Bill Bender
Sporting News
120.2
Weighted Score
2026 Tournament — Final
63/63 games played136
Points
#2
Rank
24/32
R64
12/16
R32
4/8
S16
3/4
E8
1/2
FF
1/1
CH
5
Upsets
East
✓ Duke
✓ Duke
✓ Duke
✗ Connecticut
✗ TCU
✓ St. John's
✗ Connecticut
✓ St. John's
✓ Michigan State
✓ Kansas
✓ Connecticut
✓ Louisville
✓ Michigan State
✗ UCLA
✓ Connecticut
South
✓ Florida
✗ Iowa
✗ Iowa
✓ Illinois
✓ Iowa
✓ Nebraska
✓ Illinois
✗ Vanderbilt
✓ Illinois
✓ Nebraska
✓ Houston
✗ VCU
✓ Illinois
✓ Texas A&M
✓ Houston
West
✓ Arizona
✓ Arizona
✓ Arizona
✓ Arizona
✓ Utah State
✓ Arkansas
✗ Purdue
✗ High Point
✗ Texas
✓ Arkansas
✗ Purdue
✗ Texas
✓ Gonzaga
✓ Miami (FL)
✓ Purdue
Midwest
✓ Michigan
✓ Michigan
✓ Michigan
✓ Michigan
✗ Saint Louis
✓ Alabama
✗ Tennessee
✗ Texas Tech
✗ Tennessee
✓ Alabama
✓ Iowa State
✓ Tennessee
✓ Virginia
✓ Kentucky
✓ Iowa State
Final Four
✗ Connecticut
✓ Michigan
Championship
✓ Michigan
Round-by-Round Breakdown
| Season | Rd 64 | Rd 32 | Sweet 16 | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Champ | Total | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 24/32 24 pts | 12/16 24 pts | 4/8 16 pts | 3/4 24 pts | 1/2 16 pts | 1/1 32 pts | 45/63 71% | 136 |
| 2025 | 28/32 28 pts | 12/16 24 pts | 5/8 20 pts | 2/4 16 pts | 1/2 16 pts | 0/1 0 pts | 48/63 76% | 104 |
| 2024 | 23/32 23 pts | 9/16 18 pts | 4/8 16 pts | 1/4 8 pts | 1/2 16 pts | 1/1 32 pts | 39/63 62% | 113 |
Final Four & Champion History
2026Michigan
DukeIllinoisArizonaMichigan
2025Duke
DukeMichigan StateFloridaTennessee
2024Connecticut
ConnecticutHoustonBaylorTennessee
2026 Bracket Picks
East Region
| Round of 64 | (1) Dukev(16) Siena | |
| Round of 64 | (8) Ohio Statev(9) TCU | |
| Round of 64 | (5) St. John'sv(12) Northern Iowa | |
| Round of 64 | (4) Kansasv(13) Cal Baptist | |
| Round of 64 | (6) Louisvillev(11) South Florida | |
| Round of 64 | (3) Michigan Statev(14) North Dakota State | |
| Round of 64 | (7) UCLAv(10) UCF | UPSET |
| Round of 64 | (2) Connecticutv(15) Furman | |
| Round of 32 | (1) Dukev(8) Ohio State | |
| Round of 32 | (5) St. John'sv(4) Kansas | UPSET |
| Round of 32 | (6) Louisvillev(3) Michigan State | |
| Round of 32 | (10) UCFv(2) Connecticut | |
| Sweet 16 | (1) Dukev(5) St. John's | |
| Sweet 16 | (3) Michigan Statev(2) Connecticut | UPSET |
| Elite 8 | (1) Dukev(3) Michigan State |
South Region
| Round of 64 | (1) Floridav(16) Prairie View A&M | |
| Round of 64 | (8) Clemsonv(9) Iowa | UPSET |
| Round of 64 | (5) Vanderbiltv(12) McNeese | UPSET |
| Round of 64 | (4) Nebraskav(13) Troy | |
| Round of 64 | (6) North Carolinav(11) VCU | |
| Round of 64 | (3) Illinoisv(14) Penn | |
| Round of 64 | (7) Saint Mary'sv(10) Texas A&M | UPSET |
| Round of 64 | (2) Houstonv(15) Idaho | |
| Round of 32 | (1) Floridav(9) Iowa | |
| Round of 32 | (12) McNeesev(4) Nebraska | |
| Round of 32 | (6) North Carolinav(3) Illinois | |
| Round of 32 | (10) Texas A&Mv(2) Houston | |
| Sweet 16 | (1) Floridav(4) Nebraska | |
| Sweet 16 | (3) Illinoisv(2) Houston | UPSET |
| Elite 8 | (1) Floridav(3) Illinois | UPSET |
West Region
| Round of 64 | (1) Arizonav(16) LIU | |
| Round of 64 | (8) Villanovav(9) Utah State | UPSET |
| Round of 64 | (5) Wisconsinv(12) High Point | |
| Round of 64 | (4) Arkansasv(13) Hawaii | |
| Round of 64 | (6) BYUv(11) Texas | |
| Round of 64 | (3) Gonzagav(14) Kennesaw State | |
| Round of 64 | (7) Miami (FL)v(10) Missouri | |
| Round of 64 | (2) Purduev(15) Queens | |
| Round of 32 | (1) Arizonav(9) Utah State | |
| Round of 32 | (5) Wisconsinv(4) Arkansas | |
| Round of 32 | (6) BYUv(3) Gonzaga | |
| Round of 32 | (7) Miami (FL)v(2) Purdue | UPSET |
| Sweet 16 | (1) Arizonav(4) Arkansas | |
| Sweet 16 | (3) Gonzagav(7) Miami (FL) | |
| Elite 8 | (1) Arizonav(3) Gonzaga |
Midwest Region
| Round of 64 | (1) Michiganv(16) Howard | |
| Round of 64 | (8) Georgiav(9) Saint Louis | |
| Round of 64 | (5) Texas Techv(12) Akron | UPSET |
| Round of 64 | (4) Alabamav(13) Hofstra | |
| Round of 64 | (6) Tennesseev(11) Miami (OH) | |
| Round of 64 | (3) Virginiav(14) Wright State | |
| Round of 64 | (7) Kentuckyv(10) Santa Clara | |
| Round of 64 | (2) Iowa Statev(15) Tennessee State | |
| Round of 32 | (1) Michiganv(8) Georgia | |
| Round of 32 | (12) Akronv(4) Alabama | |
| Round of 32 | (6) Tennesseev(3) Virginia | |
| Round of 32 | (7) Kentuckyv(2) Iowa State | |
| Sweet 16 | (1) Michiganv(4) Alabama | |
| Sweet 16 | (3) Virginiav(2) Iowa State | UPSET |
| Elite 8 | (1) Michiganv(3) Virginia |
Final Four & Championship
| Final Four | (1) Dukev(3) Illinois |
| Final Four | (1) Michiganv(1) Arizona |
| Championship | (1) Dukev(1) Michigan |