What to know about NCAA Tournament Midwest Region: Is this the bracket of upsets?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Michigan is No. 1 and viewed as vulnerable after guard L.J. Cason’s injury.
- Miami (Ohio) secures final at-large bid and faces SMU in opening round.
- Alabama averages 91.3 PPG; LaBaron Philon Jr. averages 21.7 points.
Michigan, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, fell to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament title game on Sunday but got some good news on the injury front.
Big Ten player of the year Yaxel Lendeborg left the game with an ankle sprain but said afterward that he expects to play this week. The Wolverines will meet the winner of the opening round game between No. 16 seeds UMBC and Howard.
Michigan, 31-3, rolled through the regular season, winning 19 of 20 Big Ten regular-season games. But the Wolverines are “vulnerable” in the NCAA Tournament, said CBS analyst Clark Kellogg on the bracket reveal show because of an injury to guard L.J. Cason.
The Midwest is where Miami, Ohio landed. The RedHawks started the season 31-0 before falling in their first Mid-American Conference tournament game. But the selection committee gave Miami the final at-large spot, and it will meet SMU in an opening-round game.
Top player in the Midwest Regional
Alabama guard LaBaron Philon Jr. is a scoring point guard who averages 21.7 points. Of course, everyone scores for the Crimson Tide, who average a nation’s best 91.3 points per game.
Fourth-seeded Bama takes on No. 13 Hofstra.
Which team is on upset alert?
For the first time since the Steve Nash-led team of 1996, Santa Clara is in the field. The No. 10 Broncos, who take on No. 7 Kentucky, are coached by Herb Sendek, who knows how to reach the tournament. He previously had taken Miami (Ohio), N.C. State and Arizona State to the NCAA.
Midwest Regional prediction
Fourth-seeded Alabama gets on a roll and takes down Iowa State for the Midwest title.
This story was originally published March 15, 2026 at 8:44 PM.