NCAA Tournament

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Before this season's NBA rookies were making highlight reels in the pros, they were dominating the 2019 NCAA tournament. In this edition of B/R Countdown, we count down the top 10 March Madness performances from the current NBA rookies.

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NCAA president Mark Emmert told ESPN's Mark Schlabach on Sunday that Rudy Gobert's positive test for COVID-19 on Wednesday served as an "exclamation point" for the NCAA, which was originally planning to go forward with the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments without fans in attendance.

The NCAA ultimately chose to cancel both events entirely.  

NCAA vice president for men's basketball Dan Gavitt further elaborated on how Gobert's diagnosis changed the organizing body's stance on holding the tournament:

"When Rudy Gobert was infected on Wednesday night, I think the realization in the basketball community hit home and was very much felt on Thursday morning. The student-athletes, from what we were hearing and sensing, felt very vulnerable. Here was someone they would all like to be one day, playing in the NBA, who got infected and was quarantined with his teammates. His opponents were quarantined.

"That was really, in my opinion, a seminal moment in everybody's mindset about how impractical and possibly not responsible it would be at that point to go forward with trying to hold these national championships."

Emmert added the NCAA felt "confident" and "really, really good" about the initial plan of continuing the tournament without spectators before news of Gobert's diagnosis broke. 

"We [were] completely convinced at 4 p.m. on Wednesday that we could conduct the championships without fans by controlling the sites effectively," he said. "We thought we could control the perimeters and control the environment, and, as best as possible, travel because it's mostly charter travel and buses one way or another."

Emmert also said that a major concern was the limited number of test kits available and that "testing protocols that were available were a little bit worse than we'd anticipated." That left the NCAA concerned about the ethical dilemma of using those limited resources on healthy college athletes when perhaps they would be better served on higher-risk individuals during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Several professional leagues took quick action following the NBA's decision to put its season on hiatus for 30 days, with the NHL also suspending its season and the PGA Tour canceling several events through April. In Europe, the major soccer leagues, including La Liga and the English Premier League, have also gone on hiatus. 

A March without its college basketball Madness is extraordinarily rare, however. It is the first time since the men's tournament began in 1939 that a champion won't be crowned, and it's the first time since the NCAA took over the women's tournament in 1981-82 that a women's title won't be decided, according to Dan Wolken of USA Today.

Even projecting what might have been is difficult with the NCAA deciding not to release a bracket to fans for either tournament. 

Although the 2020 NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments won't take place amid concerns about the coronavirus, the selection committee might still release the men's bracket. 

NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said Friday the organization could still put together an official 68-team field, per Matt Norlander of CBS Sports:

"We're hearing today there's interest from coaches and athletic directors from that. I wouldn't say we've shut down the idea completely, but there is, practically speaking, it's a bit challenging at this moment. ... There's pluses and minuses to any decision. If you put the field together, you could have teams, depending on that conference's policy, would not be the most obvious choice as the [automatic qualifier]. It's something we're going to continue to look at.

"This has been so fast, so emotional, we'll continue to think on it a little bit."

NCAA President Mark Emmert announced Thursday the men's and women's basketball tournaments would be canceled as a result of the threat created by the spread of COVID-19.

Though 19 conference tournaments were canceled as well, each conference is already determined its automatic qualifier based on either regular-season standings or tournament results.

For example, Florida State was crowned the ACC tournament champion as the No. 1 seed in the tournament despite not playing a postseason game. The Ivy League was the first conference to cancel its tournament, naming Yale as the men's representative in the NCAA tournament.

The selection committee would then determine the remaining teams in the field to fill out the 68 spots in the bracket.

Even if the games aren't played, an announcement could represent a reward for those who earned a spot in the field.

"First and foremost for the student-athletes knowing definitively where you are as an NCAA Tournament team, or a No. 1 seed," Gavitt said. "Not based on other bracketologists, but based on the selection committee's decision. That's a big deal. It's what they all play for and to have the kind of recognition and honor that comes with it."

Dayton had a chance to earn a No. 1 seed for the first time in its history, while Rutgers had a chance to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1991.

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl wanted a Selection Sunday to take place "because Auburn doesn't get to hear its name called that often," per Josh Vitale of the Montgomery Advertiser.

For these programs, a simple bracket release could provide some closure to an otherwise lost postseason.

On Thursday, the NCAA made official the inevitable. For the first time since 1939, there will be no men's basketball tournament. And there won't be a women's basketball tournament, either. Amid the ongoing fears surrounding the spread of COVID-19, otherwise known as the coronavirus, the NCAA has canceled all remaining championship events this academic year.

To be clear, this is absolutely the right decision. The risks of spreading a deadly disease far outweigh the rewards of seeing our beloved basketball games.

But I must admit I'm sad.

I'm sad first and foremost for the players. Each year, the NCAA tournament features a couple dozen young talents who will go on to play in the NBA. But for the vast majority of players, appearing in the NCAA tournament will be the crowning achievement of their athletic careers. Yes, a blue-chip team typically cuts down the nets at the end, but is there another sport with a more storied history of underdog stories? Whether it's Sister Jean's Loyola-Chicago or Florida Gulf Coast's Dunk City, we celebrate a new Cinderella seemingly every March.

The Big Dance is the best postseason in American sports precisely because it is so unpredictable. Stop me if you said before the season that Cole Anthony and UNC would need to win the ACC tournament to qualify for the NCAAs? Or if you thought that redshirt sophomore Obi Toppin—who had no Division I offers at the end of high school—and the Dayton Flyers would have been in contention for a No. 1 seed? This season featured five different No. 1 teams by December, and top teams were knocked off their perches so regularly that it became hard to label even the unlikeliest win an upset. Every year, the NCAA tournament delivers, and this year had the potential to be exceptional.

I'm sad for all of the other people who devote their lives to the game. I'm sad for referees who put up with our endless complaints as they genuinely try to do their best. If I'm being honest, I'm even sad for the coaches. The frequent NCAA allegations and FBI investigations have left many fans with a sour taste, but again, the majority of coaches are dedicated to their schools and to their athletes in ways that rarely surface to the average fan. And I'm especially sad for the seasonal employees—the stadium vendors and ushers and parking lot attendants—who depend on the games to pay their bills. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has said that he'll take care of team employees affected by the NBA's temporary shutdown, and the NCAA—which collects about a billion dollars a year from the tournament—should follow suit.

Mostly, though, I'm sad for more selfish reasons. Like so many people, I love sports for their ability to bring people together. Despite all that divides us, Americans of all different beliefs and backgrounds stand shoulder to shoulder with each other in the stands. At games, we high-five—and sometimes even hug—complete strangers. We feel the euphoria of what can be accomplished when we work together. We share in the sadness when we don't quite live up to our own lofty expectations.

Although college basketball is by no means our nation's most popular sport, it does manage to capture the entire country's attention every March. I remember my seventh-grade English teacher in Tampa, Florida, pulling down the projector screen so that we could all watch the Gators' first-round game together. I remember her quickly changing it to To Kill a Mockingbird when she heard our principal shuffling down the hallway. I remember my Nana, who was a child in England during World War II and would clutch her rosary beads as German bombers flew by, filling out a bracket every year. For a national champion, Nana always chose a Catholic school.

If you went to a Kansas or a Kentucky or a Duke, you no doubt weep when your school's season comes to an end. But even if you didn't, you no doubt enjoy the opening weekend's invitation to sit on the couch for 16 hours a day and root for the underdog. I do that, too, and even better: Technically, it's my job. Every year, when I find my seat at press row for the Final Four, I send a picture message to my close friends that simply says, "Beats working."

From the Australian wildfires to the presidential election and now to the coronavirus, every day this year has felt like a month. Selfishly, I was looking forward to a month when the days could feel a little more normal.

But this is the true beauty of sports: They aren't an escape from life, they're a prism through which to understand it. Many Americans didn't realize the dangers of this disease until the NBA suspended its season. Now, we're all taking it a little more seriously. Even in their absence, sports are still helping to bring us together. But I sure will miss them this March.

The NCAA canceled all winter and spring sports championships Thursday, including the men's and women's basketball tournaments, to prevent the continued spread of the coronavirus.

Not surprisingly, players across the country met the move with a mix of emotions. 

Duke guard Tre Jones and Kansas forward Mitch Lightfoot were at a loss for words:

Jones' Blue Devils teammate Cassius Stanley said he understood the decision:

Trey Landers is not only a senior but also a part of a Dayton team that was on pace to be a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. Now, one of the greatest seasons in Flyers history is over:

Here's how others reacted:

The reaction wasn't limited to players, as coaches chimed in too:

The NCAA initially planned to hold the NCAA men's and women's tournaments without fans and with only essential personnel and select family present.

However, the situation escalated quickly across the sports landscape, with the NBA, NHL and MLS all suspending play. Utah Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell tested positive for COVID-19 as well.

For now, the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament is still expected to run its course, but with attendance restricted to essential staff and limited family. The field is still set to be finalized on Sunday, games are slated to be televised, and brackets remain available to fill out (and then get busted). 

At 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, CBS will televise the full release of the 68-team tournament. Afterward, you'll be able to download a printable bracket from the NCAA's official website. 

As of yet, the Big Dance has not been canceled, but the precedent is increasingly worrying. Smaller tournaments, like the Ivy League tournament and College Basketball Invitational, have already been called off over public health concerns surrounding the coronavirus. On Thursday, each of the Power Five conferences announced the cancellation of their postseason tourneys. 

Still, for now, March Madness is set to continue as planned, albeit with greater precautions, and the brackets should look different than they did in 2019. The conference tournaments that do proceed are going to be decisive as teams look to lock up their spots or fight into contention for a bid on Selection Sunday.

Because of concerns over the public health implications surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA is suspended indefinitely, while the Ivy League tournament and College Basketball Invitational have both been canceled.

At the moment, the schedule for March Madness is staying put.

Boston University just clinched its first tournament berth since 2011 by beating Colgate 64-61 to win the Patriot League Championship. March is already treading into uncharted territories as teams embark on their final opportunities to make their mark on the sport.

With UNC dropping an 81-53 loss to Syracuse, the Tar Heels' dreams of stealing a bid have disintegrated. This tournament is already leaning into its name, and the field will cement Sunday.

Selection Sunday Information

Date: March 15, 2020

Time: 6 p.m. ET

Coverage: March Madness Live and CBS

NCAA Tournament Schedule

First Four: March 17-18

First round: March 19-20

Second round: March 21-22

Sweet Sixteen: March 26-27

Elite Eight: March 28-29

Final Four: April 4

National Championship: April 6

Games will be covered by CBS Sports and Turner Sports, broadcast on TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV. They can also be streamed live on the NCAA's website.

Despite the Ivy League's canceled tournament, most conference tournaments are set to proceed as intended—except without the fans. Even if some more do get canceled, they could follow the Ivy League's protocol and award tournament placement contingent upon regular-season standings.

Those standings would put Kansas, Dayton, Baylor and Gonzaga at the one-seeds. They are all formidable groups with great chances to cut down the nets on April 6, as they each rank in the top five of Ken Pomeroy's 2020 rankings for adjusted efficiency margin and none have more than four losses this season.

As for the bubble teams vying for the lower seeds, there are some notable rosters that could make the cut with impressive performances during conference-tournament play as well as some outside luck.

The North Carolina State Wolfpack, in particular, present an interesting scenario because they boast a 22-point win against the Duke Blue Devils on the road this season. Their 15-point win over the Pittsburgh Panthers also sets them up for an ACC tournament run that could earn them an at-large bid as they head into a rematch with the Blue Devils.

If NC State defeats Duke, it's primed to lock up an at-large bid. If it loses, then its NCAA tournament hopes will come down to an unpredictable Selection Sunday. Like many bubble teams, the Wolfpack will be sweating their conference tournament and looking to upset a pedigree roster even before we get into the thick of March.

Fans love March Madness not only for the thrilling basketball action, but also because of the interactive component of filling out brackets.

Everybody wants to win their bracket pools and look smart among their families, friends and coworkers by having the most correct predictions. And it all gets started Sunday night, when the 68-team field for this year's NCAA tournament will be announced and the bracket will be revealed.

This year's event will be different as the games are set to be played without fans in attendance due to concern over the coronavirus. It's unclear if anything could still change after the NBA suspended its season Wednesday night, but for now, March Madness is still on and scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Here's everything you need to know for Selection Sunday, including which teams have already received automatic bids for the NCAA tournament and predictions for the schools that will secure the No. 1 seeds.

Selection Sunday Information

Date: Sunday, March 15

Time: 6 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Automatic Bids

Atlantic Sun: Liberty

Big South: Winthrop

Colonial: Hofstra

Horizon: Northern Kentucky

Ivy: Yale

Missouri Valley: Bradley

Mountain West: Utah State

Northeast: Robert Morris

Ohio Valley: Belmont

Patriot: Boston

Southern: East Tennessee State

Summit: North Dakota State

West Coast: Gonzaga

No. 1 Seed Predictions

The Big 12 is likely the only conference that is going to have multiple teams as No. 1 seeds this year, but that still depends on how things unfold during the conference tournament this week.

Kansas enters the week as the No. 1 team in the country and the top seed in the Big 12 tournament. Baylor is ranked No. 5 in the AP poll and is the No. 2 seed for the conference tourney. If things go as expected, then the Jayhawks and Bears will face off for the third time this season in the championship game.

If that happens, Kansas and Baylor should both be deserving of No. 1 seeds for the NCAA tournament, even though one won't be a conference champion because it lost to the other.

The Jayhawks enter the tournament at 28-3 and on a 16-game winning streak. None of their losses are bad ones, either, as they only fell to Duke, Villanova and Baylor during the regular season.

The Bears are 26-4, although they lost three of their last five games in the regular season. One of those came against Kansas, so that isn't a bad one. And their first loss was to Washington on Nov. 8, but that was much earlier in the season. So Baylor should still have a strong enough resume after picking up two wins in the Big 12 tournament.

For Gonzaga and Dayton to secure No. 1 seeds as mid-major teams, it should only require conference-tournament victories, which the Bulldogs have already done. Gonzaga beat Saint Mary's to win the West Coast Conference tournament on Tuesday night.

The Flyers are the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament, and they won't play their first game until the quarterfinals on Friday. Dayton shouldn't have any trouble notching three victories to secure the tournament championship.

Florida State could be in the No. 1-seed conversation, especially if it wins the ACC tournament. The Seminoles are the No. 4 team in the country and own the No. 1 seed for the conference tourney.

If they can hold off teams like Virginia, Louisville and Duke, then Florida State could win the tournament title and secure a No. 1 seed for March Madness.

However, the Seminoles have tough competition to face, so expect them to lose in the championship game, if not the semifinals.

That will allow Baylor to join Kansas, Gonzaga and Dayton as the No. 1 seeds for this year's NCAA tournament, as each of those teams will do what it needs to do to grab those spots.

Predictions: Kansas, Gonzaga, Dayton, Baylor

Despite a surreal scene all over the American sports map, the Big Ten Tournament kicked off unimpeded Wednesday night with two matchups. In the early game, 12th-seeded Minnesota defeated 13th-seeded Northwestern by a 74-57 final, while 11th-seeded Indiana crushed 14th-seeded Nebraska to the tune of an 89-64 score.

In light of the increasing caution shown by leaders of the sports world, whether the Big Ten Tournament even continues remains a major question. But for now, let's assume that the show goes on. Thursday will see four second-round matchups, highlighted by the two late games: Ohio State vs. Purdue and Penn State vs. Indiana.

As the Big Ten projects to have 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament, per ESPN's Joe Lunardi, most of the conference tournament games after this round will likely feature outfits certain to see their names listed Sunday night.

Those aforementioned games, however, feature two bubble teams in Indiana (a member of Lunardi's Last Four In) and Purdue (a team mentioned in his Next Four Out), so they are of particular importance.

Big Ten Tournament

Thursday, March 14

2nd Round

Game 3: No. 8 Rutgers vs. No. 9 Michigan (12:00 p.m. ET, BTN)
Game 4: No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 12 Minnesota (2:25 p.m., BTN)
Game 5: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Purdue (6:30 p.m, BTN)
Game 6: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 Indiana (8:55 p.m., BTN)

Friday, March 15

Quarterfinals

Game 7: No. 1 Wisconsin vs. Game 3 winner (12:30 p.m. ET, BTN)
Game 8: No. 4 Illinois vs. Game 4 winner (3 p.m., BTN)
Game 9: No. 2 Michigan State vs. Game 5 winner (6:30 p.m., BTN)
Game 10: No. 3 Maryland vs. Game 6 winner (9:00 p.m., BTN)

Saturday, March 16

Semifinals

Game 11: Friday afternoon winners (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
Game 12: Friday evening winners (3:30 p.m., CBS)

Sunday, March 17

Championship

Game 13: Saturday winners (3:30 p.m ET, CBS)

Live Stream: Hulu Live TV, fuboTV (free trial)

Bracket Predictions

It bears repeating that the NCAA Tournament may be canceled, which would essentially render the results of the Big Ten Conference Tournament moot. However, as that has not happened, let's go forth with some predictions for Thursday's games.

The early game, featuring Rutgers (20-11) and Michigan (19-12), should be entertaining. The matchup to watch has to be the Wolverines offense, led by Zavier Simpson (12.9 PPG, 7.9 APG) and Isaiah Livers (12.9 PPG, 40.2 3PT%), against the Scarlet Knights' sixth-ranked defense, per KenPom. Michigan has scored 80 points 10 times this year, while Rutgers has limited opponents to fewer than 60 points 13 times.

The old adage about unstoppable forces and immovable objects seems to apply here, but we we will take Michigan based on its slightly more balanced roster and two regular-season victories over Rutgers.

That 8-9 battle is followed immediately up with Iowa taking on Minnesota, a matchup that the Hawkeyes are favored in by just one-and-a-half points despite arguably boasting the National Player of the Year in Luke Garza (23.9 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.8 BPG).

Despite playing the Hawkeyes close in their only matchup, losing 58-55 and boasting an ostensibly good matchup for him in Daniel Oturu (20.0 PPG, 11.4 RPG), the Golden Gophers should be considered heavy underdogs here. They have a losing record, have lost six of their past nine games and are one of the few teams in the Big Ten that needs to win the conference tournament to make it to March Madness. 

As discussed, the latter two matchups of the slate may be the most interesting based on the status of two of the participating teams, but their opponents may have other ideas.

For instance, Purdue, despite needing a win over Ohio State to solidify its postseason credentials, should be considered a long shot to beat the Buckeyes. They lost by 16 points in Columbus in February and come into the conference tournament playing some of their worst ball of the season, losing five of their past seven games, whereas OSU has won six of eight, including wins over three ranked opponents.

However, Penn State taking on Indiana should be the best game of the day. The teams split the season series, with the Nittany Lions winning the first game by 15 points and the Hoosiers winning the second by eight points.

As the higher seed—and a team that was ranked for much of the season—Penn State might seem to have this one in the bag but has lost five of six. Indiana hasn't done much better, going just 3-3 over its past six games, but if it continues to be a top-30 defensive team the way it has all season under Archie Miller, then the Hoosiers might be able to pull an upset and kick off a nice little run through the Big Ten.