NCAA Tournament 2018: Full List of Teams, Schedule and Analysis

This year's NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament could be one of the most competitive in recent history, as no clear favorite stands out from the pack of 68 teams.

Is this the year we finally see a No. 16 seed take down a No. 1 seed—it hasn't happened since the tournament expanded in 1985—or a double-digit seed win it all? None have ever reached the title game.

March Madness is also a time for millions of people to fill out brackets and enter pools with the hope of winning bragging rights and cash. According to David Purdum of ESPN, 70 million brackets were expected to be filled out last year, with $10.4 billion in bets placed.

Winning a pool is hard enough, but getting all 63 games right is near-impossible: Per DePaul mathematics professor Jeff Bergen, the odds are 1 in 128 billion. Warren Buffett, the world's third-richest man, is once again offering his Berkshire Hathaway employees $1 million a year for life if they can predict a perfect bracket through the Sweet 16 round.     

The tournament's 68 teams are chosen and seeded by a 10-member committee featuring athletic directors and conference commissioners. Every conference tournament champion gets an automatic bid, while the remaining teams' resumes are judged through strength of schedule, recent performance and quality of wins.

Below, you can find a full list of teams and their seeds for this year's tournament, as well as a first-round schedule and analysis. You can also print out a bracket here.

First Four

Tuesday, March 13 (Dayton, Ohio)

6:40 p.m. ET on truTV: No. 16 LIU Brooklyn vs. No. 16 Radford

9:10 p.m. ET (approx.) on truTV: No. 11 St. Bonaventure vs. No. 11 UCLA

Wednesday, March 14 (Dayton, Ohio)

6:40 p.m. ET on truTV: No. 16 NC Central vs. No. 16 Texas Southern

9:10 p.m. ET (approx.) on truTV: No. 11 Arizona State vs. No. 11 Syracuse

East Regional

Mitchell Leff / Getty Images

Teams

No. 1 Villanova

No. 2 Purdue

No. 3 Texas Tech

No. 4 Wichita State

No. 5 West Virginia

No. 6 Florida

No. 7 Arkansas

No. 8 Virginia Tech

No. 9 Alabama

No. 10 Butler

No. 11 St. Bonaventure or UCLA

No. 12 Murray State

No. 13 Marshall

No. 14 Stephen F. Austin

No. 15 Cal State Fullerton

No. 16 LIU Brooklyn or Radford

First-Round Schedule

Thursday, March 15

6:50 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh on TNT: No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 16 LIU Brooklyn or Radford

7:27 p.m. ET in Dallas on truTV: No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin

9:20 p.m. ET (approx.) in Pittsburgh on TNT: No. 8 Virginia Tech vs. No. 9 Alabama

9:57 p.m. ET (approx.) in Dallas on truTV: No. 6 Florida vs. No. 11 St. Bonaventure or UCLA

Friday, March 16

12:40 p.m. ET in Detroit on truTV: No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 Cal State Fullerton

1:30 p.m. ET in San Diego on TNT: No. 4 Wichita State vs. No. 13 Marshall

3:10 p.m. ET (approx.) in Detroit on truTV: No. 7 Arkansas vs. No. 10 Butler

4 p.m. ET (approx.) in San Diego on TNT: No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 12 Murray State

Favorites

Villanova, which won the 2016 national championship, is a top-two seed for the fifth consecutive year. The Wildcats won 30 games and led the nation in scoring, with 87.1 points per contest. Six players averaged 10 or more points per game, led by junior guards Jalen Brunson (19.4) and Mikal Bridges (18.0).

The Purdue Boilermakers finished 28-6, with five of their losses by four or fewer points. Four of Purdue's top five scorers are seniors, but it is sophomore guard Carsen Edwards who leads the team with 18.5 points per game. He's been hot lately, including a 40-point effort against Illinois on February 22.

Sleeper Team

The Murray State Racers finished 26-5 overall and have won their last 13 games by an average of 12 points. Senior guard Jonathan Stark averages 21.8 points per game and loves to shoot from the three-point line, making 41.0 percent of his 8.6 attempts per contest. Murray State also gave Auburn a scare this year, losing by just four.

Cinderella Story

Radford struggled through a 4-6 stretch midway through its Big South schedule, but the Highlanders bounced back to win their final seven games, including a buzzer-beating win over Liberty for the conference title. Freshman guard Carlik Jones hit that shot, and he's the second-leading scorer on a young team that contains only one senior among its top seven scorers.

Notable Fact

Florida has five wins against teams with No. 5 seeds or better: No. 2 Cincinnati, No. 4 Gonzaga, No. 4 Auburn and No. 5 Kentucky (twice). The Gators are looking to return to the Final Four for the sixth time in history and the first since 2014.

West Regional

Stacey Revere / Getty Images

Teams

No. 1 Xavier

No. 2 North Carolina

No. 3 Michigan

No. 4 Gonzaga

No. 5 Ohio State

No. 6 Houston

No. 7 Texas A&M

No. 8 Missouri

No. 9 Florida State

No. 10 Providence

No. 11 San Diego State

No. 12 South Dakota State

No. 13 UNC Greensboro

No. 14 Montana

No. 15 Lipscomb

No. 16 NC Central or Texas Southern

First-Round Schedule

Thursday, March 15

1:30 p.m. ET in Boise, Idaho on TNT: No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 13 UNC Greensboro

4 p.m. ET (approx.) in Boise, Idaho on TNT: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 South Dakota State

7:20 p.m. ET in Wichita, Kan. on TBS: No. 6 Houston vs. No. 11 San Diego State

9:50 p.m. ET (approx.) in Wichita, Kan. on TBS: No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 14 Montana

Friday, March 16

12:15 p.m. ET in Charlotte, N.C. on CBS: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Providence

2:45 p.m. ET (approx.) in Charlotte, N.C. on CBS: No. 2 North Carolina vs. No. 15 Lipscomb

7:20 p.m. ET in Nashville, Tenn. on TBS: No. 1 Xavier vs. No. 16 NC Central or Texas Southern

9:50 p.m. ET (approx.) in Nashville, Tenn. on TBS: No. 8 Missouri vs. No. 9 Florida State 

Favorites

Xavier won the Big East regular-season title over Villanova, with a 15-3 record. The Musketeers finished 28-5 overall, thanks in large part to an offense that scores 84.3 points per game (11th in the country), paced by senior guard Trevon Bluiett (19.4). Their signature win was an 89-76 victory over No. 2 seed Cincinnati.

Defending national champion North Carolina is back in the mix this year thanks to a balanced scoring attack in which five players average 10 or more points per game. Junior forward and 2017 NCAA tournament hero Luke Maye has a double-double average, with 17.2 points and 10.1 rebounds. UNC beat Michigan, Ohio State and Duke (twice) en route to a 25-win campaign.

Michigan won the Big Ten title for the second straight year after defeating top tournament teams Michigan State and Purdue in the final two rounds. The Wolverines have won nine straight games, and they allow just 63.5 points per game (eighth in the country). Junior forward Moritz Wagner leads the Wolverines with 14.5 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Sleeper Team

South Dakota State hung with No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the first half of their 2017 NCAA tournament matchup before the Bulldogs pulled away. This year, the Jackrabbits could shock a few teams, thanks in part to versatile junior forward Mike Daum, who averages 23.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He also shoots 42.1 percent from the three-point line.

Cinderella Story

Hurricane Harvey devastated the city of Houston and surrounding areas in August. The men's basketball team was one of numerous sports teams to help the rebuilding efforts, as head coach Kelvin Sampson called on basketball teams around the country to send shirts and shoes as part of a clothing drive. Seven months later, Houston is enjoying one of its best seasons since the Phi Slama Jama days. It won 26 games and nearly took down Cincinnati in the AAC title game.

Notable Fact

Xavier has not had a losing record in conference play since 1983. The Musketeers have also made the NCAA tournament 16 times in the last 18 years. Although the Muskies have never been in the Final Four (they've gone to the Elite Eight three times), this is their first season as a No. 1 seed.

South Regional

Ryan M. Kelly / Getty Images

Teams

No. 1 Virginia

No. 2 Cincinnati

No. 3 Tennessee

No. 4 Arizona

No. 5 Kentucky

No. 6 Miami (Florida)

No. 7 Nevada

No. 8 Creighton

No. 9 Kansas State

No. 10 Texas

No. 11 Loyola-Chicago

No. 12 Davidson

No. 13 Buffalo

No. 14 Wright State

No. 15 Georgia State

No. 16 UMBC

First-Round Schedule

Thursday, March 15

12:40 p.m. ET in Dallas on truTV: No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Wright State

3:10 p.m. ET (approx.) in Dallas on truTV: No. 6 Miami (Florida) vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago

7:10 p.m. ET in Boise, Idaho on CBS: No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 Davidson

9:40 p.m. ET (approx.) in Boise, Idaho on CBS: No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 Buffalo

Friday, March 16

2 p.m. ET in Nashville, Tenn. on TBS: No. 2 Cincinnati vs. No. 15 Georgia State

4:30 p.m. ET (approx.) in Nashville, Tenn. on TBS: No. 7 Nevada vs. No. 10 Texas

6:50 p.m. ET in Charlotte, N.C. on TNT: No. 8 Creighton vs. No. 9 Kansas State

9:20 p.m. ET (approx.) in Charlotte, N.C. on TNT: No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 16 UMBC

Favorites

The No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, Virginia finished with 31 wins and two losses, which stands as the best Division I record. The Cavaliers also have the best scoring defense in the country at 53.4 points allowed per contest. They beat No. 2 seeds North Carolina (twice) and Duke (on the road) this season.

Only two Division I teams allowed 62 or fewer points this season: One is Virginia, and the other is Cincinnati, which gave up just 57.1 points per game en route to a 30-4 record. The Bearcats, who won the American Athletic Conference regular-season and conference tournament titles, have taken 23 of their last 25 games. Senior forward Gary Clark leads the team with 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Sleeper Team

The fifth-best scoring defense in the country belongs to Loyola Chicago, which won 17 of its last 18 games en route to a Missouri Valley Conference championship. The Ramblers allow just 62.2 points per game, and junior guard Clayton Custer (13.4 points per game) leads a group of five players who average double digits in scoring.

Cinderella Story

Davidson started the year slowly (5-7), but it turned its season around dramatically to win 16 of its last 20 games, including an Atlantic 10 title win over Rhode Island. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the Wildcats' NCAA tournament run in which future NBA star Stephen Curry nearly led his team to the Final Four.

Notable Fact

Only one father-son combo has ever coached separate teams to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four: John Thompson Jr. and John Thompson III both did so for Georgetown. However, Virginia head coach Tony Bennett can add himself and his father (Dick, who took Wisconsin to the Final Four in 2000) to that list if the Cavaliers advance that far.

Midwest Regional

Ed Zurga / Getty Images

Teams

No. 1 Kansas

No. 2 Duke

No. 3 Michigan State

No. 4 Auburn

No. 5 Clemson 

No. 6 TCU

No. 7 Rhode Island

No. 8 Seton Hall

No. 9 North Carolina State

No. 10 Oklahoma

No. 11 Arizona State or Syracuse

No. 12 New Mexico State

No. 13 College of Charleston

No. 14 Bucknell

No. 15 Iona

No. 16 Penn

First-Round Schedule

Thursday, March 15

12:15 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh on CBS: No. 7 Rhode Island vs. No. 10 Oklahoma

2 p.m. ET in Wichita, Kan. on TBS: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Penn

2:45 p.m. ET (approx.) in Pittsburgh on CBS: No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Iona

4:30 p.m. ET (approx.) in Wichita, Kan. on TBS: No. 8 Seton Hall vs. No. 9 North Carolina State

Friday, March 16

7:10 p.m. ET in Detroit on CBS: No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 Bucknell

7:27 p.m. ET in San Diego on truTV: No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 College of Charleston

9:40 p.m. ET (approx.) in Detroit on CBS: No. 6 TCU vs. No. 11 Arizona State or Syracuse

9:57 p.m. ET (approx.) in San Diego on truTV: No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 New Mexico St.

Favorites

Kansas is making its 29th straight NCAA tournament appearance. The Jayhawks, who won the Big 12 tournament in addition to their 14th consecutive regular-season crown, have five players who average 12 or more points per game. Senior guard Devonte' Graham leads the way with 17.3 points.

All of Duke's starters will likely be picked in the upcoming NBA draft, perhaps in the first round. The Blue Devils are dominant down low, thanks to freshman forwards Marvin Bagley III (21.1 points, 11.5 rebounds) and Wendell Carter Jr. (13.8 points, 9.3 rebounds). Duke finished 26-7, with six of those losses by five or fewer points.

Michigan State has one of the nation's most efficient offenses, as the Spartans rank sixth with a 50.4 percent field-goal rate. The Spartans lost just four games and have wins over No. 2 seeds Duke and North Carolina on their resume. Sophomore forward Miles Bridges leads the team with 16.9 points per game.

Sleeper Team

The New Mexico State Aggies won 28 games and have one dominant scorer (senior guard Zach Lofton averages 19.7 points) and one excellent rebounder in senior forward Jemerrio Jones, who is second in the country with 13.0 rebounds per game. The Aggies beat Miami 63-54 earlier this year and nearly took down USC, falling by five.

Cinderella Story

The College of Charleston hasn't been in the NCAA tournament since 1999. The Cougars' prospects didn't look great this year after a 3-3 start in conference play, but an 11-1 finish propelled them to the Colonial Athletic Association title. After two tournament wins, Charleston had to come back from a 17-point second-half deficit against Northeastern to force overtime, where they won 83-76 behind 32 points from senior guard Joe Chealey.

Notable Fact

If Duke wins the national championship, head coach Mike Krzyzewski would be the oldest person ever to win an NCAA Division I men's basketball title. The 71-year-old would break a mark set by former UConn head coach Jim Calhoun, who won his third championship in 2011 when he was 68.

Video Analysis

Former Purdue Boilermaker and Bleacher Report expert Robbie Hummel breaks down the winners and losers of the committee’s selections and seeding alongside host Adam Lefkoe: