For the first time in the history of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, a 16-seed team has defeated a top seed. No. 16 seed UMBC dominated No. 1 seed Virginia 74-54 on Friday.

Friday's upset marks the first time in 136 games that a No. 1 seed lost in the first round. Not only was Virginia considered one of four No. 1 seeds in this year's NCAA Tournament, the Cavaliers were considered the top overall seed after a 31-2 season.

The average 1 seed wins their first-round matchup by 25 points.

Virginia's basketball program is no stranger to being part of major upsets. In 1982, No. 1-ranked Virginia lost to Chaminade, then a member of the NAIA. The upset spurred the annual Thanksgiving-week Maui Invitational tournament, hosted by Chaminade. </s> CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jairus Lyles couldn't suppress a smile, knowing that a school known more for chess than hoops had finally made it happen -- a 16 ousting a 1 in March Madness.

The University of Maryland-Baltimore County stunned the sports world by pulling off the most surprising upset in college basketball history, trouncing Virginia 74-54 on Friday night to become the first No. 16 seed ever to beat a No. 1 seed in the men's NCAA Tournament.

The Retrievers secured their underdog legacy in sports lore, alongside Buster Douglas, the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team and Joe Namath's Jets.

Virginia entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed after going 31-2 in the regular season, including 20-1 in ACC competition.

Frankly, the question wasn't whether the Cavaliers would win this game, but if they'd get to the Final Four and win it all.

But UMBC -- an afterthought for fans who filled out brackets -- didn't just beat Virginia, it dominated throughout the second half, dismantling the 20 1/2-point favorites by 20 points. UMBC scored 53 points in the second half -- 1 point shy of how many Virginia scored in the entire game.

Lyles scored 28, the Retrievers cruised and then raced off the floor together in their yellow-and-black uniforms, fingers pointed toward the ceiling to celebrate the victory.

"These are the moments that you dream of," Lyles said. "It's always exciting to make history."

In a chaotic UMBC locker room after the game, players shouted: "All brackets gone! No perfect brackets! Put that in the news!"

Others talked about the need for a 30 for 30 special.

UMBC's Jourdan Grant said it was hard to put his emotions into words.

"It felt like my soul left my body, man," Grant said. "When I walked over to the sideline and up in front of the sea of yellow of our fan section, they were going crazy with us. And to look back and see my teammates going crazy, too, man it's unbelievable."

A 77-72 stunner by NAIA team Chaminade over Ralph Sampson and No. 1-ranked Virginia in 1982 in Hawaii was generally considered the most remarkable upset in college basketball. But that was the regular season and almost nobody watched it as it actually played out.

This came when it mattered the most -- in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament were 135-0.

"Unbelievable -- it's really all you can say," said UMBC coach Ryan Odom, who grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, and whose father Dave Odom was a former assistant coach at UVA.

Before Friday night, UMBC was better known for making runs at a different Final Four -- in college chess.

Its powerhouse program gives scholarships to players from around the world and competed in the President's Cup, informally known as the Final Four of chess, for 15 straight years before the streak ended in 2016.

On the other side of the floor, there were tears as some Cavaliers players walked off with their jerseys over their eyes.

Virginia's Ty Jerome, when asked if he knew that a No. 16 seed had never beaten a No. 1 before in men's play, said: "I think everyone is aware of that."

"Thanks for bringing that up again, but I was aware of it," he said.

Virginia, playing without ACC sixth man of the year De'Andre Hunter, couldn't get anything generated on offense and the nation's top-ranked defense -- allowing only 53.4 points per game coming in -- couldn't contain the American East Conference champions who won their conference tournament at the buzzer.

The 74 points were the most Virginia had allowed this year -- and they had played powerhouses like Duke and North Carolina.

But UMBC shredded it.

The Retrievers shot 67.9 percent from the field in the second half and held Virginia to 42 percent after intermission.

"We got thoroughly outplayed and that's the reality of it," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said.

Lyles was the catalyst.

He diced up Virginia's defense in the second half, getting to the hole easily six different times to convert layups. He also knocked down a pair of 3-pointers as UMBC built a 16-point lead.

"I always let him play," Odom said. "I never hold him back. When he gets going like that if breeds confidence in other guys."

The game was tied at halftime, but the Retrievers came out confident and motivated in the second half and built a double-digit lead that Virginia could never erase.

Joe Sherburne, who had 14 points, was huge early in the second half and made believers out of everyone. He scored on an and-1 drive and then knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key after a behind-the-back pass from KJ Maura. After Virginia made a foul shot, the shifty 5-foot-8, 140-pound Maura drove the lane for uncontested layup.

A Tony Bennett timeout couldn't stop the bleeding, as Lyles hit two more 3's and Sherburne hit one more to extend UMBC's lead to 14 with about 15 minutes left.

And when Arkel Lamer made a 3-pointer from the corner with 3 1/2 minutes left to put UMBC up by 17 and backpedaled down the court with his tongue hanging out, you knew history was inevitable.

"We all wanted to be in the `One Shining Moment' video," Sherburne said.

It was yet another early exit for the Cavaliers in a season that seemed to hold so much promise. This was the fourth time in the last five seasons the Cavaliers have been either the No. 1 or 2 seed, but failed to reach the Final Four under Bennett.

Bennett said the Cavaliers had a historic season and then "a historic loss. That's life."

Instead of trying to chip away at the lead and pound the ball inside against the smaller Retrievers, Virginia repeatedly shot 3-pointers. Virginia missed 13 of its first 14 before getting hot for a brief stretch late in the game.

"Once we got down 8 or 10 we tried to make home run plays," Virginia's Kyle Guy said.

ONE OTHER TIME

In 1998, the No. 16 seed Harvard women beat top-seeded Stanford on the Cardinal's home floor.

UP NEXT

UMBC: Will face No. 9 seed Kansas State on Sunday in the second round.

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More AP college basketball: https://collegebasketball.ap.org ; https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 and https://www.podcastone.com/ap-sports-special-events </s> UMBC made sports history on Friday night by becoming the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The America East champions pulled off a shocking 74-54 upset over No. 1 seed Virginia in the South Region.

The Retrievers (25-10) not only made history by beating a No. 1 seed — they also knocked off the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament in dominating fashion. Tied at the half, UMBC jumped out to a double-digit lead and maintained its dominance throughout the second half by consistently knocking down three-pointers and keeping the pressure on.

Senior guard Jairus Lyle, the team’s hero in the America East title game, finished with 28 points to pace the Retrievers as he went 9-for-11 from the field. Joe Shurburne (14 points), Arkel Lamar (12 points) and K.J. Maura (10 points) also finished in double-figures for UMBC, as they extended its winning streak to six games.

Virginia (31-3) won the ACC regular season by four games. They took the league’s conference tournament as well. The Cavaliers were the most consistent team in college basketball this season. The Cavaliers lost sixth man DeAndre Hunter to the season with an injury earlier in the week. They were still a heavy favorite in this game.

But Virginia struggled to knock down three-pointers. It was clear Virginia started playing scared once the upset became apparent. And that’s how once of the biggest upsets in sports history went down. Sophomore guards Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome led Virginia with 15 points each.

Virginia shot only 41 percent (23-for-56) from the field and 19 percent (4-for-22) from three-point range as they couldn’t find consistent offense or a go-to player.

UMBC advances to battle No. 9 seed Kansas State in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats advanced earlier on Friday night with a balanced effort in a win over No. 8 seed Creighton. </s> CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Senior guard Jairus Lyles scored 28 points, and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County pulled off the most shocking upset in NCAA Tournament history, defeating Virginia 75-54 on Friday night to become the first No. 16 seed ever to beat a No. 1 seed.

Virginia entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed after going 31-2 this season, including 20-1 in ACC competition.

But the Cavaliers couldn’t get anything generated on offense and the nation’s top-ranked defense couldn’t contain American East Conference champions.

The 74 points were the most Virginia had allowed this year. </s> For the first time ever, a #16 seed has defeated a #1 seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, busting brackets across the globe.

Senior guard Jairus Lyles scored 28 points, and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County pulled off the most shocking upset in NCAA Tournament history, defeating Virginia 74-54 on Saturday.

Virginia entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed after going 31-2 this season, including 20-1 in ACC competition.

But the Cavaliers couldn’t get anything generated on offense and the nation’s top-ranked defense couldn’t contain American East Conference champions. The 74 points were the most Virginia had allowed this year.

He diced up Virginia’s defense in the second half, getting the hole easily on six different occasions and making easy layups. He also knocked down a pair of 3-pointers as UMBC built a 16-point lead.

Lyles finished with 23 of his points in the second half and Joe Sherburne finished with 14 points.

The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach tweeted, “Excuse the language, but this is unf***ingbelievable. Congrats to UMBC!”

All three Australians playing on Saturday bowed out of the tournament.

In TCU’s 57-52 loss to Syracuse, Kouat Noi finished with seven points and two rebounds.

Jacob Epperson and the Creighton Bluejays were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament with a 69-59 loss to Kansas State. Epperson posted two points and one rebounds off the bench.

Gabe Hadley didn’t get on the floor, in New Mexico State’s 79-68 loss to Clemson. He and his Aggies bow out of the tournament.

Admon Gilder scored 18 points to help Texas A&M hold off Providence.

Robert Williams and Tyler Davis both had double-doubles for the seventh-seeded Aggies (21-12). The teams were tied at 50 with about 9 minutes left but Texas A&M responded with a 12-2.

Purdue centre Isaac Haas broke his right elbow during a win over Cal State Fullerton and will miss the rest of the NCAA Tournament.

The 7-foot-2, 290-pound senior went down while taking a hard foul midway through the second half. Haas, who averaged 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, had nine points and 10 rebounds in the first-round victory.

The second-seeded Boilermakers (29-6) will play Butler on Sunday.

Jon Elmore scored 27 points and 13th-seeded Marshall toppled fourth-seeded Wichita State for its first NCAA Tournament victory.

The Thundering Herd (25-10) had been 0-5 in the tourney, with its last appearance in 1987.

Marshall became the second No. 13 seed to win this week. Buffalo did it Thursday night, beating Arizona.

Jarron Cumberland set career highs of 27 points and 11 rebounds as Cincinnati recovered after blowing a 10-point lead in the second half.

After trailing 42-32 early in the second half, 15th-seeded Georgia State (24-11) rallied to take a pair of one-point leads, its last one coming on a driving bank shot from D’Marcus Simonds with 9:30 left.

Kenny Williams scored 18 points and defending national champion North Carolina took its time before opening up to beat Lipscomb.

Theo Pinson had 15 points and flirted with a triple-double for the second-seeded Tar Heels (26-10). North Carolina next plays Texas A&M.

Playing for the first time in the NCAA tourney, the 15th-seeded Bisons (23-10) held an early six-point edge. They led 33-31 with under four minutes left in the first half before North Carolina went on a 12-1 run to take control by the break.

Kelan Martin scored 27 points and Kamar Baldwin added 24 to lift 10th-seeded Butler over seventh-seeded Arkansas.

The Bulldogs (21-13) raced to a 21-2 lead in the opening minutes. Although Arkansas wiped out that entire deficit before halftime, Butler took control again early in the second.

The Bulldogs now play an in-state rival, second-seeded Purdue.

Jevon Carter scored 21 points, had eight assists and six steals as No. 5 seed West Virginia overwhelmed 12th-seeded Murray State.

The Mountaineers (25-10) advanced to the round of 32 for the third time in the past four seasons. Next up for West Virginia is a Mountain State showdown with 13th-seeded Marshall far away from home.

Caleb Martin scored 18 points and made two huge 3-pointers in overtime as seventh-seeded Nevada rallied for its first NCAA Tournament victory since 2007.

Nevada (28-7) erased a 14-point, second-half deficit and tied it at 68 when Jordan Caroline hit one of two free throws with 3.8 seconds left in regulation. The Wolf Pack trailed by four early in an overtime period that featured 34 total points.

Barry Brown scored 18 points and ninth-seeded Kansas State never trailed despite playing without top scorer Dean Wade.

Mike McGuirl added 17 points for the Wildcats (23-11). Wade had been expected to play after suffering a stress fracture in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament, but never got on the floor.

Marcus Foster, thrown off the Kansas State team after the 2015 season for multiple violations of team rules, finished with five points on 2-of-11 shooting for Creighton (21-12).

Miles Bridges outlasted Zach Thomas, scoring 29 points and grabbing nine rebounds to help third-seeded Michigan State beat Bucknell.

Thomas fouled out on a technical with 6:06 left and finished with 27 points. He put on a show in the first half, scoring 20 points and making all three of his shots beyond the 3-point arc.

The Spartans (30-4) made the most of playing about 75 miles from campus.

Leading by 15 points with 2 minutes left, Michigan State won by a slim margin after Bucknell (25-10) made a late flurry of long-range shots.

The Xavier Musketeers survived a choppy game with more stops than starts thanks to too many fouls and free throws.

At the end, the Musketeers looked every bit like a No. 1 seed their first time around in the role at an NCAA Tournament.

J.P. Macura scored 18 of his career-high 29 points in the first half, and Xavier beat 16th-seeded Texas Southern 102-83 Friday night in their tournament opener in the West Region.

“It wasn’t aesthetically pleasing by any means, but we will play on Sunday,” Xavier coach Chris Mack said.

The Musketeers (29-5) will play either No. 9 seed Florida State or eighth-seeded Missouri on Sunday for a berth in the Sweet 16.

Trevon Bluiett added 26 points, and Kerem Kanter tied his career-high with 24 for the Big East’s regular season champs.



Jared Harper made a clutch 3-pointer with 1:17 to go — his only basket of the game — and Auburn held off No. 13 College of Charleston.

The Tigers (26-7) avoided being the second No. 4 seed to be upset at Viejas Arena. Marshall beat fourth-seeded Wichita State earlier in the day.

Auburn, playing under the cloud of a federal investigation, survived a poor shooting performance to win in its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003.

Jarrell Brantley scored 24 for the Cougars (26-8), the CAA champs who made their first NCAA Tournament since 1999.

Marek Dolezaj scored 17 points before fouling out and 11th-seeded Syracuse shut down sixth-seeded TCU for a 57-52 victory in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.

The Orange (22-13) won for the second time in the tournament and advanced to face third-seeded Michigan State on Sunday by holding off the Horned Frogs with another impressive defensive effort. Both teams shot under 40 percent from the field.

TCU (21-12) is still without an NCAA Tournament victory since 1987, when coach Jamie Dixon was a player. This was the school’s first appearance since 1998, and it was short-lived.

Ninth-seeded Florida State has lots of guys who can score, and the Seminoles used that depth to win their fourth straight NCAA Tournament opener.

Mfiondu Kabengele scored 14 points, and Florida State beat No. 8 seed Missouri 67-54 on Friday night in the West Region.

Florida State (21-11) will play No. 1 seed Xavier in the second round on Sunday.

PJ Savoy had 12 points and Phil Cofer scored 11. A total of 10 Seminoles scored at least two points apiece -- by halftime -- as they wore out Missouri, which had only eight healthy players available.

Shelton Mitchell scored a season-high 23 points, Gabe DeVoe had 22 and Clemson beat New Mexico State 79-68 on Friday night, closing out a perfect first round for No. 5 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

The 5-12 line is usually one of the top spots for March Madness upsets, but Clemson (24-9) shot 56 percent from the field while advancing out of the first round for the first time since 1997. It was the Tigers’ first win in the NCAA tourney since the First Four in 2011.

Clemson was nearly flawless at the offensive end against the 12th-seeded champions of the WAC. It made 9 of 11 shots during one stretch on its way to a 12-point lead at halftime.

Zach Lofton led New Mexico State (28-6) with 29 points and Jemerrio Jones had 13 points and 14 rebounds, but the Aggies had too many inconsistent stretches while the Tigers were so good at the offensive end. </s> You feel the frenzy building, rising, the hysteria of 135 failed versions finally bubbling over.

No. 16 seed UMBC was going to beat No. 1 seed Virginia, the first such occasion in the history of men’s college basketball.

That sentence has to be typed, just to make sure it actually happened. This was no far-fetched dream. It was no longer some hypothetical what-if scenario.

No – what happened inside Charlotte’s Spectrum Center on Friday night, a 74-54 Retrievers victory, will live forever.

“Historic game,” UMBC coach Ryan Odom said. “Unbelievable. So proud of these kids.”

But how did it happen? How did the best team in all of college basketball, the team with the glitzy seed and the drooling Vegas oddsmakers, succumb like this? No other No. 1 seed had ever lost to a No. 16 seed, and the team that spoiled that streak was one that needed a buzzer-beater to even qualify for this game?

You could tell from the outset that this wouldn’t be your run-of-the-mill beatdown of a lowly, lesser seed.

It all started with Virginia’s first possession.

But then there was a second miss. And then a third.

The Cavaliers eventually bullied their way into the paint for their first layup of the game, but that early going proved prescient – Virginia shot just 39.1 percent from the floor in the first half, not to mention 11.1 percent from 3-point range.

“I don't think there was any point in the game that we thought we couldn't play with them,” Retrievers senior Jairus Lyles said.

At the same time, UMBC wasn’t ceding to Virginia’s top-ranked defense. The Retrievers drove into the paint not recklessly but forcefully. Just enough to establish their will, to prove that they were serious about this upset bid (even if you’ll never hear them call it that).

In doing so, they found the cracks in Virginia’s pack-line.

And after halftime, they exploited the Cavaliers.

“When we were tied at 21 and we hadn't shot particularly well,” junior Joe Sherburne said, “we made some silly turnovers, then we felt there's no way we're not going to win this game. All we have to do is start hitting shots.”

UMBC built a quick seven-point advantage coming out of the intermission, at which point this was no normal underdog story. This was the stuff of legends, and that is in no way an exaggeration.

“We were up seven right away in the second half, and we were getting real excited on the bench but there was still like 16 minutes left in the second half,” Sherburne said. “I personally was trying to stay really level-headed and you know that they can come right back right away real quick because they're the No. 1 team in the country for a reason.”

But the whispers in the crowd had picked up a bit. The Virginia fans quieted. The UMBC fans did the opposite.

Suddenly that seven-point lead ballooned to 11, and eventually all the way up to 14. It was Virginia’s largest deficit in any game this season. The Retrievers were penetrating Virginia’s supposedly impenetrable defense, somehow avoiding those unavoidable double teams. Then they were knocking down shots, 67.9 percent of them in the second half, each more unexpected than the last.

The UMBC band played louder. Faster. It’s pace quickened to match the magnitude of the event – let’s just call it history, all right? – unfolding in front of thousands of pairs of eyes.

Spearheading it all was the same man who punched UMBC’s tournament ticket in the first place, Lyles. He knocked down 3-pointers, finished layups through contact. Even his floaters were falling, each one a tiny bit more of the sand escaping Virginia’s hourglass. He would finish with a game-high 28 points.

Virginia took some strides to come back, but they were all in vain. The Cavaliers we’ve watched dominate all season weren’t the same Cavaliers on the court Friday night.

“You feel for [Virginia],” Odom said. “But, certainly doesn't take away the happiness that I have for these guys right here. These guys have worked extremely hard to earn a moment like this.

“Just to go toe to toe with the No. 1 team in the country, I mean … unbelievable is all you can say.”

Give UMBC more credit than just for their play, too. The composure that takes not to panic, and to buckle, and to screw everything up? That might be more difficult than winning the game.

But still, there was doubt. Surely this can’t happen. Surely UMBC cannot be the team that will be written about for the rest of time, or at least as long as college basketball survives.

It was. It is. It will forever be. </s> On Friday night, UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to ever defeat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

MORE: Most humiliating first-round chokes in NCAA Tournament history

Here are some fast facts to know about the UMBC program.

UMBC, or University of Maryland Baltimore County, is a public research university in Baltimore, Md. UMBC competes in the America East Conference.

UMBC's mascot is a Retriever, more specifically a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Their student section is referred to as the Retriever Rowdies.

Ryan Odom is in his second year as head coach of the Retrievers. His father, Dave Odom, served as head coach of Wake Forest and South Carolina. Odom has lead UMBC to back-to-back 20-win seasons and its historic NCAA Tournament victory over Virginia.

2018 is UMBC's second tournament appearance, with its first coming in 2008. The No. 2 seed Retrievers fell 66-47 to No. 2 seed Georgetown.

The 2017-18 Retrievers feature four players that average double-digit scoring, including 2018 America East Defensive Player of the Year K.J. Maura, and First-Team All-America East guard Jairus Lyles.

At 20.2 points per game, Lyles is the Retrievers' leading scorer. Maura's 11.4 points per game is the team's second best.

UMBC sharpshooter Joe Sherburne (10.9 points per game) attended Brewster Academy (NH) from 2014-15, and played alongside Utah Jazz standout Donovan Mitchell. </s> Virginia was the pick to win the NCAA Tournament. An overwhelming number of people chose the Cavaliers to win it all. Both pundits and the everyday fan had them as their favorite.

But instead of becoming national champions, the Cavaliers became punchlines by becoming the first No. 1 seed in NCAA history to lose to a No. 16 seed in March Madness.

Virginia fell to UMBC 74-54 Friday bringing its season to an end. No. 1 seeds were 135-0 against No. 16 seeds coming into Friday. They're now 135-1.

That wasn't all the madness that took place Friday. Yet another No. 13 seed knocked off a No. 4 as Marshall handed Wichita State an 81-75 loss.

In Marshall's first appearance since 1987, Marshall sealed the deal with 36.2 remaining as they were up 78-75 with possession of the ball. They scored right off a time out taking the lead up to five and Wichita State wasn't able to recover.

The Thundering Herd had a strong 3-point game that simply couldn't be stopped by Wichita State's defense. Marshall shot 39 percent from the 3-point line compared to just 28 percent from Wichita State.

While Wichita State is out of the tournament, No. 7 seed Nevada just barely stayed alive and it wasn't without a big fight from No. 10 seed Texas as the game went into overtime.

Nevada walked away with an 87-83 victory after trailing much of the game and bounced back from a 14-point deficit in the second half. The overtime win came in large part due to senior guard Kendall Stephens who kept the Wolf Pack in the game with 22 points making all three of his free-throw attempts. Teammate Caleb Martin was unstoppable in overtime draining three triples.

The win marks the first time Nevada has won in the NCAA Tournament since 2007 (it was only its fifth tournament win in school history) while Texas has not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2014. The game also marks the first NCAA Tournament win for the Mountain West Conference since 2015.

Around the tournament, there were not any other big upsets early in the day as No. 7 seed Texas A&M defeated No. 10 seed Providence 73-69 while No. 2 Purdue took down CSU Fullerton in a 74-48 blowout. No. 2 Cincinnati stayed alive beating No. 15 seed Georgia State 68-53. No. 2 North Carolina beat No. 15 Lipscomb 84-66 while No. 5 West Virginia blew away No. 12 Murray State 85-68.

Kamar Baldwin and Kelan Martin helped lead No. 10 Butler to a 79-62 win over No. 7 Arkansas. Baldwin scored 24 points with nine rebounds and five assists, while Martin added 27 points and nine more rebounds. The Bulldogs also caught a break when next round's opponent, Purdue, lost center Isaac Haas for the remainder of the tournament with a fractured elbow.

Witchita State sophomore guard Landry Shamet finished with 11 points, but he was 0 of 7 from behind the 3-point line. In a game where Marshall overwhelmed with 3-pointers, Shamet not being able to sink them in proved to hurt the Shockers.

No. 7 seed Texas A&M closed out a 73-69 win over No. 10 seed Providence with one of the best dunks the tournament has seen yet. Sophomore forward Robert Williams pulled out all the stops with a windmill dunk in the last 40 seconds, securing the win and making the SEC 5-0 to begin the tournament.

After the game Williams told reporters, "I actually wanted to go through my legs with that one, but I didn't want coach to take me out."

Houston (27-7) vs. Michigan (29-17) 9:40 p.m. ET — The Wolverines are playing as good of basketball as anyone in the tournament right now, but Rob Gray is playingn like a man on fire for Houston. Who will be the one to come out on top? The hottest team or the man who simply can't miss? </s> It took 13 minutes of TBS's annoying "Price Is Right"-style selection show to "unveil" the 68-team NCAA tournament field Sunday night, during which several messages became clear. First, mid-majors need not bother playing difficult schedules early in the season because if you are from a so-called one-bid conference, a tough schedule and a first-place regular-season finish will get you nothing more than a home game in the NIT unless you win your conference tournament. Second, even though the West Coast Conference produced a team that played for the national title last season, the selection committee still considers it a one-bid league - unless Gonzaga fails to win the conference tournament. St. Mary's won 28 games and won at Gonzaga - and is headed to the NIT. Third, if there is any way at all to get Syracuse into the tournament, the committee will find it. Few fan bases travel better. Orange fans will even go to Dayton, Ohio. And fourth, the notion that losing a star player for a large chunk of the season but getting him back is taken into account is a myth. Ask Notre Dame, Mike Brey and Bonzie Colson. Then, finally, they got to the brackets. There will be plenty of enjoyable games here, but the last snip of net will end up in Tony Bennett's hands. This is Virginia's year — finally — to go back to the Final Four for the first time since 1984, the year after Ralph Sampson graduated. The Cavaliers teased a lot of teams during the regular season because their style will allow a good team to stay close. But you have to play a full 40 minutes; not even 39:59 will do, as Louisville can tell you in detail as it prepares for the NIT. The Cavaliers will open Friday in Charlotte against UMBC, one of the best stories in the tournament. The Retrievers are coached by Ryan Odom, who spent much of his boyhood in Charlottesville where his dad, Dave, was a Virginia assistant during the Sampson era. Odom took over at UMBC before last season, after the Retrievers had won 41 games in seven seasons combined. They have now won 45 in the past two, including Saturday's stunning upset of Vermont in the America East final. Jairus Lyles can score from anywhere, and 5-foot-6 point guard K.J. Maura is an absolute pest. If the Retrievers can make three-pointers, they can hang with the Cavaliers — just not for 40 minutes. The Cavaliers will get the Creighton-Kansas State winner, and that game won't be close. Sorry, Bluejays. At least you'll win a round. The matchups in Boise, Idaho, are fascinating. Kentucky may blow out Davidson or, if Peyton Aldridge and mates can somehow control the pace, they could make John Calipari's future NBA draft picks nervous. The winner almost certainly gets Arizona, although Buffalo's Nate Oats is a terrific coach. The selection committee was in wildcat mode when it put four in the same region: Kentucky, Davidson, Arizona, Kansas State. Cincinnati opens against Georgia State in Nashville and no doubt will pull for Nevada to beat Texas there. A Shaka Smart team in March can be very dangerous. Ask Kansas circa 2011. If there's one team Virginia might not want to play coming from the bottom of the bracket, it is Tennessee. The Volunteers are as athletic as Kentucky, and Rick Barnes has been an underrated coach for most of 30 years. It's sheer coincidence that the Vols are in the same region with Texas, where Barnes coached for 17 years. Miami against Loyola is a terrific first-round matchup and will be a popular upset pick. The Ramblers are in the tournament for the first time in 33 years, but it's tough to pick against Jim Larranaga facing a lower-seeded team with several days to prepare. Either team is capable of upsetting Tennessee after the Vols take care of Wright State. Who goes to Atlanta? Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas. Kentucky's speed and size against Virginia's discipline will be fascinating to watch - so would Arizona vs. Virginia if those Wildcats advance - and the winner of that game will go to San Antonio. The committee did Virginia no favors with this bracket but this is their time. I think.

One of the first questions asked on Selection Sunday is always this: Which of the No. 1 seeds is most vulnerable to an early upset? Usually everyone gets it wrong. This year's pick is Xavier, which probably bodes well for the Musketeers, who play with fire on an almost nightly basis. The final score is all that matters and Xavier was 28-5. But the Musketeers do appear beatable, no matter how good Trevon Bluiett may be. Plus, North Carolina may be the toughest No. 2 seed in the field. Carolina is 11-1 in the past two tournaments and is loaded with experience and a three-time national championship coach. Chicago Tribune writers make their predictions for the 2018 NCAA tournament. Xavier gets the North Carolina Central-Texas Southern winner in its opener in Nashville. The selection committee broke precedent by sending both champions from the conferences comprised of Historically Black Colleges and Universities to Dayton. Typically, it has been one or the other. Now, they have to face each other. Xavier should handle the winner. Xavier will face the Florida State-Missouri winner in the second round. The Seminoles have been less-than-sterling outside of Tallahassee this winter, but Missouri is the tournament's mystery team because no one knows how Michael Porter will play in his second, and perhaps last, college game. He has had quite a career so far. North Carolina will open against Lipscomb, which is in the tournament for the first time. The Tar Heels should handle either Texas A&M or Providence in the second round, although if you let the Friars hang around they can make your life miserable. The hottest team in this region is Michigan, which again won four games to win the Big Ten tournament and closed on a hot streak even before then. The Wolverines should handle Montana and Houston, a good team that ought to beat surprise Mountain West winner San Diego State. Michigan-North Carolina in the sweet 16 would be a rematch of a long ago sweet 16 game in which the Wolverines took out the Tar Heels. The year was 1989. Michigan went on to win the national title. It hasn't happened since. Xavier should make it to Los Angeles, if only because of a favorable draw. Waiting there will be Gonzaga or Ohio State. The Buckeyes were the surprise team in the Big Ten this season and probably were delighted when Penn State didn't make the field, because the Nittany Lions were responsible for three of their eight losses. The Buckeyes likely will have to get past Gonzaga — if the Zags can beat UNC-Greensboro (coached by Carolina alum Wes Miller). Mark Few lost two underclassmen to the NBA and two seniors from last year's national finalist and is stil 30-4. Man can coach. Either one of those teams will be tough for Xavier in the round of 16, but it says here the winner will come out of the Michigan-Carolina matchup. That skeptical prediction should make Chris Mack sleep much better this week. Villanova deservedly got the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament and a trip to Pittsburgh on the way to Boston as the top seed the East. Once they get through the Radford-LIU Brooklyn winner Thursday, the Wildcats will face the winner of Virginia Tech-Alabama. The Hokies beat Duke late in the season but almost no one else down the stretch, which is why they dropped to a No. 8 seed. Alabama didn't deserve to be in the field until it beat Auburn in the SEC tournament. The Crimson Tide's Collin Sexton is a star, but Virginia Tech's the better team. Wichita State, which never got much respect from the committee while in the Missouri Valley Conference, got a lot more coming out of the American Athletic Conference, getting the No. 4 seed. It should get past Marshall and then have a donnybrook against No. 5 seed West Virginia, which has one of the most underrated players in the country in Jevon Carter. He can guard almost anyone. Dallas also will be a fun place to be because whoever wins the UCLA-St. Bonaventure game in Dayton, Ohio — The Bonnies are in Dayton, but not Oklahoma? Seriously? — will make for an entertaining game against No. 6 seed Florida, a hot-and-cold team with the kind of guards a team needs to win in March. No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin is another school with tournament chops, and it will bring plenty of fans to Dallas to see it play No. 3 seed Texas Tech. Arkansas and Butler meet in Detroit to play No. 2 seed Purdue, which will handle Cal State Fullerton and should reach the round of 16 if only because Isaac Haas may be the world's largest human and he can play.

Villanova has to be the favorite in Boston — the Wildcats reached Jay Wright's first Final Four coming out of there in 2009 — but a game against West Virginia in the round of 16 would be memorable. Florida is the sleeper. It reached a regional final a year ago and has those guards and a good young coach in Mike White. The Gators are either very good or very bad. Purdue is just the opposite: solid and consistent. No doubt many would love to see Kansas and Duke meet in the Midwest Region final: Two blue-blood programs, two Hall of Fame coaches and, of course, college basketball's favorite villain, Grayson Allen. It's not going to happen. Kansas will play its first two games in Wichita, which isn't Allen Fieldhouse, but may feel like it to Penn on Thursday. The Quakers will run on the court, look around and say, "Toto, we're not in the Palestra anymore." Instead, they'll be in Kansas — playing Kansas. Not good. But having not played in the tournament since 2007, Penn will be very happy to be there — even if it will be for just a couple of hours. Kansas also should get past the winner of North Carolina State-Seton Hall in the second round. The Wolfpack is more dangerous but is also more apt to no-show against the Pirates. Duke gets to go to Pittsburgh to play Iona and, believe me, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski is happy to be somewhere other than Charlotte, where North Carolina fans show up to root against the Blue Devils. The selection committee apparently mixed up their Hurleys because the second-round matchup potentially will feature Rhode Island's Danny instead of Arizona State's Bobby, who helped Krzyzewski win two national titles a quarter-century ago. Rhode Island gets Trae Young in the first round. He will bring the rest of his Oklahoma teammates with him to Pittsburgh, though that hardly seems necessary. The Sooners are in the tournament for one reason: Young, who led the country in scoring and assists. The TV types can't lose in Pittsburgh's second round: It will either get Young vs. Duke's Marvin Bagley or Krzyzewski vs. Bobby Hurley's younger brother. Bobby Hurley himself, whose team faded badly after a soaring start, goes to Dayton to play Syracuse with the winner likely to beat TCU. Michigan State gets to go to Detroit but one wonders what Tom Izzo did to the committee. The Spartans were 29-4 and won the Big Ten regular season title. They should have been in play for a No. 1 seed but instead got dropped to a No. 3 and a first-round match against a veteran, well-coached Bucknell team. That game is not a walkover. If MSU reaches Omaha, it may run into Duke. Krzyzewki is 8-1 against his good friend Izzo. Still, this just doesn't feel like a Duke team that's going deep. There's the zone; there's the inconsistency; there's all that swirls around Allen, fairly or unfairly. Auburn has the talent to challenge Kansas if it gets past Clemson or New Mexico State in the second round. The Tigers are back in the tournament for the first time in seven years but were done no favors with a first-round game against the 28-win Aggies. Dark horse in the region? Rhode Island, which could take out Duke out in the second round. This feels like a Kansas-Michigan State final. Says here the Spartans are under-valued. The three best bets to win the 2018 NCAA tournament » Breaking down each region in the NCAA tournament: Teams, players and games to watch »
For the first time in the history of the Division I men's tournament, a #16 seed defeats a #1 seed, as UMBC shocks top overall seed Virginia 74–54.