The largest faculty basketball event is right here, bringing a lot of pleasure and storylines. Will we see Cinderellas pull upsets, or will the bluebloods maintain their grip on the event? With the energy of a dependable connection at all times necessary throughout a profitable event run, we’re holding you linked to the can’t-miss headlines and standout moments from each spherical.
The 2026 NCAA men’s tournament unofficially continues Wednesday evening with the ultimate two First Four video games. The winners of every sport will advance to the first spherical of the event on Friday.
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Here’s what you want to know for each video games that can air on TruTV.
[Enter Yahoo Bracket Mayhem for shot at 50K | Printable bracket]
No. 16 Lehigh (18-16) vs. No. 16 Prairie View A&M (18-17)
5:40 p.m. ET | Lehigh -3.5 | Total: 142.5 | Winner performs No. 1 Florida
The Mountain Hawks are in the NCAA event for the first time since 2012. That season, a crew led by CJ McCollum shocked No. 2 Duke in the first spherical with a 75-70 win.
It’s the first time Lehigh has completed above .500 since the 2023 season because it beat Boston University 74-60 to win the Patriot League title. The Mountain Hawks had been 12-16 after a 23-point loss to Navy on Feb. 18, however have reeled off six straight wins.
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Junior guard Nasir Whitlock leads the crew with 21 factors per sport and shoots virtually 45% from behind the arc. Opponents try simply 19 3-pointers towards Lehigh.
Prairie View A&M is the lowest-ranked crew in the NCAA event area, according to KenPom’s metrics. At No. 287, the Panthers are three spots under Lehigh. The next-closest crew in KenPom’s rankings is LIU at No. 216.
Like Lehigh, Prairie View additionally closed the season with a flourish. The Panthers had been 11-17 and 6-9 in league play after dropping at Arkansas Pine-Bluff on Feb. 21. They closed the common season with three straight wins after which gained 4 video games in the SWAC event, together with a 71-67 win over high seed Bethune-Cookman.
Guard Dontae Horne averages 20 factors a sport, whereas guard Tai’reon Joseph scores 18 factors a sport. However, neither participant is best than 32% from behind the 3-point line. At 18.5 makes an attempt per sport, Prairie View is one of the most rare 3-point taking pictures groups in the nation.
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No. 11 SMU (20-13) vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio) (31-1)
9:15 p.m. ET | SMU -7.5 | Total: 163.5 | Winner performs No. 6 Tennessee
The Mustangs snuck into the NCAA event area after an unpleasant end to the season. SMU dropped to eleventh in the ACC after dropping its ultimate 4 video games of the common season. And only one of these losses could possibly be thought of shut, too. SMU misplaced by 20 at Stanford, by eight at residence to Miami and by 13 at Florida State.
SMU beat Syracuse to open the ACC event, however fell 62-58 to Louisville in the second spherical.
The whole for this sport is so excessive as a result of each groups rank in the high 25 in factors per sport. SMU averages 84 factors per sport, as Kevin Miller scores 19.2 per sport and Jaron Pierre averages 17.6.
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Miami is the second-highest scoring crew in the nation behind Alabama at 90.2 factors a sport. The PurpleHawks had been the only crew to go undefeated throughout the common season, however misplaced in the MAC event to UMass in the first spherical. That allowed the MAC to be a two-bid league, as Akron gained the convention event to get the computerized bid.
However, the PurpleHawks snuck into the event thanks to a non-conference schedule that didn’t characteristic any energy convention opponents — but that wasn’t for a lack of trying by the athletic department to get big teams on the schedule. Miami saved its unbeaten run alive by a thread at the finish of the common season, successful its ultimate three video games by a mixed six factors earlier than dropping by 4 to the Minutemen.
Six totally different gamers common not less than 10 factors a sport. Senior guard Peter Suder leads the PurpleHawks with 14.6 factors and Miami shoots 39% from the 3-point line as a crew.
