{"id":892413,"date":"2026-03-18T02:18:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T07:18:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/18\/mens-march-madness-2026-auto-bids-tracker-furman-troy-latest-to-earn-ncaa-tournament-spots\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T02:18:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T07:18:25","slug":"mens-march-madness-2026-auto-bids-tracker-furman-troy-latest-to-earn-ncaa-tournament-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/18\/mens-march-madness-2026-auto-bids-tracker-furman-troy-latest-to-earn-ncaa-tournament-spots\/","title":{"rendered":"Men\u2019s March Madness 2026 auto-bids tracker: Furman, Troy latest to earn NCAA Tournament spots"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

In the final days before Selection Sunday, 31 of the 68 spots in the 2026 men\u2019s NCAA Tournament will be clinched by teams winning their conference\u2019s automatic bids.<\/p>\n

Championship week is a smorgasbord of nonstop basketball. We\u2019re tracking every conference tournament and will update as the week progresses with what you need to know about the teams going to the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n

Bids clinched<\/h2>\n

(Most recent winners first)<\/em><\/p>\n

American: South Florida<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 25-8, 15-3 American
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2012
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 2-3
\nWhat to know: <\/strong>What a season for the Bulls, who won a conference tournament for the first time since 1990 after earning the American regular-season crown. It punctuates a stellar first season for coach Bryan Hodgson, the former Arkansas State head coach and Nate Oats assistant at Alabama who earned conference coach of the year honors and will be a hot name on the carousel. The team\u2019s 25 wins match a program record set in 2023-24 under the late Amir Abdur-Rahim, led this time by American player of the year and defensive player of the year Izaiyah Nelson, who followed Hodgson from Arkansas State. The American is just a one-bid league this season, but USF was clearly the best team.<\/p>\n

\n

\"NCAA
\n \"NCAA<\/p>\n

\n

BEAT OUR EXPERTS<\/p>\n

Predict how you think the tournament will
play out. Can you beat one of our experts?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Atlantic 10: VCU<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 27-7, 15-3 Atlantic 10
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2025
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 13-19
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> First-year coach Phil Martelli Jr. figured out the magic combination as the Rams\u2019 season progressed. After VCU started the year 11-6 and 2-2 in league play, they won 16 of their final 17 games en route to the A-10 tournament championship. The son of the legendary Saint Joseph\u2019s coach, Martelli assembled a roster full of talented transfers: Lazar Djokovic (Xavier\/Charleston), Jadrian Tracey (Oregon) and Tyrell Ward (LSU) all have power conference experience. VCU brings leading scorer Terrence Hill (14.4 PPG) off the bench, and the explosive guard can change the game in an instant.<\/p>\n

Ivy: Penn<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 18-11, 9-5 IvyLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2018All-time tournament record:<\/strong> 13-26What to know: <\/strong>In an epic Ivy tournament title game, Penn outlasted Yale in overtime on the strength of an epic 44-point performance from forward TJ Power (15.8 PPG). Even more impressively, the Quakers captured the conference crown despite the absence of leading scorer Ethan Roberts (16.9 PPG), who missed the tournament with concussion symptoms. Quakers coach Fran McCaffery is in his first year at his alma mater, and he is now the third coach in college basketball history to take five schools to the NCAA Tournament (Rick Pitino and Lon Kruger are the other two). He previously did so at Iowa, Siena, UNC Greensboro and Lehigh.<\/p>\n

WAC: Cal Baptist<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 25-8, 13-5 WAC
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> Never
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-0
\nWhat to know: <\/strong>The Lancers are heading to their first-ever NCAA Tournament because of Dominque Daniels Jr., the best pure scorer in the mid-major ranks. The WAC player of the year hit all three of his 3-point attempts in the final 1:52 against Utah Valley, dragging Cal Baptist back from a seven-point deficit in a game that featured 12 lead changes and 11 ties and ended with a 63-61 CBU victory. Daniels, the nation\u2019s fifth-leading scorer, finished with 23 points to lead Cal Baptist, which became a fully eligible Division I member school just three years ago, during the 2022-23 season.<\/p>\n

Big West: Hawaii<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 24-8, 14-6 Big West
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2016
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 1-5
\nWhat to know: <\/strong> The Rainbow Warriors are back in the tournament for the first time in a decade after a 71-64 win over UC Irvine, the top seed in the Big West conference tournament. The last time Hawaii went dancing, in 2016, it upset fourth-seeded Cal in the first round before losing to Maryland. That trip also came under coach Eran Ganot, now in his 11th season. Hawaii has a balanced scoring attack, with six players averaging 8.7 points or more, led by senior center Isaac Johnson (13.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and guard Dre Bullock (13.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg).<\/p>\n

Conference USA: Kennesaw State<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 21-13, 10-10 CUSA
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2023
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-1
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> The Owls are dancing after knocking off the third, second and fourth seeds in the Conference USA tournament, capped by a 71-60 win over Louisiana Tech in the CUSA title game; Kennesaw State was the sixth seed, the third-lowest seed in CUSA history to win the conference tournament. KSU held Louisiana Tech, which was seeking its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1991, to just 31 percent from the field and didn\u2019t allow the Bulldogs a field goal in the final 3:45. La. Tech finished a dismal 2-of-28 from 3-point range in the title game while two Owls scored more than double their season average to lead KSU, with senior guard Jaden Harris scoring 18 and freshman forward Amir Taylor chipping in 17. Kennesaw State went 12-7 after leading scorer Simeon Cottle was indicted in an FBI investigation into an alleged conspiracy to fix games<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ACC: Duke<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 32-2, 17-1 ACC
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2025
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 126-72
\nWhat to know: <\/strong> Even down two injured starters, the No. 1 team in college basketball won its second straight ACC tournament title on Saturday, defeating No. 10 Virginia 74-70<\/a>. That should all-but guarantee Jon Scheyer\u2019s team is the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Moreover, with Saturday\u2019s win, the Blue Devils became the first ACC team since Duke in 1999-2000 to sweep the league\u2019s regular-season and tournament championships in consecutive years. Not bad, considering Scheyer lost all five starters from last season\u2019s Final Four team to the NBA. The only question for Duke now is, how healthy will it be in March? Center Patrick Ngongba is trending toward returning for the team\u2019s NCAA Tournament opener, but point guard Caleb Foster \u2014 who broke his foot a week ago, in Duke\u2019s regular-season finale against UNC \u2014 almost certainly won\u2019t be back until the Final Four\u2026 if he is at all.<\/p>\n

MAC: Akron<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 29-5, 17-1 MAC
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2025
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-7
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> They\u2019ve been overshadowed by Miami (Ohio)\u2019s undefeated regular season, but the metrics tell you the Zips have been the best team in the MAC, which is looking like a two-bid league. A year after coming back from an 18-point deficit against the RedHawks in the conference title game, Akron went back-to-back with another dramatic victory, this time erasing a 12-point deficit against Toledo to win on a late 3-pointer by MAC sixth man of the year Shammah Scott. That makes three March Madness trips in a row and four in the last five years under John Groce, the former Ohio and Illinois head coach who has built a MAC powerhouse in his ninth season with the Zips but is still searching for the program\u2019s first NCAA Tournament victory.<\/p>\n

\n

SHAMMAH SCOTT OMG\ud83e\udd2f\ud83e\udd2f\ud83e\udd2f@ZipsMBB<\/a> | #MACtion<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/D2pks4KIo1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 MACtion (@MACSports) March 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

SWAC: Prairie View A&M<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 18-17, 9-9 SWAC
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2019
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-2
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> The Panthers return to Madness for the first time since 2019 and the second trip under coach Byron Smith, who is in his tenth season. It captured a stunning four wins in four days through the SWAC tournament as the No. 8 seed, including an upset of top-seeded Bethune-Cookman in the quarterfinals and No. 3 seed Southern in the championship. Prairie View A&M enters the tournament having won nine of its last 10 games \u2014 after losing seven of eight \u2014 with a 72-66 victory over Southern in the title game, hitting 9 of 18 3-pointers and with four players scoring in double figures.<\/p>\n

Big East: St. John\u2019s<\/h3>\n

Record:\u00a0<\/strong>28-6, 18-2 Big East
\nLast tournament appearance:\u00a0<\/strong>2025
\nAll-time tournament record:\u00a0<\/strong>28-33
\nWhat to know: <\/strong>Rick Pitino took over St. John\u2019s three seasons ago, promising a return to the glory days of the mid-1980s for the program, and he has exceeded expectations. St. John\u2019s won the Big East tournament for the fifth time in school history and for the first time in consecutive seasons. The Red Storm also joined UConn in 1998 and \u201999 as the only Big East teams to win both the regular-season and tournament titles in consecutive seasons. To do so, St. John\u2019s routed the Huskies 72-52<\/a> in Madison Square Garden on Saturday, avenging a 32-point loss to them last month.<\/p>\n

Big 12: Arizona<\/h3>\n

Record:\u00a0<\/strong>32-2, 16-2 Big 12
\nLast tournament appearance:\u00a0<\/strong>2025
\nAll-time tournament record:\u00a0<\/strong>62-38
\nWhat to know:\u00a0<\/strong>Arizona might be the most consistent team in college basketball, and it completed a double by winning the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles<\/a>. The Wildcats have the Big 12 Player of the Year in Jaden Bradley, a trio of talented freshmen in Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Ivan Kharchenkov, and are a near-lock to be a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday. The Wildcats have a real chance to make their first Final Four since 2001.<\/p>\n

Mountain West: Utah State<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 28-6, 15-5 MWC
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2025
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 7-27
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> The Aggies qualified for their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament after what transfer MJ Collins called \u201ca revenge tour\u201d through the Mountain West tournament. USU beat three teams (UNLV, Nevada and San Diego State) that beat the Aggies during the regular season, and Collins was named tournament MVP after a 20-point, three-steal performance in the title game against the Aztecs. Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun has been frank about the financial struggles the Aggies face, saying they ranked \u201cfourth or fifth\u201d in the MWC in NIL this season, and claiming the university \u201chas not given us a dollar in two years.\u201d The 2025-26 season marked the first time in MWC history that Utah State won both the regular-season and conference-tournament titles.<\/p>\n

MEAC: Howard<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 23-10, 11-3 MEAC
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2024
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-4
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> The Bison are dancing for the third time in four seasons under head coach Kenny Blakeney, who has the program humming in his seventh season. Howard won the MEAC regular-season title this year as well, its second under Blakeney, earning the top seed and an automatic bye to the semifinals in the conference tournament. The team, which held off North Carolina Central in the MEAC championship, is led by fifth-year senior and MEAC player of the year Bryce Harris and defensive player of the year Cedric Taylor III.<\/p>\n

America East: UMBC<\/h3>\n

Record:\u00a0<\/strong>24-8, 14-2 America East
\nLast tournament appearance:\u00a0<\/strong>2018
\nAll-time tournament record:\u00a0<\/strong>1-2
\nWhat to know:\u00a0<\/strong>The Retrievers are back! Eight years ago, UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to defeat a 1-seed when it stunned Virginia. This year\u2019s team defeated conference standard-bearer Vermont 74-59 on Saturday and enters the NCAA Tournament on a program-record 12-game winning streak. The Retrievers are coached by Jim Ferry (the coach in 2018, Ryan Odom, is now at Virginia) and completed quite a turnaround after going 13-19 a season ago. UMBC only played one power-conference opponent this year, losing 90-81 to Georgetown, and projects as a No. 16 seed once again<\/a>. At least that will feel familiar.<\/p>\n

Big Sky: Idaho<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 21-14, 9-9 Big Sky
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 1990
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 1-4
\nWhat to know: <\/strong>After two regular-season battles were settled in the final seconds by two possessions apiece, Idaho wanted no part of that thrill against Montana in the dying embers of its first conference championship berth since 2014. In its 77-66 victory, the Vandals stamped their first Big Sky title and correspondingly their first ticket to the NCAA Tournament since the turn of the century \u2014 both achievements that came before any player on the roster was born and when coach Alex Pribble, who has piloted the program from 11 to 14 to 21 wins, was just five years old.<\/p>\n

Patriot: Lehigh<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 18-16, 11-7 Patriot
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2012
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 1-5
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> For the first time since CJ McCollum and the 15-seed Mountain Hawks upset 2-seed Duke back in 2012, Lehigh has punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Brett Reed was on the sideline for that one as well, currently in his 19th season and making his third trip to March Madness. The 2-seed Hawks beat 4-seed Boston University squad in the title game after Boston upset Navy in the semifinals, despite the Midshipmen running away with the regular season title at 17-1 in league play. Lehigh survived its own scare in the quarterfinals, defeating Holy Cross on a half-court buzzer-beater by leading scorer Nasir Whitlock.<\/p>\n

Southland: McNeese<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 28-5, 19-3 Southland
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2025
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 1-4
\nWhat to know: <\/strong>The Cowboys are going dancing for a third straight season. McNeese knocked off regular-season champs Stephen F. Austin with a dominant win in the Southland title game, paced by senior guard Javohn Garcia with a career-high 31 points. After back-to-back trips under Will Wade, including a first-round upset of Clemson last year, first-year coach Bill Armstrong has McNeese there again, riding a 10-game winning streak that featured a triple-overtime win over UT Rio Grande Valley in the Southland semifinals. Led by conference freshman of the year Larry Johnson, McNeese\u2019s return to the Tournament also means the return of manager and March Madness legend Amir \u201cAura\u201d Khan.<\/p>\n

\n

Legends are made in March\u203c\ufe0f#GeauxPokes<\/a> | #BayouBandits<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/6oyos3Edvv<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 McNeese Men\u2019s Basketball (@McNeeseMBB) March 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

WCC: Gonzaga<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/b> 30-3, 16-2 WCCLast tournament appearance:<\/b> 2025All-time tournament record:<\/b> 47-27
\nWhat to know:<\/b> Believe it or not, the Zags are flying under the radar a bit this year, the 27th time they\u2019ve qualified for the NCAA Tournament under Mark Few, after a 79-68 win over Santa Clara in the WCC tournament championship. Gonzaga has been banged up all season, and big man Braden Huff is still nursing a left knee injury. If the Zags are going to make their 14th Sweet 16 since 2000, they\u2019ll need WCC player of the year Graham Ike to have a huge month and get help from freshmen guards Davis Fogle and Mario Saint-Sup\u00e9ry, who have shown flashes of brilliance but struggle with consistency, especially as scorers. The Zags have long been known as one of the best offensive programs in the country but if they win in the NCAA Tournament this year, it\u2019ll be because of their defense.<\/p>\n

MAAC: Siena<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/b> 23-11, 13-7 MAACLast tournament appearance:<\/b> 2010All-time tournament record:<\/b> 4-6What to know: <\/b>Welcome back to the NCAA Tournament, Saints! And the same greeting to Gerry McNamara, a Syracuse legend from the Orange\u2019s 2003 title team who is now Siena\u2019s head coach. Siena looked ready to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2020 before COVID-19 canceled the MAAC Tournament before the semifinals. The Saints did it with their defense, as they held Merrimack to just 54 points in the title game, in part due to center Riley Mulvey\u2019s five blocked shots. After losing senior forward Antonio Chandler to an eligibility ruling in late February, the Saints are essentially a five-man team: the starters played 194 of a possible 200 minutes on Tuesday night. That lineup still has plenty of size and talent, though, and it is led by point guard Justice Shoats (13.3 points per game, 4.4 assists per game) and physical wing Gavin Doty (17.7 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game).<\/p>\n

Horizon: Wright State<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 23-11, 15-5 Horizon
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2022
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 1-4
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> As a bevy of other No. 1 seeds fall in conference tournaments all over the country, Wright State survived the Horizon\u2019s tricky format and prevailed over a feisty Detroit Mercy squad, 66-63, in Tuesday\u2019s championship game. A key block from Horizon Freshman of the Year Kellen Pickett clinched the victory, helping the Raiders erase a 12-point second-half deficit. Head coach Clint Sargent has been at Wright State as an assistant since 2016, and he took over the head job for Scott Nagy when Nagy left for Southern Illinois in 2024. The Raiders have the best offense in the league, with six players averaging at least 8.3 points per game. They are led by another freshman, Michael Cooper, and six of their top seven scorers are freshmen or sophomores.<\/p>\n

CAA: Hofstra<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 24-10, 12-6 CAA
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2001
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-4
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> The Pride\u2019s NCAA Tournament drought was scheduled to end six years ago, the last time Hofstra won the Colonial Athletic Association tournament, but COVID-19 canceled that postseason. As such, it\u2019s been a long 25 years since Hofstra went dancing, and now the Pride could make the most of their appearance \u2014 given that they\u2019re projected as a 13 seed, and 13-over-4 has become a more common upset the past few years. Hofstra is led by 47-year-old coach Speedy Claxton, now in his fifth season at his alma mater. He is widely considered the best player in program history and was on the roster when the Pride went to the 2000 NCAA Tournament under then-coach Jay Wright.<\/p>\n

Southern: Furman<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 22-12, 10-8 SoCon
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2023
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 2-8
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> The Paladins are going dancing after winning as a 6-seed in the SoCon tournament, knocking off 1-seed East Tennessee State and 3-seed Samford on their way to a second March Madness appearance under coach Bob Richey. The last time Furman made the tournament, it upset 4-seed Virginia as a 13-seed on a game-winning 3-pointer that famously snatched the soul right out of broadcast commentator Stan Van Gundy.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cDID WE JUST SEE WHAT WE THINK WE JUST SAW?!\u201d <\/p>\n

Kevin Harlan nearly FELL OUT OF HIS CHAIR. Dan Bonner and @realStanVG<\/a> were STUNNED. <\/p>\n

The crew\u2019s reaction to Furman\u2019s dramatic win over Virginia was incredible. pic.twitter.com\/Jym88PALq8<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Sun Belt: Troy<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 22-11, 12-6 Sun Belt
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2025
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-3
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> The regular-season champs and top-seeded Trojans are headed back to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season under coach Scott Cross, and just the fourth time since the program moved to Division I in 1993-94. With an automatic bye to the semifinals in the Sun Belt\u2019s stepladder bracket<\/a>, Troy finally slowed down a 10-seed Georgia Southern team that won five games in five days to reach the championship. The Trojans are led by third-year players Thomas Dowd and Victor Valdes. It\u2019s a family affair at Troy: Cross\u2019s son, Austin, is a redshirt freshman off the bench, while starters Cooper and Cobi Campbell are brothers, and their dad, Scott Campbell, is an assistant coach. The Trojans lost to Kentucky in the first round of last year\u2019s tournament.<\/p>\n

Summit: North Dakota State<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/b> 27-7, 14-2 SummitLast tournament appearance:<\/b> 2019All-time tournament record:<\/b> 2-4
\nWhat to know: <\/b>Nothing like an in-state battle for the right to go dancing. North Dakota State beat rival North Dakota for the third time this season to clinch the Summit league bid, setting a school record for wins (27) in the process. <\/b>The Bison will have one of the most balanced scoring attacks in the field, with six players who average 9.2 points or more. They are currently projected as a 14 seed, and 14-over-3 upsets only happen roughly 14 percent of the time, but if they surprise someone this month, could 12th-year coach David Richman, who earned his second Summit League coach of the year award this season, be up for a bigger job?<\/p>\n

Atlantic Sun: Queens<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 21-13, 13-5 ASUN
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> Never
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-0
\nWhat to know: <\/strong>History was guaranteed either way in the ASUN title game, in which Queens and Central Arkansas pushed each other to overtime for the right to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Camren Hunter poured in a school-record 46 points for Central Arkansas, but Queens regained control in OT. Queens \u2014 located in Charlotte, N.C., and a Division II school until 2022 \u2014 prevailed after a program-best regular-season record.<\/p>\n

Big South: High Point<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 30-4, 15-1 Big South
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2025
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-1
\nWhat to know: <\/strong>After two decades wandering through mediocrity, High Point broke through last March, toppling Winthrop in the Big South tournament to punch its first NCAA Tournament ticket. A year later, the Panthers secured another trip to the Big Dance by downing the Eagles once again. High Point did it even after losing architect Alan Huss \u2014 whose two seasons at the helm produced the best record in program history \u2014 and eight of the team\u2019s top nine scorers. First-year coach Flynn Clayman reshaped his roster through the transfer portal and molded it into the Big South\u2019s top offensive and defensive team, powering the Panthers back into March Madness.<\/p>\n

Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 23-12, 11-9 MVC
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2016
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 5-8
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> The Panthers were not supposed to be the MVC\u2019s auto-bid winner, but after top-seeded Belmont lost in the quarterfinals, they pounced on the opportunity. UNI knocked off third-seeded Illinois State and second-seeded Bradley (in double overtime) to reach the MVC championship game, then shot a sizzling 63 percent from the field to beat Illinois-Chicago 84-69 in a game UIC never led. Now coach Ben Jacobsen, in his 20th year at UNI, is headed to his fifth NCAA Tournament with a roster full of home-grown talent. The Panthers have five players from Iowa, including Trey Campbell, who led UNI with 23 points in the championship.<\/p>\n

Ohio Valley: Tennessee State<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 23-9, 15-5 OVC
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 1994
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-2
\nWhat to know:<\/strong> Yes, it\u2019s been 32 years since this Nashville, Tenn.-based HBCU reached the sport\u2019s biggest stage. And it took just one season of Nolan Smith\u2019s coaching to get there. The former Duke star, NBA first-round pick and Memphis and Louisville assistant coach wasn\u2019t able to do much with the TSU roster after replacing Brian \u201cPenny\u201d Collins. But he has elicited star-level play out of returning seniors Aaron Nkrumah \u2014 the OVC Player of the Year \u2014 and Travis Harper II. He has the Tigers pressuring on defense and playing with pace, ranking in the top 21 nationally in steal percentage and opponent turnover percentage. It\u2019s one of the best coaching jobs in the nation.<\/p>\n

Northeast: LIU<\/h3>\n

Record:<\/strong> 23-10, 15-3 NEC
\nLast tournament appearance:<\/strong> 2018
\nAll-time tournament record:<\/strong> 0-7
\nWhat to know:\u00a0<\/strong>Long Island University, led by longtime NBA guard and native New Yorker Rod Strickland, is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 after defeating Wagner 64-56 in the NEC semifinals<\/a>. LIU earned the bid before playing in the final because Mercyhurst, which is ineligible for the postseason in its second season<\/a> as a Division I program, won the other semifinal. Strickland, who played 17 seasons in the NBA, is in his fourth season and has improved LIU\u2019s record every year since a 3-26 debut in 2022-23. LIU is projected to be a No. 16 seed. The Sharks (fins up!) have the NEC defensive player of the year in guard Greg Gordon and leading scorer Jamal Fuller, from Toronto, played in the NCAA Division II tournament when he was at Academy of Art in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

Next up<\/h2>\n

(All times ET)<\/em><\/p>\n

SWAC:\u00a0<\/strong>Prairie View A&M vs. Southern (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU)<\/p>\n

MAC:<\/strong> Toledo vs. Akron (Saturday, 8 p.m., ESPN2)<\/p>\n

ACC:<\/strong> Virginia vs. Duke (Saturday, 8:30 p.m., ESPN)<\/p>\n

Conference USA:<\/strong> Kennesaw State vs. Louisiana Tech (Saturday, 8:30 p.m., CBSSN)<\/p>\n

Big West:<\/strong> Hawaii vs. UC Irvine (Saturday, 10 p.m., ESPN2)<\/p>\n

WAC:\u00a0<\/strong>Cal Baptist vs. Utah Valley (Sunday, midnight, ESPN2)<\/p>\n

Full conference championship schedule<\/h2>\n

(Alphabetical order; all times ET)<\/em><\/p>\n

America East:\u00a0<\/strong>UMBC 74, Vermont 59<\/p>\n

American: <\/strong>USF 70, Wichita State 55<\/p>\n

Atlantic 10: <\/strong>VCU 70, Dayton 62<\/p>\n

ACC:\u00a0<\/strong>Saturday, March 14, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)<\/p>\n

ASUN: <\/strong>Queens 98, Central Arkansas 93 OT<\/p>\n

Big 12:\u00a0<\/strong>Arizona 79, Houston 74<\/p>\n

Big East:\u00a0<\/strong>St. John\u2019s 72, UConn 52<\/p>\n

Big Sky:\u00a0<\/strong>Idaho 77, Montana 66<\/p>\n

Big South: <\/strong>High Point 91, Winthrop 76<\/p>\n

Big Ten:\u00a0<\/strong>Sunday, March 15, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)<\/p>\n

Big West:\u00a0<\/strong>Saturday, March 14, TBA<\/p>\n

CAA: <\/strong>Hofstra 75, Monmouth 69<\/p>\n

Conference USA:\u00a0<\/strong>Saturday, March 14, 8:30 p.m. (CBSSN)<\/p>\n

Horizon: <\/strong>Wright State 66, Detroit Mercy 63<\/p>\n

Ivy: <\/strong>Penn 88, Yale 84 OT<\/p>\n

MAAC:\u00a0<\/strong>Siena 64, Merrimack 54<\/p>\n

MAC:\u00a0<\/strong>Akron 79, Toledo 76<\/p>\n

MEAC:\u00a0<\/strong>Howard 70, North Carolina Central 63<\/p>\n

Missouri Valley:\u00a0<\/strong>Northern Iowa 84, UIC 69<\/p>\n

Mountain West:\u00a0<\/strong>Utah State 73, San Diego State 62<\/p>\n

Northeast:<\/strong> LIU 79, Mercyhurst 70<\/p>\n

Ohio Valley:\u00a0<\/strong>Tennessee State 93, Morehead State 67<\/p>\n

Patriot:\u00a0<\/strong>Lehigh 74, Boston University 60<\/p>\n

SEC:\u00a0<\/strong>Sunday, March 15, 1 p.m. (ESPN)<\/p>\n

SoCon:\u00a0<\/strong>Furman 76, East Tennessee State 61<\/p>\n

Southland:\u00a0<\/strong>McNeese 76, Stephen F. Austin 59<\/p>\n

SWAC:\u00a0<\/strong>Prairie View A&M 72, Grambling 66<\/p>\n

Summit:\u00a0<\/strong>North Dakota State 70, North Dakota 62<\/p>\n

Sun Belt:\u00a0<\/strong>Troy 77, Georgia Southern 61<\/p>\n

West Coast:\u00a0<\/strong>Gonzaga 79, Santa Clara 68<\/p>\n

WAC:\u00a0<\/strong>Saturday, March 14, midnight (ESPN2)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In the final days before Selection Sunday, 31 of the 68 spots in the 2026 men\u2019s NCAA Tournament will be clinched by teams winning their conference\u2019s automatic bids. Championship week is a smorgasbord of nonstop basketball. We\u2019re tracking every conference tournament and will update as the week progresses with what you need to know about<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":892414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26146,30093],"tags":[8856,6592],"class_list":{"0":"post-892413","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-march","8":"category-mens","9":"tag-march","10":"tag-mens"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/892413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=892413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/892413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/892414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=892413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=892413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=892413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

Luz Fetzer
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