Overview
- Texas, Duke, UCLA and West Virginia clinched automatic NCAA bids with conference tournament titles, positioning each to host early-round games.
- UCLA crushed Iowa 96-45 in the Big Ten final, the largest margin in a Big Ten title game and a win that strengthens the Bruins’ case at the top of the bracket.
- UConn stayed No. 1 in the AP poll after securing the Big East tournament and a 33-0 record, with Texas rising, Duke jumping into the top 10 and West Virginia reaching No. 12.
- Bracket discussions pit UConn’s undefeated profile and No. 1 NET against UCLA’s nation-leading 18 Quad 1 wins and toughest schedule, as the committee weighs NET and Wins Above Bubble.
- On the men’s side, projections have Duke, Michigan and Arizona locked as No. 1 seeds with Florida moving to the top line in many models, while Indiana’s loss at Ohio State is widely viewed as a blow to its at-large hopes and mid-major automatic bids tighten the bubble.