Three days til tourney time

The bracket:

Helen has many many breakdowns on her site.

Ducks stay west and mid-majors get two at-large bids.

What you need to know about Mississippi State's bracket.

College team news:

Nebraska completed their one-year turnaround with an NCAA Tournament berth.

Texas A&M won't be Drake's first taste of elite competition this year.

Michigan exhales after making the bracket.

Past success may help Gonzaga in their opener against Stanford. The Zags are looking forward to the rematch.

FGCU is flourishing from beyond the arc.

With their focus on Texas, UMaine prepares for the Tournament.

Oregon State is excited to get back on the court.

This may be the best UConn team ever, though other teams are closing the gap.

Thomas More is back in the DIII Final Four.

Bowdoin reaches another level of success.

College player news:

For Texas A&M senior Khaalia Hillsman, it's not how you start but how you finish.

UCLA's Jordin Canada and Monique Billings prepare for one more tourney run.

A'ja Wilson excels despite struggles.

Quinnipiac's Jen Fay seeks an encore tourney appearance.

Blanca Millan stayed with UMaine while others moved on.

The creativity of Cal's Mo Mosley extends beyond the court.

College coach news:

Jason Flowers has Cal State Northridge going places.

Washington State coach June Daugherty won't return, and the school is looking for her replacement. ESPN says she was fired.

Pick out a tourney suit with Syracuse Coach Q.

Southern Utah has fired coach Chris Boettcher.

Presbyterian coach Todd Steelman has resigned.

Jory Collins is a new assistant coach at Kansas.

College commissioner news:

Big East commissioner Val Ackerman displays a life of sports leadership.

WNBA news:

The league's NCAA Tournament senior watch list.

Allisha Gray has returned to South Carolina to finish her degree.

The Lynx signed formerly-retired Tanisha Wright.

More on the tourney

NCAA Tournament bracket: a discussion with the Women’s Basketball Committee Chair.

Oregon grabs a No. 2 seed, readies to host the NCAA tournament.

WNIT field announced

The field:

Automatic Qualifiers

Alabama (17-13) - SEC
Albany (24-7) - America East
Ball State (24-6) - MAC
Bethune-Cookman (24-6) - MEAC
Bucknell (22-9) - Patriot
Drexel (26-7) - Colonial
Duquesne (23-7) - Atlantic 10
ETSU (20-12) - Southern
Idaho (19-13) - Big Sky
Indiana (17-14) - Big Ten
IUPUI (22-9) - Horizon
Jacksonville (24-8) - Atlantic Sun
Lamar (22-7) - Southland
Marist (20-13) - Metro Atlantic
Missouri State (20-11) - MVC
New Mexico State (18-12) - WAC
Penn (21-8) - Ivy
Radford (23-8) - Big South
​Robert Morris (25-7) - NEC
St. John’s (16-14) - Big East
Saint Mary's (20-10) - West Coast
South Dakota (26-6) - Summit
Southern (17-13) - SWAC
TCU (19-12) - Big 12
Texas State (23-9) - Sun Belt
UAB (26-6) - Conference USA
UC Davis (25-6) - Big West
​UCF (21-10) - American
UNLV (19-11) - Mountain West
​UT Martin (19-14) - Ohio Valley
Virginia Tech (18-13) - ACC

At-Large Selections

Chattanooga (17-12) - Southern
Cincinnati (19-12) - American
Colorado State (20-11) - Mountain West
Delaware (19-12) - Colonial
Fordham (22-9) - Atlantic 10
George Mason (23-9) - Atlantic 10
Georgetown (15-15) - Big East
Georgia Tech (18-13) - ACC
Harvard (18-10) - Ivy
Houston (20-11) - American
James Madison (21-10) - Colonial
Kansas State (16-15) - Big 12
Louisiana Tech (19-11) - CUSA
Miami (OH) (21-10) - MAC
Michigan State (17-13) - Big Ten
MTSU (18-12) - CUSA
Milwaukee (20-11) - Horizon
Navy (25-7) - Patriot
New Mexico (23-10) - Mountain West
Northern Iowa (19-13) - MVC
Penn State (16-15) - Big Ten
Purdue (18-13) - Big Ten
Toledo (17-14) - MAC
Rice (22-9) - CUSA
Rutgers (20-12) - Big Ten
St. Joseph’s (18-14) - Atlantic 10
Saint Louis (17-15) - Atlantic 10
Seton Hall (16-15) - Big East
​Utah (17-13) - Pac-12
Western Illinois (22-9) - Summit
West Virginia (21-11) - Big 12
Wright State (23-10) - Horizon
Wyoming (21-10) - Mountain West

Both Rutgers and USC turned down WNIT invitations. That sucks.

NCAA Tournament bracket released

ESPN takes on the selections:

Winners and losers today.

Five burning questions for the bracket.

Mississippi State aims for better than last year.

South Carolina and UConn are in the same regional.

Rutgers - not Oklahoma - deserved the final at-large bid.

Around the Rim podcast discussing the bracket.

Team stuff:

Mississippi State's quest is to win a National Championship.

Maryland is in an unfamiliar position to start the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska was chosen.

Mercer will open the tourney against a familiar foe in Georgia.

Five things to know about Louisville's first-round opponent, Boise State. They are the No. 1 seed in Lexington.

Notre Dame earned their seventh straight No. 1 seed.

Missouri is hitting the road.

The Gophers made it.

Ohio State is a three seed in Spokane.

Virginia is back in the Tournament.

The Chippewas will face LSU in round one.

UConn has the top seed, but it's a tricky path to the title.

Syracuse had an agonizing wait.

For only the third time since 1993, Purdue won't play in the tourney.

There will be no postseason play for Kentucky for the first time since 2004.

Rutgers declined a WNIT invite.

Before bracket news

College team news:

Five teams that could knock UConn out of the Big Dance.

CMU is riding a hot streak into the NCAA Tournament.

The Buckeyes are entering the tourney on an upswing.

It's time to celebrate Gonzaga's march to prominence.

College player news:

Katelynn Flaherty's WNBA fate could be out of her hands.

Which Mississippi State star will take over this March?

College coach news:

Ole Miss will cast a wide net for its new coach.

College player news:

Villanova's Jannah Tucker overcame a nightmare and kept playing.

WNBA news:

The WNBA finally decided to tell people that the draft will be April 12 in New York City.

The last AP top 25 poll before the Selection Show

This week's AP top 25 poll:

1. Connecticut
2. Baylor
3. Louisville
4. Mississippi State
5. Notre Dame
6. Oregon
7. South Carolina
8. Texas
9. UCLA
10. Ohio State
11. Florida State
12. Tennessee
13. Oregon State
14. Texas A&M
15. Stanford
16. Maryland
17. Missouri
18. Georgia
19. South Florida
20. Duke
21. North Carolina State
22. Green Bay
23. Belmont
24. LSU
25. Mercer

Division I teams with break out seasons

There is no official statistic that indicates a break out team. For our purposes here, basketball analyst Cain Currie and myself have defined it as a program that reached an unprecedented height in 2017-2018. Teams that were great before and showed signs of returning to the big time this year don't fit into the "break out" concept, which is about freshness.

Division I break out teams of the season:

Nebraska - Under second-year coach Amy Williams, the Huskers were 21-10 overall and 11-5 in conference for third in the Big Ten - an improvement over last year's 7-22 campaign. They play with high energy and are fun to watch. Nebraska lost to Maryland in the conference tournament semifinals.

South Dakota - The team that Williams left for Nebraska is doing quite well. They were a perfect 14-0 in conference this year, 26-6 overall, and lost a heart breaker in the tournament title game to South Dakota State. The future is bright for this team, as is the newly-equalized rivalry with the Jackrabbits.

Northern Colorado - The Bears won the Big Sky Tournament and are on their way to the Big Dance for the first time in program history under coach Kamie Ethridge. They were 26-6 this season, which included early preconference wins over DePaul and LSU.

Mercer - First time Southern Conference Tournament champions? Check. First time going to the NCAA tourney? Check. A 30-2 overall and 14-0 conference record? Check. Their last loss was the day after Thanksgiving. Check them out.

Nicholls State - The Colonels started truly hitting their stride in late January, and they peaked at exactly the right time. In the Southland Tournament championship game, they shook off a slow start and rallied to take down big dogs Stephen F. Austin for their first auto-bid. Right now, momentum is in their favor.

Grambling State - The Tigers are the perennial "never give up" team, as they started poorly this year and continued to work, finished 13-5 in SWAC play. Their unlikely conference tournament title game win this weekend put them in the field of 64.

UAB - The Blazers rocked opponent's socks all season long, and finished 26-6 overall and 13-3 in Conference-USA play with cohesion and fast-paced play. They fell in the title game of the tournament, but their future is blazingly bright.

Jacksonville - Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, now in her fifth year, has the Dolphins rocking. They finished second in Atlantic-Sun play and lost the tournament championship game to FGCU, but they are growing game by game and are now contenders.

Maine - The Black Bears have had a rough few seasons, and interim coach Amy Vachon was only formally given the title of permanent head coach two weeks ago. But they are back in the NCAA Tournament after a 14-year absence after winning the America East Tournament last week. They seem re-energized.

Drake - The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament winners and NCAA tourney ticket-punchers went 18-0 in league this season with some dominant performances. They appear confident and ready to take on any opponent.

Last tickets punched, ready to roll!

Bring on Selection Monday! Because the last eight NCAA Tournament tickets were punched today.

Atlantic Sun Championship:

FGCU stopped Jacksonville, 68-58.

Patriot League Championship:

American beat Navy, 58-49.

MVC Championship:

Drake ousted Northern Iowa, 75-63.

Ivy League Championship:

Princeton routed Penn, 63-34.

Southland Conference Championship:

Nicholls State surged by Stephen F. Austin, 69-65.

Big South Championship:

Liberty topped UNC Asheville, 60-42.

Northeast Conference Championship:

St. Francis downed Robert Morris, 66-56.

Sun Belt Championship:

Little Rock squeaked by Texas State, 54-53.

The Tournament:

With a regional coming to Kansas City, the area awaits the bracket reveal.

College team news:

Notre Dame isn't letting their ACC Tournament loss linger.

Maryland, GW, AU and Virginia await their destinations in the Tournament.

No bubble this year for Iowa.

Ohio State will likely be a three seed.

Michigan kept their guard up after last year's NCAA snub.

The Cowgirls and Sooners await their NCAA Tournament fate.

Cal is steady as they grow.

The A-Sun title they won today was special for FGCU.

College coach news:

Valparaiso has relieved coach Tracey Dorow of her duties.

Longwood and coach Bill Reinson have parted ways.

Terry Zeh is out as Casinius coach.

Awards:

ESPN gives POY, COY and FOY honors to A'ja Wilson, Muffet McGraw and Chennedy Carter, respectively.

WNBA news:

A day with Chiney Ogwumike.

High school news:

Five-star guard Diamond Miller has committed to Maryland.

Punching Dance tickets like crazy

SWAC Championship:

Grambling State edged Southern, 72-68,

MAC Championship:

Central Michigan outlasted Buffalo, 96-91.

MEAC Championship:

North Carolina A&T topped Hampton in OT, 72-65.

WAC Championship:

Seattle U is off to their first NCAA Tournament after a 57-54 win over Cal State Bakersfield.

Big Sky Championship:

Northern Colorado rolled past Idaho, 91-69.

C-USA Championship:

Western Kentucky bested UAB, 72-57.

CAA Championship:

Elon took down Drexel, 57-45.

Big West Championship:

CSUN upset top seed UC Davis, 63-55.

MVC semifinals:

Drake 68, Southern Illinois 59.

Northern Iowa 70, Missouri State 58.

Ivy League semifinals:

Princeton 78, Yale 57.

Penn held off Harvard, 57-52.

Big South semifinals:

Scoreboard.

Sun Belt semifinals:

Scoreboard.

Southland semifinals:

Scoreboard.

Tomorrow's schedule:

FGCU hosts Jacksonville for the Atlantic Sun title.

Six more tickets to punch tomorrow.

College team news:

South Carolina hopes to get a favor from the NCAA Selection Committee.

The Gophers are confident and eager to see their NCAA pairing.

Resurgent LSU is ready to give a team fits on the road in the NCAA Tournament.

College coach new:

For Chattanooga's Jim Foster, off-court activity is as important as the game.

CMU coach Sue Guevara was effusive after today's win.

WNBA news:

In her new book, Elena Delle Donne says she wasn't fully committed to the Chicago Sky.

Liz Cambage commands attention on and off the court.

Semifinal night

America East Championship:

UMaine defeated Hartford, 74-65, to earn their first Tournament trip since 2004.

Mountain West Championship:

Boise State's buzzer-beating put-back lifted them over Nevada, 62-60.

Conference USA semifinals:

Western Kentucky 77, North Texas 61.

UAB 67, Rice 55.

Big West semifinals:

CSUN 73, Cal Poly 50.

UC Davis 49, UC Riverside 46.

SWAC semifinals:

Grambling 66, Texas Southern 59.

Southern 84, Prairie View A&M 76.

MAC semifinals:

Buffalo 85, Western Michigan 53.

Central Michigan 61, Miami Ohio 58.

WAC semifinals:

CSU Bakersfield 61, Grand Canyon 55.

Seattle 84, New Mexico State 61.

CAA semifinals:

Elon 76, James Madison 53.

Drexel 58, Delaware 53.

Big Sky semifinals:

Scoreboard.

MEAC semifinals:

Scoreboard.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule.

March Madness:

Selection Monday reveals the field of 64 on ESPN.

Gail Goestenkors is on Around the Rim podcast.

Why Kentucky fans should be rooting for Louisville.

College team news:

Tennessee is preparing to be NCAA Tournament hosts.

The case for and against a Purdue NCAA tourney bid. If bypassed, the Boilermakers prefer WNIT road games.

Before tournament decisions, coach Amy Williams and the Huskers still have work to do.

Northern Colorado is one win away from the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa is focusing on themselves and awaiting a tourney pick.

College player news:

Post players are set to take the spotlight in the NCAA Tournament.

South Carolina's Tyasha Harris on confidence and championships.

Kaila Charles makes her voice heard as Maryland's next basketball star.

Herstory:

Pac-12 Hall of Honor inductee Cheryl Miller.

Pac-12 Hall of Honor inductee Carol Menken-Schaudt.