March Madness is in full effect Complete NCAA Tournament brackets released! NBC Sports takes you region-by-region through all the best storylines, matchups and Cinderella picks from the 2026 arena.
Midwest Region Brackets
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC/Howard University
No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 St. Louis
No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra
No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio)/SMU
No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State
No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State
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Meet the No. 1 Seed: Michigan State
Wolverines haven’t looked the same since linebacker LJ Carson Down with a torn cruciate ligament. They were able to reach the Big Ten Tournament finals, but they didn’t beat other teams like they did earlier in the season. Ultimately, Purdue defeated them en route to its second straight conference title.
Still, the Wolverines will remain the favorite in the area. They remain one of the biggest and most fearsome front lines in college basketball Axel Landenburg, Moretz Johnson Jr. and Adai Marathe pillar of the country’s top national defense Ken Bohm. Even without Carson, Elliot Cardo, Trey McEnany, Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gale Is a strong guard rotation.
Biggest Challenger: No. 2 Iowa State University
The Cyclones have a stellar defense of their own, ranking fourth in the country. They are also one of eight teams with a net rating of over 30 and are a clear candidate to be the fourth No. 1 seed heading to Florida State.
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It will be interesting to see a potential Elite Eight matchup between Iowa State and Michigan State. The Cyclones themselves are big and physical, and they play at a much slower pace than Michigan does. If they can slow the game down and play it their way, they’ll have a good chance of making the Final Four.
Potential Cinderella: No. 10 Santa Clara
Despite playing in a weaker conference, Santa Clara actually has a higher offensive ranking than every team in the bottom half of the region (except Iowa State) — then, Santa Clara is just two spots behind (23rd vs. 21st). All of these teams struggle offensively at times, and the Broncos can take advantage of that.
Ranking in the top 30 in both turnover margin and 3-point field goal attempts means Santa Clara can win the math game in a necessary way to close the gap on more talented teams. The Broncos won’t be put off facing elite opponents, as they share a conference with Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s University.
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Storylines to watch: Miami (Ohio) vs. SMU What’s the outcome of the First Four game?
Miami (Ohio) has certainly been one of the stories of the season. After going 31-0 in the regular season, the Redhawks were eliminated in the first round of the MAC Tournament, fueling discussions about whether they should be in the running for an at-large bid.
Here they are now, and their reward is facing an SMU team that has one of the most impactful offensive players in the country at guard Bubbie Miller. The NCAA Tournament often involves the top four teams advancing to the round of 32, and Tennessee will be on edge no matter which team makes it out of Dayton.
