March_Madness_2016

2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

Edition of USA college basketball tournament


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.[1] This was the first NCAA tournament to adopt the NCAA March Madness branding, including fully-branded courts at each of the tournament venues.

Quick Facts Season, Teams ...

Upsets were the story of the first round of the Tournament;[2] 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.[3] At least one team seeded #9 through #15 won a first-round game for the third time ever and the first time since 2013.

In the Final Four, Villanova defeated Oklahoma, while North Carolina defeated Syracuse (the "Cinderella team" of the tournament). Villanova then defeated North Carolina to win the championship on a three-point buzzer beater by Kris Jenkins.[4] Pundits called the game one of the best in tournament history, going on to say this was one of the most competitive finals ever.[5][6]

Schedule and venues

Dayton
Dayton
Providence
Providence
Des Moines
Des Moines
Raleigh
Raleigh
Denver
Denver
Brooklyn
Brooklyn
St. Louis
St. Louis
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City
Spokane
Spokane
2016 First Four (orange) and First and Second rounds March 17 and 19 (green) March 18 and 20 (blue)
Chicago
Chicago
Anaheim
Anaheim
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Louisville
Louisville
Houston
Houston
2016 Regionals (blue) and Final Four (red)

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

First and second rounds

Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)

National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship)

Qualifying and selection procedure

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.

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.[7] 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.[8]

Automatic qualifiers

The following teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2016 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's automatic bid:[9]

More information Conference, Team ...

Tournament seeds

More information Seed, School ...
More information Seed, School ...
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Keenan Evans of Texas Tech, at the tournament
More information Seed, School ...

*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.

March 15 – South Region
   
11 Vanderbilt 50
11 Wichita State 70
March 15 – East Region
   
16 Florida Gulf Coast 96
16 Fairleigh Dickinson 65
March 16 – East Region
   
11 Michigan 67
11 Tulsa 62
March 16 – West Region
   
16 Holy Cross 59
16 Southern 55

South Regional – Louisville, Kentucky

First round
Round of 64
March 17–18
Second Round
Round of 32
March 19–20
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 24
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 26
            
1 Kansas 105
16 Austin Peay 79
1 Kansas 73
Des Moines – Thu/Sat
9 UConn 61
8 Colorado 67
9 UConn 74
1 Kansas 79
5 Maryland 63
5 Maryland 79
12 South Dakota State 74
5 Maryland 73
Spokane – Fri/Sun
13 Hawaii 60
4 California 66
13 Hawaii 77
1 Kansas 59
2 Villanova 64
6 Arizona 55
11 Wichita State 65
11 Wichita State 57
Providence – Thu/Sat
3 Miami (FL) 65
3 Miami (FL) 79
14 Buffalo 72
3 Miami (FL) 69
2 Villanova 92
7 Iowa 72OT
10 Temple 70
7 Iowa 68
Brooklyn – Fri/Sun
2 Villanova 87
2 Villanova 86
15 UNC Asheville 56

South Regional Final

CBS
Saturday, March 26
8:49 pm EDT
#2 Villanova Wildcats 64, #1 Kansas Jayhawks 59
Scoring by half: 32–25, 32–34
Pts: R. Arcidiacono, J. Hart, K. Jenkins – 13
Rebs: D. Ochefu – 8
Asts: K. Jenkins – 3
Pts: D. Graham – 17
Rebs: L. Lucas – 12
Asts: F. Mason III – 4
KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY
Attendance: 19,422
Referees: Jeff Clark, Terry Wymer, Chris Rastatter

South Regional all tournament team

West Regional – Anaheim, California

First round
Round of 64
March 17–18
Second Round
Round of 32
March 19–20
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 24
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 26
            
1 Oregon 91
16 Holy Cross 52
1 Oregon 69
Spokane – Fri/Sun
8 Saint Joseph's 64
8 Saint Joseph's 78
9 Cincinnati 76
1 Oregon 82
4 Duke 68
5 Baylor 75
12 Yale 79
12 Yale 64
Providence – Thu/Sat
4 Duke 71
4 Duke 93
13 UNC Wilmington 85
1 Oregon 68
2 Oklahoma 80
6 Texas 72
11 Northern Iowa 75
11 Northern Iowa 88
Oklahoma City – Fri/Sun
3 Texas A&M 922OT
3 Texas A&M 92
14 Green Bay 65
3 Texas A&M 63
2 Oklahoma 77
7 Oregon State 67
10 VCU 75
10 VCU 81
Oklahoma City – Fri/Sun
2 Oklahoma 85
2 Oklahoma 82
15 Cal State Bakersfield 68

West Regional Final

CBS
Saturday, March 26
3:09 pm PDT
#2 Oklahoma Sooners 80, #1 Oregon Ducks 68
Scoring by half: 48–30, 32–38
Pts: B. Hield – 37
Rebs: C. James – 10
Asts: I. Cousins – 7
Pts: E. Cook – 24
Rebs: J. Bell – 12
Asts: D. Brooks, E. Cook – 4
Honda Center – Anaheim, CA
Attendance: 16,232
Referees: Tony Padilla, Mike Eades, Ray Natili

West Regional all tournament team

East Regional – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

First round
Round of 64
March 17–18
Second Round
Round of 32
March 19–20
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 25
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 27
            
1 North Carolina 83
16 Florida Gulf Coast 67
1 North Carolina 85
Raleigh – Thu/Sat
9 Providence 66
8 USC 69
9 Providence 70
1 North Carolina 101
5 Indiana 86
5 Indiana 99
12 Chattanooga 74
5 Indiana 73
Des Moines – Thu/Sat
4 Kentucky 67
4 Kentucky 85
13 Stony Brook 57
1 North Carolina 88
6 Notre Dame 74
6 Notre Dame 70
11 Michigan 63
6 Notre Dame 76
Brooklyn – Fri/Sun
14 Stephen F. Austin 75
3 West Virginia 56
14 Stephen F. Austin 70
6 Notre Dame 61
7 Wisconsin 56
7 Wisconsin 47
10 Pittsburgh 43
7 Wisconsin 66
St. Louis – Fri/Sun
2 Xavier 63
2 Xavier 71
15 Weber State 53

East Regional Final

TBS
Sunday, March 27
8:49 pm EDT
#6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 74, #1 North Carolina Tar Heels 88
Scoring by half: 38–43, 36–45
Pts: D. Jackson – 26
Rebs: B. Colson – 5
Asts: D. Jackson – 4
Pts: B. Johnson – 25
Rebs: B. Johnson – 12
Asts: J. Berry II – 8
Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA
Attendance: 20,743
Referees: Tom Eades, Ed Corbett, Michael Stephens

East Regional all tournament team

Midwest Regional – Chicago, Illinois

First round
Round of 64
March 17–18
Second Round
Round of 32
March 19–20
Regional semifinals
Sweet 16
March 25
Regional Final
Elite 8
March 27
            
1 Virginia 81
16 Hampton 45
1 Virginia 77
Raleigh – Thu/Sat
9 Butler 69
8 Texas Tech 61
9 Butler 71
1 Virginia 84
4 Iowa State 71
5 Purdue 83
12 Little Rock 852OT
12 Little Rock 61
Denver – Thu/Sat
4 Iowa State 78
4 Iowa State 94
13 Iona 81
1 Virginia 62
10 Syracuse 68
6 Seton Hall 52
11 Gonzaga 68
11 Gonzaga 82
Denver – Thu/Sat
3 Utah 59
3 Utah 80
14 Fresno State 69
11 Gonzaga 60
10 Syracuse 63
7 Dayton 51
10 Syracuse 70
10 Syracuse 75
St. Louis – Fri/Sun
15 Middle Tennessee 50
2 Michigan State 81
15 Middle Tennessee 90

Midwest Regional Final

TBS
Sunday, March 27
5:09 pm CDT
#10 Syracuse Orange 68, #1 Virginia Cavaliers 62
Scoring by half: 21–35, 47–27
Pts: M. Richardson – 23
Rebs: T. Roberson – 8
Asts: M. Gbinije – 6
Pts: L. Perrantes – 18
Rebs: M. Brogdon – 7
Asts: M. Brogdon – 7
United Center – Chicago, IL
Attendance: 20,155
Referees: Mike Roberts, John Higgens, John Gaffney

Midwest Regional all tournament team

London Perrantes

Final Four

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).

NRG Stadium – Houston, Texas

National semifinals
April 2
National Championship Game
April 4
      
S2 Villanova 95
W2 Oklahoma 51
S2 Villanova 77
E1 North Carolina 74
E1 North Carolina 83
MW10 Syracuse 66

Final Four

TBS
Saturday, April 2
5:09 pm CDT
#2 Villanova Wildcats 95, #2 Oklahoma Sooners 51
Scoring by half: 42–28, 53–23
Pts: J. Hart – 23
Rebs: K. Jenkins, J. Hart – 8
Asts: J. Hart – 4
Pts: J. Woodard – 12
Rebs: B. Hield – 7
Asts: B. Hield, J. Woodard – 2
NRG Stadium – Houston, TX
Attendance: 75,505
Referees: Tom Eades, Tony Padilla, Mark Whitehead
TBS
Saturday, April 2
7:49 pm CDT
#10 Syracuse Orange 66, #1 North Carolina Tar Heels 83
Scoring by half: 28–39, 38–44
Pts: T. Cooney – 22
Rebs: T. Roberson – 9
Asts: M. Gbinije – 2
Pts: B. Johnson, J. Jackson – 16
Rebs: B. Johnson – 9
Asts: J. Berry II – 10
NRG Stadium – Houston, TX
Attendance: 75,505
Referees: Jeff Clark, Roger Ayers, Mike Eades

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.[15]

National Championship

TBS
Monday, April 4
8:19 pm CDT
#2 Villanova Wildcats 77, #1 North Carolina Tar Heels 74
Scoring by half: 34–39, 43–35
Pts: P. Booth – 20
Rebs: J. Hart – 8
Asts: R. Arcidiacono, D. Ochefu – 2
Pts: M. Paige – 21
Rebs: B. Johnson – 8
Asts: M. Paige – 6
NRG Stadium – Houston, TX
Attendance: 74,340
Referees: Michael Stephens, John Higgins, Terry Wymer

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 +121[16]), behind the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats (+129) and the 2024 UConn Huskies (+140).

Final Four all-tournament team

Tournament notes

America East Conference champion Stony Brook and WAC champion Cal State Bakersfield made their first NCAA Tournament appearances in school history.[18][19]

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.[3] More than one-third of ESPN Tournament Challenge brackets predicted Michigan State to make the Final Four.[20]

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.[21]

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.[22]

Kansas extended its streak of consecutive tournament appearances to 27 in a row, making every NCAA Tournament dating back to 1990.[23] This tied the record for most consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances held by North Carolina (1975–2001).[24]

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; 8 of them were in the first round, 2 of them were in the second round, none in the Sweet Sixteen, and one in the Elite Eight.

More information Round, South ...

Record by conference

More information Conference, Bids ...
    • 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.[26] 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.[27][28] 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.[29][30] 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".[31]

    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

    Team Stream broadcasts
    Final Four
    National Championship Game

    Radio

    Westwood One had exclusive radio rights to the entire tournament.[32]

    Local radio

    More information Seed, School ...

    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.[33] 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

    Notes

    1.^ The 15 teams that were ineligible, and the reasons for ineligibility:
    Academic Progress Rate[34]
    Alcorn State
    Central Arkansas
    Florida A&M
    Stetson
    Other NCAA infractions
    SMU[35]
    Self-imposed bans
    Louisville[36]
    Missouri[37]
    Cal State Northridge[38]
    Pacific[39]
    Southern Miss[40]
    Reclassification[41]
    Abilene Christian
    Grand Canyon
    Incarnate Word
    UMass Lowell
    Northern Kentucky

    References

    1. "Division I Men's Basketball". NCAA. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
    2. Mike Rutherford (March 18, 2016). "Middle Tennessee State's win over Michigan State is the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history". SBNation. Vox Media. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
    3. "The Ivy League Adds Men's, Women's Basketball Tournaments Beginning in 2017" (Press release). Ivy League. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
    4. "Men's Basketball Selections 101 – Selections". NCAA – The Official Site of the NCAA. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
    5. "NCAA Tournament 2016: 4 Villanova players named to South Regional All-Tournament Team". Philadelphia. March 27, 2016. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
    6. Rich DeCray (March 27, 2016). "Trio of Oklahoma Sooners Named To West Regional All-Tournament Team". Crimson And Cream Machine. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
    7. "Brice Johnson makes UNC NCAA tournament history". newsobserver. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
    8. "NCAA College Basketball Box Scores". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
    9. "Jim Boeheim's halftime fury adds chapter to his legend". New York Post. March 28, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
    10. "Ryan Arcidiacono named Most Outstanding Player of 2016 NCAA Final Four". Syracuse.com. April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
    11. Molly Geary (February 10, 2016). "Jameel Warney leads Stony Brook toward first NCAA tournament". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
    12. Gabriel Baumgaertner (March 18, 2016). "Stephen F. Austin rides stingy defense to upset of West Virginia". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
    13. Patterson, Chip (March 14, 2016). "2016 NCAA Tournament: Bids broken down by conferences". CBS Sports.
    14. "CBS Sports, Turner Sports announce programming schedule for 2014, 2015". National Collegiate Athletic Association. May 7, 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
    15. "NCAA, Westwood One extend deal". NCAA. January 13, 2011. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
    16. Brutlag Hosick, Michelle (May 27, 2015). "Raising the bar". NCAA. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
    17. James, Emily (September 29, 2015). "SMU commits men's basketball and golf violations". NCAA. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
    18. Pemberton, Kim (February 5, 2016). "University Makes Major Announcement on Friday". Louisville Athletics. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
    19. Missouri Athletics (January 13, 2016). "Missouri basketball announces details of NCAA review, self-imposed penalties". NCAA. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
    20. "CSUN Men's Basketball Self-Imposes 2016 Post-Season Basketball Ban". CSUN Athletics. January 7, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
    21. "Athletics Administers Self-Imposed Penalties On Men's Basketball". Pacific Athletics. December 17, 2015. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
    22. Norlander, Matt (November 8, 2015). "Southern Miss self-imposes postseason ban for 2nd straight year". CBSSports.com. CBS Interactive.
    23. "Multidivision and Reclassifying for 2015–16" (PDF). NCAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.

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