Every year sports fans look into the finals of certain sports or majors in other sports; NBA’s playoffs, Superbowl, Wimbledon, NCAA, U.S. Open, etc, but March, is “March Madness” with the top 64 teams in Division I of men and women to decide a National Champion in both, men and women’s teams.
Of course, in Oklahoma we wait and see if any of the Oklahoma teams qualify for the tournament. This year, only the women’s team from Oklahoma University qualified for the NCAA Tournament. They are seeded 5th in their 16-team bracket and will play their first game on Saturday March 23 versus FGCU at 3:00 ET. The men Sooners were “close”, but again, fell short. Two of the last three years had a chance.
The biggest surprise this year was North Carolina State who won the Big 10 in a final against their state rivals and six time National Champions Norh Carolina Tarheels. North Carolina State won their last of two NCAA championships in 1983, in Albuquerque, NM. If Tarheels would have won, North Carolina State would not have been invited.
Below is a list of the 32 first round games for the Men’s Brackets.
EAST REGION: 1) UConn (31-3) vs. 16) Stetson (22-12); 8) Florida Atlantic (25-8) vs. 9) Northwestern (21-11); 5) San Diego State (24-10) vs. 12) UAB (23-11); 4) Auburn (27-7) vs. 13) Yale (22-9); 6) BYU (23-10) vs. 11) Duquesne (24-11); 3) Illinois (26-8) vs. 14) Morehead State (26-8); 7) Washington State (24-9) vs. 10) Drake (28-6); 2) Iowa State (27-7) vs. 15) South Dakota (22-12) SOUTH REGION: 1) Houston (30-4) vs. 16) Longwood (2113); 8) Nebraska (23-10) vs. 9) Texas A&M (20-14); 5) Wisconsin (22-13) vs. 12) James Madison (31-3); 4) Duke (24-8) vs. 13) Vermont (28-6); 6) Texas Tech (23-10) vs. 11) NC State (22-14); 3) Kentucky (23-9) vs. 14) Oakland (23-11); 7) Florida (24-11) vs. 10) Boise State (22-10)/Colorado (24-10); 2) Marquette (25-9) vs. 15) Western Kentucky (22-11) MIDWEST REGION: 1) Purdue (29-4) vs. 16) Montana State (17-17)/Grambling State (20-14); 8) Utah State (27-6) vs. 9) TCU (21-12); 5) Gonzaga (25-7) vs. 12) McNeese State (30-3); 4) Kansas (22-10) vs. 13) Samford (29-5); 6) South Carolina (26-7) vs. 11) Oregon (23-11); 3) Creighton (23-9) vs. 14) Akron (24-10); 7) Texas (20-12) vs. 10) Virginia (23-11)/Colorado State (24-10); 2) Tennessee (24-8) vs. 15) Saint Peter’s (19-13) WEST REGION: 1) North Carolina (27-7) vs. 16) Howard (1816)/Wagner (16-15); 8) Mississippi State (21-13) vs. 9) Michigan State (19-14); 5) Saint Mary’s (26-7) vs. 12) Grand Canyon (294); 4) Alabama (21-11) vs. 13) Charleston (27-7); 6) Clemson (2111) vs. 11) New Mexico (26-9); 3) Baylor (23-10) vs. 14) Colgate (25-9); 7) Dayton (24-7) vs. 10) Nevada (26-7); 2) Arizona (25-8) vs. 15) Long Beach State (21-14)
