The GIST - Special Edition: Survive and advance
From The GIST Team |
Let’s go dancing!The wait is over — March Madness officially begins with today’s men’s First Four tip-off, so we’re hitting your inbox with everything you need to know about the men’s version of the most chaotic tournament in sports. Cue “One Shining Moment.” |
Quote of The Day |
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This was a miscarriage of justice and robbery at the highest levels. |
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— West Virginia governor and certified drama queen Patrick Morrisey, from a podium reading “National Corrupt Athletic Association,” on the Mountaineers’ controversial snub from March Madness (more on that below). A tad overdramatic, but hey, who doesn’t get emotional in March? |
The Breakdown |
⚙️ How it works![]()
Source: NCAA
Two days ago on Selection Sunday, the NCAA men’s basketball selection committee chose 37 at-large bids to join the 31 automatic qualifiers, ranked all 68 teams, and sorted them into four quadrants, aka regions: South, East, Midwest, and West.
The tournament is notably single-elimination — in other words, win or go home. That, plus the sheer volume and frequency of high-stakes matchups (67 in three weeks), is what makes this tournament so, well, mad. But First
From there, the real Madness begins. The first round tips off Thursday at 12:15 p.m. ET (set a reminder to submit your brackets before then!), followed by non-stop, high-octane hoops until one team hoists the hardware on Monday, April 7th. Welcome to basketball heaven. |
1️⃣ The No. 1 seeds![]()
Source: Montgomery Advertiser
🐯 Auburn Tigers (South): Led by Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome, the Tigers earned the No. 1 overall seed by grinding out a regular-season championship in the toughest conference, the SEC. They’ve dropped three of their last four, however, so the committee gave them a serious vote of confidence by awarding them the top seed. 😈 Duke Blue Devils (East): This blue blood hasn’t won a national title since 2015, but that could change this year thanks to one electric freshman: Cooper Flagg. The basketball prodigy is all but guaranteed to be the No. 1 overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, and Duke’s confetti dreams rest on the health of his right ankle. Good news for all hoops fans: He’s expected to play Thursday. 🐆 Houston Cougars (Midwest): The Cougars won big in the cutthroat Big 12, claiming the regular-season title and tournament crown. They shoot lights-out from the three-point line, but their calling card is their lockdown defense…and you know what they say about defense and championships. 🐊 Florida Gators (West): Florida wasn’t on many fans’ radars when the season tipped off in the fall, but they steadily rose through the stacked SEC, picking up signature wins over then–No. 1 Tennessee and then–No. 1 Auburn along the way. Their stellar SEC tournament title run likely sealed the committee’s decision to award them a No. 1 seed. Chomp chomp. |
💪 The other top contenders![]()
Source: The Tuscaloosa News
⛈️ No. 2 seed St. John’s Red Storm (West): The Red Storm raised some eyebrows when they hired infamous head coach (HC) Rick Pitino to rebuild their program, but it’s been an undeniably good call on the court so far. They won their first outright Big East regular-season title since 1985, stormed to a conference tournament win with huge margins, and snagged a No. 2 seed. 🌊 No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (East): The Tide are part basketball team, part track stars — opponents have a tough time keeping up with their fast-paced, nation-leading offense. And when star senior guard Mark Sears (18.7 points per game) is at his best, the Tide is very, very high. 💚 No. 2 seed Michigan State Spartans (South): It doesn’t matter how legendary HC Tom Izzo’s squad did in the regular season — the Spartans always show up in March. That’s no exaggeration: If you discount Kansas’ vacated 2018 appearance, MSU owns the longest active streak of men’s tournament appearances with 27 straight. Holy moly. 🧡 No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers (Midwest): When people think Tennessee basketball, they think of the Vols’ eight-time national champ women’s team. But their men crushed it in the brutal SEC this year, spending five weeks atop the AP poll in December and January. They also bumped Auburn from the SEC tourney, so you know they show up in big moments. 🐾 No. 3 seed Kentucky Wildcats (Midwest): Former HC John Calipari rocked Big Blue Nation when he decamped for Arkansas this offseason, but the Wildcats haven’t skipped a beat, humming along under alum and first-year HC Mark Pope. Yes, they’ve cooled quite a bit since their early-December peak, but a deep run is definitely on the table. What team?! |
Together With Hoops HQ
🏀 That office pool is yours for the taking![]()
Source: Hoops HQ
Looking for expert help filling out your March Madness brackets? Seth Davis and his team of insiders at Hoops HQ have broken down every game of both the men’s and women’s tournaments.
From the recruiting trail to the WNBA and NBA Drafts, the locker room to the head coach's office, Hoops HQ is the destination for the best men’s and women’s year-round college basketball coverage. Subscribe today for only $16 in your first year — that’s 73% off. |
🐴 The dark horses![]()
Source: The Big West
🐱 No. 6 seed BYU Cougars (East): If there’s one thing you need to win in March, it’s momentum, and BYU has it. They weren’t in the AP top 25 a month ago, but they finished the regular season on an eight-game win streak (including a double-overtime dub over then–No. 10 Iowa State) and are now everyone’s favorite spoiler pick in the high-octane East region. 🐶 No. 11 seed Drake Bulldogs (West): This year, the Bulldogs imported a new head coach and four starters from Division II program Northwest Missouri, then took the Missouri Valley Conference by storm. They’re the only team in the country with a better defense than No. 1 seed Houston, and they’re hungry to prove themselves on the national stage. 🔱 No. 12 seed UC San Diego Tritons (South): This was the first year UCSD — which jumped from Division II to Division I in 2020 — was eligible for the Madness, and they took full advantage of the opportunity. The Tritons currently own the nation’s longest win streak with 15 straight victories and consistently steamroll their opponents — only Duke has a better scoring margin. 🐕 No. 8 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs (Midwest): A March Madness institution, the Zags have made nine straight Sweet 16s under HC Mark Few. Their secret sauce? Dimes. Behind Canadian point guard Ryan Nembhard, the Dawgs lead the nation in almost every assist-related category. What they lack in national hype, they make up for in experience and swag. 🐺 No. 8 seed UConn Huskies (West): Yes, the Huskies have fallen a long way since last March, and they have a tough road ahead in the West region. But you can never count out the two-time defending champs or their fan-favorite HC, Dan Hurley. |
👀 Other storylines to follow![]()
Source: The Daily Tar Heel
🏆 Player of the Year race: The aforementioned Flagg was the frontrunner for the award, but if his ankle injury limits him moving forward, big names like Auburn’s Broome or Alabama’s Sears could close the gap. The natty isn’t the only thing on the line for these guys. 🤔 UNC’s controversial bid: The Tar Heels, despite a rough season without any signature wins (they went one-for-nine in top-25 matchups), squeaked into the tournament as a First Four contender.
📋 Three legendary coaches clash in West region: The aforementioned Calipari, who bailed on Kentucky for Arkansas and led them to a No. 10 seed this season, will go toe-to-toe with another iconic HC of the 21st century, No. 7 seed Kansas’ Bill Self, on Thursday. The winner will then likely face Rick Pitino’s St. John’s on Saturday. Future coaches, take notes.
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📺 How to watch![]()
Source: SBNation
Clear your cal for three epic weeks of basketball, starting with tonight and tomorrow’s aforementioned First Four games. The fun tips off at 6:40 p.m. ET with Alabama State vs. St. Francis on truTV in the U.S. and TSN+ in Canada. Let’s dance. |
The GIST's Bracket Challenge
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Source: The GIST
The ultimate long shot? A perfect college hoops bracket. The easiest win? Joining the fun with The GIST’s college hoops bracket. 🤏 One in 9.2 quintillion: The odds of creating a perfect bracket for the upcoming college basketball championships. They’re the sports world’s most chaotic tournaments, and your guess is as good as anyone’s when it comes to choosing the champ, so you might as well give it a go. 💯 One in one: The odds of having a blast and supporting women in sports when you participate in The GIST’s very own women’s and men’s college basketball bracket challenges. LFG. Fill out up to three brackets for each tournament, and join a community of GISTers cheering on every buzzer-beater, upset, and Cinderella run. Plus, you’ll be up for epic prizes, a shoutout from The GIST, and eternal glory. May the odds be ever in your favor. |
The GIST's Picks |
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
🔢 What to trackHow many perfect brackets remain at each stage in the tourney. If you can avoid a good ol’ bracket-busting for the first two rounds, you’ll be doing better than almost every single person to fill out a bracket since 2014. 🚨 What to do ASAPLock in your picks for The GIST’s very own bracket challenge. Your men’s tournament picks are due Thursday at 12 p.m. ET. Use this primer and you should be good to go. You’re welcome. 💃 Who’s dancing for the first timeFour men’s March Madness newcomers: No. 13 seed High Point, No. 15 seed Omaha, No. 16 seed SIUE, and No. 12 seed UC San Diego (who’s also sending their women to their first national tournament). |
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