6 March Madness upset predictions for 2026 NCAA men’s basketball bracket
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The 2026 NCAA Tournament is nearly ready to kick off. With First Four action coming on Tuesday, it's time to talk about possible upsets. There are six obvious one in this year's Field of 68.
While some of the high seeds could end up making noise, there hasn't been a year without a major upset in the first two rounds. Get ready with some popcorn and watch the team "Duke it out."
Here are some first round upsets to watch for in the 2026 men's bracket.
No. 12 High Point over No. 5 Wisconsin
No. 11 VCU over No. 6 North Carolina
No. 11 South Florida over No. 6 Louisville
No. 10 Santa Clara over No. 7 Kentucky
No. 10 UCF over No. 7 UCLA
No. 9 Utah State over No. 8 Villanova
What does ESPN's Jay Bilas say about these six games?
The top college basketball analyst picked every game in the NCAA tourney. Here's his thoughts on the six games to watch.
High Point-Wisconsin
"High Point can really score and has had a great year, but Wisconsin is the pick here. The Badgers have really good guards in Nick Boyd and John Blackwell -- and in fact this team can provide a tough matchup for Arizona down the line."
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VCU-North Carolina
"This is a scary game for the Tar Heels. Without Caleb Wilson, they have a lower ceiling. North Carolina is better and should win. But VCU is a fair upset pick here."
South Florida-Louisville
"One thing is for sure in this game: There will be a lot of long rebounds because both teams like to shoot 3s. This is a great upset pick: Mikel Brown Jr. has been out because of a sore back, and South Florida is tough. It's worth rolling the dice on this one because Michigan State will likely beat either team."
Santa Clara-Kentucky
"Kentucky is banged up and inconsistent, and Santa Clara is big, skilled and has positional size at almost every position. To be clear: Kentucky could very well get upset here. I'm picking the Wildcats, though, assuming Otega Oweh has another big game."
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UCF-UCLA
"The Bruins have Donovan Dent, one of the five best point guards in the nation, but UCF has Themus Fulks, Jordan Burks and the Big 12's version of Draymond Green in Jamichael Stillwell. With UCLA banged up, the Knights are worth a flier."
Utah State-Villanova
"There is no such thing as an upset in the 8-9 game, but Utah State winning would feel like one. Mason Falslev is the Mountain West Player of the Year and MJ Collins Jr. is a good 3-point shooter. This is a coin flip, but take Utah State. Either team is likely to lose to Arizona in the next round."
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