# 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

The 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2017–18 season. The 80th annual edition of the tournament began on March 13, 2018, and concluded with the championship game on April 2, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
During the first round, UMBC became the first 16-seed to defeat a 1-seed in the men's tournament by defeating Virginia 74–54. For the first time in tournament history, all four top-seeded teams in a single region (the South) failed to make the Sweet 16. The tournament also featured the first regional final matchup of a 9-seed (Kansas State) and an 11-seed (Loyola–Chicago).
Villanova (returning after their 2016 national championship), Michigan (making their first appearance since their runner-up finish in 2013), Kansas (returning after their runner-up finish in 2012), and Loyola–Chicago (the "Cinderella team" of the tournament, and the fourth 11-seed to reach the Final Four, after VCU in 2011), all reached the Final Four. Villanova defeated Michigan in the championship game, 79–62.
The 2018 tournament was the first time since 1978 that none of the six Division I college basketball-playing schools based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area – American, Georgetown, George Mason, George Washington, Howard, and Maryland – made the NCAA tournament.
Atlantic Sun Conference champion Lipscomb made its NCAA tournament debut.

## Tournament procedure

A total of 68 teams entered the 2018 tournament. 32 automatic bids were awarded, one to each program that won their conference tournament. The remaining 36 bids were "at-large", with selections extended by the NCAA Selection Committee.
Eight teams (the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams) played in the First Four (the successor to what had been popularly known as "play-in games" through the 2010 tournament). The winners of these games advanced to the main draw of the tournament.
The Selection Committee seeded the entire field from 1 to 68.

## Schedule and venues

The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2018 tournament:
First Four
* March 13 and 14
** University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio (Host: University of Dayton)
First and second rounds
* March 15 and 17
** PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Host: Duquesne University)
** Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kansas (Host: Wichita State University)
** American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas (Host: Big 12 Conference)
** Taco Bell Arena, Boise, Idaho (Host: Boise State University)
* March 16 and 18
** Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina (Host: University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
** Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan (Host: University of Detroit Mercy)
** Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee (Host: Ohio Valley Conference)
** Viejas Arena, San Diego, California (Host: San Diego State University)
Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)
* March 22 and 24
** West Regional, Staples Center, Los Angeles, California (Host: Pepperdine University)
** South Regional, Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia (Host: Georgia Institute of Technology)
* March 23 and 25
** East Regional, TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts (Host: Boston College)
** Midwest Regional, CenturyLink Center Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska (Host: Creighton University)
National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship)
* March 31 and April 2
** Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas (Host: University of Texas at San Antonio)
The state of North Carolina was threatened with a 2018-2022 championship venue boycott by the NCAA, due to the HB2 law passed in 2016. However, the law was repealed (but with provisos) days before the NCAA met to make decisions on venues in April 2017. At that time, the NCAA board of governors "reluctantly voted to allow consideration of championship bids in North Carolina by our committees that are presently meeting". Therefore, Charlotte was eligible and served as a first weekend venue for the 2018 tournament.

## Qualification and selection

Four teams, out of 351 in Division I, were ineligible to participate in the 2018 tournament due to failing to meet APR requirements: Alabama A&M, Grambling State, Savannah State, and Southeast Missouri State. However, the NCAA granted the Savannah State Tigers a waiver which would have allowed the team to participate in the tournament, but the team failed to qualify.

### Automatic qualifiers

The following 32 teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2018 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's automatic bid.
| Conference | Team | Record | Appearance | Last bid |
| America East | UMBC | 24–10 | 2nd | 2008 |
| American | Cincinnati | 30–4 | 32nd | 2017 |
| Atlantic 10 | Davidson | 21–11 | 14th | 2015 |
| ACC | Virginia | 31–2 | 22nd | 2017 |
| ASUN | Lipscomb | 23–9 | 1st | Never |
| Big 12 | Kansas | 27–7 | 47th | 2017 |
| Big East | Villanova | 30–4 | 38th | 2017 |
| Big Sky | Montana | 26–7 | 11th | 2013 |
| Big South | Radford | 22–12 | 3rd | 2009 |
| Big Ten | Michigan | 28–7 | 28th | 2017 |
| Big West | Cal State Fullerton | 20–11 | 3rd | 2008 |
| CAA | College of Charleston | 26–7 | 5th | 1999 |
| Conference USA | Marshall | 24–10 | 6th | 1987 |
| Horizon League | Wright State | 25–9 | 3rd | 2007 |
| Ivy League | Penn | 24–8 | 24th | 2007 |
| MAAC | Iona | 20–13 | 13th | 2017 |
| MAC | Buffalo | 26–8 | 3rd | 2016 |
| MEAC | North Carolina Central | 19–15 | 3rd | 2017 |
| Missouri Valley | Loyola–Chicago | 28–5 | 6th | 1985 |
| Mountain West | San Diego State | 22–10 | 12th | 2015 |
| Northeast | LIU Brooklyn | 18–16 | 7th | 2013 |
| Ohio Valley | Murray State | 26–5 | 16th | 2012 |
| Pac-12 | Arizona | 27–7 | 35th | 2017 |
| Patriot League | Bucknell | 25–9 | 8th | 2017 |
| SEC | Kentucky | 24–10 | 58th | 2017 |
| Southern | UNC Greensboro | 27–7 | 3rd | 2001 |
| Southland | Stephen F. Austin | 28–6 | 5th | 2016 |
| SWAC | Texas Southern | 15–19 | 8th | 2017 |
| Summit League | South Dakota State | 28–6 | 5th | 2017 |
| Sun Belt | Georgia State | 24–10 | 4th | 2015 |
| West Coast | Gonzaga | 30–4 | 21st | 2017 |
| WAC | New Mexico State | 28–5 | 24th | 2017 |

### Tournament seeds

The tournament seeds were determined through the NCAA basketball tournament selection process. The seeds and regions were determined as follows:
South Regional, Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
| 1 | Virginia | ACC | 31–2 | Auto | 1 |
| 2 | Cincinnati | American | 30–4 | Auto | 8 |
| 3 | Tennessee | SEC | 25–8 | At-large | 10 |
| 4 | Arizona | Pac-12 | 27–7 | Auto | 16 |
| 5 | Kentucky | SEC | 24–10 | Auto | 17 |
| 6 | Miami (FL) | ACC | 22–9 | At-large | 22 |
| 7 | Nevada | Mountain West | 27–7 | At-large | 27 |
| 8 | Creighton | Big East | 21–11 | At-large | 30 |
| 9 | Kansas State | Big 12 | 22–11 | At-large | 34 |
| 10 | Texas | Big 12 | 19–14 | At-large | 39 |
| 11 | Loyola–Chicago | Missouri Valley | 28–5 | Auto | 46 |
| 12 | Davidson | Atlantic 10 | 21–11 | Auto | 48 |
| 13 | Buffalo | MAC | 26–8 | Auto | 51 |
| 14 | Wright State | Horizon | 25–9 | Auto | 57 |
| 15 | Georgia State | Sun Belt | 24–10 | Auto | 60 |
| 16 | UMBC | America East | 24–10 | Auto | 63 |
West Regional, Staples Center, Los Angeles, California :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
| 1 | Xavier | Big East | 28–5 | At-large | 4 |
| 2 | North Carolina | ACC | 25–10 | At-large | 5 |
| 3 | Michigan | Big Ten | 28–7 | Auto | 11 |
| 4 | Gonzaga | WCC | 30–4 | Auto | 15 |
| 5 | Ohio State | Big Ten | 24–8 | At-large | 20 |
| 6 | Houston | American | 26–7 | At-large | 23 |
| 7 | Texas A&M | SEC | 20–12 | At-large | 25 |
| 8 | Missouri | SEC | 20–12 | At-large | 32 |
| 9 | Florida State | ACC | 20–11 | At-large | 38 |
| 10 | Providence | Big East | 21–13 | At-large | 35 |
| 11 | San Diego State | Mountain West | 22–10 | Auto | 45 |
| 12 | South Dakota State | Summit League | 28–6 | Auto | 49 |
| 13 | UNC Greensboro | Southern | 27–7 | Auto | 52 |
| 14 | Montana | Big Sky | 26–7 | Auto | 56 |
| 15 | Lipscomb | Atlantic Sun | 23–9 | Auto | 59 |
| 16* | North Carolina Central | MEAC | 19–15 | Auto | 67 |
| 16* | Texas Southern | SWAC | 15–19 | Auto | 68 |
East Regional, TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
| 1 | Villanova | Big East | 30–4 | Auto | 2 |
| 2 | Purdue | Big Ten | 28–6 | At-large | 7 |
| 3 | Texas Tech | Big 12 | 24–9 | At-large | 12 |
| 4 | Wichita State | American | 25–7 | At-large | 14 |
| 5 | West Virginia | Big 12 | 24–10 | At-large | 18 |
| 6 | Florida | SEC | 20–12 | At-large | 21 |
| 7 | Arkansas | SEC | 23–11 | At-large | 26 |
| 8 | Virginia Tech | ACC | 21–11 | At-large | 31 |
| 9 | Alabama | SEC | 19–15 | At-large | 36 |
| 10 | Butler | Big East | 20–13 | At-large | 33 |
| 11* | St. Bonaventure | Atlantic 10 | 25–7 | At-large | 42 |
| 11* | UCLA | Pac-12 | 21–11 | At-large | 41 |
| 12 | Murray State | Ohio Valley | 26–5 | Auto | 50 |
| 13 | Marshall | Conference USA | 24–10 | Auto | 54 |
| 14 | Stephen F. Austin | Southland | 28–6 | Auto | 58 |
| 15 | Cal State Fullerton | Big West | 20–11 | Auto | 61 |
| 16* | LIU Brooklyn | NEC | 18–16 | Auto | 66 |
| 16* | Radford | Big South | 22–12 | Auto | 65 |
Midwest Regional, CenturyLink Center Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
| 1 | Kansas | Big 12 | 27–7 | Auto | 3 |
| 2 | Duke | ACC | 26–7 | At-large | 6 |
| 3 | Michigan State | Big Ten | 29–4 | At-large | 9 |
| 4 | Auburn | SEC | 25–7 | At-large | 13 |
| 5 | Clemson | ACC | 23–9 | At-large | 19 |
| 6 | TCU | Big 12 | 21–11 | At-large | 24 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | Atlantic 10 | 25–7 | At-large | 28 |
| 8 | Seton Hall | Big East | 21–11 | At-large | 29 |
| 9 | NC State | ACC | 21–11 | At-large | 37 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | Big 12 | 18–13 | At-large | 40 |
| 11* | Arizona State | Pac-12 | 20–11 | At-large | 43 |
| 11* | Syracuse | ACC | 20–13 | At-large | 44 |
| 12 | New Mexico State | WAC | 28–5 | Auto | 47 |
| 13 | College of Charleston | CAA | 26–7 | Auto | 53 |
| 14 | Bucknell | Patriot | 25–9 | Auto | 55 |
| 15 | Iona | MAAC | 20–13 | Auto | 62 |
| 16 | Penn | Ivy League | 24–8 | Auto | 64 |
*See First Four

## Regional brackets

All times are listed as Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)

### First Four – Dayton, Ohio

The First Four games involved eight teams: the four overall lowest-ranked teams, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams.
| March 13 – East Region | March 13 – East Region | March 13 – East Region |
| 16 | LIU Brooklyn | 61 |
| 16 | Radford | 71 |
| March 13 – East Region | March 13 – East Region | March 13 – East Region |
| 11 | St. Bonaventure | 65 |
| 11 | UCLA | 58 |
| March 14 – West Region | March 14 – West Region | March 14 – West Region |
| 16 | Texas Southern | 64 |
| 16 | North Carolina Central | 46 |
| March 14 – Midwest Region | March 14 – Midwest Region | March 14 – Midwest Region |
| 11 | Syracuse | 60 |
| 11 | Arizona State | 56 |

### South Regional – Atlanta, Georgia

| First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 22 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 22 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 22 | | Regional final Elite 8 March 24 | Regional final Elite 8 March 24 | Regional final Elite 8 March 24 |
| 1 | Virginia | 54 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | UMBC | 74 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | UMBC | 74 | 16 | UMBC | 43 | | | | | | | |
| Charlotte – Fri/Sun | Charlotte – Fri/Sun | Charlotte – Fri/Sun | 16 | UMBC | 43 | | | | | | | |
| Charlotte – Fri/Sun | Charlotte – Fri/Sun | Charlotte – Fri/Sun | 9 | Kansas State | 50 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Creighton | 59 | 9 | Kansas State | 50 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Kansas State | 69 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Kansas State | 69 | | | | 9 | Kansas State | 61 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | Kentucky | 58 | | | | |
| 5 | Kentucky | 78 | | | | | | | 5 | Kentucky | 58 | | | | |
| 12 | Davidson | 73 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Davidson | 73 | 5 | Kentucky | 95 | | | | | | | |
| Boise – Thu/Sat | Boise – Thu/Sat | Boise – Thu/Sat | 5 | Kentucky | 95 | | | | | | | |
| Boise – Thu/Sat | Boise – Thu/Sat | Boise – Thu/Sat | 13 | Buffalo | 75 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Arizona | 68 | 13 | Buffalo | 75 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Buffalo | 89 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Buffalo | 89 | | | | | | | | 9 | Kansas State | 62 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Loyola–Chicago | 78 |
| 6 | Miami (FL) | 62 | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Loyola–Chicago | 78 |
| 11 | Loyola–Chicago | 64 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Loyola–Chicago | 64 | 11 | Loyola–Chicago | 63 | | | | | | | |
| Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | 11 | Loyola–Chicago | 63 | | | | | | | |
| Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | 3 | Tennessee | 62 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Tennessee | 73 | 3 | Tennessee | 62 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Wright State | 47 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Wright State | 47 | | | | 11 | Loyola–Chicago | 69 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 7 | Nevada | 68 | | | | |
| 7 | Nevada | 87$^{OT}$ | | | | | | | 7 | Nevada | 68 | | | | |
| 10 | Texas | 83 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Texas | 83 | 7 | Nevada | 75 | | | | | | | |
| Nashville – Fri/Sun | Nashville – Fri/Sun | Nashville – Fri/Sun | 7 | Nevada | 75 | | | | | | | |
| Nashville – Fri/Sun | Nashville – Fri/Sun | Nashville – Fri/Sun | 2 | Cincinnati | 73 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Cincinnati | 68 | 2 | Cincinnati | 73 | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Georgia State | 53 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### South Regional Final

* TBS
* March 24 6:09 pm EDT
* Box score
#11 Loyola–Chicago Ramblers 78, #9 Kansas State Wildcats 62 :
| Scoring by half: 36–24, 42–38 |||
| Pts: B. Richardson – 23 Rebs: D. Ingram – 8 Asts: C. Custer – 5 | Pts: X. Sneed – 16 Rebs: X. Sneed – 6 Asts: K. Stokes – 4 |
* Philips Arena – Atlanta, GA Attendance: 15,477 Referees: Gerry Pollard, Terry Wymer, Bert Smith

#### South Regional all tournament team

* Ben Richardson (Sr, Loyola–Chicago) – South Regional most outstanding player
* Clayton Custer (Jr, Loyola–Chicago)
* Donte Ingram (Sr, Loyola–Chicago)
* Xavier Sneed (So, Kansas State)
* Barry Brown Jr. (Jr, Kansas State)

### West Regional – Los Angeles, California

| First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 22 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 22 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 22 | | Regional final Elite 8 March 24 | Regional final Elite 8 March 24 | Regional final Elite 8 March 24 |
| 1 | Xavier | 102 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Texas Southern | 83 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Texas Southern | 83 | 1 | Xavier | 70 | | | | | | | |
| Nashville – Fri/Sun | Nashville – Fri/Sun | Nashville – Fri/Sun | 1 | Xavier | 70 | | | | | | | |
| Nashville – Fri/Sun | Nashville – Fri/Sun | Nashville – Fri/Sun | 9 | Florida State | 75 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Missouri | 54 | 9 | Florida State | 75 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Florida State | 67 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Florida State | 67 | | | | 9 | Florida State | 75 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Gonzaga | 60 | | | | |
| 5 | Ohio State | 81 | | | | | | | 4 | Gonzaga | 60 | | | | |
| 12 | South Dakota State | 73 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | South Dakota State | 73 | 5 | Ohio State | 84 | | | | | | | |
| Boise – Thu/Sat | Boise – Thu/Sat | Boise – Thu/Sat | 5 | Ohio State | 84 | | | | | | | |
| Boise – Thu/Sat | Boise – Thu/Sat | Boise – Thu/Sat | 4 | Gonzaga | 90 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Gonzaga | 68 | 4 | Gonzaga | 90 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | UNC Greensboro | 64 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | UNC Greensboro | 64 | | | | | | | | 9 | Florida State | 54 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Michigan | 58 |
| 6 | Houston | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Michigan | 58 |
| 11 | San Diego State | 65 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | San Diego State | 65 | 6 | Houston | 63 | | | | | | | |
| Wichita – Thu/Sat | Wichita – Thu/Sat | Wichita – Thu/Sat | 6 | Houston | 63 | | | | | | | |
| Wichita – Thu/Sat | Wichita – Thu/Sat | Wichita – Thu/Sat | 3 | Michigan | 64 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Michigan | 61 | 3 | Michigan | 64 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Montana | 47 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Montana | 47 | | | | 3 | Michigan | 99 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 7 | Texas A&M | 72 | | | | |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 73 | | | | | | | 7 | Texas A&M | 72 | | | | |
| 10 | Providence | 69 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Providence | 69 | 7 | Texas A&M | 86 | | | | | | | |
| Charlotte – Fri/Sun | Charlotte – Fri/Sun | Charlotte – Fri/Sun | 7 | Texas A&M | 86 | | | | | | | |
| Charlotte – Fri/Sun | Charlotte – Fri/Sun | Charlotte – Fri/Sun | 2 | North Carolina | 65 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | North Carolina | 84 | 2 | North Carolina | 65 | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Lipscomb | 66 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### West Regional Final

* TBS
* March 24 5:49 pm PDT
* Box score
#9 Florida State Seminoles 54, #3 Michigan Wolverines 58 :
| Scoring by half: 26–27, 28–31 |||
| Pts: P. Cofer - 16 Rebs: P. Cofer - 11 Asts: B. Angola, T. Mann, T. Forrest - 2 | Pts: C. Matthews – 17 Rebs: C. Matthews – 8 Asts: Z. Simpson – 5 |
* Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA Attendance: 19,665 Referees: Randy McCall, Keith Kimble, John Gaffney

#### West Regional all tournament team

* Charles Matthews (So, Michigan) – West Regional most outstanding player
* Moritz Wagner (Jr, Michigan)
* Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (Sr, Michigan)
* Phil Cofer (Sr, Florida State)
* Terance Mann (Jr, Florida State)

### East Regional – Boston, Massachusetts

| First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 23 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 23 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 23 | | Regional final Elite 8 March 25 | Regional final Elite 8 March 25 | Regional final Elite 8 March 25 |
| 1 | Villanova | 87 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Radford | 61 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Radford | 61 | 1 | Villanova | 81 | | | | | | | |
| Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | 1 | Villanova | 81 | | | | | | | |
| Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | 9 | Alabama | 58 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Virginia Tech | 83 | 9 | Alabama | 58 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Alabama | 86 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Alabama | 86 | | | | 1 | Villanova | 90 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | West Virginia | 78 | | | | |
| 5 | West Virginia | 85 | | | | | | | 5 | West Virginia | 78 | | | | |
| 12 | Murray State | 68 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Murray State | 68 | 5 | West Virginia | 94 | | | | | | | |
| San Diego – Fri/Sun | San Diego – Fri/Sun | San Diego – Fri/Sun | 5 | West Virginia | 94 | | | | | | | |
| San Diego – Fri/Sun | San Diego – Fri/Sun | San Diego – Fri/Sun | 13 | Marshall | 71 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Wichita State | 75 | 13 | Marshall | 71 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Marshall | 81 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Marshall | 81 | | | | | | | | 1 | Villanova | 71 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Texas Tech | 59 |
| 6 | Florida | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Texas Tech | 59 |
| 11 | St. Bonaventure | 62 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | St. Bonaventure | 62 | 6 | Florida | 66 | | | | | | | |
| Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | 6 | Florida | 66 | | | | | | | |
| Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | 3 | Texas Tech | 69 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Texas Tech | 70 | 3 | Texas Tech | 69 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Stephen F. Austin | 60 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Stephen F. Austin | 60 | | | | 3 | Texas Tech | 78 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Purdue | 65 | | | | |
| 7 | Arkansas | 62 | | | | | | | 2 | Purdue | 65 | | | | |
| 10 | Butler | 79 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Butler | 79 | 10 | Butler | 73 | | | | | | | |
| Detroit – Fri/Sun | Detroit – Fri/Sun | Detroit – Fri/Sun | 10 | Butler | 73 | | | | | | | |
| Detroit – Fri/Sun | Detroit – Fri/Sun | Detroit – Fri/Sun | 2 | Purdue | 76 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Purdue | 74 | 2 | Purdue | 76 | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Cal State Fullerton | 48 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### East Regional Final

* CBS
* March 25 2:20 pm EDT
* Box score
#3 Texas Tech Red Raiders 59, #1 Villanova Wildcats 71 :
| Scoring by half: 23–36, 36–35 |||
| Pts: K. Evans – 12 Rebs: J. Gray – 9 Asts: K. Evans - 4 | Pts: J. Brunson – 15 Rebs: E. Paschall – 14 Asts: J. Brunson – 4 |
* TD Garden – Boston, MA Attendance: 19,169 Referees: Terry Oglesby, Mike Reed, Michael Stephens

#### East Regional all tournament team

* Jalen Brunson (Jr, Villanova) – East Regional most outstanding player
* Omari Spellman (Fr, Villanova)
* Eric Paschall (Jr, Villanova)
* Carsen Edwards (So, Purdue)
* Keenan Evans (Sr, Texas Tech)

### Midwest Regional – Omaha, Nebraska

| First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | First round Round of 64 March 15–16 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Second round Round of 32 March 17–18 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 23 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 23 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 23 | | Regional final Elite 8 March 25 | Regional final Elite 8 March 25 | Regional final Elite 8 March 25 |
| 1 | Kansas# | 76 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Penn | 60 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Penn | 60 | 1 | Kansas# | 83 | | | | | | | |
| Wichita – Thu/Sat | Wichita – Thu/Sat | Wichita – Thu/Sat | 1 | Kansas# | 83 | | | | | | | |
| Wichita – Thu/Sat | Wichita – Thu/Sat | Wichita – Thu/Sat | 8 | Seton Hall | 79 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Seton Hall | 94 | 8 | Seton Hall | 79 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | NC State | 83 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | NC State | 83 | | | | 1 | Kansas# | 80 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | Clemson | 76 | | | | |
| 5 | Clemson | 79 | | | | | | | 5 | Clemson | 76 | | | | |
| 12 | New Mexico State | 68 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | New Mexico State | 68 | 5 | Clemson | 84 | | | | | | | |
| San Diego – Fri/Sun | San Diego – Fri/Sun | San Diego – Fri/Sun | 5 | Clemson | 84 | | | | | | | |
| San Diego – Fri/Sun | San Diego – Fri/Sun | San Diego – Fri/Sun | 4 | Auburn | 53 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Auburn | 62 | 4 | Auburn | 53 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | College of Charleston | 58 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | College of Charleston | 58 | | | | | | | | 1 | Kansas# | 85$^{OT}$ |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Duke | 81 |
| 6 | TCU | 52 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Duke | 81 |
| 11 | Syracuse | 57 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Syracuse | 57 | 11 | Syracuse | 55 | | | | | | | |
| Detroit – Fri/Sun | Detroit – Fri/Sun | Detroit – Fri/Sun | 11 | Syracuse | 55 | | | | | | | |
| Detroit – Fri/Sun | Detroit – Fri/Sun | Detroit – Fri/Sun | 3 | Michigan State | 53 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Michigan State | 82 | 3 | Michigan State | 53 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Bucknell | 78 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Bucknell | 78 | | | | 11 | Syracuse | 65 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Duke | 69 | | | | |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 83$^{OT}$ | | | | | | | 2 | Duke | 69 | | | | |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 78 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 78 | 7 | Rhode Island | 62 | | | | | | | |
| Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | 7 | Rhode Island | 62 | | | | | | | |
| Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | 2 | Duke | 87 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Duke | 89 | 2 | Duke | 87 | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Iona | 67 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Midwest Regional Final

* CBS
* March 25 4:05 pm CDT
* Box score
#2 Duke Blue Devils 81, #1 Kansas Jayhawks 85 (OT) :
| Scoring by half: 36–33, 36–39 Overtime: 9–13 |||
| Pts: T. Duval – 20 Rebs: M. Bagley III – 10 Asts: T. Duval – 6 | Pts: M. Newman – 32 Rebs: S. Mykhailiuk, S. De Sousa – 10 Asts: D. Graham - 6 |
* CenturyLink Center Omaha – Omaha, NE Attendance: 17,579 Referees: Roger Ayers, Doug Sirmons, Jeffrey Anderson

#### Midwest Regional all tournament team

* Malik Newman (So, Kansas) – Midwest Regional most outstanding player
* Trevon Duval (Fr, Duke)
* Gabe DeVoe (Sr, Clemson)
* Marvin Bagley III (Fr, Duke)
* Devonte' Graham (Sr, Kansas)
* Gary Trent Jr. (Fr, Duke)

## Final Four

During the Final Four round, regardless of the seeds of the participating teams, the champion of the top overall top seed's region (Virginia's South Region) plays against the champion of the fourth-ranked top seed's region (Xavier's West Region), and the champion of the second overall top seed's region (Villanova's East Region) plays against the champion of the third-ranked top seed's region (Kansas' Midwest Region).

### Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas

| National Semifinals Final Four Saturday, March 31 | National Semifinals Final Four Saturday, March 31 | National Semifinals Final Four Saturday, March 31 | National Championship Game Monday, April 2 | National Championship Game Monday, April 2 | National Championship Game Monday, April 2 |
| S11 | Loyola–Chicago | 57 | | | |
| W3 | Michigan | 69 | | | |
| W3 | Michigan | 69 | W3 | Michigan | 62 |
| | | | E1 | Villanova | 79 |
| E1 | Villanova | 95 | E1 | Villanova | 79 |
| MW1 | Kansas# | 79 | | | |
# — Kansas vacated 15 wins, including all NCAA tournament wins from the 2017–18 season after an investigation into the eligibility of Silvio De Sousa. Unlike forfeiture, a vacated game does not result in the other school being credited with a win, only with Kansas removing the wins from its own record.

#### National semifinals

* TBS
* March 31 5:09 pm CDT
* Box score
#S11 Loyola–Chicago Ramblers 57, #W3 Michigan Wolverines 69 :
| Scoring by half: 29–22, 28–47 |||
| Pts: Cameron Krutwig – 17 Rebs: Donte Ingram – 9 Asts: Donte Ingram – 2 | Pts: Moritz Wagner – 24 Rebs: Moritz Wagner – 15 Asts: Zavier Simpson – 3 |
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 68,257 Referees: Roger Ayers, Mike Roberts, Terry Oglesby
* TBS
* March 31 7:49 pm CDT
* Box score
#MW1 Kansas Jayhawks 79, #E1 Villanova Wildcats 95 :
| Scoring by half: 32–47, 47–48 |||
| Pts: Devonte' Graham – 23 Rebs: Malik Newman – 8 Asts: Devonte' Graham, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk – 3 | Pts: Eric Paschall – 24 Rebs: Omari Spellman – 13 Asts: Phil Booth, Jalen Brunson – 6 |
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 68,257 Referees: Randy McCall, Michael Stephens, Kipp Kissinger

#### National Championship

* TBS
* April 2 8:20 pm CDT
* Box score
#W3 Michigan Wolverines 62, #E1 Villanova Wildcats 79 :
| Scoring by half: 28–37, 34–42 |||
| Pts: M. Abdur-Rahkman – 23 Rebs: Moritz Wagner – 7 Asts: Zavier Simpson – 2 | Pts: D. DiVincenzo – 31 Rebs: Omari Spellman – 11 Asts: D. DiVincenzo – 3 |
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 67,831 Referees: Doug Sirmons, Terry Wymer, Jeffrey Anderson

#### Final Four all-tournament team

* Donte DiVincenzo (So, Villanova) – Final Four Most Outstanding Player
* Mikal Bridges (Jr, Villanova)
* Jalen Brunson (Jr, Villanova)
* Eric Paschall (Jr, Villanova)
* Moritz Wagner (Jr, Michigan)

## Game summaries and tournament notes
### Upsets

Per the NCAA, "Upsets are defined as when the winner of the game was seeded five or more places lower than the team it defeated." The 2018 tournament saw a total of 11 upsets; 5 of them were in the first round, 5 of them were in the second round, and one of them was in the Sweet Sixteen.
| Round | South | West | East | Midwest |
| First round | No. 16 UMBC defeated No. 1 Virginia, 74–54No. 13 Buffalo defeated No. 4 Arizona, 89–68No. 11 Loyola Chicago defeated No. 6 Miami (FL), 64–62 | None | No. 13 Marshall defeated No. 4 Wichita State, 81–75 | No. 11 Syracuse defeated No. 6 TCU, 57–52 |
| Second Round | No. 11 Loyola Chicago defeated No. 3 Tennessee, 63–62No. 7 Nevada defeated No. 2 Cincinnati, 75–73 | No. 9 Florida State defeated No. 1 Xavier, 75–70No. 7 Texas A&M defeated No. 2 North Carolina, 86–65 | None | No. 11 Syracuse defeated No. 3 Michigan State, 55–53 |
| Sweet 16 | None | No. 9 Florida State defeated No. 4 Gonzaga, 75–60 | None | None |
| Elite 8 | None | None | None | None |

## Record by conference

| Conference | Bids | Record | Win % | R64 | R32 | S16 | E8 | F4 | CG | NC |
| Big East | 6 | 9–5 | .643 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Big Ten | 4 | 9–4 | .692 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
| Big 12 | 7 | 12–7 | .632 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | – |
| Missouri Valley | 1 | 4–1 | .800 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| ACC | 9 | 12–9 | .571 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – |
| WCC | 1 | 2–1 | .667 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| SEC | 8 | 8–8 | .500 | 8 | 6 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Mountain West | 2 | 2–2 | .500 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| American | 3 | 2–3 | .400 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Atlantic 10 | 3 | 2–3 | .400 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| America East | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| C-USA | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| MAC | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Big South | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| SWAC | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pac-12 | 3 | 0–3 | .000 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
* The R64, R32, S16, E8, F4, CG, and NC columns indicate how many teams from each conference were in the round of 64 (first round), round of 32 (second round), Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, championship game, and national champion, respectively.
* The "Record" column includes wins in the First Four for the ACC, Atlantic 10, Big South, and SWAC conferences and two losses in the First Four for the Pac-12 conference.
* The MEAC and NEC conferences each had one representative, eliminated in the First Four with a record of 0–1.
* The Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big West, CAA, Horizon, Ivy League, MAAC, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Summit, Sun Belt and WAC conferences each had one representative, eliminated in the first round with a record of 0–1.
The Pac-12 lost all of its teams after the first day of the main tournament draw, marking the first time since the Big 12 began play in 1996 that one of the six major conferences—defined as the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC, and both versions of the Big East—failed to have a team advance to the tournament's round of 32.

## Media coverage
### Television

CBS Sports and Turner Sports had U.S. television rights to the Tournament under the NCAA March Madness brand. As part of a cycle beginning in 2016, TBS held the rights to the Final Four and to the championship game.
For the first time, TBS held the rights to the Selection Show, which expanded into a two-hour format, was presented in front of a studio audience, and promoted that the entire field of the tournament would be unveiled within the first ten minutes of the broadcast. However, this entailed the 68-team field (beginning with automatic qualifiers, followed by at-large teams) being revealed in alphabetical order, and not by bracket matchups (which was done later in the show). The new format was criticized for lacking suspense, and the show also faced criticism for technical issues, as well as a segment containing product placement for Pizza Hut.

#### Television channels

* First Four – TruTV
* First and second rounds – CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV
* Regional semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) – CBS and TBS
* National semifinals (Final Four) and championship – TBS

#### Studio hosts

* Greg Gumbel (New York City and San Antonio) – first round, second round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
* Ernie Johnson Jr. (New York City, Atlanta, and San Antonio) – first round, second round, regional semi-finals, Final Four and national championship game
* Casey Stern (Atlanta) – First Four, first round and second round
* Adam Zucker (New York) – first round and second round (game breaks)

#### Studio analysts

* Charles Barkley (New York City and San Antonio) – first round, second round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
* Seth Davis (Atlanta and San Antonio) – First Four, first round, second round, regional semi-finals, Final Four and national championship game
* Brendan Haywood (Atlanta and San Antonio) – First Four, first round, second round, regional semi-finals and Final Four
* Clark Kellogg (New York City and San Antonio) – first round, second round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
* Gregg Marshall (Atlanta) – regional semi-finals
* Frank Martin (Atlanta) – second round
* Candace Parker (Atlanta and San Antonio) – First Four, first round, second round, regional semi-finals and Final Four
* Kenny Smith (New York City and San Antonio) – first round, second round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
* Wally Szczerbiak (New York City) – second round
* Brad Underwood (Atlanta) – first round
* Christian Laettner (San Antonio) – Final Four
* Danny Manning (San Antonio) – Final Four
* Kris Jenkins (San Antonio) – Final Four

#### Commentary teams

* Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill/Tracy Wolfson – first and second rounds at Charlotte, North Carolina; Midwest Regional at Omaha, Nebraska; Final Four and National Championship at San Antonio, Texas
* Brian Anderson/Chris Webber/Lisa Byington – first and second rounds at Boise, Idaho; South Regional at Atlanta, Georgia
* Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel/Allie LaForce – First Four at Dayton, Ohio (Wednesday); first and second rounds at Detroit, Michigan; East Regional at Boston, Massachusetts
* Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner/Dana Jacobson – first and second rounds at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; West Regional at Los Angeles, California
* Brad Nessler/Steve Lavin/Evan Washburn – first and second rounds at Wichita, Kansas
* Spero Dedes/Steve Smith/Len Elmore/Rosalyn Gold-Onwude – First Four at Dayton, Ohio (Tuesday); first and second rounds at Dallas, Texas
* Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas/Jamie Erdahl – first and second rounds at Nashville, Tennessee
* Carter Blackburn/Debbie Antonelli/John Schriffen – first and second rounds at San Diego, California

##### Team Stream broadcasts
###### Final Four

* Matt Park/Jay Feely/Dr. Sanjay Gupta – Michigan Team Stream on TNT
* Jeff Hagedorn/Jerry Harkness/Shams Charania – Loyola–Chicago Team Stream on truTV
* Dave Armstrong/Scot Pollard/Rob Riggle– Kansas Team Stream on TNT
* Scott Graham/Randy Foye/Kacie McDonnell – Villanova Team Stream on truTV

###### National championship game

* Matt Park/Jay Feely/Dr. Sanjay Gupta – Michigan Team Stream on TNT
* Scott Graham/Randy Foye/Kacie McDonnell – Villanova Team Stream on truTV

### Radio

Westwood One had exclusive radio rights to the entire tournament.

### Internet
#### Video

Live video of games was available for streaming through the following means:
* NCAA March Madness Live (website and app, no CBS games on digital media players; access to games on Turner channels requires TV Everywhere authentication through provider; 3 hour preview for Turner games is provided before authentication is required)
* CBS All Access (only CBS games, service subscription required)
* CBS Sports website and app (only CBS games)
* Bleacher Report website and Team Stream app (only Turner games, access requires subscription)
* Watch TBS website and app (only TBS games, requires TV Everywhere authentication)
* Watch TNT website and app (only TNT games, requires TV Everywhere authentication)
* Watch truTV website and app (only truTV games, requires TV Everywhere authentication)
* Websites and apps of cable, satellite, and OTT providers of CBS & Turner (access requires subscription)

#### Audio

Live audio of games was available for streaming through the following means:
* NCAA March Madness Live (website and app)
* Westwood One Sports website
* TuneIn (website and app)
* Websites and apps of Westwood One Sports affiliates