Overview
- The 68-team men’s field is official: Duke is No. 1 overall in the East, with Arizona (West), Michigan (Midwest) and defending champion Florida (South) rounding out the top line.
- First Four games in Dayton are set for Tuesday and Wednesday: UMBC vs. Howard, Texas vs. NC State, Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh, and Miami (Ohio) vs. SMU.
- Selection chair Keith Gill said Michigan’s loss to Purdue just before the reveal moved the Wolverines to No. 3 overall, and Miami (Ohio) “just barely” made the field as an 11 seed.
- Notable snubs included San Diego State, Indiana, Oklahoma and Auburn; the SEC placed 10 teams in the bracket, followed by the Big Ten with nine, and the ACC and Big 12 with eight each.
- Betting markets opened with the top seeds at the front of the futures board; ESPN listed Duke (+330), Michigan (+350), Arizona (+425) and Florida (+700) at DraftKings.