NCAA Bracket 2026 Favorites and Cinderella Teams for Men's March Madness

Selection Sunday is in the books for the 2026 men's NCAA tournament. 

Some teams have dominated all season and landed at the top of the bracket with little surprise, while others punched their tickets with upset wins and enter March Madness hoping to spark a Cinderella run.

Duke and Arizona have been among the favorites to win the NCAA men's basketball tournament for much of the season and enter the field as two of the four No. 1 seeds, with Duke securing the No. 1 overall seed.

But for those who like to take risks, filling out brackets with underdogs and surprises, some may pencil in a few other teams alongside NAME and NAME as potential contenders to win it all.

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Favorite: Duke 

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Duke dominated the ACC this season, finishing 17-1 in conference play. Its lone conference loss came against the University of North Carolina, with the Blue Devils' only other defeat this season coming against Texas Tech. 

Duke closed the year on an 11-game winning streak, capped by a 74-70 win over No. 10 Virginia in the ACC championship game.

With Naismith Player of the Year frontrunner Cameron Boozer at the helm — leading the team in points, rebounds and assists — Duke enters the tournament with plenty of momentum. Alongside his twin brother Cayden Boozer and standout guard Isaiah Evans, the young Blue Devils squad is hungry to make a deep run in the Big Dance.

Duke opens the tournament against No. 16 Siena. With a win, the Blue Devils would then face the winner of No. 8 Ohio State or No. 9 TCU in the second round for a trickier matchup.

Their first major test could come in a potential Elite Eight matchup against No. 2 UConn. The teams did not meet during the regular season, but Duke's dominance and youthful energy could be enough to challenge the 2023 and 2024 champions.

Favorite: Arizona 

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Arizona closed the season on a nine-game winning streak after opening the year as the nation's hottest team with 23 straight victories before stumbling with back-to-back losses to Kansas and Texas Tech.

The Wildcats have thrived with a balanced approach, rarely relying on one player to carry the load as all five starters averaged double figures this season.

Arizona capped its run with a 79-74 victory over Houston in the Big 12 championship game after finishing 16-2 in conference play.

Arizona faces a tough path in the West Region, with a potential second-round matchup against No. 4 Arkansas and SEC Player of the Year Darius Acuff Jr.

However, Arizona's depth gives the Wildcats an edge against anyone in the West, including a possible Elite Eight clash with red-hot No. 2 Purdue, which knocked off Michigan in the Big Ten championship game.

Cinderella: Miami (Ohio)

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The Miami RedHawks turned heads all season, opening the year with a perfect 31-0 record before suffering a stunning loss to UMass in the first round of the MAC tournament.

Miami will essentially have a home-court atmosphere in Dayton as one of the First Four teams, where it will face SMU. The winner advances to take on No. 6 Tennessee.

The Midwest Region features two of the First Four teams and could be considered one of the more open sections of the bracket.

A Cinderella run would still be a tall task for Miami. The RedHawks could run into No. 3 Virginia in the second round and potentially Iowa State in the Sweet 16.

The biggest challenge, but a very possible barrier to overcome for Miami, could come against Michigan later in the bracket, though the Wolverines showed some vulnerability after being upset by Purdue in the Big Ten championship game.

Cinderella: VCU

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The Atlantic 10 Champions VCU Rams land in a tough South Region that features defending champion Florida and a strong Houston squad.

The No. 11 seed opens the tournament against North Carolina, which fell to Clemson in the ACC quarterfinals and will be without star freshman Caleb Wilson. Wilson, who led the team in all major statistical categories, is out for the season with a broken right thumb.

A win over North Carolina would set up a favorable second-round matchup against either No. 3 Illinois — which ended the season on a 4-5 skid — or No. 14 Penn.

However, a potential Sweet 16 matchup with Houston would present the biggest hurdle in VCU's Cinderella hopes.