CLEVELAND — The 2026 NCAA Tournament began Tuesday night with a dramatic First Four showdown in which Howard University captured its first NCAA Tournament victory in program history, defeating UMBC 86-83 in a nail-biting finish that required a clutch turnaround jumper with 13 seconds remaining to seal the victory, according to ESPN, CBS Sports, Sporting News, Fox Sports, The Associated Press, and NCAA.com. The four No. 1 seeds entering this year’s tournament are Duke, Arizona, Michigan, and defending champion Florida, with top-seeded Michigan awaiting Howard in Thursday’s opening round. Each of the bullet points immediately below have been confirmed by at least four of the six respected sources we curated on this story.
- Howard (24-10) earned its first NCAA Tournament win after entering the game with an 0-4 all-time record in March Madness appearances, tying the program record for most wins in a season (24), matching the 1986-87 campaign
- Bison forward Bryce Harris, the MEAC Player of the Year who averaged 17.4 points per game this season, recorded 19 points and 14 rebounds and sank a turnaround jumper with 13 seconds remaining to give Howard an 85-81 lead
- Ose Okojie scored a career-high 23 points to lead Howard, including 16 first-half points that helped build a 49-41 halftime advantage
- UMBC (24-9) was seeking its first March Madness win since becoming the first No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed when it stunned Virginia 86-85 in 2018
- The Retrievers’ DJ Armstrong Jr. hit a 3-pointer with 43 seconds remaining to cut Howard’s lead to 83-81, setting up the dramatic final minute
- Howard will advance to face No. 1 seed Michigan in the first round on Thursday in Buffalo as the No. 16 seed in the Midwest Region
- The NCAA Tournament features 68 teams competing across four regions (East, West, Midwest, South) with the Final Four scheduled for April 4 in Indianapolis and the national championship on April 6
Additional Details Reported
Howard’s victory marks a significant milestone for the Washington D.C.-based program, which had previously lost all four of its NCAA Tournament appearances. The Bison’s 24 wins this season represent a high-water mark for the program, matching the 1986-87 team’s record.
The First Four format, played at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, pits the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams in games to determine entry into the main tournament bracket. This year’s opening doubleheader featured two compelling matchups, with Howard-UMBC representing the battle of 16 seeds.
UMBC, located 31 miles north of Howard in suburban Baltimore, had not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since its historic upset of Virginia in 2018. That victory shattered the previous 0-139 record for No. 16 seeds against No. 1 seeds in tournament history. The Retrievers ultimately lost to Kansas State in the second round that year and had waited eight years for a return appearance.
The second First Four game Tuesday featured No. 11 seed Texas facing No. 11 seed NC State, a rematch of their Maui Invitational meeting earlier this season where Texas prevailed 102-97. Both programs are led by first-year coaches, with NC State’s Will Wade returning to the tournament after guiding McNeese to the second round last year, and Sean Miller leading Texas in his inaugural season with the Longhorns.
Tournament Favorites and Dark Horses
According to advanced analytics from KenPom ratings, Duke, Arizona, Michigan, and Florida represent the top four teams in the tournament by overall efficiency. Duke enters as the No. 1 overall seed after a dominant season led by freshman phenom Cameron Boozer, who headlines the AP All-America first team.
Illinois, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Louisville, and Iowa State emerge as potential underrated contenders based on their KenPom ratings relative to their tournament seeding. Vanderbilt, rated 12th in KenPom but seeded fifth in the South Region, presents an intriguing matchup challenge for higher-seeded opponents.
The Midwest Region appears particularly competitive, with Michigan potentially facing a gauntlet of SEC opponents including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Iowa State to reach the Final Four. Six teams in this region rank in the top ten nationally in scoring offense.
Defending champion Florida returns as a No. 1 seed despite falling to Houston in late-season play. The Gators average 87.7 points per game and feature a formidable frontcourt led by big men Haugh and Alex Condon. The South Region may be the most unpredictable bracket, with several teams possessing the firepower for deep runs.
The 2026 tournament marks the first time since 2019 that the event will conclude with the traditional Monday night championship game, following scheduling adjustments in recent years. All 67 tournament games will air across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, with streaming available through various platforms.
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