March Madness is here and for the next three weeks, numerous teams will battle it out to claim victory in the 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Enthusiastic fans have filled out their brackets, attempting to forecast the teams that will progress through all six rounds of the tournament and emerge victorious. Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit the final bracket from last year.
Recap of the 2023 March Madness bracket
The 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament saw the University of Connecticut seize the championship title by defeating San Diego State. UConn has an impeccable record of winning five out of five title games, emerging victorious in the tournament five times within the last 25 years. Dan Hurley also made history by becoming the third UConn coach to secure a national championship, following in the footsteps of Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie.
Here are the complete results from the 2023 tournament.
The final four teams in the tournament were UConn, University of Miami, San Diego State, and Florida Atlantic University.
Notable Upsets in the 2023 March Madness bracket
A significant upset in the 2023 tournament occurred when the No. 5 seed Miami secured a spot in the Final Four by defeating the No. 1 seed Houston, which was the sole remaining No. 1 seed in the competition. Miami claimed victory in the game with a score of 89-75.
Florida Atlantic was another lower seed team that made it into the Final Four. The No. 9 seed was down 7 points in the second half but ended up turning it around to beat No. 1 seed Kansas State, 79-76.
No. 5 seed San Diego made its first trip to the Elite Eight – the final eight games of the tournament – by beating No. 1 seed Alabama.
Several other teams upset higher seeds, but the biggest upset of them all was Fairleigh Dickinson University's win over Purdue. FDU made history as the only No. 16 seeds to ever beat a No. 1. But their run in the tournament ended when Florida Atlanta eked them out on their way to the Sweet 16.
Other upsets: No. 15 seed Princeton beat No. 7 seed Missouri; No. 7 seed Michigan State beat No. 2 seed Marquette; and No. 8 seed Arkansas beat No. 1 seed Kansas.
What was the final score for the 2023 NCAA basketball championship game?
The UConn Huskies beat the San Diego Aztecs in a 76-59 victory at the championship game in Houston on April 3.
UConn Dominates NCAA Tournament with Double-Digit Wins
UConn showcased their dominance in the NCAA Tournament by winning all six games by double digits, a feat achieved by only five teams since the bracket expanded in 1985. The star forward, Adama Sanogo, led the team with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the final, earning the Most Outstanding Player award. Tristen Newton also made a significant contribution with 19 points and 10 boards. While Sanogo moved on to play for the Bulls in the NBA, Newton remains a Huskie.
2024 March Madness Bracket Deadline
Brackets had to be submitted by Thursday, March 21, when the first round of the tournament kicked off. Sixty-four teams competed on Thursday and Friday, with the remaining 32 advancing to the weekend games. The Sweet 16 round took place on March 28 and 29, followed by the Elite Eight on March 30 and 31. The final four teams will battle it out on April 6.
Notable basketball enthusiasts, including President Biden and former President Barack Obama, have revealed their picks for the tournament. President Biden predicts UConn as the champion for the second consecutive year, with Houston, North Carolina, and Tennessee rounding out the final four. On the other hand, Obama also selected UConn to take the title, with Kentucky, Baylor, and Purdue joining the final four.
Various NCAA experts, including analysts at SportsLine, have shared their insights and predictions for the tournament. SportsLine experts evaluate multiple factors such as team performances, coaching strategies, offensive and defensive trends, and opponent analysis to determine the teams' strengths and project their success in the competition.
Disclaimer: CBS Essentials, CBS, Paramount+, and SportsLine are subsidiaries of Paramount. CBS serves as one of the broadcast partners for the 2024 men's March Madness tournament.
How to stream the 2024 NCAA college basketball season without a cable subscription
This year's NCAA college basketball season will be broadcasted live on various networks including ESPN, ESPN+, CBS, FS1, BTN, and the Pac 12 Network.
- The men's First Four games are scheduled to be aired on TruTV on March 19-20, 2024.
- For the rest of the men's March Madness 2024, including the Final Four, viewers can tune in to CBS and Turner Sports. This means you can catch all the action on TBS, CBS, TNT, and TruTV.
- As for Women's March Madness 2024, including the Final Four, it will be shown on ESPN and ESPN+.
