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Men's Bracket Watch: First Look At Projected 2025 March Madness Field
Selection Sunday in men's college basketball is fewer than eight weeks away. That's still plenty of time for teams to change their NCAA tournament fates, but with conference play in full swing we have enough data points to start projecting the field of 68. Who's rising, who's falling and which teams have the most to prove in the weeks ahead? Here's an early look at the projected field and which teams might be sweating all the way until March.
Last Four Byes:San Diego State AztecsMaryland TerrapinsOhio State BuckeyesPittsburgh Panthers
Last Four In:Vanderbilt CommodoresNorth Carolina Tar HeelsUCF KnightsWake Forest Demon Deacons
First Four Out:Indiana HoosiersNebraska CornhuskersTexas LonghornsDrake Bulldogs
Next Four Out:Arizona State Sun DevilsCincinnati BearcatsXavier MusketeersVCU Rams
Big brands are everywhere in our first look at the bubble. The most interesting story line at the moment is North Carolina's struggles, with the Heels now just 12–8 after consecutive ACC losses to Stanford and Wake Forest. Hubert Davis's team is just 1–7 in Quad 1 games and has a difficult stretch upcoming with trips to Pittsburgh, Duke and Clemson. Upsetting the Blue Devils at least once might be the only way for the Heels to feel safely in the field.
Indiana got a brief reprieve with its road win at Ohio State on Friday, but its struggles set in again Wednesday night in Evanston, Ill., where the Hoosiers gave up 54 points in the second half to Northwestern. Mike Woodson's team has subpar predictive metrics and has only one win against the projected field as of today. The Hoosiers need to make hay in a tough upcoming stretch that features five straight Quad 1 games. By Valentine's Day, IU could be a tournament lock or off the bubble altogether … and based on the trend, the latter seems more likely.
* indicates a projected automatic qualifier
No. 1 Auburn Tigers* vs. No. 16 Morehead State Eagles*/Howard Bison*No. 8 Baylor Bears vs. No. 9 Saint Mary's GaelsNo. 5 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 12 Lipscomb Bisons*No. 4 Houston Cougars* vs. No. 13 Samford Bulldogs*No. 6 UConn Huskies vs. No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels/UCF KnightsNo. 3 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 14 Charleston Cougars*No. 7 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. No. 10 New Mexico Lobos*No. 2 Michigan State Spartans* vs. No. 15 Quinnipiac Bobcats*
Auburn currently sits as the No. 1 overall seed in our seed list, and there's a considerable gap between the Tigers and No. 2 overall Duke, despite the Blue Devils' head-to-head win. Auburn has 10 Quad 1 wins, by far the most in the country. Those include some truly elite wins, like neutral-court victories over Houston, Iowa State and Purdue. So far, Bruce Pearl's team has navigated the loss of star forward Johni Broome well, and it would take multiple losses to put this spot in serious jeopardy.
Winners of 11 straight, Michigan State earns the last No. 2 seed in the bracket after a monster win Sunday over Illinois. A gauntlet looms ahead: MSU has seven games left against current top-30 KenPom teams, four of which come against top-15 teams. A No. 1 seed isn't off the table with a strong finish.
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils* vs. No. 16 Colgate Raiders*/LIU Sharks*No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. No. 9 Oklahoma SoonersNo. 5 Memphis Tigers* vs. No. 12 McNeese State Cowboys*No. 4 Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. No. 13 South Alabama Jaguars*No. 6 St. John's Red Storm* vs. No. 11 Vanderbilt Commodores/Wake Forest Demon DeaconsNo. 3 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 14 Miami (Ohio) RedHawks*No. 7 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 10 Maryland TerrapinsNo. 2 Florida Gators vs. No. 15 Northern Colorado Bears*
Memphis will be one of the more difficult teams to seed given how few opportunities for notable wins the Tigers get in AAC play. The Tigers moved the needle in nonconference play with big wins over Michigan State, Ole Miss, UConn, Clemson and Missouri, but could see teams pass them if they suffer too many slip-ups in league play.
A key bracketology story line to monitor over the next several weeks will be the status of SEC bubble teams like Oklahoma. The league's strength could leave the Sooners with 11 to 12 conference losses, but every win should help the résumé, and OU also did serious work in its nonconference slate. When SEC commissioner Greg Sankey talks about NCAA tournament expansion, these are the type of teams he's looking to accommodate.
No. 1 Iowa State Cyclones vs. No. 16 Southern Jaguars*No. 8 Missouri Tigers vs. No. 9 Creighton BluejaysNo. 5 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 12 Bradley Braves*No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 13 UTEP Miners*No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 11 Pittsburgh PanthersNo. 3 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 14 Utah Valley Wolverines*No. 7 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 10 San Diego State Aztecs*No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 15 Bryant Bulldogs*
Iowa State's Selection Sunday seed was perhaps pushed down some a year ago by a poor nonconference strength of schedule. This year's slate wasn't loaded with world beaters, but an early-season win over Marquette combined with road/neutral wins over Marquette and Iowa help bolster the early case for Cyclones on the No. 1 line.
Creighton started just 7–5, but has climbed back into strong tournament position with early Big East wins over St. John's and UConn. Since Christmas, the Bluejays have played like a top-20 team, per T-Rank. Keep that up, and the Jays could climb the seed list rapidly.
No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 16 Omaha Mavericks*No. 8 Utah State Aggies vs. No. 9 UCLA BruinsNo. 5 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No. 12 George Mason Patriots*No. 4 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 13 Princeton Tigers*No. 6 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 11 UC Irvine Anteaters*No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 14 UNC Asheville Bulldogs*No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 10 Ohio State BuckeyesNo. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. No. 15 Cleveland State Vikings*
A month ago, even just making the NCAA tournament felt like a bit of a long shot for Louisville. But after nine straight wins, including needle-movers against North Carolina, Clemson, Pittsburgh and SMU, the Cardinals are now dreaming about just how high they can climb. As of now, Louisville doesn't have another Quad 1 game left in the regular season, which means fewer opportunities for big wins but a chance to stack victories while teams around them lose.
Headed in the other direction is Gonzaga, which has lost consecutive WCC games for the first time in nearly a decade. Predictive metrics love the Bulldogs, but the résumé is underwhelming and big early wins over Baylor, San Diego State and Indiana don't look as impressive as they used to. The Bulldogs could trend closer to the bubble if they can't right the ship quickly.
What Is March Madness: The NCAA Tournament Explained
March Madness is one of the most anticipated and watched events in all of sports. Here's everything you need to know about the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, which has been played since 1939.
What is March Madness?The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams that compete in seven rounds for the national championship. The penultimate round is known as the Final Four, when (you guessed it) only four teams are left.
What (and when) is Selection Sunday?Selection Sunday is the day when the Selection Committee reveals the full NCAA tournament bracket, including all teams and all seeds. We update this article every year with information on when Selection Sunday is and how to watch the bracket reveal.
When is this year's March Madness men's tournament?Here is the full schedule for this season's 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Here was the game-by-game schedule for the 2024 men's tournament:
2024 NCAA tournament schedule, scores, highlightsTuesday, March 19 (First Four in Dayton, Ohio)
Wednesday, March 20 (First Four in Dayton, Ohio)
Thursday, March 21 (Round of 64)
Friday, March 22 (Round of 64)
Saturday, March 23 (Round of 32)
Sunday, March 24 (Round of 32)
Thursday, March 28 (Sweet 16)
Friday, March 29 (Sweet 16)
Saturday, March 30 (Elite Eight)
Sunday, March 31 (Elite Eight)
Saturday, April 6 (Final Four)
Monday, April 8 (National championship game)
Where can I get an NCAA bracket?You can click or tap here to get a printable .PDF of the NCAA bracket. It will open in a new tab or window. You can also go here to see the official interactive bracket.
When did March Madness start?The first NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was in 1939 and was held every year until the 2019-20 season. The event was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
How has the tournament changed since 1939?The inaugural tournament had just eight teams, and saw Oregon beat Ohio State 46-33 for the title:
In 1951, the field doubled to 16, and kept expanding over the next few decades until 1985, when the modern format of a 64-team tournament began. In 2001, after the Mountain West Conference joined Division I and received an automatic bid, pushing the total teams to 65, a single game was added prior to the first round. In 2011, three more teams were added, and with them, three more games to round out the First Four.
Where did the term "March Madness" come from?March Madness was first used to refer to basketball by an Illinois high school official, Henry V. Porter, in 1939, but the term didn't find its way to the NCAA tournament until CBS broadcaster Brent Musburger (who used to be a sportswriter in Chicago) used it during coverage of the 1982 tournament. The term has been synonymous with the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament ever since.
How are the teams selected?There are two ways that a team can earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. The 31 Division I conferences all receive an automatic bid, which they each award to the team that wins the postseason conference tournament. Regardless of how a team performed during the regular season, if they are eligible for postseason play and win their conference tournament, they receive a bid to the NCAA tournament. These teams are known as automatic qualifiers.
The second avenue for an invitation is an at-large bid. The selection committee (more on them in a second) convenes on Selection Sunday, after all regular season and conference tournament games are played, and decides which 37 teams that are not automatic qualifiers have the pedigree to earn an invitation to the tournament.
What is the March Madness selection committee?The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Committee is responsible for selecting, seeding and bracketing the field for the NCAA tournament. School and conference administrators are nominated by their conference, serve five-year terms and represent a cross-section of the Division I membership.
How do they decide which teams get an at-large bid?There are a multitude of stats and rankings that the Selection Committee takes into account, but there is no set formula that determines whether a team receives an at-large bid or not.
What happens once the teams are selected?Once the field of 68 is finalized, each team is assigned a seed and placed in one of four regions, which determines their first round matchups and their path to the championship.
What are seeds?The NCAA men's basketball tournament is made up of 68 teams. On Selection Sunday, before any tournament game is played, those teams are ranked 1 through 68 by the Selection Committee, with the best team in college basketball — based on regular season and conference tournament performance — sitting at No. 1. Four of those teams are eliminated in the opening round of the tournament (known as the First Four), leaving us with a field of 64 for the first round.
Those 64 teams are split into four regions of 16 teams each, with each team being ranked 1 through 16. That ranking is the team's seed.
In order to reward better teams, first-round matchups are determined by pitting the top team in the region against the bottom team (No. 1 vs. No. 16). Then the next highest vs. The next lowest (No. 2 vs. No. 15), and so on. In theory, this means that the 1 seeds have the easiest opening matchup in the bracket.
How to watch March Madness:Every March Madness game will be broadcast on either TBS, TNT, TruTV or CBS. You can also stream every game on March Madness Live.
How can you participate in March Madness?By filling out a bracket! The Bracket Challenge Game, the official bracket game of the NCAA, will open immediately after the committee announces the field on Selection Sunday. The brackets will lock before the first game of the first round begins, so get your picks in before then. How hard is filling out a bracket? Well no one has ever gotten a perfect bracket, but that shouldn't stop you from trying.
What are the odds of a perfect bracket?You can see how we arrived at those numbers in this article, first written in 2018 by NCAA.Com's Daniel Wilco.
Who has won every NCAA tournament?Since the tournament's inception, no team has won more than UCLA, which has 11 — 10 of which came a span of 12 years from 1964 to 1975.
Here is the list of every men's basketball national championship since the NCAA tournament first started in 1939:
YEAR CHAMPION (RECORD) COACH SCORE RUNNER-UP SITE TITLE GAME REPLAYS/HIGHLIGHTS 2024 UConn (37-3) Dan Hurley 75-60 Purdue Glendale, Ariz. Watch the full game 2023 Connecticut (31-8) Dan Hurley 76-59 San Diego State Houston, Tex. Watch the full game 2022 Kansas (34-6) Bill Self 72-69 North Carolina New Orleans, La. Watch the full game 2021 Baylor (28-2) Scott Drew 86-70 Gonzaga Indianapolis, Ind. Watch the full game 2020 Canceled due to COVID-19 -- -- -- -- -- 2019 Virginia (35-3) Tony Bennett 85-77 (OT) Texas Tech Minneapolis, Minn. Watch the full game 2018 Villanova (36-4) Jay Wright 79-62 Michigan San Antonio, Tex. Watch the full game 2017 North Carolina (33-7) Roy Williams 71-65 Gonzaga Phoenix, Ariz. Watch the full game 2016 Villanova (35-5) Jay Wright 77-74 North Carolina Houston, Texas Watch the full game 2015 Duke (35-4) Mike Krzyzewski 68-63 Wisconsin Indianapolis, Ind. Watch the full game 2014 Connecticut (32-8) Kevin Ollie 60-54 Kentucky Arlington, Texas Watch the full game 2013 Louisville (35-5)* Rick Pitino 82-76 Michigan Atlanta, Ga. 2012 Kentucky (38-2) John Calipari 67-59 Kansas New Orleans, La. Watch the full game 2011 Connecticut (32-9) Jim Calhoun 53-41 Butler Houston, Texas Watch the full game 2010 Duke (35-5) Mike Krzyzewski 61-59 Butler Indianapolis, Ind. Watch the full game 2009 North Carolina (34-4) Roy Williams 89-72 Michigan State Detroit, Mich. Watch the full game 2008 Kansas (37-3) Bill Self 75-68 (OT) Memphis San Antonio, Texas Watch the full game 2007 Florida (35-5) Billy Donovan 84-75 Ohio State Atlanta, Ga. Watch the full game 2006 Florida (33-6) Billy Donovan 73-57 UCLA Indianapolis, Ind. Watch the full game 2005 North Carolina (33-4) Roy Williams 75-70 Illinois St. Louis, Mo. 2004 Connecticut (33-6) Jim Calhoun 82-73 Georgia Tech San Antonio, Texas 2003 Syracuse (30-5) Jim Boeheim 81-78 Kansas New Orleans, La. Watch the full game 2002 Maryland (32-4) Gary Williams 64-52 Indiana Atlanta, Ga. 2001 Duke (35-4) Mike Krzyzewski 82-72 Arizona Minneapolis, Minn. Watch the full game 2000 Michigan State (32-7) Tom Izzo 89-76 Florida Indianapolis, Ind. 1999 Connecticut (34-2) Jim Calhoun 77-74 Duke St. Petersburg, Fla. Watch the full game 1998 Kentucky (35-4) Tubby Smith 78-69 Utah San Antonio, Texas Watch the full game 1997 Arizona (25-9) Lute Olson 84-79 (OT) Kentucky Indianapolis, Ind. Watch the full game 1996 Kentucky (34-2) Rick Pitino 76-67 Syracuse East Rutherford, N.J. 1995 UCLA (31-2) Jim Harrick 89-78 Arkansas Seattle, Wash. 1994 Arkansas (31-3) Nolan Richardson 76-72 Duke Charlotte, N.C. Watch the full game 1993 North Carolina (34-4) Dean Smith 77-71 Michigan New Orleans, La. Watch the full game 1992 Duke (34-2) Mike Krzyzewski 71-51 Michigan Minneapolis, Minn. Watch the full game 1991 Duke (32-7) Mike Krzyzewski 72-65 Kansas Indianapolis, Ind. Watch the full game 1990 UNLV (35-5) Jerry Tarkanian 103-73 Duke Denver, Colo. Watch the full game 1989 Michigan (30-7) Steve Fisher 80-79 (OT) Seton Hall Seattle, Wash. 1988 Kansas (27-11) Larry Brown 83-79 Oklahoma Kansas City, Mo. 1987 Indiana (30-4) Bob Knight 74-73 Syracuse New Orleans, La. Watch the full game 1986 Louisville (32-7) Denny Crum 72-69 Duke Dallas, Texas 1985 Villanova (25-10) Rollie Massimino 66-64 Georgetown Lexington, Ky, Watch the full game 1984 Georgetown (34-3) John Thompson 84-75 Houston Seattle, Wash. Watch the full game 1983 North Carolina State (26-10) Jim Valvano 54-52 Houston Albuquerque, N.M. Watch the full game 1982 North Carolina (32-2) Dean Smith 63-62 Georgetown New Orleans, La. Watch the full game 1981 Indiana (26-9) Bob Knight 63-50 North Carolina Philadelphia, Pa. 1980 Louisville (33-3) Denny Crum 59-54 UCLA Indianapolis, Ind. Watch the full game 1979 Michigan State (26-6) Jud Heathcote 75-64 Indiana State Salt Lake City, Utah Watch the full game 1978 Kentucky (30-2) Joe Hall 94-88 Duke St. Louis, Mo. 1977 Marquette (25-7) Al McGuire 67-59 North Carolina Atlanta, Ga. 1976 Indiana (32-0) Bob Knight 86-68 Michigan Philadelphia, Pa. Watch the full game 1975 UCLA (28-3) John Wooden 92-85 Kentucky San Diego, Calif. 1974 North Carolina State (30-1) Norm Sloan 76-64 Marquette Greensboro, N.C. 1973 UCLA (30-0) John Wooden 87-66 Memphis State St. Louis, Mo. 1972 UCLA (30-0) John Wooden 81-76 Florida State Los Angeles, Calif. 1971 UCLA (29-1) John Wooden 68-62 Villanova Houston, Texas 1970 UCLA (28-2) John Wooden 80-69 Jacksonville College Park, Md. 1969 UCLA (29-1) John Wooden 92-72 Purdue Louisville, Ky. 1968 UCLA (29-1) John Wooden 78-55 North Carolina Los Angeles, Calif. 1967 UCLA (30-0) John Wooden 79-64 Dayton Louisville, Ky. Watch the full game 1966 UTEP (28-1) Don Haskins 72-65 Kentucky College Park, Md. Watch the full game 1965 UCLA (28-2) John Wooden 91-80 Michigan Portland, Ore. 1964 UCLA (30-0) John Wooden 98-83 Duke Kansas City, Mo. 1963 Loyola (Ill.) (29-2) George Ireland 60-58 (OT) Cincinnati Louisville, Ky. 1962 Cincinnati (29-2) Ed Jucker 71-59 Ohio State Louisville, Ky. 1961 Cincinnati (27-3) Ed Jucker 70-65 (OT) Ohio State Kansas City, Mo. 1960 Ohio State (25-3) Fred Taylor 75-55 California Daly City, Calif. 1959 California (25-4) Pete Newell 71-70 West Virginia Louisville, Ky. Watch the full game 1958 Kentucky (23-6) Adolph Rupp 84-72 Seattle Louisville, Ky. 1957 North Carolina (32-0) Frank McGuire 54-53 (3OT) Kansas Kansas City, Mo. 1956 San Francisco (29-0) Phil Woolpert 83-71 Iowa Evanston, Ill. 1955 San Francisco (28-1) Phil Woolpert 77-63 LaSalle Kansas City, Mo. 1954 La Salle (26-4) Ken Loeffler 92-76 Bradley Kansas City, Mo. 1953 Indiana (23-3) Branch McCracken 69-68 Kansas Kansas City, Mo. 1952 Kansas (28-3) Phog Allen 80-63 St. John's Seattle, Wash. 1951 Kentucky (32-2) Adolph Rupp 68-58 Kansas State Minneapolis, Minn. 1950 CCNY (24-5) Nat Holman 71-68 Bradley New York, N.Y. 1949 Kentucky (32-2) Adolph Rupp 46-36 Oklahoma A&M Seattle, Wash. 1948 Kentucky (36-3) Adolph Rupp 58-42 Baylor New York, N.Y. 1947 Holy Cross (27-3) Doggie Julian 58-47 Oklahoma New York, N.Y. 1946 Oklahoma State (31-2) Henry Iba 43-40 North Carolina New York, N.Y. 1945 Oklahoma State (27-4) Henry Iba 49-45 NYU New York, N.Y. 1944 Utah (21-4) Vadal Peterson 42-40 (OT) Dartmouth New York, N.Y. 1943 Wyoming (31-2) Everett Shelton 46-34 Georgetown New York, N.Y. 1942 Stanford (28-4) Everett Dean 53-38 Dartmouth Kansas City, Mo. 1941 Wisconsin (20-3) Bud Foster 39-34 Washington State Kansas City, Mo. 1940 Indiana (20-3) Branch McCracken 60-42 Kansas Kansas City, Mo. 1939 Oregon (29-5) Howard Hobson 46-33 Ohio State Evanston, Ill.*Louisville's participation in the 2013 tournament was later vacated by the Committee on Infractions.
March Madness glossary:The Madness of March isn't just confined to what happens on the basketball court. When discussing teams, there are a bevy of statistics, terms, and acronyms thrown out. There's a team's NET rankings and BPI. The SOS and the SOR. The automatic bid and the at-large bid. It can be a bit daunting.
Maybe you've never heard of any of these, maybe you just need a quick refresher. Either way, we've compiled a list of the 29 most helpful terms when dealing with the NCAA tournament. These are stats and phrases that the Selection Committee will use to determine the field, and understanding what they mean can go a long way in helping you make informed decisions while filling out your bracket.
At-large bid — Teams that receive a bid to the NCAA tournament are broken into two categories: At-large bids, and automatic bids. The selection committee hands out 37 at-large bids to teams that did not win their conference tournament, but impressed the committee enough to earn a trip to the tournament. There is no limit on the number of at-large teams the committee may select from one conference.
Automatic bid — In Division I, there are 31 conferences. Each has its own conference tournament at the conclusion of the regular season. Teams that win this tournament, regardless of their regular-season performance, automatically earn a trip to the NCAA tournament.
AP ranking – The Associated Press has been ranking the top basketball teams since 1948. In its current form, the poll ranks the top 25 teams in Division I via a ranking that is compiled from the ballots of 65 sports journalists across the country. The ranking has no official weight in the selection process, and even a No. 1 ranking in the AP poll does not technically guarantee a team a bid to the NCAA tournament. View the current AP rankings here.
BPI — College Basketball's Power Index, invented by ESPN, is a statistic that measures how far above or below average every team is, and projects how well the team will do going forward. The index uses two measurements to do this: BPI Offense (measure of a team's offensive strength compared to an average offense) and BPI Defense (measure of a team's defensive strength compared to an average defense). BPI is calculated by finding the difference between these two measurements. View the current BPI rankings here.
The bubble — A team that is "on the bubble" for the NCAA tournament is one whose qualification for the tournament could go either way. They're on the verge of making the field of 68, but an invitation isn't guaranteed.
Cinderella — Much like the titular character from the fairy tale, a Cinderella team is one that is much more successful than expected. Examples in March would be Villanova's 1985 championship run, when the eighth-seeded Wildcats became the lowest seeded team to ever win the title, knocking off the heavy favorite Georgetown.
Defensive efficiency — A simple statistic that calculates the points allowed per 100 defensive possessions. For example, if Team A's opponent scored 80 points in a game with 75 possessions, Team A's defensive efficiency would be 106.7. View current defensive efficiency rankings here.
Elite Eight — The fourth round of the tournament, when just eight teams remain, is known as the Elite Eight. This round is the final game for each regional, before the four winners move on to the national semifinal, known as the Final Four.
Final Four — The fifth round of the tournament, when just four teams remain, is known as the Final Four. This is the penultimate round of the tournament, when the winners of each regional face off for a chance to play in the championship game.
First Four — When the NCAA tournament was expanded to 68 teams, a new round was added to the format: The First Four. Four games, played on the Tuesday and Wednesday after Selection Sunday determine which of eight teams advance to the first round of the tournament.
First four out — When ranking all 68 teams in the NCAA tournament, the First Four Out fall in spots 69-72. These teams will not make the NCAA tournament, but will be the top-seeded teams in the NIT Championship.
Last four in — Another unofficial term, the "last four in" refers to the final four teams that receive at-large bids to the tournament. These are teams that are usually on the bubble as Selection Sunday draws near.
NET — NCAA Evaluation Tool was a new ranking in 2018-19 that relies on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses. The ranking replaces RPI as the main sorting tool for the selection committee. Some of the unique aspects of the NET include the omission of game date and order (to give equal importance to both early and late-season games), and the inclusion of a cap of 10 points for winning margin (to prevent teams needlessly running up the score in a game where the outcome was certain).
Offensive efficiency — Points scored per 100 offensive possessions. For example, if a team scored 95 points in a game with 85 possessions, their offensive efficiency would be 115.9. View current offensive efficiency rankings here.
Pace/Tempo — An estimate of the number of possessions a team has per regulation (40 minutes).
Per-40 stats — A reference used to compare two or more players who do not play the same amount of minutes per game. It is measured by taking each statistic, dividing it by the minutes played per game, and then multiplying it by 40 — a full regulation game. For example, if Player A scores an average of 20 points in 30 minutes of play, his points per-40 would be 26.7.
POM — Kenpom.Com, run by Ken Pomeroy, is a website devoted to advanced basketball statistics. The site gives an overall rating to each Division I team throughout the season based on a multitude of advanced metrics. The Selection Committee uses these rankings to help evaluate teams.
Quadrants (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) — In order to determine the strength of a team's wins or losses, the selection committee divides the team's record into four quadrants on each team sheet. The quadrants are meant to serve as an indicator of how good a team's wins are, or how bad their losses are. Each quadrant is divided based on a combination of the location of the game — Home (H), Neutral court (N), or Away (A) — and the opponent's NET ranking.
Regional — The NCAA tournament bracket is split into four regionals. The South, East, West, and Midwest. The first four rounds of the tournament are played in regionals, with the Elite Eight serving as the regional championship game. Teams are assigned a regional based on a combination of factors, such as overall seed, proximity to the regional, the other teams in that regional, and more.
Seed — 68 teams earn bids to the NCAA tournament, and each one receives a seed — from 1 to 16 —that determines where the team will be placed in the bracket. After the First Four, there are four of every seed. The seeds are also ranked overall from 1 to 68. This overall ranking affects the order in which team locations are selected (with higher-ranked teams getting preference), and which teams play in the First Four (the four lowest-seeded at-large teams and the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers go to the First Four).
Selection committee —The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Committee is responsible for selecting, seeding and bracketing the field for the NCAA Tournament. School and conference administrators are nominated by their conference, serve five-year terms and represent a cross-section of the Division I membership.
Selection Sunday — The day everyone waits for, when the Selection Committee announces the tournament field. This year, Selection Sunday is March 16.
Strength of record — From ESPN: "Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team's W-L record is to achieve. SOR reflects the chance a typical 25th ranked team would have team's record or better, given the schedule on a 0 to 100 scale, where 100 is best."
Strength of schedule — Strength of Schedule (or SoS) measures the difficulty of a team's schedule, based on the win percentage of the team's opponents.
Sweet 16 — The third round of the tournament, where only 16 teams remain. The winner of each game will play in the Elite Eight.
Team sheet — A one-page document for every team in Division I that helps the committee get a complete picture of that team's performance during the season. The team sheets contain in-depth team information about strength of schedule, performance against top-50 teams and home/road records.
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