Printable NCAA Bracket 2026 and Picks Advice for Men's Tournament
The bracket for the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament is strewn with intriguing matchups.
There are plenty of potential upset spots, as always, in the opening-round games played on Thursday and Friday.
It's about finding the right matchup for upsets to happen, though, instead of just blindly picking the No. 12 seeds to beat the No. 5 seeds.
At the top, the four No. 1 seeds could run the show. Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida have been in their own class for most of the season.
A printable NCAA tournament bracket can be found here on NCAA.com.
Click here to play the NCAA March Madness Men's Bracket Challenge.
Trust Akron as the Upset Pick
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A perfect storm is brewing for Akron to be the Cinderella team of the 2026 NCAA tournament.
Akron comes into the Big Dance on a 10-game winning streak in which scored over 70 points in every game. The Zips scored in the 90s on five occasions during that winning run.
The Zips face vulnerable No. 5 seed in Texas Tech in the opening round. Texas Tech is on a three-game losing streak and it hasn't looked the same since J.T. Toppin was ruled out for the season.
Six of Texas Tech's 10 losses have come since January 31 and it is coming off a 22-point loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals.
Akron could be dangerous against Alabama in the second round as well. Alabama suffered one of the worst Championship Week losses against an Ole Miss team that was the No. 15 seed in the SEC.
Alabama is capable of playing much better basketball, and maybe it'll be motivated by the loss to Ole Miss in the Big Dance, but if Akron can guard the three-point line well, it has a chance to slow down the Crimson Tide.
At minimum, Akron should knock off one power-conference foe. A second win would make the Zips the story of the tournament.
Ride A First Four Winner Into the Second Round
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You can't ignore a decades-long trend in the NCAA tournament.
At least one First Four winner has gone on to win at least one more game in the NCAA tournament in 12 of the 14 years since the First Four was introduced.
VCU in 2011 and UCLA in 2021 are the most notable First Four alumni.
Miami (Ohio), who holds a 31-1 record, will be the hot pick to come out of Dayton and cause some damage.
If the RedHawks beat SMU in Dayton, they would play a Tennessee team that lost four of its final six games.
The other set of No. 11 seeds playing in Dayton, Texas and NC State, could cause some damage against BYU.
BYU has one of the best freshmen in the country in A.J. Dybantsa, but the supporting cast is much weaker around him because of Richie Saunders' season-ending injury.
BYU lost four of its final six regular-season games and didn't challenge Houston in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals.
With two vulnerable No. 6 seeds in play, one of the First Four winners could absolutely continue the trend.
Don't Be Afraid to Pick All No. 1 Seeds to Go to Final Four
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The four No. 1 seeds played at an elite level for most of the season.
Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida all have the potential to run through their respective brackets and meet each other in Indianapolis for the Final Four.
Duke has been uber-consistent, even while it deals with two injuries. It proved in the ACC tournament that it can withstand the injuries to Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba.
Arizona thrived in the Big 12 gauntlet and that resulted in a regular-season and tournament title in the nation's deepest league.
Florida is the reigning national champion and it should bank on that experience in tight games throughout the Big Dance.
Michigan possesses plenty of depth and is one of the better defensive teams in the country.
Of course, upsets can happen in March, but if all four No. 1 seeds play up to their potential, we could see the rare set of four No. 1 seeds in the Final Four.
