NCAA Tournament 2016: Get to Know All 68 Teams in the Bracket

Welcome to the speed-dating version of the 2016 NCAA tournament bracket.

This is one of the most wide-open tourneys in recent memory—get ready to hear about parity a lot over the next few weeks. I'm here to educate the masses on the 68 teams invited to the Big Dance.

Did you know there's a team in the bracket that didn't win a conference road game all season? Want to know what happened to Iowa?

You've come to the right place. This is a quick snapshot of each team. Get to know the stars, the styles and why they're all here.

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Midwest: No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 16 Hampton

Virginia: They play slowly. Their pack-line defense is offensive kryptonite. But all they do is win, win, win. Tony Bennett's formula has turned Virginia into one of the best programs in college basketball, although tourney success hasn't matched regular-season success. Bennett is still looking for his first Final Four. The difference-maker this year could be senior guard Malcolm Brogdon, a Bleacher Report first-team All-American, who was one of the hottest scorers in college basketball over the final month of the season.

Hampton: Hampton is in the NCAA tournament for the third time in the last six seasons. The Pirates achieved one of the greatest upsets in tourney history when they knocked off second-seeded Iowa State in 2001 as a No. 15 seed. One of the highest-scoring duos in the country, Reginald Johnson and Quinton Chievous, leads the Pirates this season. Both players started their careers elsewhere—Johnson at Miami (Ohio) and Chievous at Tennessee.

Midwest: No. 8 Texas Tech vs. No. 9 Butler

Texas Tech: In the preseason, many picked the Red Raiders to finish last in the Big 12, but coach Tubby Smith guided his team to a seventh-place finish. Tech is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007 and shouldn't be intimidated by anyone after playing in what's considered the best league in America. The Red Raiders won six of eight games down the stretch, including three straight victories over ranked teams, to earn an at-large bid.

Butler: A year ago, the Bulldogs were a great defensive team and just average on the offensive end. That flipped this year, as the offense was one of the best in the Big East thanks to the emergence of sophomore wing Kelan Martin to complement sharpshooter Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones. Butler is 12-4 in its last four tourney appearances and has not been one-and-done in the tournament since 2009.

Midwest: No. 5 Purdue vs. No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock

Purdue: The Boilermakers have one of the best frontlines in the country with twin towers A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas, along with freshman power forward Caleb Swanigan, who averages close to a double-double. All three can score from the blocks with their back to the basket, and then Swanigan can step out and shoot the three as well. How far Purdue goes in the tournament could depend on matchups. The Boilermakers have struggled against teams that play small and force the bigs to leave the paint defensively.

Arkansas-Little Rock: First-year head coach Chris Beard has led an amazing turnaround. The Trojans were 13-18 last season but enter the NCAA tournament with a 29-4 record. Arkansas-Little Rock plays a slow pace but is aggressive on defense, forcing a lot of turnovers. Last year's Sun Belt champ, Georgia State, was one of the tourney's Cinderellas, knocking off Baylor and head coach Ron Hunter off his seat with a last-second three by star R.J. Hunter. The Trojans and their glitzy record will be a popular Cinderella pick.

Midwest: No. 4 Iowa State vs. No. 13 Iona

Iowa State: Fred Hoiberg left for the NBA, but Iowa State's high-powered offense didn't leave with him. In fact, new coach Steve Prohm inherited many of Hoiberg's sets and carries his playbook around with him. More important than those plays is the duo of Monte Morris and Georges Niang. Niang is a walking mismatch at power forward, and Morris is on pace to become the NCAA's all-time leader in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Iona: The Gaels are a good Cinderella candidate and a fun team to watch. They play fast and shoot a ton of threes, and they have one of the top scorers in college basketball in A.J. English, whose dad, A.J. English II, played two seasons in the NBA in the early ‘90s. The Gaels knocked off Monmouth for the second time in three meetings to earn the automatic bid from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Midwest: No. 6 Seton Hall vs. No. 11 Gonzaga

Seton Hall: Seton Hall is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006. It has taken longer than expected—this is Kevin Willard's sixth year on the job—but Willard has recruited well, and this team, which is full of athletes, has bought in on the defensive end. The Pirates are led by sophomore Isaiah Whitehead, who is one of the most underrated guards in the country and a future pro.

Gonzaga: The Zags had a down year—at least for their standards—but it appears Mark Few's group has figured things out late in the year. What has held Gonzaga back this season is the backcourt, which is starting to play much better as of late. Up front, the Zags have one of the best duos in college basketball in former Kentucky forward Kyle Wiltjer, an All-American last season, and center Domantas Sabonis, the son of former NBA big man Arvydas Sabonis. Wiltjer and Sabonis combine to average 38.1 points per game.

Midwest: No. 3 Utah vs. No. 14 Fresno State

Utah: The Utes were one of the hottest teams in the country over the last month, winning seven straight games to close the regular season and finish second in the deep Pac-12. They're led by the nation's best center, Jakob Poeltl, who is likely to be a lottery pick this June and the first-ever Austrian-born player in the NBA. Utah has an experienced roster, with much of the core returning from last year's Sweet 16 team that lost to eventual champion Duke.

Fresno State: The Bulldogs are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the late Jerry Tarkanian was roaming the sidelines. Fresno State upset San Diego State in the Mountain West title game to earn the bid. Fresno State senior wing Marvelle Harris is one of the nation's top scorers at 20.6 points per game. Harris has topped 30 points four times this season and has done so twice in the last six games. Fresno State enters the tourney on a nine-game winning streak.

Midwest: No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Syracuse

Dayton: Dayton head coach Archie Miller has embraced small ball the last few years, and that's always beneficial on the offensive end, but somehow Miller's defense is its real strong suit. The Flyers had the best defense in the Atlantic 10. Get this: Even though 6'11" freshman Steve McElvene is the only player over 6'6" who sees significant time, Dayton is one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country. James Madison transfer wing Charles Cooke, who has been a nice complement to undersized power forward Dyshawn Pierre, leads the Flyers in scoring.

Syracuse: Syracuse limps into the NCAA tournament having lost five of its last six games. Jim Boeheim's program isn't the giant we're used to seeing, as it has a 37-26 record over the last two seasons. This edition of the Orange live and die by the three—led by senior gunners Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney—and looked dangerous early in the year when they ran through Connecticut and Texas A&M to win the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Midwest: No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Middle Tennessee

Michigan State: This looks to be Tom Izzo's best chance to a win a national title in years, and it's hard to bet against Mr. March, especially when he has a stud like guard Denzel Valentine. Valentine is the best all-around player in the country, and the Spartans surround him with shooters and inside scorers. The core of this squad made a Final Four last year, and Michigan State is a top-tier team that appears to be playing its best basketball.

Middle Tennessee: Middle Tennessee's Giddy Potts is one of the best three-point shooters in the country and has one of the best names in the field. Potts, the team's leading scorer, knocks down 50.3 percent of his threes. Middle Tennessee finished second in Conference USA this year and got the C-USA auto-bid by knocking off Old Dominion.

West: No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 16 Holy Cross/Southern

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Oregon: The Pac-12 champs are one of the toughest teams to guard in the country. The Ducks spread you out and have multiple guys who can attack off the bounce, led by Canadian wing Dillon Brooks. Oregon has improved on the defensive end this season with the addition of Chris Boucher, the nation's second-leading shot-blocker. This is the fourth straight year Dana Altman has the Ducks in the tournament, and they've won at least one game in the tourney each year.

Holy Cross: The Crusaders are the most improbable team in the tournament field. Going into the Patriot League tournament, they'd lost five straight games. They did not win a road game in conference play all year. They finished second-to-last in the league. Yet somehow, Holy Cross won four straight to get an automatic bid, taking longtime Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody to his first NCAA tournament in just his first year on the job.

Southern: The Jaguars lost four of five games to end the regular season and then turned it around to run through the SWAC tournament, upsetting conference champ Texas Southern in the semis and beating Jackson State by a point in the championship game. This is Southern's second NCAA tourney appearance in the last four years. In 2013, the Jaguars put a scare in top-seeded Gonzaga, losing by only six points.

West: No. 8 Saint Joseph's vs. No. 9 Cincinnati

Saint Joseph's: Get to know the names DeAndre Bembry and Isaiah Miles. Though not many people are familiar with them, Bembry and Miles form one of the best one-two punches in the country. Bembry is on the NBA's radar and is a good playmaker from the wing. Miles, a stretch 4, was one of the A-10's most improved players and is a big reason for Saint Joseph's turnaround—the Hawks were 13-18 last year.

Cincinnati: Mick Cronin has the Bearcats in the NCAA tournament for the sixth straight season, and this team is a classic Cincinnati squad. The Bearcats don't have any big-time stars, but they can really guard and grind out games. Cronin returned all five starters from the team that reached the round of 32 last season.

West: No. 5 Baylor vs. No. 12 Yale

Baylor: Baylor often plays its best basketball in March. Scott Drew has made two Elite Eights and a Sweet 16, and while Big 12 teams get used to facing his zone defense, it's difficult to face for teams that aren't used to seeing it. The Bears are loaded up front, led by rebounding machine Rico Gathers and fellow senior Taurean Prince, who can play both forward spots and is a tough matchup at either one.

Yale: Yale is in the tournament for the first time in 54 years and is capable of making it out of the first round. The Bulldogs have lost one game since the turn of the new year, and they've proved they can play with the big boys (they lost by only two on the road at SMU earlier this season). Yale is one of the best mid-major defensive teams, led by senior forward Justin Sears, a distributive defender because of his quickness and length. Sears also has an unorthodox offensive game—he's skinny and long-limbed, which makes him look awkward at times—but don't be fooled by looks: He can get buckets and is a good distributor for a power forward.

West: No. 4 Duke vs. No. 13 UNC Wilmington

Duke: The scoreboard operator better be on point when the Blue Devils play. Mike Krzyzewski has another juggernaut offensive team with a matchup nightmare in Brandon Ingram playing a small-ball 4—a la Justise Winslow and Jabari Parker—and Grayson Allen carving up defenses with fearless drives to the rim. But here's what makes Duke a prime upset candidate: The Devils play some of the worst D a Krzyzewski team has ever played. But when the threes are falling, as they usually are, Duke can hang with anyone.

UNC Wilmington: The Seahawks are in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006, when current Clemson coach Brad Brownell was in charge. UNC Wilmington won a share of the Colonial regular-season title, along with the tourney title. The Colonial has not had a team win in the tourney since VCU left the league following the 2011-12 season, but this is as strong as the league has been in a long time. The Colonial is the ninth-best league in the country, according to kenpom.com's numbers.

West: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Northern Iowa

Texas: Shaka Smart inherited a talented roster but not one that exactly fits his “Havoc” style. The strengths of the Longhorns are guard play—point guard Isaiah Taylor is a blur with the ball—and a defense that is more about protecting the paint than gambling. The emergence of senior shot-blocker Prince Ibeh helped the Horns improve throughout the year. It was an impressive job of adapting by Smart, whose teams always seem to play their best in March.

Northern Iowa: The Panthers won the Missouri Valley automatic bid and are way more dangerous than a fourth-place finish in the Valley would suggest. UNI has wins over North Carolina, Iowa State and Wichita State (twice). The Panthers play a pack-line defense, similar to Virginia, and are led by senior lefty guard Wes Washpun.

West: No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 14 Green Bay

Texas A&M: After a puzzling five-game losing streak in the middle of conference play, the Aggies turned it around to win a share of the SEC title. Billy Kennedy has built A&M back up with a mix of transfers and freshmen. Seniors Jalen Jones and Danuel House are former transfers who form a dynamite inside-out duo. Freshman big fella Tyler Davis is the future star of the program and a load on the blocks.

Green Bay: The shot clock is never a threat to the Phoenix, as Green Bay plays as fast as anyone in the country. First-year coach Linc Darner introduced this uptempo style when he came from Division II Florida Southern, where he won the national championship last season. Green Bay has had better regular seasons the last two years but has failed to win the Horizon tournament. This is the program's first tourney bid since 1996.

West: No. 7 Oregon State vs. No. 10 VCU

Oregon State: The Beavers are in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the program had some dude named Gary Payton running the show. Twenty-six years later, Payton's son is the star at Oregon State. Gary Payton II leads the Beavers in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals. The next star in the program is coach Wayne Tinkle's son, freshman Tres Tinkle, a stretch 4 who got hot late in the year before he was sidelined by a foot injury.

VCU: Shaka Smart left, but Havoc is alive and well at VCU. The Rams still force a lot of turnovers and are always a tough team to play on a short turnaround in March. Smart left new head coach Will Wade with an experienced roster, led by sharpshooter Melvin Johnson. Johnson has endless range and operates with a green light.

West: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 CSU Bakersfield

Oklahoma: The Sooners were the closest thing going to the college version of the Golden State Warriors for a good chunk of this season. Buddy Hield, the nation's second-leading scorer, played the part of Steph Curry. OU cooled off late in the year, but an NCAA tournament reboot might be what the doctor ordered. The Sooners will live and die by the three, but if they shoot it like they did earlier this year—at one point, the team's four leading scorers were all shooting better than 50 percent from deep—look out.

CSU Bakersfield: Cal State Bakersfield upset WAC champ New Mexico State in the conference championship game to earn the auto-bid after NMSU swept it in the regular season. The Roadrunners, who became a D-I program in 2007, are playing in their first NCAA tournament. They have one of the best defenses of any mid-major team this year, holding opponents to 39.1 percent shooting.

East: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Florida Gulf Coast/Fairleigh Dickinson

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North Carolina: The Tar Heels won the ACC and were one of the best offensive teams in the country this season despite the fact that once again they struggled to shoot from beyond the arc. The last few seasons, the Heels have at least had Marcus Paige as a threat from deep, but even Paige has struggled this year. The emergence of senior power forward Brice Johnson has helped compensate for Paige's shooting woes. On the nights when Paige is on, UNC's A-game is as good as anybody's in the country.

Florida Gulf Coast: Dunk City is back! Only Florida Gulf Coast has changed its style from three years ago, when the small school captured America's hearts with his high-flying, fast-paced attack. Former Kansas assistant Joe Dooley is now in charge, and he's slowed the pace to where the Eagles rely much more on getting the ball inside. Big fella Marc-Eddy Norelia, who started his career at Tulane, is the team's star.

Fairleigh Dickinson: Fairleigh Dickinson coach Greg Herenda has led an impressive turnaround. A year ago, the Knights went 3-15 in conference play; this season, they finished second in the Northeast Conference and are in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005. Herenda, who is in his third year at the school, rebuilt through recruiting. The Knights are one of the youngest teams in college basketball, with four sophomores and a freshman in the starting lineup.

East: No. 8 USC vs. No. 9 Providence

USC: Andy Enfield brought his uptempo style from Florida Gulf Coast to USC, and it took a few years, but the Trojans appear to be on the right track. After going 3-15 in the Pac-12 last season, USC had one of the best turnarounds of any major-conference team, going .500 in league play this year. The Trojans have five players who average double figures, led by sophomore point guard Jordan McLaughlin.

Providence: No team in the country relies more on two players than Providence relies on Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil. Everyone knew about Dunn, a likely lottery pick this June, but Bentil has been a pleasant surprise after averaging 6.4 points per game as a freshman. The Friars rely a lot on those two players and struggle when they're not on. They also are one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country. But Dunn is a two-way monster who can change a game with his playmaking or defense, and he gives the Friars a chance against just about anyone.

East: No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 12 Chattanooga

Indiana: Indiana started 5-3, and folks, myself included, were questioning whether Tom Crean had much longer in Bloomington. Crean performed one of the best coaching jobs in America, getting his team to buy in on the defensive end and winning the Big Ten outright. The emergence of OG Anunoby and Juwan Morgan played a big role in the D improving. Offensively, the Hoosiers spread the floor with shooters and let senior point guard Yogi Ferrell go to work. When the threes are flowing, they are unstoppable and a blast to watch.

Chattanooga: Former Florida assistant coach Matt McCall has done an impressive job in his first year at Chattanooga, where he took over an experienced roster from current VCU coach Will Wade. The Mocs own wins this season over Georgia, Illinois and Dayton. The Mocs lost leading scorer Casey Jones to injury eight games into the season, but they've thrived with great balance, as seven active players average better than six points per game.

East: No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Stony Brook

Kentucky: This isn't the juggernaut we're used to seeing in Lexington. The Wildcats are not nearly as stingy on defense and lack a consistent interior scorer. But there's two reasons to bet on Kentucky: John Calipari, who has made four of the last five Final Fours, and the backcourt duo of Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray. Ulis is one of the best playmakers in college basketball, and Murray, a likely lottery pick this June, can score in bunches.

Stony Brook: Stony Brook is dancing for the first time in the program's history. The Seawolves have one of the best mid-major players in the country in senior forward Jameel Warney. Warney went for 43 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in the America East championship win over Vermont. Warney is the school's all-time leading scorer and averaged 30.3 points and 15.3 rebounds in the America East tourney.

East: No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Michigan/Tulsa

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Notre Dame: The Irish are one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country for the second straight year. Demetrius Jackson took over the controls from Jerian Grant. This year's version takes a few less threes, but the principles are the same. The Irish spread the floor and patiently wait for a good shot. Last year's team was two points short of slaying Kentucky and making the Final Four.

Michigan: This is one of the most mediocre teams coach John Beilein has taken to the NCAA tournament, but the Wolverines are still a tough matchup. They shoot a lot of threes, and just about every guy Beilein puts on the floor is a threat from deep. Michigan had some tough injury luck this year with leading scorer Caris LeVert playing in only 15 games and senior point guard Spike Albrecht appearing in only eight contests—both are done for the year. With LeVert out, Michigan leans on the trio of junior guards Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. and sophomore guard Duncan Robinson, a D-III transfer who is one of the best shooters in the country.

Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane are one of the most experienced teams in the nation with seven seniors in their rotation. This senior class, led by the backcourt of James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison, is in the tournament for the second time. Two years ago, former coach Danny Manning took Tulsa to the Big Dance. This is the third different program Frank Haith has brought to the NCAA tournament. Haith hasn't fared well with a 1-3 career NCAA tourney record.

East: No. 3 West Virginia vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin

West Virginia: The Mountaineers are exhausting to play. They go 10 deep, and they press for 40 minutes. This is the second season Bob Huggins has deployed the "Press Virginia" style, and this group, which finished second in the toughest league in America, is even better than last year's team that made the Sweet 16. The Mountaineers aren't a great shooting team, but they get more shots than their opponents by forcing turnovers and crashing the offensive glass.

Stephen F. Austin: Former Kansas State assistant coach Brad Underwood has turned Stephen F. Austin into a mid-major power and is one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the game. The Lumberjacks, who had a perfect record in the Southland for the second time in three years, have been to the NCAA tournament each of Underwood's three seasons in Nacogdoches and upset VCU two years ago in the first round. Senior Thomas Walkup has been a key piece on all three of those teams and leads SFA in scoring (17.5 PPG), rebounding (6.8 RPG), assists (4.5 APG) and steals (2.1 SPG).

East: No. 7 Wisconsin vs. No. 10 Pittsburgh

Wisconsin: Greg Gard took over for Bo Ryan midway through the year and pulled off one of the best coaching jobs of the 2015-16 season. The Badgers didn't look like an NIT team in mid-January—they were 9-9 overall and off to a 1-4 start in the Big Ten—but they ended up finishing tied for third in the Big Ten by winning 11 of 13 games. The team is led by Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes, the two leftover starters from last season's national runner-up.

Pittsburgh: The Panthers rolled through an easy nonconference schedule and then won their first three ACC games to start 14-1. It wasn't exactly smooth sailing after that, as they won just seven of their final 17 games to limp into the tournament. Jamie Dixon's club is always one of the best passing teams around, and this edition is hard to match up against up front. Big men Jamel Artis and Michael Young can both create off the dribble and are threats to score or set up a teammate every time they touch the ball.

East: No. 2 Xavier vs. No. 15 Weber State

Xavier: The Musketeers have made the Sweet 16 in five of the last eight years, including a surprising run last year, and this team is the best the program has had during that stretch. Chris Mack’s squad can score inside and out on the offensive end and keeps teams on their heels by mixing defenses, including a rarely seen 1-3-1. Xavier is deep—six players average better than nine points per game—and plays faster this season than it has thanks to an athletic frontcourt and lightning-quick redshirt freshman guard Edmond Sumner.

Weber State: Weber State coach Randy Rahe is a sneaky-good recruiter—this is the guy who landed Damian Lillard—and Rahe has another potential pro in senior forward Joel Bolomboy. Bolomboy averages a double-double (17.2 points and 12.7 rebounds) and is the nation's third-leading rebounder. He forms a killer inside-out combination with junior guard Jeremy Senglin, the team's leading scorer, at 18.2 points per game.

South: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Austin Peay

Kansas: The last time Kansas won the national title (2008), Bill Self had a group that had grown up together. This roster is similar, with six upperclassmen in the rotation, and like in 2008, the Jayhawks are so good because of their depth and balance. They have four guys (Perry Ellis, Wayne Selden, Frank Mason and Devonte' Graham) who have scored 20 or more points this season. It's not a roster littered with lottery picks, but experience has also been more important than talent in March for Self.

Austin Peay: The Governors are already a Cinderella story, having won four games in four days of the Ohio Valley tournament after going only 7-9 in conference play. Austin Peay is led by do-everything big man Chris Horton, who averages 18.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Horton went for 30 points and 16 boards in the overtime upset win over Ohio Valley regular-season champ Belmont.

South: No. 8 Colorado vs. No. 9 Connecticut

Colorado: The Buffs are in the tournament for the fourth time in the past five years. Hard to believe, huh? Tad Boyle's team routinely flies under the radar, but he has done a masterful job in Boulder, earning tournament recognition for his team. Not surprisingly, the Buffs have a little-known star in forward Josh Scott, who can put on a clinic with his back-to-the-basket game.

Connecticut: Head coach Kevin Ollie brought in two graduate transfers (forward Shonn Miller and guard Sterling Gibbs) to turn what would have been a transition year into an NCAA tournament season. The transfer market has been kind to Ollie—former NC State guard Rodney Purvis joins Miller and Gibbs as three of the team's four leading scorers. Similar to the title team from 2014, this group is most dangerous because of its stingy defense.

South: No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 South Dakota State

Maryland: The Terps have been one of the most disappointing teams in the country. They start five potential pros, including two players who will likely be first-rounders (Melo Trimble and Diamond Stone), yet the production on the floor hasn't matched expectations. But because of all that talent, this is still a dangerous team capable of winning a national championship. The key will be the play of Trimble, who is one of the toughest covers off the bounce in the college game, but he hasn't shot the ball as well this season as his freshman year.

South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013 when they were led by Nate Wolters, who was one of the best players in the country—not just at the mid-major level. SDSU coach Scott Nagy has a great eye for talent—he was one of the few coaches to heavily recruit Wichita State's Ron Baker—and he has what appears to be his next gem in redshirt freshman Mike Daum. Daum leads the team in scoring (15.2 PPG) despite playing only 20.5 minutes per game.

South: No. 4 California vs. No. 13 Hawaii

California: The Bears have one of the most talented rosters in the country. Freshmen Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb are both projected lottery picks, and 6'5" senior point guard Tyrone Wallace will likely get drafted as well. The Bears started playing to their talent late in the year, and coach Cuonzo Martin is no stranger to late-season charges. Two years ago, he took 11th-seeded Tennessee, which had to play in the first four, to the Sweet 16.

Hawaii: The Rainbow Warriors have the talent to play with the big boys, and they proved that earlier this season when they nearly knocked off Oklahoma, losing 84-81 back in December. Former Missouri big man Stefan Jankovic is the team's leading scorer (15.7 points per game) and a difficult matchup with the ability to score on the blocks and set out and hit the three. Hawaii first-year coach Eran Ganot is one of the youngest coaches in college basketball. Ganot was an assistant for Saint Mary's Randy Bennett before coming to Hawaii.

South: No. 6 Arizona vs. No. 11 Vanderbilt/Wichita State

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Arizona: The Wildcats lost four of five starters from last season, but coach Sean Miller made this more than just a transition season by adding two transfers, Ryan Anderson and Mark Tollefsen. Anderson was Bleacher Report’s preseason pick for the nation's top transfer. Program player Gabe York has also stepped into a starring role and is one of the best shooters in college basketball. This team isn't up to the usual Miller standard defensively, but the Cats can score with anyone.

Vanderbilt: The Commodores looked like a legit top-10 team early in the year but quickly became one of the nation's most disappointing teams. They have two players—Damian Jones and Wade Baldwin—who could be first-round picks in the NBA draft this year, and 7'1" shooter Luke Kornet is also a future pro. Vanderbilt salvaged its season by getting hot late and is a scary opponent for its seed. Not many teams have three-point shooting to go along with an inside threat like Jones.

Wichita State: The Shockers surprised the bracketology experts by getting an at-large bid despite having only one top-50 RPI win (against Utah). If it seems like seniors Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet have been around forever, it's because they’re usually playing late into March. The WSU backcourt is 7-3 all time in the NCAA tournament. The Shockers aren't as good offensively as they've been in the past—they lack a low-post scorer—but head coach Gregg Marshall's defense is just as stingy.

South: No. 3 Miami (FL) vs. No. 14 Buffalo

Miami (FL): Jim Larranaga is one of the best coaches in college basketball and doesn't get the credit he deserves. For the second time in five years at Miami, he has a team capable of getting to the Final Four. The Hurricanes finished tied for second in the ACC and are led by the experienced backcourt of Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan, who both started their careers in the Big 12.

Buffalo: The Bulls are an easy team to pull for this March. First-year coach Nate Oats found out right before the season that his wife had cancer. Oats was an assistant the previous two years for former coach Bobby Hurley, who turned the program around and led the Bulls to their first NCAA tournament appearance ever last season. Buffalo has great balance with four players averaging double figures and seven guys averaging better than seven points per game.

South: No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Temple

Iowa: The Hawkeyes were white-hot in January and climbed to as high as No. 3 in the national rankings. But Iowa—as the program has tended to do over the last few years—stumbled down the stretch. The Hawkeyes set endless screens and shoot a lot of jumpers. When Jarrod Uthoff and Peter Jok are on point, they're hard to beat. When the shots are clanking, Iowa gets average quickly.

Temple: The league’s head coaches picked the Owls to finish sixth in the AAC in the preseason, and the team was 4-5 at one point, but Fran Dunphy righted the ship and won the league. The Owls aren't a great shooting team, but typical of most Dunphy clubs, they rarely turn it over. Senior wing Quenton DeCosey leads Temple in scoring, and his sidekick, power forward Obi Enechionyia, was one of the most improved players in the ACC.

South: No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 UNC Asheville

Villanova: Jay Wright has had one of the top programs in the country the last three years, but he has yet to have much tourney success to show for it with round-of-32 exits the last two years. What's promising about this year's team is Wright has five guys who can go off for 20 points on any given night. The Wildcats are led by junior wing Josh Hart, one of the best slashers in the country. Also watch out for stretch 4 Kris Jenkins, who has been on fire over the last month.

UNC Asheville: The Bulldogs are making their fourth NCAA tournament appearance and have two NCAA tourney wins—albeit in play-in games. UNC Asheville prides itself on its defense, ranking near the top of the country in turnovers forced and three-point field-goal percentage D.