Championship Saturday in college basketball delivered the goods with 11 conference tournaments winding to a close as the countdown until Selection Sunday came to a dramatic end. Automatic bids flew off the shelves around the country, and the overall Bracketology picture continued to evolve.

Two of the day’s biggest losers were Houston and UConn. Both squandered golden opportunities to stake their claim for the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament by losing in their respective conference tournament title games. The Cougars fell 79-74 to Arizona in the Big 12 championship, while UConn was not competitive in a 72-52 loss to St. John’s in the Big East title game.

As a result, Florida will head into Selection Sunday projected to be the fourth No. 1 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology. The Gators entered the day with the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 12 games, but turned in perhaps their worst effort of the season in a 91-74 loss to Vanderbilt. The Commodores will be seeking their first SEC Tournament title since 2012 on Sunday against Arkansas, while the Gators will be left to wait and see if they did enough to land on the top line of the bracket when the field of 68 is revealed.

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While a few more conference tournament title games still await on Sunday, 99% of the precincts are reporting in terms of the data that will underpin the selection committee’s decisions. Here is a glimpse at some of the top winners and losers from a consequential Saturday.

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Winner: Duke maintains edge for No. 1 overall seed

Duke edged Virginia 74-70 in a thrilling ACC Tournament title game. The win could be enough to earn the Blue Devils the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, as the Blue Devils will retain the top spot in CBS Sports Bracketology entering Selection Sunday. Arizona and Michigan are continuing to provide a strong push against the Blue Devils for that distinction, but Duke never flinched in the ACC Tournament — even while playing without a pair of starters. 

While the committee could choose to dock Duke for a potential season-ending injury to starting guard Caleb Foster, the emergence of Cayden Boozer helped soften the blow of Foster’s absence for the Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament. Boozer scored 16 points against Virginia, and Isaiah Evans scored 20 as the duo helped atone for an uncharacteristically inefficient performance from Naismith Award frontrunner Cameron Boozer. – David Cobb

Winner: Atlantic 10’s best-case scenario could be reality

The Atlantic 10 could be a three-bid league, which would be a best-case outcome for the conference and a nightmare scenario for non-A10 bubble teams. The vision came one step closer to reality on Saturday when Saint Louis lost to Dayton in the semifinals and VCU beat Saint Joseph’s.&. Had the Billikens won the A10 Tournament and had VCU lost to St. Joe’s, the A10 would have been a one-bid league. But if Dayton beats VCU in the title game on Sunday, the Rams will still have a decent at-large case along with Saint Louis. In that scenario, the Flyers would be a bid thief. 

If you don’t want to see struggling high-major programs get at-large bids, you should be rooting for Dayton. There is no guarantee VCU will get in with a loss. But if that’s the way it goes, the A10 will be a three-bid league for the first time since 2018. – Cobb

Loser: Mountain West’s worst-case scenario could be a reality

It’s an opposite vibe on the opposite coast. San Diego State has underperformed by every metric this season, and it will not have a comfortable Selection Sunday after a 73-62 loss to Utah State in the Mountain West Tournament championship game. San Diego State had 14 costly giveaways in the loss.

The Aztecs are right on the cut line in every metric. San Diego State sits just inside the top-50 in Wins Above Bubble. It’s just inside the top 50 in predictive metrics like Bart Torvik. It is the first team out in CBS Sports’ latest bracketology update. There is a real chance that Utah State is the only Mountain West participant in the NCAA Tournament. That hasn’t happened for the league since 2017. – Isaac Trotter

Winner: Bubble teams who flopped

Texas wet the bed in its SEC Tournament opener. SMU flunked its big ACC Tournament test against Louisville. Missouri couldn’t get over the hump in its SEC Tournament opener.

But all three of those teams are breathing a smidge easier tonight after Utah State didn’t gift-wrap a bid to a bid-stealer in the Mountain West and the Ole Miss miracle run in the SEC Tournament was cut short by Arkansas. That could be the difference between a good Sunday or a terrible one. – Trotter

Winner: St. John’s shows just how much progress it’s made

St. John’s was embarrassed by UConn in a 32-point beatdown on Feb. 25. Just 17 days later, the Johnnies flipped the script by pancaking UConn, 72-52.

It was an unequivocal splattering, and it came with the Big East Tournament title on the line.

St. John’s is expected to stay on the No. 5 line, but it does show the progress that this group has made. Bryce Hopkins is playing his best basketball at the biggest moment. He delivered 18 points, five rebounds and two dimes. Dillon Mitchell was the second-most disruptive player on the floor, totaling nine points, nine boards, three dimes, two steals and a block. Oh, and Zuby Ejiofor did Zuby Ejiofor things with 18 points, nine rebounds, seven blocks, three steals and two assists.

St. John’s was the more connected team. St. John’s was the more athletic team. And the debate is over: St. John’s is the Big East’s best team, even if it won’t get a better seed than Dan Hurley’s Huskies on Selection Sunday. – Trotter

Loser: Florida misses out on SEC Tournament title repeat

One of the biggest storylines entering the weekend was who would be the final No. 1 seed in a race that included Florida,  Duke, Michigan and Arizona. The latter three are well on their way to being on the top line on Selection Sunday. But there is debate about who the final No. 1 seed will be. Florida was in the driver’s seat to be that team before suffering a loss against Vanderbilt in the SEC semifinals. The Gators still have a case for being the final No. 1 seed, but it will be an uphill battle. – Cameron Salerno

Winner: Arkansas stops Ole Miss from being a bid thief

Fans of teams on the bubble breathed a sigh of relief when the buzzer sounded in the SEC Tournament semifinal clash between Ole Miss and Arkansas. Ole Miss, the SEC’s No. 15 seed, was on a remarkable run after winning three games in three days to reach the semifinals. Of course, the Rebels have no at-large case, so the only way Chris Beard’s team could get in was by winning the conference title. 

That didn’t happen. The Rebels pushed the Razorbacks into overtime behind a scoring surge from AJ Storr, but Arkansas escaped with a 93-90 win. Had the Rebels gone all the way, it would’ve gone down as one of the greatest and most unlikely conference runs in recent memory. Alas, bubble teams have one less team to worry about. – Salerno

Winner: Fran McCaffery is one win away

Former Iowa coach Fran McCaffery didn’t stay out of the game for long after his 15-year run with the Hawkeyes ended after last season. He immediately landed the job at Penn, his alma mater, and he’s got the Quakers one win away from going to the Big Dance for the first time since 2018. Penn outlasted Harvard 62-60 in an overtime thriller during the Ivy League semifinals on Saturday. The Quakers will have to slay a strong Yale team on Sunday, but an automatic bid to the Big Dance is within reach. – Cobb

Winner: The Yax Attack delivers his signature moment 

Yaxel Lendeborg has said repeatedly that coming to Michigan has led to “the best year of his life.” He punctuated a special season with a game-winning triple with 0.3 seconds left to push Michigan past rough-and-tumble Wisconsin and into the Big Ten Tournament championship game. – Trotter

Winner: UCLA gets promising injury news

UCLA star forward Tyler Bilodeau (knee) and guard Donovan Dent (calf) will be good to go for next week’s NCAA Tournament, even though they were sidelined in UCLA’s tight loss to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. Bilodeau and Dent were both held out for precautionary reasons and told reporters that they expect to play next week. It’s a promising development for a Bruins squad that has transformed into a top-five offense since January 1. – Trotter

Loser: A fun Tulsa season crashes to a halt

One of the best seasons in Tulsa history will end without an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Golden Hurricanes fell to Wichita State, 81-68, in the American semifinals. A first-half shoulder injury to star forward David Green and foul trouble for fellow big man Tyler Behrend proved too much to overcome. – Trotter

Loser: UConn squanders its chance to earn No. 1 seed

UConn entered Saturday evening in a prime position to secure a No. 1 seed after Florida lost to Vanderbilt and Houston lost to Arizona. The Huskies didn’t take advantage of the opportunity, and it might cost them on Selection Sunday. In our latest Bracketology projections at CBS Sports, UConn will fall to a No. 2 seed. In fact, UConn would be behind Houston for the top No. 2 seed as far as official seeding goes. – Salerno

Winner: Scary South Florida looks mighty impressive

Joseph Pinion and Wes Enis drained a combined 10 triples and finished with 24 apiece to lead South Florida into the AAC Tournament championship game with an 86-64 romp over Charlotte. Stud big man Izaiyah Nelson added 16 points and eight rebounds.

There’s a ton of noise around coach Bryan Hodgson’s future. Both Providence a and Syracuse are certainly prepping to make major offers, but Hodgson has a team that can do major damage in March. The red-hot, dynamic Bulls have now won 10 in a row and haven’t lost since January. They are 40 minutes away from punching their ticket, but Wichita State’s flamethrower Kenyon Giles won’t go down without unloading the clip. – Trotter

Winner: Two-bid MAC? Two-bid MAC!

Akron erased a 12-point hole and Shammah Scott delivered the game-winning 3-pointer with six seconds left to send the Zips past Toledo, 79-76, and into the NCAA Tournament. 

Akron is in. Miami University looks poised to be in. That means we’re on the verge of a two-bid MAC for the first time since 1999. 

Scott’s game-winner was something you just have to see. Ice. Cold. — Trotter

Kimi Antonelli is looking to convert his record-breaking Chinese Grand Prix pole into a maiden Formula 1 victory on Sunday, and you can follow it all live on ESPN right here:

Despite a gearbox issue for George Russell, Mercedes secured a second straight front-row lockout for the race in Shanghai — Russell was only able to put in one flying lap in Q3, but that was enough with Mercedes’ sheer pace carrying them through to a 1-2 in qualifying. As race pace suggests, Ferrari were right behind — with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari just behind them in 3-4. Watch out for their explosive starting potential on Sunday — even if the Australian Grand Prix and the Sprint race here at the Chinese Grand Prix indicates that Mercedes’ dominance over the course of the race will be very difficult to challenge.

Elsewhere, four-time world champion Max Verstappen continued to voice his displeasure with the Red Bull car after a disappointing qualifying leaving him in eighth on the grid behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly who impressed.

Oscar Piastri and defending world champion Lando Norris will line up in fifth and sixth respectively for McLaren.

Earlier on Saturday, a dramatic sprint race had seen George Russell hold off Lewis Hamilton’s early challenge, and later Charles Leclerc’s late push to win the sprint and extend his very early lead atop the Drivers’ Championship table.

Kimi Antonelli suffered a poor start in that race but recovered to finish fourth — but it’s the kind of start the record maker will want to avoid from pole today.

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ dramatic 127-125 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets, which Luka Dončić ended with a game-winning step-back jumper in the final second of the extra frame, was one of the best games of the season. It may also end up being one of the most important. 

After jumping out to an early double-digit lead, the Lakers pushed their advantage to 17 in the second quarter and were cruising until the Nuggets embarked on a big comeback late in the third. Eventually, the Nuggets took the lead, which grew to eight late in the fourth. All of a sudden, it was the Lakers who needed a comeback. They completed one in miraculous fashion. 

To force overtime, Austin Reaves pulled off one of the best intentional missed free-throw routines you’re ever going to see. The Nuggets, up by three, fouled Reaves with 5.2 seconds to play. Reaves made the first free throw, then threw the second one off the front of the rim. The ball ricocheted out to him on the right wing, and he put in a floater to send things to overtime. 

“JJ told me to tell AR to miss right. So he missed left,” Dončić joked. “So it was a good play. That’s very hard to do.”

There was sloppy play and several missed shots early in overtime, which ensured neither team could pull away. And after Nikola Jokić tied things up with 15 seconds to play, the Lakers had the ball with a chance to win. 

Dončić obliged with one of his patented step-back jumpers. The Nuggets tried to double him, but they didn’t get their angles right, which gave Dončić the space to drive left toward the baseline. Spencer Jones recovered and made a spirited contest, but it was in vain. Dončić caught nothing but net for arguably his signature moment with the Lakers thus far. 

“A lot of legends played here. They leave a lot behind with the Lakers,” Dončić said. “So obviously I did [envision this when I was traded here], obviously we’re still in the regular season, but that was a little bit of that feeling today for sure.” 

Dončić finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists for his eighth triple-double of the season, helping the Lakers extend their winning streak to five games. They’ve won eight of their last nine games and climbed into third place in the Western Conference. 

Lakers gain critical tiebreaker over Nuggets

Numerous Western Conference seeding battles appear likely to come down to the final days of the season. Entering Saturday, Nos. 2-6 seeds all had 41 wins and were separated by half a game. 

Here’s a look at the standings before the Lakers-Nuggets matchup:

And here’s a look at the standings after the Lakers’ win. 

The Lakers went from fourth to third and the Nuggets went from fifth to sixth, which shows how important each game is at this point in the crowded West. More importantly, though, the Lakers’ win gave them the season tiebreaker over the Nuggets (2-1, with no matchups between the teams remaining). 

If the Lakers and Nuggets end up with identical records at the end of the season — a very real possibility — the Lakers would get the higher seed. That could be the difference between earning the No. 3 seed and staying out of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder‘s side of the bracket. It could also be the difference between earning the No. 4 seed and earning homecourt advantage in the first round. 

Dončić’s shot is one of the highlights of the season, and it may prove to be far more important than just that. 

We finally made it. We’re less than 24 hours away from one of the best hours on the sports calendar: finding out the 68 teams playing in the men’s 2026 NCAA tournament.

Who’s in? Who’s out? Who are the 1-seeds? All will be answered before Selection Sunday ends. And then, of course, comes the fun part: filling out brackets.

But first, let’s get inside the minds of the 12 members on the NCAA selection committee, chaired by Keith Gill. While most of the field is already selected and bracketed, there are still 12 burning questions that will be discussed ad nauseam in the committee room in Indianapolis. Let’s run through each.

1. Are the four 1-seeds set in stone?

For a few hours on Saturday, there was a legitimate debate. Florida was comfortably headed toward the final 1-seed entering Champ Week. The Gators won 11 straight games to end the regular season, while UConn lost at a sub-.500 Marquette in the regular-season finale and Houston lost three in a row late in February. Then Todd Golden’s team was throttled by Vanderbilt in the SEC semifinals, trailing by as many as 25 before falling by 17.

The door was open for UConn or Houston to make a case by winning a conference tournament championship, but both the Huskies and Cougars lost to 1-seeds in their respective title games. As a result, all logic points to Florida joining Duke, Michigan and Arizona on the top line.

2. Is Duke the clear No. 1 overall seed?

With Duke holding off Virginia in the ACC title game, the Blue Devils are on track for the top overall seed despite recent injuries to Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II. Duke is No. 1 in the NET, in the BPI, at KenPom and BartTorvik. And the team ranked No. 1 in the other three metrics is Michigan, which Duke beat on a neutral court in Washington, D.C., just a few weeks ago.

The Blue Devils have 10 Quad 1A wins (tied for most in the country), 17 Quad 1 wins (most in the country) and 23 Quad 1 and 2 wins (tied for the most in the country). Their only two losses came in the final seconds against Texas Tech and North Carolina.

A loss to Virginia could have made it a debate, and the Cavaliers made it interesting, but it’s hard to imagine anyone jumping Duke.

3. Does Miami (Ohio) get in? Is it bound for the First Four?

Miami’s perfect record came to an end in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament, falling to UMass for its first loss in 32 games. The RedHawks finished the regular season at 31-0, and the consensus seems to be that the committee won’t leave out a team that went unbeaten in the regular season. And to be fair, their résumé metrics are impressive, with a top-40 Wins Above Bubble mark and a top-30 Strength of Record. Yet, there’s reason to believe they could end up in Dayton.

Travis Steele’s team does not have a typical at-large résumé. The RedHawks’ strength of schedule is No. 340; their nonconference strength of schedule is No. 363; they have more Quad 3 losses (one) than Quad 1 wins (zero); and their best wins are over Wright State and Akron. Their predictive metrics are also by far the lowest of any at-large contender, plus their KenPom ranking would be the lowest or second lowest in at-large history. The committee sending them to Dayton to duke it out with a middling power-conference team is a potential compromise.

4. Does Auburn have a chance at a record-breaking at-large bid?

The short answer would appear to be no. The committee has never selected an at-large team with 16 losses, nor has it ever selected an at-large team that is just one game above .500. Auburn checks both boxes.

Yes, the Tigers’ metrics are very good. They have the second-best strength of schedule in the country. The average of their résumé metrics hovers in front of most of the final at-large teams, while the average of their predictive metrics is in the mid-30s. They beat St. John’s and Florida away from home. But they’re also 4-13 in Quad 1 games, 7-15 in Quad 1 and 2 games and have a Quad 3 loss. One more win might have done it for Steven Pearl’s team, but it seems like a stretch for the committee.

5. Does VCU need to win on Sunday?

With the bubble carnage earlier in the week and VCU advancing to Sunday’s Atlantic 10 championship against Dayton (1 p.m. ET), the Rams would appear to be in a good spot entering Selection Sunday. But will the committee give the A-10 three bids if VCU does lose in the title game? The Rams’ résumé metrics are more solid than their predictive metrics, and they have zero losses outside of Quads 1 and 2. Their issue is a lack of good wins. They played a good nonconference schedule but lost to tournament teams Vanderbilt, NC State and Utah State, then were swept by Saint Louis during the A-10 campaign. Their best wins are over South Florida and Virginia Tech.

6. Who are bubble teams rooting against on Sunday?

There’s only one potential bid-stealer left on the docket, with Ole Miss’ run in the SEC tournament ending on Saturday against Arkansas. That team is Dayton, which stunned Saint Louis in the final seconds of the Atlantic 10 semifinals and now sits one win away from the NCAA tournament. The Flyers will face VCU, which might have punched its ticket with its blowout win over Saint Joseph’s in the A-10 semis. But the question remains whether the committee will award the A-10 three bids if Dayton knocks off VCU.

7. Did San Diego State need to win for the Mountain West to get more than one bid?

Friday night’s Mountain West semifinal between San Diego State and New Mexico was essentially a bubble elimination game — but it didn’t necessarily mean the winner was getting a bid. San Diego State advanced, then fell short against Utah State in the title game. Are the Aztecs going to get a bid?

They’re 9-10 against Quadrants 1 and 2, with a Quadrant 3 loss. They have only one win against the projected tournament field, and that came at home against Utah State. Their metrics aren’t great, either. It doesn’t seem like their résumé can beat that of Texas or SMU, but the question remains: Will the Mountain West really be a one-bid conference for the first time since 2017?

8. Will any injuries impact seeding or inclusion?

Unfortunately for the sport, most of the more noteworthy injuries from the past few weeks have definitive timetables, with Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, BYU’s Richie Saunders and Michigan’s L.J. Cason all suffering season-ending injuries. All three teams have responded well without their key contributors, meaning none is likely to suffer a precipitous drop on Selection Sunday.

That said, there are a few more open-ending injuries that make things difficult for the committee.

SMU’s B.J. Edwards missed the last five games of the season with an ankle injury, but the Mustangs say he will return for the NCAA tournament. Could that impact their at-large hopes? Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. missed the final four games with a back injury after missing eight games earlier this season. He’s also hopeful to be back for the NCAA tournament. UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau suffered a right leg injury in UCLA’s quarterfinal win over Michigan State and teammate Donovan Dent suffered a calf injury in the semifinal loss to Purdue, but both appear set to return for the Big Dance.

Gonzaga’s Braden Huff has been out since January, and his timeline is very much up in the air. Then there are the injuries to Foster and Ngongba. Foster appears unlikely to return soon, but there is more optimism for Ngongba.

One more potential injury emerged on Saturday night, with UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. going to the locker room late in the Big East title game loss to St. John’s.

9. How high can Vanderbilt or Arkansas rise with an SEC tournament title?

At the start of the SEC tournament, ESPN’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi had Arkansas as the first 5-seed and Vanderbilt as the second. After Saturday’s semifinals wins, Lunardi now has Vandy as the second 4-seed and Arkansas as the first 5-seed. Could either jump to a 3-seed with an SEC tournament championship on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, ESPN)? They would likely have to surpass Nebraska for that spot. Vanderbilt has one more Quad 1 win than Nebraska, and two more Quad 1 and 2 wins, with slightly superior metrics. Arkansas has two fewer Quad 1 wins and the same number of Quad 1 and 2 wins, but the Razorbacks don’t have the metrics edge.

There’s also the question of whether the committee will even want to shuffle the bracket — or prepare a contingency — for a Sunday afternoon game between two teams that could already be among the top-four seeds.

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Ole Miss Rebels vs. Arkansas Razorbacks: Game Highlights

Ole Miss Rebels vs. Arkansas Razorbacks: Game Highlights

10. Where will St. John’s land after sweeping the Big East titles?

The selection committee has often rewarded power-conference teams that win both the regular-season and conference tournament championships, which St. John’s just did for the second season in a row. But will the committee value the Big East in such a way that moves the Red Storm significantly up the bracket? The league is clearly the worst of the five power conferences this season, poised to land just three bids in the NCAA tournament.

Despite the regular-season title, St. John’s opened Champ Week as the third 5-seed in ESPN’s Bracketology due to a lack of nonconference heft on its résumé. The Red Storm went 7-4 in nonconference play, with their best win coming against Baylor. Their only wins against the field are against UConn (twice) and Villanova (twice). As a result, a 4-seed is likely their ceiling.

11. Which data points does the committee value the most this year?

The committee added two more metrics prior to last year, putting Bart Torvik’s rankings and Wins Above Bubble onto the team sheet. WAB has risen in importance since its arrival, with NCAA vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt saying at February’s mock Selection Sunday exercise that the committee tends to lean toward résumé metrics in selecting the field, specifically highlighting the growing importance of WAB. It helped North Carolina last March, as the Tar Heels received an at-large bid despite going 1-12 in Quad 1 games, but had a WAB ranking of No. 43. This March, a WAB focus could help Miami (Ohio) compared to another bubble team like, say, Texas.

Will another data point be the difference-maker this year?

12. Will Houston play in Houston?

This seems nailed-on to happen. The South regional takes place in Houston, but Rice replaced Houston in September as the host institution — meaning Houston is allowed to play in Houston for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight if the Cougars advance. And that will still be the case even if Houston isn’t the 1-seed in the region. Florida is likely the 1-seed in the South but could have to face the Cougars in what amounts to a home game.