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NCAAM Men's March Madness live Updated 58s ago The men’s NCAA Tournament gets fully underway today with 16 games. What upsets are coming? Which favorites will be moving on? Follow along for coverage from our college basketball experts at The Athletic. The two LIU superfans behind the "Fins Up! " movement. Although Akron coach John Groce spent Wednesday focused on getting his 12th-seeded Zips ready for Friday’s first-round game against Texas Tech, he spared a few minutes to watch the end of Miami (Ohio)’s 89-79 First Four victory over SMU. The diversion was both professional and personal. The Red Hawks were the other MAC team to make the NCAA Tournament, and they’re coached by Groce’s brother, Travis Steele. “Happy for him, his family, ” Groce said. “He’s got a really good team. He’s done a great job. ” Miami was one of the most fascinating stories of the season, winning first 31 games before falling to UMass in the MAC tournament. That upset put the Red Hawks on the bubble, but their inclusion in the field made the MAC a two-bid league. Akron, obviously, earned the other spot after edging Toledo in the championship game. The NET and Ken Pom both rank the Zips above Miami. Groce said the Red Hawks’ triumph was further validation for a league that he thinks is better at the top than most outsiders realize. “It's great for our league. I would say not just Miami, but the entire league…” Groce said. “Great, great year for the league. Happy for the MAC. Obviously happy for my brother that they got the win last night and thrilled for him. ” While you’re putting the final touches on your bracket(s), I am always intrigued by the bracket release of former President Barack Obama, who started the tradition in his first March in office, back in 2009. Since then, I have been a perennial Barack-etologist. He released his 2026 brackets yesterday, and I did a close read of his men's picks — as usual, he loves those chalky high seeds! But he continues to have a soft spot for teams from Tennessee, and one of his Final Four picks is definitely powered by hometown affinity. Here’s a full analysis. GO FURTHER Analyzing Barack Obama’s 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament bracket picks There will be 68 teams taking the court this week for the NCAA Tournament, and our staff has broken down each team. What are the strengths and weaknesses of every team? What is their outlook for success? Take a look at the preview for each team here. GO FURTHER March Madness bracket prep 2026: Strengths, weaknesses, previews for all 68 teams GO FURTHER March Madness bracket prep 2026: Strengths, weaknesses, previews for all 68 teams Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson said he’s “close to 100 percent” after slipping on the Big 12’s glass court during last week’s conference tournament. Although Anderson left that loss to Iowa State because of an injury, his status for Friday’s NCAA Tournament opener against Akron was not in doubt; the Red Raiders previously announced he would be available. But it’s hard to envision fifth-seeded Texas Tech advancing too far if he’s limited. Anderson was a first-team all-Big 12 performer who took on a bigger role after star JT Toppin tore his ACL last month. Without Toppin, Anderson is Texas Tech’s leading scorer (18. 9 ppg), and his 7. 6 assists per game are the most in the Big 12. “I’m feeling good, ” Anderson said. Our Scott Phillips breaks down the men’s NCAA Tournament national title odds. Michigan and Duke are the early betting favorites but don’t sleep on Arkansas, which is rising. GO FURTHER March Madness 2026 national title odds: Michigan, Duke early betting favorites, Arkansas rising Our Joe Rexrode takes us down memory lane, revisiting George Mason’s 2006 bracket-busting run through the eyes of former player and current head coach Tony Skinn. Outlook: Duke is two possessions away from us talking about an undefeated regular season. In the final seven games of ACC play Duke was utter destruction, outscoring opponents by nearly 26 points per game. That said, a lot hinges on health. Missing a back-line eraser and a point-of-attack-defending guard can be tough to overcome. That said, don’t put it past Boozer to backpack this thing all the way to the Circle City. Each year people around the globe try to correctly predict the winners of all 63 matches in the college basketball tournament March Madness. Here is a breakdown of the bracket. The NCAA Tournament is all about the bracket, right? Here is the full tourney bracket for you to print out and post up. GO FURTHER Printable men’s March Madness 2026 bracket Jason Benetti will fill in for Brian Anderson on today's men's NCAA Tournament coverage, The Athletic has learned. Anderson, who was clearly under the weather working with Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale on Tuesday's First Four, hopes to be back on Saturday. Westwood One and NBC did TNT/CBS a solid. Benetti now may complete the career cycle of working for every network. Our Ira Gorawara takes us through why coaches fear the small to mid-level majors’ Cinderella runs in the NCAA tournament might disappear in this transfer portal era of college basketball. Every March Madness, players elevate their profile in the basketball world given their performance. Here is our Lindsay Schnell who breaks down 15 players that are the most interesting entering the NCAA Tournament. GO FURTHER NCAA Tournament’s 15 most intriguing players, from star freshmen to key subs What is a Cinderella team? What is the Sweet 16 and why do they cut down the net? Here are all the key terms you need to know ahead of March Madness. With their NCAA championship win last spring, the Florida Gators became the ninth program to win at least three NCAA men’s basketball championships. Which programs share the leaderboard with the Gators? In their attempt to defend their national championship, the Florida Gators will face a daunting challenge that few programs have successfully completed this century. UConn won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 but before that, the last team to accomplish the feat was Florida in 2006 and 2007. These are the teams to win the NCAA men’s basketball championship in the past 10 years … Florida won its third national title and its first since 2007 last spring, when it beat Houston 65-63 for the title. For a refresher on last year’s title game, check out our coverage here. Indianapolis will be hosting the Final Four for the ninth time. The most recent came in 2021. Here are the remaining dates for this year’s tournament: