2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

Edition of USA college basketball tournament March 2016 March 2026 2016 2016 NCAA Men's Final Four logo.svg 68 NRG Stadium Houston, Texas Villanova Wildcats 2nd 3rd 5th North Carolina Tar Heels 10th 19th Oklahoma Sooners 5th Syracuse Orange 6th Jay Wright 1st Ryan Arcidiacono Villanova Buddy Hield Oklahoma 126 The 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2015–16 season. The 78th edition of the Tournament began on March 15, 2016, and concluded with the championship game on April 4, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.Division I Men's Basketball https://www.ncaa.org/championships/division-i-mens-basketball NCAA February 26, 2016 This was the first NCAA tournament to adopt the NCAA March Madness branding, including fully-branded courts at each of the tournament venues. Upsets were the story of the first round of the Tournament;https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/3/19/11267698/ncaa-tournament-2016-march-madness-scores-upsets-highlights-schedule-bracket NCAA Tournament 2016: The best and worst from the wildest day in March Madness history Mike Rutherford March 19, 2016 Vox Media SB Nation March 28, 2016 No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee upset No. 2 seed Michigan State in the biggest upset, just the eighth ever win for a No. 15 seed over a No. 2.https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/3/18/11265176/middle-tennessee-state-upset-michigan-state-ncaa-tournament-march-madness Middle Tennessee State's win over Michigan State is the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history Mike Rutherford March 18, 2016 Vox Media SBNation March 28, 2016 At least one team seeded #9 through #15 won a first-round game for the third time ever and the first time since 2013. The Final Four consisted of Villanova (first appearance since 2009), Oklahoma (first appearance since 2002), North Carolina (first appearance since their 2009 national championship), and Syracuse (the "Cinderella team" of the tournament, and also the first 10 seed to reach the Final Four). Villanova defeated North Carolina in the championship game 77–74, on a three-point buzzer beater by Kris Jenkins.https://www.espn.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/114612/villanovas-national-championship-kris-jenkins-heroics-conclude-instant-classic Villanova's national championship, Kris Jenkins' heroics product of instant title classic go.com April 5, 2016 Pundits called the game one of the best in tournament history, going on to say this was one of the most competitive finals ever.http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball-news/4700887-villanova-vs-north-carolina-unc-greatest-national-championship-game-ever Villanova beating UNC was the greatest NCAA championship game ever, period April 5, 2016 sportingnews.comhttp://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/04/villanova-unc-tops-the-list-of-the-10-best-ncaa-championship-games-ever Villanova-UNC was the best NCAA championship game ever April 5, 2016 usatoday.com Schedule and venues USA 450 right 2016 First Four (orange) and First and Second rounds March 17 and 19 (green) March 18 and 20 (blue) USA orange pog.svg 39.73556 -84.2 left #FFFFFF Dayton University of Dayton Arena USA green pog.svg 41.823611 -71.418333 top #FFFFFF Providence Dunkin' Donuts Center USA green pog.svg 41.592667 -93.621139 top #FFFFFF Des Moines Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines) USA green pog.svg 35.803333 -78.721944 bottom #FFFFFF Raleigh PNC Arena USA green pog.svg 39.748611 -105.0075 left #FFFFFF Denver Ball Arena USA blue pog.svg 40.68265 -73.974689 left #FFFFFF Brooklyn Barclays Center USA blue pog.svg 38.626667 -90.2025 bottom #FFFFFF St. Louis Scottrade Center USA blue pog.svg 35.463333 -97.515 left #FFFFFF Oklahoma City Paycom Center USA blue pog.svg 47.666222 -117.422778 left #FFFFFF Spokane Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena USA 450 right 2016 Regionals (blue) and Final Four (red) USA blue pog.svg 41.880556 -87.674167 left #FFFFFF Chicago link United Center USA blue pog.svg 33.807778 -117.876667 right #FFFFFF Anaheim link Honda Center USA blue pog.svg 39.901111 -75.171944 top #FFFFFF Philadelphia link Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia) USA blue pog.svg 38.2575 -85.753889 left #FFFFFF Louisville link KFC Yum! Center USA red pog.svg 29.684772 -95.410833 left #FFFFFF Houston link NRG Stadium Previously, the round of 64 was known as the second round since the 2011 edition, but it was reverted to the moniker first round for this coming tournament. The first four was previously named the first round. First four March 15 and 16 University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio (Host: University of Dayton) First and second rounds March 17 and 19 Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island (Host: Providence College) Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa, (Host: Iowa State University) PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina, (Host: North Carolina State University) Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado, (Host: Mountain West Conference) March 18 and 20 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, (Host: Atlantic 10 Conference) Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri, (Host: Missouri Valley Conference) Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, (Host: Big 12 Conference) Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane, Washington, (Host: University of Idaho) Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) March 24 and 26 South Regional, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky, (Host: University of Louisville) West Regional, Honda Center, Anaheim, California, (Host: Big West Conference) March 25 and 27 East Regional, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (Host: La Salle University) Midwest Regional, United Center, Chicago, (Host: Big Ten Conference) National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship) April 2 and 4 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas (Hosts: Rice University, Texas Southern University, University of Houston) Qualifying and selection procedure 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament qualifying teams Out of 336 eligible Division I teams, 68 participate in the tournament. Of the total, 15 Division I teams were ineligible due to failing to meet APR requirements, self-imposed postseason bans, or reclassification from a lower division.a Of the 32 automatic bids, 31 were given to programs that won their conference tournaments. For the final time, the Ivy League awarded its NCAA Tournament bid to the team with the best regular-season record and did not hold a tournament (unless playoffs games were needed to resolve tied champions). The Ivy League will hold a postseason tournament for the first time after the 2016–17 Ivy League season.http://ivyleaguesports.com/information/general_releases/2015-16/releases/The_Ivy_League_Adds_Mens-Womens_Basketball_Tournaments_Beginning_in_2017 The Ivy League Adds Men's, Women's Basketball Tournaments Beginning in 2017 Ivy League March 10, 2016 March 10, 2016 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160311041901/http://ivyleaguesports.com/information/general_releases/2015-16/releases/The_Ivy_League_Adds_Mens-Womens_Basketball_Tournaments_Beginning_in_2017 March 11, 2016 mdy-all The remaining 36 bids were granted on an "at-large" basis, which were extended by the NCAA Selection Committee to the teams it deems to be the best 36 teams that did not receive automatic bids. Eight teams—the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams—played in the First Four (the successor to what had been popularly known as "play-in games" through the 2010 tournament). The winners of these games advanced to the first round (round of 64). The Selection Committee also seeded the entire field from 1 to 68.https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/mens-basketball-selections-101-selections Men's Basketball Selections 101 – Selections NCAA – The Official Site of the NCAA April 4, 2016 Automatic qualifiers The following teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2016 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's automatic bid:https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/03/07/2016-ncaa-tournament-auto-bids 2016 NCAA tournament auto-bids si.com ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bidACCNorth Carolina47th2015America EastStony Brook1stNeverAtlantic 10Saint Joseph's21st2014AmericanUConn33rd2014Atlantic SunFlorida Gulf Coast2nd2013Big 12Kansas45th2015Big EastSeton Hall10th2006Big SkyWeber State16th2014Big SouthUNC Asheville4th2012Big TenMichigan State30th2015Big WestHawaii5th2002CAAUNC Wilmington5th2006C-USAMiddle Tennessee8th2013HorizonGreen Bay5th1996Ivy LeagueYale4th1962MAACIona11th2013MACBuffalo2nd2015MEACHampton6th2015Missouri ValleyNorthern Iowa8th2015Mountain WestFresno State6th2001NECFairleigh Dickinson5th2005Ohio ValleyAustin Peay6th2008Pac-12Oregon14th2015PatriotHoly Cross13th2007SECKentucky56th2015SouthernChattanooga11th2009SouthlandStephen F. Austin4th2015SWACSouthern9th2013Summit LeagueSouth Dakota State3rd2013Sun BeltLittle Rock5th2011WCCGonzaga19th2015WACCal State Bakersfield1stNever Tournament seeds +South Regional – KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KentuckySeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid1KansasBig 1230–41Auto20152VillanovaBig East29–57At-large20153Miami (FL)ACC25–710At-large20134CaliforniaPac-1223–1014At-large20135MarylandBig Ten25–819At-large20156ArizonaPac-1225–823At-large20157IowaBig Ten21–1027At-large20158ColoradoPac-1222–1130At-large20149UConnAmerican24–1036Auto201410TempleAmerican21–1138At-large201311*VanderbiltSEC19–1341At-large2012Wichita StateMissouri Valley24–843At-large201512South Dakota StateSummit League26–750Auto201313HawaiiBig West27–552Auto200214BuffaloMAC20–1456Auto201515UNC AshevilleBig South22–1161Auto201216Austin PeayOhio Valley18–1763Auto2008+West Regional – Honda Center, Anaheim, CaliforniaSeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid1OregonPac-1228–64Auto20152OklahomaBig 1225–76At-large20153Texas A&MSEC26–812At-large20114DukeACC23–1013At-large20155BaylorBig 1222–1120At-large20156TexasBig 1220–1221At-large20157Oregon StatePac-1219–1228At-large19908Saint Joseph'sAtlantic 1027–732Auto20149CincinnatiAmerican22–1035At-large201510VCUAtlantic 1024–1040At-large201511Northern IowaMissouri Valley22–1246Auto201512YaleIvy League22–649Auto196213UNC WilmingtonCAA25–751Auto200614Green BayHorizon23–1255Auto199615Cal State BakersfieldWAC24–860AutoNever16*Holy CrossPatriot14–1968Auto2007SouthernSWAC22–1267Auto2013+East Regional – Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaSeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid1North CarolinaACC28–62Auto20152XavierBig East27–58At-large20153West VirginiaBig 1226–89At-large20154KentuckySEC26–815Auto20155IndianaBig Ten25–717At-large20156Notre DameACC21–1122At-large20157WisconsinBig Ten20–1225At-large20158USCPac-1221–1231At-large20119ProvidenceBig East23–1033At-large201510PittsburghACC21–1137At-large201411*MichiganBig Ten22–1242At-large2014TulsaAmerican20–1145At-large201412ChattanoogaSouthern29–547Auto200913Stony BrookAmerica East26–653AutoNever14Stephen F. AustinSouthland27–558Auto201515Weber StateBig Sky26–862Auto201416*Florida Gulf CoastAtlantic Sun20–1365Auto2013Fairleigh DickinsonNEC18–1466Auto2005+Midwest Regional – United Center, Chicago, IllinoisSeedSchoolConferenceRecordOverall SeedBerth typeLast bid1VirginiaACC26–73At-large20152Michigan StateBig Ten29–55Auto20153UtahPac-1226–811At-large20154Iowa StateBig 1221–1116At-large20155PurdueBig Ten26–818At-large20156Seton HallBig East25–824Auto20067DaytonAtlantic 1025–726At-large20158Texas TechBig 1219–1229At-large20079ButlerBig East21–1034At-large201510SyracuseACC19–1339At-large201411GonzagaWCC26–744Auto201512Little RockSun Belt29–448Auto201113IonaMAAC22–1054Auto201314Fresno StateMountain West25–957Auto200115Middle TennesseeC-USA24–959Auto201316HamptonMEAC21–1064Auto2015 *See First Four Bracket All times are listed as Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4) First Four – Dayton, Ohio The First Four games involved eight teams: the four overall lowest-ranked teams, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams. left March 15 – South Region 150 11 Vanderbilt 50 11 Wichita State 70 left March 15 – East Region 150 16 Florida Gulf Coast 96 16 Fairleigh Dickinson 65 left March 16 – East Region 150 11 Michigan 67 11 Tulsa 62 left March 16 – West Region 150 16 Holy Cross 59 16 Southern 55 South Regional – Louisville, Kentucky First roundRound of 64March 17–18 Second RoundRound of 32March 19–20 Regional semifinalsSweet 16March 24 Regional FinalElite 8March 26 Des Moines – Thu/Sat Spokane – Fri/Sun Providence – Thu/Sat Brooklyn – Fri/Sun 1 Kansas 105 16 Austin Peay 79 8 Colorado 67 9 UConn 74 5 Maryland 79 12 South Dakota State 74 4 California 66 13 Hawaii 77 6 Arizona 55 11 Wichita State 65 3 Miami (FL) 79 14 Buffalo 72 7 Iowa 72OT 10 Temple 70 2 Villanova 86 15 UNC Asheville 56 1 Kansas 73 9 UConn 61 5 Maryland 73 13 Hawaii 60 11 Wichita State 57 3 Miami (FL) 65 7 Iowa 68 2 Villanova 87 1 Kansas 79 5 Maryland 63 3 Miami (FL) 69 2 Villanova 92 1 Kansas 59 2 Villanova 64 South Regional Final #e3e3e3 Saturday, March 26 8:49 pm EDT Box Score #2 Villanova Wildcats 64 #1 Kansas Jayhawks 59 R. Arcidiacono, J. Hart, K. Jenkins – 13 D. Ochefu – 8 K. Jenkins – 3 D. Graham – 17 L. Lucas – 12 F. Mason III – 4 32–25 32–34 KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY 19,422 Jeff Clark, Terry Wymer, Chris Rastatter CBS South Regional all tournament team Kris Jenkins (Jr, Villanova) – South Regional most outstanding playerhttp://philadelphia.suntimes.com/villanova-wildcats/7/96/277237/ncaa-tournament-2016-4-villanova-players-named-to-south-regional-all-tournament-team NCAA Tournament 2016: 4 Villanova players named to South Regional All-Tournament Team March 27, 2016 Philadelphia March 28, 2016 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160409135352/http://philadelphia.suntimes.com/villanova-wildcats/7/96/277237/ncaa-tournament-2016-4-villanova-players-named-to-south-regional-all-tournament-team April 9, 2016 mdy-all Ryan Arcidiacono (Sr, Villanova) Josh Hart (Jr, Villanova) Daniel Ochefu (Sr, Villanova) Devonte' Graham (So, Kansas) West Regional – Anaheim, California First roundRound of 64March 17–18 Second RoundRound of 32March 19–20 Regional semifinalsSweet 16March 24 Regional FinalElite 8March 26 Spokane – Fri/Sun Providence – Thu/Sat Oklahoma City – Fri/Sun Oklahoma City – Fri/Sun 1 Oregon 91 16 Holy Cross 52 8 Saint Joseph's 78 9 Cincinnati 76 5 Baylor 75 12 Yale 79 4 Duke 93 13 UNC Wilmington 85 6 Texas 72 11 Northern Iowa 75 3 Texas A&M 92 14 Green Bay 65 7 Oregon State 67 10 VCU 75 2 Oklahoma 82 15 Cal State Bakersfield 68 1 Oregon 69 8 Saint Joseph's 64 12 Yale 64 4 Duke 71 11 Northern Iowa 88 3 Texas A&M 922OT 10 VCU 81 2 Oklahoma 85 1 Oregon 82 4 Duke 68 3 Texas A&M 63 2 Oklahoma 77 1 Oregon 68 2 Oklahoma 80 West Regional Final #e3e3e3 Saturday, March 26 3:09 pm PDT Box Score #2 Oklahoma Sooners 80 #1 Oregon Ducks 68 B. Hield – 37 C. James – 10 I. Cousins – 7 E. Cook – 24 J. Bell – 12 D. Brooks, E. Cook – 4 48–30 32–38 Honda Center – Anaheim, CA 16,232 Tony Padilla, Mike Eades, Ray Natili CBS West Regional all tournament team Buddy Hield (Sr, Oklahoma) – West Regional most outstanding playerhttp://www.crimsonandcreammachine.com/2016/3/26/11312062/trio-of-oklahoma-sooners-named-to-west-regional-all-tournament-team Trio of Oklahoma Sooners Named To West Regional All-Tournament Team Rich DeCray March 27, 2016 Crimson And Cream Machine March 28, 2016 Isaiah Cousins (Sr, Oklahoma) Jordan Woodard (Jr, Oklahoma) Elgin Cook (Sr, Oregon) Brandon Ingram (Fr, Duke) East Regional – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania First roundRound of 64March 17–18 Second RoundRound of 32March 19–20 Regional semifinalsSweet 16March 25 Regional FinalElite 8March 27 Raleigh – Thu/Sat Des Moines – Thu/Sat Brooklyn – Fri/Sun St. Louis – Fri/Sun 1 North Carolina 83 16 Florida Gulf Coast 67 8 USC 69 9 Providence 70 5 Indiana 99 12 Chattanooga 74 4 Kentucky 85 13 Stony Brook 57 6 Notre Dame 70 11 Michigan 63 3 West Virginia 56 14 Stephen F. Austin 70 7 Wisconsin 47 10 Pittsburgh 43 2 Xavier 71 15 Weber State 53 1 North Carolina 85 9 Providence 66 5 Indiana 73 4 Kentucky 67 6 Notre Dame 76 14 Stephen F. Austin 75 7 Wisconsin 66 2 Xavier 63 1 North Carolina 101 5 Indiana 86 6 Notre Dame 61 7 Wisconsin 56 1 North Carolina 88 6 Notre Dame 74 East Regional Final #e3e3e3 Sunday, March 27 8:49 pm EDT Box Score #6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 74 #1 North Carolina Tar Heels 88 D. Jackson – 26 B. Colson – 5 D. Jackson – 4 B. Johnson – 25 B. Johnson – 12 J. Berry II – 8 38–43 36–45 Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA 20,743 Tom Eades, Ed Corbett, Michael Stephens TBS East Regional all tournament team Brice Johnson (Sr, North Carolina) – East Regional most outstanding playerhttp://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/unc-now/article68603777.html Brice Johnson makes UNC NCAA tournament history newsobserver March 28, 2016 Marcus Paige (Sr, North Carolina)http://scores.suntimes.com/basketball/ncaab-boxscores.aspx?page=/data/ncaab/results/2015-2016/recap915242.html NCAA College Basketball Box Scores Chicago Sun-Times March 28, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160409142951/http://scores.suntimes.com/basketball/ncaab-boxscores.aspx?page=%2Fdata%2Fncaab%2Fresults%2F2015-2016%2Frecap915242.html April 9, 2016 dead V. J. Beachem (Jr, Notre Dame) Demetrius Jackson (Jr, Notre Dame) Yogi Ferrell (Sr, Indiana) Midwest Regional – Chicago, Illinois First roundRound of 64March 17–18 Second RoundRound of 32March 19–20 Regional semifinalsSweet 16March 25 Regional FinalElite 8March 27 Raleigh – Thu/Sat Denver – Thu/Sat Denver – Thu/Sat St. Louis – Fri/Sun 1 Virginia 81 16 Hampton 45 8 Texas Tech 61 9 Butler 71 5 Purdue 83 12 Little Rock 852OT 4 Iowa State 94 13 Iona 81 6 Seton Hall 52 11 Gonzaga 68 3 Utah 80 14 Fresno State 69 7 Dayton 51 10 Syracuse 70 2 Michigan State 81 15 Middle Tennessee 90 1 Virginia 77 9 Butler 69 12 Little Rock 61 4 Iowa State 78 11 Gonzaga 82 3 Utah 59 10 Syracuse 75 15 Middle Tennessee 50 1 Virginia 84 4 Iowa State 71 11 Gonzaga 60 10 Syracuse 63 1 Virginia 62 10 Syracuse 68 Midwest Regional Final #e3e3e3 Sunday, March 27 5:09 pm CDT Box Score #10 Syracuse Orange 68 #1 Virginia Cavaliers 62 M. Richardson – 23 T. Roberson – 8 M. Gbinije – 6 L. Perrantes – 18 M. Brogdon – 7 M. Brogdon – 7 21–35 47–27 United Center – Chicago, IL 20,155 Mike Roberts, John Higgens, John Gaffney TBS Midwest Regional all tournament team thumb|180px|London Perrantes Malachi Richardson (Fr, Syracuse) – Midwest Regional most outstanding playerhttps://nypost.com/2016/03/28/jim-boeheims-halftime-fury-adds-chapter-to-his-legend/ Jim Boeheim's halftime fury adds chapter to his legend March 28, 2016 New York Post March 28, 2016 Michael Gbinije (Sr, Syracuse) London Perrantes (Jr, Virginia) Georges Niang (Sr, Iowa State) Domantas Sabonis (So, Gonzaga) Final Four Missing the Syracuse-NC game. March 2026 During the Final Four round, regardless of the seeds of the participating teams, the champion of the top overall top seed's region (Kansas's South Region) plays against the champion of the fourth-ranked top seed's region (Oregon's West Region), and the champion of the second overall top seed's region (North Carolina's East Region) plays against the champion of the third-ranked top seed's region (Virginia's Midwest Region). Final Four - NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas National SemifinalsFinal FourSaturday, April 2 National Championship GameMonday, April 4 25 130 S2 Villanova 95 W2 Oklahoma 51 E1 North Carolina 83 MW10 Syracuse 66 S2 Villanova 77 E1 North Carolina 74 Final Four #e3e3e3 Saturday, April 2 5:09 pm CDT Box Score #2 Villanova Wildcats 95 #2 Oklahoma Sooners 51 J. Hart – 23 K. Jenkins, J. Hart – 8 J. Hart – 4 J. Woodard – 12 B. Hield – 7 B. Hield, J. Woodard – 2 42–28 53–23 NRG Stadium – Houston, TX 75,505 Tom Eades, Tony Padilla, Mark Whitehead TBS #fff Saturday, April 2 7:49 pm CDT Box Score #10 Syracuse Orange 66 #1 North Carolina Tar Heels 83 T. Cooney – 22 T. Roberson – 9 M. Gbinije – 2 B. Johnson, J. Jackson – 16 B. Johnson – 9 J. Berry II – 10 28–39 38–44 NRG Stadium – Houston, TX 75,505 Jeff Clark, Roger Ayers, Mike Eades TBS The Villanova–Oklahoma result was not only the most one-sided in the tournament so far, but also in the history of the men's Final Four. The Wildcats shot 71.4% for the game, surpassed in Final Four games only by the Wildcats' 78.6% performance in the 1985 final against Georgetown. The 44-point margin was also greater than the combined margin of defeat in Oklahoma's seven previous losses in 2015–16. In addition, the 2016 semifinals were the first since 2008 to both be decided by double-digit margins, and the combined 61-point margin broke a men's Final Four record set in 1949.https://sports.yahoo.com/news/why-the-2016-ncaa-final-four-could-be-the-worst-ever-055156530.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma Why the 2016 NCAA Final Four could be the worst ever Pat Forde Pat Forde Yahoo! Sports April 3, 2016 April 4, 2016 National Championship 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game #e3e3e3 Monday, April 4 8:19 pm CDT Box Score #2 Villanova Wildcats 77 #1 North Carolina Tar Heels 74 P. Booth – 20 J. Hart – 8 R. Arcidiacono, D. Ochefu – 2 M. Paige – 21 B. Johnson – 8 M. Paige – 6 34–39 43–35 NRG Stadium – Houston, TX 74,340 Michael Stephens, John Higgins, Terry Wymer TBS The Wildcats' Championship run was the 3rd most dominant in NCAA Tournament history, with a total point differential of +124 (breaking the 2009 record set by the North Carolina Tar Heels of +121http://www.databasesports.com/ncaab/tourney.htm?yr=2009 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Database Sports), behind the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats (+129) and the 2024 UConn Huskies (+140). Final Four all-tournament team Ryan Arcidiacono (Sr, Villanova) – Final Four Most Outstanding Playerhttp://www.syracuse.com/marchmadness/index.ssf/2016/04/ryan_arcidiacono_named_most_outstanding_player_of_2016_ncaa_final_four.html Ryan Arcidiacono named Most Outstanding Player of 2016 NCAA Final Four Syracuse.com April 4, 2016 April 5, 2016 Josh Hart (Jr, Villanova) Phil Booth (So, Villanova) Joel Berry II (So, North Carolina) Brice Johnson (Sr, North Carolina) Tournament notes America East Conference champion Stony Brook and WAC champion Cal State Bakersfield made their first NCAA Tournament appearances in school history.https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/02/10/midmajor-stony-brook-seawolves-jameel-warney Jameel Warney leads Stony Brook toward first NCAA tournament Molly Geary February 10, 2016 Sports Illustrated April 4, 2016http://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/cal-state-bakersfield-wins-wac-tournament-beats-new-mexico-state-031316 Cal State Bakersfield wins WAC tournament, beats New Mexico State Fox Sports April 4, 2016 Yale made its first NCAA appearance since 1962 as winners of the Ivy League, which, for the final time, did not stage a conference tournament. Of those that do hold a tournament, Horizon League champion Green Bay made its first appearance since 1996 and Oregon State made its first appearance since 1990. Yale also earned its first Tournament win in school history with a 79–75 win over Baylor. Hawaii likewise earned its first NCAA Tournament win by defeating California 77–66. Arkansas-Little Rock won its first Tournament game in 30 years and Middle Tennessee won its first Tournament game in 27 years. In the Midwest Region, No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee upset No. 2 seed Michigan State for just the eighth ever win for a No. 15 seed over a No. 2. More than one-third of ESPN Tournament Challenge brackets predicted Michigan State to make the Final Four.https://www.espn.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/113002/tournament-challenge-six-perfect-brackets-left-after-middle-tennessee-upset Tournament Challenge: Six perfect brackets left after Middle Tennessee upset ESPN.com March 18, 2016 2016-03-21 In the East Region, No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin upset No. 3 seed West Virginia, marking the fourth straight tournament in which a No. 14 seed upset a No. 3 seed.https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/03/18/ncaa-tournament-west-virginia-stephen-f-austin-thomas-walkup Stephen F. Austin rides stingy defense to upset of West Virginia Gabriel Baumgaertner March 18, 2016 Sports Illustrated April 4, 2016 By winning the Midwest Regional final, Syracuse became the first No. 10 seed in history to advance to the Final Four. However, six lower seeds, all No. 11, have advanced to that stage (in 1986, 2006, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2024.http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/syracuse-becomes-first-no-10-seed-to-reach-final-four/ Syracuse becomes first No. 10 seed to reach Final Four Chicago Sun-Times March 28, 2016 Kansas extended its streak of consecutive tournament appearances to 27 in a row, making every NCAA Tournament dating back to 1990.https://247sports.com/college/kansas/article/kansas-kicks-off-the-ncaa-tournament-thursday-afternoon-44297764/ Kansas kicks off the NCAA tournament Thursday afternoon 247Sports.com April 4, 2016 This tied the record for most consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances held by North Carolina (1975–2001).https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2015-12-28/college-basketball-longest-active-ncaa-tournament-streaks College Basketball: Longest active NCAA Tournament streaks NCAA April 4, 2016 This Tournament marked the first championship for Villanova in 31 years. It was also the first championship by a school without a Division I FBS football team since Connecticut in 1999. Villanova fields a Division I FCS football team, as did UConn before 2002. Upsets Per the NCAA, "Upsets are defined as when the winner of the game was seeded five or more places lower than the team it defeated." The 2016 tournament saw a total of 11 upsets, with eight in the first round, two in the second round, and one in the Elite Eight. +Upsets in the 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournamentRoundSouthWestEastMidwestRound of 64 No. 13 Hawaii defeated No. 4 California, 77–66 No. 11 Wichita State defeated No. 6 Arizona, 65–55 No. 12 Yale defeated No. 5 Baylor, 79–75 No. 11 Northern Iowa defeated No. 6 Texas, 75–72 No. 14 Stephen F. Austin defeated No. 3 West Virginia, 70–56 No. 15 Middle Tennessee defeated No. 2 Michigan State, 90–81 No. 12 Little Rock defeated No. 5 Purdue, 85–83 2OT No. 11 Gonzaga defeated No. 6 Seton Hall, 68–52Round of 32 None No. 7 Wisconsin defeated No. 2 Xavier, 66–63 No. 11 Gonzaga defeated No. 3 Utah, 82–59Sweet 16 NoneElite 8 None No. 10 Syracuse defeated No. 1 Virginia, 68–62Final 4 NoneNational Championship None Record by conference ConferenceBids2016 NCAA Tournament: Bids broken down by conferences http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25516516/ncaa-tournament-bids-broken-down-by-conferences CBS Sports Chip Patterson March 14, 2016RecordWin %R64R32S16E8F4CGNCBig East59–49 45411111ACC719–719 7766421-1 –Big 1279–79 773321-1 –-1 –Pac-1274–74 77211-1 –-1 –-1 –Big Ten78–78 7743-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –SEC33–33 3221-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –WCC12–12 1111-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –Atlantic 1032–32 332-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –Missouri Valley23–23 222-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –American41–41 431-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –Big West11–11 111-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –C-USA11–11 111-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –Ivy League11–11 111-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –Southland11–11 111-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –Sun Belt11–11 111-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –Atlantic Sun11–11 11-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –Patriot11–11 11-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 –-1 – note close The R64, R32, S16, E8, F4, CG, and NC columns indicate how many teams from each conference were in the round of 64 (first round), round of 32 (second round), Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, championship game, and national champion, respectively. The "Record" column includes wins in the First Four for the Big Ten, Missouri Valley, Atlantic Sun, and Patriot conferences and losses in the First Four for the SEC and American conferences. The NEC and SWAC each had one representative, both eliminated in the First Four with a record of 0–1. The America East, Big Sky, Big South, CAA, Horizon, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Mountain West, Ohio Valley, Southern, Summit, and WAC conferences each had one representative, eliminated in the first round with a record of 0–1. Media coverage Television CBS Sports and Turner Sports held joint U.S. television broadcast rights to the Tournament under the NCAA March Madness brand. Beginning in 2016, rights to the Final Four and championship game began to alternate between Turner and CBS, with Turner networks broadcasting the 2016 Final Four and championship; a conventional telecast aired on TBS, accompanied by "Team Stream" broadcasts on TNT and TruTV which featured commentary and coverage focused on each participating team. Turner employed this multi-channel presentation of the semifinals in 2014 and 2015, but this was the first time it was used for the final.CBS/Turner unveil 2016 NCAA Tournament announcers; Brian Anderson to call Elite Eight http://awfulannouncing.com/2016/cbsturner-unveil-2016-ncaa-tournament-announcers-brian-anderson-to-call-elite-eight.html Awful Announcing March 8, 2016 March 9, 2016 It marked the first time in tournament history that the national championship game aired on cable channels, and ended CBS' streak of broadcasting 34 consecutive National Championship games.CBS Sports, Turner Sports announce programming schedule for 2014, 2015 https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2013-05-07/cbs-sports-turner-sports-announce-programming-schedule-2014 National Collegiate Athletic Association May 7, 2013 April 1, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110948/http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2013-05-07/cbs-sports-turner-sports-announce-programming-schedule-2014 April 2, 2015 deadCBS Sports and Turner Sports Announce 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Commentator Team https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-03-08/cbs-sports-and-turner-sports-announce-2016-ncaa-division-i NCAA March 9, 2016 March 8, 2016 However, Turner allowed the tournament's closing theme, One Shining Moment, to be played for the 30th year in a row. To date, the song is still played in this manner, no matter which network airs the National Championship game. For 2016, the selection show on CBS was expanded into a two-hour broadcast—a move which proved unpopular with viewers due to the decreased speed at which the participating teams were unveiled. These issues were exacerbated by a leak of the full bracket shortly into the broadcast, which spread on Twitter. Although ratings for the selection show had steadily decreased over the past four years, the 3.7 overnight rating for the broadcast was the lowest in 20 years.Ratings for CBS's NCAA tournament selection show were almost as bad as show itself https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/03/14/ratings-for-cbss-ncaa-tournament-selection-show-were-almost-as-bad-as-show-itself/ March 14, 2016 The Washington PostNCAA says it's investigating the bracket leak that saved us from the two-hour Selection Sunday show http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-ncaa-tournament-bracket-leak-20160314-story.html March 14, 2016 Los Angeles Times CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus admitted that the extended special was a failure, stating that "we haven't had any specific discussions but I think we all agree it would serve all of us well including the fan to release the brackets in a little more timely manner".CBS and Turner Sports lock down NCAA tournament through 2032 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/04/12/cbs-and-turner-sports-lock-down-ncaa-tournament-through-2032/ April 12, 2016 The Washington Post April 12, 2016 Studio hosts Greg Gumbel (New York City and Houston) – First round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game Ernie Johnson Jr. (New York City, Atlanta, and Houston) – First round, second round, Regional Semi-Finals, Final Four and National Championship Game Matt Winer (Atlanta) – First Four, First Round and Second Round Studio analysts Charles Barkley (New York City and Houston) – First round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game Swin Cash (Atlanta) – First Four Seth Davis (Atlanta and Houston) – First Four, first round, second round, Regional Semi-Finals, Final Four and National Championship Game Johnny Dawkins (New York City) – Second Round Doug Gottlieb (New York City) – Regionals Ron Hunter (Atlanta) – First round Clark Kellogg (New York City and Houston) – First round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game Reggie Miller (Houston) – Final Four and National Championship Game Kenny Smith (New York City and Houston) – First round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game Steve Smith (Houston) – Final Four and National Championship Game Kevin Stallings (Atlanta) – Second Round Wally Szczerbiak (Atlanta) – First Four, first round, second round and Regional Semi-Finals Buzz Williams (Atlanta) – Regional Semi-Finals Commentary teams Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill/Tracy Wolfson/Craig Sager – First and Second Rounds at Des Moines, Iowa; South Regional at Louisville, Kentucky; Final Four and National Championship at Houston Sager joined Nantz, Raftery, Hill, and Wolfson for the Championship Game to interview Michael Jordan Brian Anderson/Steve Smith/Dana Jacobson – First and Second Rounds at St. Louis, Missouri; East Regional at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Verne Lundquist/Jim Spanarkel/Allie LaForce – First and Second Rounds at Brooklyn, New York; West Regional at Anaheim, California Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner/Lewis Johnson – First and Second Rounds at Raleigh, North Carolina; Midwest Regional at Chicago Ian Eagle/Chris Webber/Len Elmore/Evan Washburn – First and Second Rounds at Providence, Rhode Island Spero Dedes/Doug Gottlieb/Rosalyn Gold-Onwude – First and Second Rounds at Spokane, Washington Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas/Jamie Erdahl – First Four at Dayton, Ohio (Tuesday); First and Second Rounds at Denver, Colorado Carter Blackburn/Mike Gminski/Jaime Maggio – First Four at Dayton, Ohio (Wednesday); First and Second Rounds at Oklahoma City. Team Stream broadcasts Final Four Chad McKee/Eduardo Nájera/Jessica Coody – Oklahoma Team Stream on TNT Scott Graham/Brian Finneran/Kacie McDonnell – Villanova Team Stream on truTV Wes Durham/Brendan Haywood/Dwayne Ballen – North Carolina Team Stream on TNT Tom Werme/Roosevelt Bouie/Donovan McNabb – Syracuse Team Stream on truTV National Championship Game Wes Durham/Brendan Haywood/Dwayne Ballen – North Carolina Team Stream on TNT Scott Graham/Brian Finneran/Kacie McDonnell – Villanova Team Stream on truTV Radio Westwood One had exclusive radio rights to the entire tournament.NCAA, Westwood One extend deal https://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2011-01-13/ncaa-westwood-one-extend-deal NCAA February 26, 2016 January 13, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20160309200708/http://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2011-01-13/ncaa-westwood-one-extend-deal March 9, 2016 dead First Four Craig Way and Kevin Grevey – at Dayton, Ohio First and Second rounds Scott Graham and Donny Marshall – Providence, Rhode Island Brandon Gaudin and Mike Montgomery – Des Moines, Iowa John Sadak and Eric Montross/John Thompson – Raleigh, North Carolina (Montross – Thursday afternoon; Thompson – Thursday night & Saturday) Kevin Kugler and Jim Jackson – Denver, Colorado Chris Carrino and Kelly Tripucka – Brooklyn, New York City, New York Wayne Larrivee and Will Perdue – St. Louis, Missouri Tom McCarthy and P. J. Carlesimo – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Kevin Calabro and Dan Dickau – Spokane, Washington Regionals Tom McCarthy and John Thompson – East Regional at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Gary Cohen and Jim Jackson – Midwest Regional at Chicago, Illinois Ian Eagle and P. J. Carlesimo – South Regional at Louisville, Kentucky Kevin Kugler and Donny Marshall – West Regional at Anaheim, California Final Four Kevin Kugler, John Thompson, Clark Kellogg, and Jim Gray – Houston, Texas Local radio Seed School Station Play–by–play Color analyst Studio host South Region 2 Villanova WTEL–AM 610 and Villanova IMG Sports Network Ryan Fannon Whitey Rigsby Joe Weil East Region 1 North Carolina WCHL–AM 1360 and Tar Heel Sports Network Jones Angell Eric Montross Internet The games were streamed on the NCAA March Madness Live website and app, with streams for Turner games also available on the Bleacher Report website and Team Stream app, and CBS games available on the CBS Sports website and app.NCAA March Madness Live to Provide Access to the 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Across More Platforms Than Ever Before https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-03-07/ncaar-march-madnessr-livetm-provide-access-2016-ncaa-division NCAA March 8, 2016 March 7, 2016 Games on TBS were available on Watch TBS app. Games on TNT were made available on Watch TNT app. Games on TruTV were available on Watch TruTV app. Westwood One's radio broadcasts, including a "National Mix" channel consisting of whip-around coverage during the first and second rounds, was available on its website and on the TuneIn app. The games were also viewable on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Xbox One video game consoles via the PlayStation Vue (PS3/PS4; all games), Sling TV (XB1; TBS, TNT, TruTV games) and TuneIn (Vita/XB1; all games) apps. See also 2016 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament 2016 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament 2016 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament 2016 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament 2016 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament 2016 National Invitation Tournament 2016 Women's National Invitation Tournament 2016 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament 2016 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament 2016 College Basketball Invitational 2016 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament 2016 Vegas 16 Tournament Notes 1.aThe 15 teams that were ineligible, and the reasons for ineligibility: Academic Progress RateBrutlag Hosick Michelle Raising the bar https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/raising-bar NCAA February 27, 2016 May 27, 2015 Alcorn State Central Arkansas Florida A&M Stetson Other NCAA infractions SMUJames Emily SMU commits men's basketball and golf violations https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/smu-commits-men-s-basketball-and-golf-violations NCAA February 27, 2016 September 29, 2015 Self-imposed bans LouisvillePemberton Kim University Makes Major Announcement on Friday http://www.gocards.com/news/2016/2/5/athletics_0205161430.aspx Louisville Athletics February 27, 2016 February 5, 2016 MissouriMissouri Athletics Missouri basketball announces details of NCAA review, self-imposed penalties https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-01-13/missouri-basketball-announces-details-ncaa-review-self NCAA March 1, 2016 January 13, 2016 Cal State NorthridgeCSUN Men's Basketball Self-Imposes 2016 Post-Season Basketball Ban http://www.gomatadors.com/news/2016/1/7/GEN_0107161202.aspx?path=general CSUN Athletics March 9, 2016 January 7, 2016 PacificAthletics Administers Self-Imposed Penalties On Men's Basketball http://www.pacifictigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/2015-16/releases/20151217qp129x Pacific Athletics March 9, 2016 December 17, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151223041318/http://www.pacifictigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/2015-16/releases/20151217qp129x December 23, 2015 dead Southern MissNorlander Matt Southern Miss self-imposes postseason ban for 2nd straight year http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25367636/southern-miss-self-imposes-postseason-ban-for-second-straight-year CBSSports.com CBS Interactive November 8, 2015 ReclassificationMultidivision and Reclassifying for 2015–16 https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/DI%20MULTIDIVISION%202015-16.pdf NCAA February 27, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160322123835/http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/DI%20MULTIDIVISION%202015-16.pdf March 22, 2016 dead mdy-all Abilene Christian Grand Canyon Incarnate Word UMass Lowell Northern Kentucky References 30em NCAA tournament Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Category:Basketball in Houston Category:March 2016 sports events in the United States Category:April 2016 sports events in the United States Category:2016 in sports in Texas Category:2016 in Houston