the men's tournament by defeating Virginia 74–54. That's why they call it March Madness, folks.The 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2017–18 season. No one outside the Southeastern United States thought three SEC teams would make the Elite Eight, but here we are. Monk also poured in 21 points and hit four three-pointers.įirst team to 100 points wins? Most fans won't have a problem with that. Fox scored a freshman record 39 against UCLA in an 86-75 win and looked like a future top-five NBA draft pick. Kentucky's two star freshmen guards, the aforementioned Monk and De'Aaron Fox, have been leading the Wildcats all tournament. If UNC shoots the ball well, it's hard to see any team beating the Tar Heels in the tournament. The Tar Heels' rebounding margin this season is 13.1, which is by far the best mark in Division I. North Carolina, with rare exception, is going to control the boards every single night. As a team, the Tar Heels shot 54.4 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 38-26. The Tar Heels followed up a near loss in the second round to Arkansas with a dominating 92-80 win over Butler in the Sweet 16.įorward Justin Jackson, guard Joel Berry and forward Luke Maye combined for 66 of UNC's 92 points. If this game is anything like the December matchup, then this has the potential to be one of the best NCAA tournament games in recent history. This is a rematch of Kentucky's 103-100 win over North Carolina in December when Wildcats freshman guard Malik Monk scored 47 points.
Dorsey hit game-winning shots against Rhode Island and Michigan and has shot 65.7 percent from the field. Kansas is currently a seven-point favorite in this game, per OddsShark, and given that it has outscored its opponents by an average of 30 points, that isn't a surprise.įurthermore, the Jayhawks are only playing 45 minutes from home in Kansas City's Sprint Center, so this will in effect feel like a home game for KU.īut the home-court advantage won't matter if Kansas fails to stop Dorsey, who has averaged 23.7 points per game in the NCAA tournament. Oregon has some fantastic backcourt players as well in the form of Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey, who are the Ducks' top two scorers this season. In particular, they've had very strong second halves thanks to the stellar play from Kansas' top three guards: Frank Mason III, Josh Jackson and Devonte' Graham. The Jayhawks have crushed each of their three NCAA tournament opponents. Regardless of who wins, the victor will be making its first Final Four appearance in school history. The Musketeers might have difficulty hanging with the Bulldogs down low, but Xavier could also follow its winning formula and nail outside jumpers all game. Xavier starts a four-guard lineup with a 6'9" big man, Tyrique Jones. Gonzaga will also provide a problem down low with its two seven-foot centers, Zach Collins and Przemek Karnowski. The Bulldogs don't back down from anybody, as they only give up 61.0 points per game, which ranks fifth in Division I. That being said, Gonzaga will provide Bluiett with his stiffest defensive test yet. Bluiett has made 24 of his 46 field-goal attempts and 11 of his 23 three-pointers. Three teams have tried and failed to stop the sharpshooter, who is averaging 25 points per game in the NCAA tournament. This game comes down to one simple question: Can Gonzaga stop Xavier junior guard Trevon Bluiett? UNC/Kentucky winnerĪll NCAA tournament games can be live-streamed on March Madness Live.
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