2005 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
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The 2005
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams fro ...
involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I
college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the
Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and the Edward Jones Dom ...
in St. Louis. The Final Four consisted of top seed
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
, in their first Final Four appearance since 1989, Louisville, making their first appearance since winning the national championship in 1986,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
, reaching their first Final Four since their 2000 Cinderella run, and
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
, back in the Final Four for the first time since 2001. North Carolina emerged as the national champion for a fourth time, defeating Illinois in the final 75–70. North Carolina's Sean May was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. It was coach Roy Williams's first national championship. For the first time since 1999, when Weber State defeated North Carolina, a #14 seed defeated a #3 seed when Bucknell upset
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
. A #13 seed,
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
, advanced by defeating
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy * Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' * Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...
in the first round and a #12 seed, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the Chicago region.


Tournament procedure

A total of 65 teams entered the tournament, thirty having earned automatic bids by winning their
conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...
tournaments. The automatic bid of the
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight school ...
, which does not conduct a postseason tournament, went to its regular season champion. The remaining 34 teams were granted "at-large" bids, which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. Two teams play an opening-round game, popularly called the " play-in game," the winner of which advances to the main draw of the tournament and plays a top seed in one of the regionals. Since its inception in 2001, this game has been played at the
University of Dayton Arena University of Dayton Arena (commonly known as UD Arena) is a 13,409-seat multi-purpose arena located in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams. From 2001 to 2010, the facility hos ...
in
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...
. All 64 teams were seeded 1 to 16 within their regionals; the winner of the play-in game automatically received a 16 seed. The Selection Committee seeded the entire field from 1 to 65. The 2005 regionals, along with their top seeds, are listed below. *Chicago Regional (top seed:
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
; top overall seed) *Albuquerque Regional (top seed:
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
; fourth overall seed) *Syracuse Regional (top seed:
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
; second overall seed) *Austin Regional (top seed:
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
; third overall seed) Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held April 2–4 in St. Louis.


Schedule and venues

Sites hosting each round of the 2005 tournament: Opening Round *March 15 **
University of Dayton Arena University of Dayton Arena (commonly known as UD Arena) is a 13,409-seat multi-purpose arena located in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams. From 2001 to 2010, the facility hos ...
,
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...
(Host:
University of Dayton The University of Dayton (UD) is a private, Catholic research university in Dayton, Ohio. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary, it is one of three Marianist universities in the nation and the second-largest private university in Ohio. The univ ...
) First and Second Rounds *March 17 and 19 **
McKale Center McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena in the southwest United States, located on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. As the home of the university's Wildcats basketball team of the Pac-12 Conference, it is primar ...
,
Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...
(Host:
University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first ...
) **
RCA Dome The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ( 1984– 2007). It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention ...
,
Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mar ...
(Hosts: Butler University and
Horizon League The Horizon League is an 11-school collegiate athletic conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, whose members are located in and near the Great Lakes region. The Horizon League founded in 1979 as the Mi ...
) ** Taco Bell Arena,
Boise, Idaho Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown ar ...
(Host:
Boise State University Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It became a p ...
) **
Wolstein Center The Bert L. and Iris S. Wolstein Center is a 13,610-seat indoor arena located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the campus of Cleveland State University (CSU). It is home to the Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball ...
,
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S ...
(Host:
Cleveland State University Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923 ...
) *March 18 and 20 ** Charlotte Coliseum,
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...
(Host:
Davidson College Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan†...
) **
DCU Center The DCU Center (originally Centrum in Worcester, formerly Worcester's Centrum Centre and commonly Worcester Centrum) is an indoor arena and convention center complex in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. The facility hosts a variety of events, ...
,
Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second- most populous city in New England after ...
(Host:
College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and one of the oldest in ...
) ** Ford Center,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
(Host:
Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
) ** Gaylord Entertainment Center,
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
(Host:
Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Cham ...
) Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) *March 24 and 26 **Albuquerque Regional, University Arena ("The Pit"),
Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...
(Host:
University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
) **Chicago Regional,
Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened ...
,
Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located immediately northwest of Chicago, as of the 2010 census it had a population of 4,202. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. Whi ...
(Host:
DePaul University DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...
) *March 25 and 27 **Austin Regional,
Frank Erwin Center The Frank C. Erwin Jr. Center (commonly known as Frank Erwin Center or UT Erwin Center and originally Special Events Center) is an inactive multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas. It is a ...
,
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
(Host:
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
) **Syracuse Regional,
Carrier Dome The JMA Wireless Dome, originally the Carrier Dome (1980–2022) and colloquially called "The Dome," or more recently "The JMA Dome," is a domed sports stadium in Syracuse, New York. Located on the campus of Syracuse University in the Universit ...
,
Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, Yonkers, and Rochester. At the 2020 census, the city' ...
(Host:
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
) National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship) *April 2 and 4 **
Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and the Edward Jones Dom ...
, St. Louis, Missouri (Host:
Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest. History The MVC was established ...
)


Qualifying teams


Automatic bids

The following teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2005 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's tournament (except for the Ivy League, whose regular-season champion received the automatic bid).


Listed by region and seeding


Bids by conference


Opening round

*March 15,
University of Dayton Arena University of Dayton Arena (commonly known as UD Arena) is a 13,409-seat multi-purpose arena located in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams. From 2001 to 2010, the facility hos ...
,
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...
** (16) 79, (16) 69


First round


Chicago Regional

*March 17,
RCA Dome The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ( 1984– 2007). It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention ...
,
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
**
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
(1) 67, (16) 55 **:Illinois, up only 32–31 at halftime, pulled away in the second half behind 19 points from Dee Brown and 13 from
Luther Head Luther Dale Head (born November 26, 1982) is a former American professional basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, comp ...
. **
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
(9) 61,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
(8) 57 **:Down 57–53 with 2:24 to play, the Wolf Pack of Nevada came from behind to win despite a sub-par game from star Nick Fazekas. *March 17,
Wolstein Center The Bert L. and Iris S. Wolstein Center is a 13,610-seat indoor arena located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the campus of Cleveland State University (CSU). It is home to the Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball ...
,
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
** UW-Milwaukee (12) 83,
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
(5) 73 **:The
Horizon League The Horizon League is an 11-school collegiate athletic conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, whose members are located in and near the Great Lakes region. The Horizon League founded in 1979 as the Mi ...
champion Panthers pulled the upset behind 21 points apiece from Ed McCants and Joah Tucker. **
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...
(4) 85, Penn (13) 65 **:Boston College steamrolled
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight school ...
champion Penn with a balanced attack, getting 18 points from
Jared Dudley Jared Anthony Dudley (born July 10, 1985) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A forward, he played college basketball for ...
, 15 points from Craig Smith, and 14 points from Sean Marshall. *March 17, Taco Bell Arena, Boise ** UAB (11) 82, LSU (6) 68 **:UAB led throughout with Marvett McDonald scoring 21 points, including five three-pointers. **
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, AlÄ­ á¹£onak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
(3) 66,
Utah State Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
(14) 53 **:Arizona started slow, but secured the win led by
Channing Frye Channing Thomas Frye (born May 17, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. A power forward- center, he played college basketball for the University of Arizona. He was drafted eighth overall by the New York Knicks in the 200 ...
and
Salim Stoudamire Charles Salim Stoudamire (born October 11, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Stoudamire was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round (31st overall pick) of the 2005 NBA draft. Early life and college Stoudamire ...
each scoring 17 points. *March 18, Ford Center,
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
**
Southern Illinois Southern Illinois, also known as Little Egypt, is the southern third of Illinois, principally along and south of Interstate 64. Although part of a Midwestern state, this region is aligned in culture more with that of the Upland South than the Mi ...
(7) 65, Saint Mary's (10) 56 **:SIU broke a late tie with St. Mary's to earn the victory. **
Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, ...
(2) 63, SE Louisiana (15) 50 **:Oklahoma State jumped out to a 9-point halftime lead and built on it from there behind Ivan McFarlin's 18 points.


Albuquerque Regional

*March 17, Taco Bell Arena, Boise **
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
(1) 88,
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
(16) 77 **:Top-seeded Washington easily advanced, getting 17 points from Brandon Roy off the bench. ** Pacific (8) 79,
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
(9) 71 **:Pacific nearly squandered a 15-point lead, letting Pittsburgh get within 5, but hung on to advance behind 17 from Christian Maraker and 15 from Mike Webb. *March 18, Gaylord Entertainment Center,
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
**
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
(5) 80,
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
(12) 68 **:The Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech easily defeated George Washington, using a balanced attack of
Jarrett Jack Jarrett Matthew Jack (born October 28, 1983) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended four high schools in ...
(20 points),
Will Bynum William Bynum (born January 4, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Arizona and Georgia Tech before going undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft. He was the 2007 Israeli Basketbal ...
(17 points), and B. J. Elder (15 points). ** Louisville (4) 68, Louisiana-Lafayette (13) 62 **:Louisville broke a tie with 3:43 left and defeated the Ragin' Cajuns behind 27 points from Francisco García, who went 7-for-7 from the free throw line in the last 1:57. *March 17,
McKale Center McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena in the southwest United States, located on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. As the home of the university's Wildcats basketball team of the Pac-12 Conference, it is primar ...
, Tucson **
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
(6) 78,
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
(11) 66 **:Texas Tech handled the Bruins of UCLA easily behind 28 points from
Ronald Ross Sir Ronald Ross (13 May 1857 – 16 September 1932) was a British medical doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on the transmission of malaria, becoming the first British Nobel laureate, and the ...
. ** Gonzaga (3) 74, Winthrop (14) 64 **:After a slow start and trailing 35–33 at halftime, Gonzaga came back and defeated Winthrop behind 27 points from Adam Morrison. *March 17,
Wolstein Center The Bert L. and Iris S. Wolstein Center is a 13,610-seat indoor arena located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the campus of Cleveland State University (CSU). It is home to the Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball ...
,
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
**
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
(7) 63, Creighton (10) 61 **:With the game tied 61–61 with under five seconds left, West Virginia's Tyrone Sally blocked Nate Funk's three-point attempt and then dunked off the fast break with 2.9 seconds to play to send the Mountaineers to the second round. ** Wake Forest (2) 70, UT-Chattanooga (15) 54 **:Wake Forest, trailed 27–24 at halftime, but came back in the second half behind 20 points from Chris Paul and 14 from Justin Gray.


Syracuse Regional

*March 18, Charlotte Coliseum,
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
**
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
(1) 96,
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
(16) 68 **:North Carolina crushed play-in winner Oakland, racing out to a 59–33 halftime lead.
Marvin Williams Marvin Gaye Williams Jr. (born June 19, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He played one season of college basketball for North Carolina before being drafted second overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2005 NBA draft. Hi ...
scored 20, Sean May scored 19, and
Rashad McCants Rashad Dion McCants (born September 25, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as well as overseas. He played for Trilogy in the BIG3 three-on-three league. High scho ...
added 15. Cortney Scott led all scorers with 21 for Oakland and Rawle Marshall added 16. **
Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
(9) 64,
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
(8) 53 **:Iowa State used a 10-point halftime lead and a balanced attack to win, with
Curtis Stinson Curtis Stinson (born February 15, 1983) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Iowa State University. College career Stinson is a former Iowa State Cyclones college basketball player. In his three years as ...
scoring 18, with Rahshon Clark and Jared Homan scoring 14 apiece. *March 18, Gaylord Entertainment Center,
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
** Villanova (5) 55,
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...
(12) 47 **:Villanova's stifling defense, which limited New Mexico to ''eleven'' first-half points due to New Mexico's missing many open looks, vanished in the second half. Mike Nardi scored 15 and Randy Foye had 14. **
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
(4) 67,
Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
(13) 62 **:Florida got out to a 20-point lead, but had to hang on for the victory over the Mid-American champion Ohio. Matt Walsh scored 18 and Al Horford added 14. *March 18, Ford Center,
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
**
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
(6) 57,
Northern Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
(11) 52 **:The Badgers of Wisconsin held off Northern Iowa, using 16 points from Kammron Taylor and 15 from Sharif Chambliss. ** Bucknell (14) 64,
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
(3) 63 **:
Patriot League The Patriot League is a collegiate athletic conference comprising private institutions of higher education and two United States service academies based in the Northeastern United States. Outside the Ivy League, it is among the most selective g ...
champion Bucknell pulled off the stunner of the tournament, edging Kansas when Chris McNaughton scored on a bank shot with 10.5 seconds left, followed by Kansas'
Wayne Simien Wayne Anthony Simien Jr. (born March 9, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player, who last played with Spain's Cáceres Ciudad de Baloncesto. He was a member of the Miami Heat when they won the 2006 NBA championship. Simien pla ...
missing an open 15-footer as time expired. This completely unexpected act earned Bucknell University an ESPY award for Greatest Upset. *March 18,
DCU Center The DCU Center (originally Centrum in Worcester, formerly Worcester's Centrum Centre and commonly Worcester Centrum) is an indoor arena and convention center complex in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. The facility hosts a variety of events, ...
,
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
** N.C. State (10) 75,
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
(7) 63 **:N.C. State fell into a 14-point hole just five minutes into the game, but closed the game on a 16–4 burst to win.
Julius Hodge Julius Melvin Hodge (born November 18, 1983) is an American-Antiguan former professional basketball player and current assistant coach at Little Rock Trojans. Originally from Harlem, New York, Hodge played college basketball at NC State and was s ...
scored 19 for the Wolfpack, and Andrew Brackman added 16. **
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
(2) 77, UCF (15) 71 **:The defending champion Connecticut Huskies survived a scare from
Atlantic Sun The ''Atlantic Sun'' is a local newspaper for the West Coast region of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the sout ...
champion Central Florida, who trimmed a 19-point deficit down to four. Charlie Villanueva scored 22 to lead UConn and
Rudy Gay Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6'8" forward played college basketball for the University of Connecticut before being d ...
chipped in 17.


Austin Regional

*March 18, Charlotte Coliseum,
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
**
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
(1) 57, Delaware State (16) 46 **:Duke won in this offensive struggle against the
MEAC The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National ...
champion as
Shelden Williams Shelden DeMar Williams (born October 21, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Landlord", he played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, and later played in the NBA for parts of seven seasons. William ...
scored 14. ** Mississippi State (9) 93,
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. S ...
(8) 70 **:After a 1-point lead at halftime, Mississippi State pulled away from Stanford with a strong second half, led by Lawrence Roberts' 23 points and Winsome Frazier's 20. *March 18,
DCU Center The DCU Center (originally Centrum in Worcester, formerly Worcester's Centrum Centre and commonly Worcester Centrum) is an indoor arena and convention center complex in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. The facility hosts a variety of events, ...
,
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
**
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
(5) 89, Old Dominion (12) 81 **:The Spartans of Michigan State rallied from a five-point halftime deficit to beat Old Dominion. Alan Anderson had 15 for Michigan State, Paul Davis added 14, and both Shannon Brown and Maurice Ager had 13 apiece. **
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
(13) 60,
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy * Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' * Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...
(Vacated) (4) 57 (OT) **:The Catamounts of Vermont upset Syracuse with an overtime victory. Vermont prevented point guard Gerry McNamara and senior forward Hakim Warrick from having big days. With 10 seconds left in a tie game, Germian Mopa Njila drove to the baseline and scored, but was ruled out of bounds because he stepped on the baseline. In overtime Njila (team lead 20 points) scored a three-pointer with two minutes left to put Vermont ahead. Then 48 seconds later after a steal by Njila, T. J. Sorrentine (17 points) scored a deep three-pointer to put them up by 4 with just over a minute remaining, to essentially seal the victory. This was the first-ever NCAA Tournament win for the
University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the Unite ...
. *March 17,
McKale Center McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena in the southwest United States, located on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. As the home of the university's Wildcats basketball team of the Pac-12 Conference, it is primar ...
, Tucson **
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
(6) 60, UTEP (11) 54 **:A large number of UTEP fans made the trip from El Paso to Tucson to support their team; however, Utah won the game, advancing to the second round. Andrew Bogut scored 24 to lead Utah. **
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
(3) 84, Niagara (14) 67 **:Oklahoma beat the MAAC champion, getting big efforts from Drew Lavender (17 points) and five other Sooners in double figures. *March 17,
RCA Dome The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ( 1984– 2007). It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention ...
,
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
**
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...
(7) 76,
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
(10) 64 **:Cincinnati's first-round victory over Iowa saw Jason Maxiell score 22 points, including the first two three-pointers of his college career. James White added 15 for Cincinnati. **
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
(2) 72, Eastern Kentucky (15) 64 **:The higher-seeded Kentucky team prevailed in this intrastate matchup (the schools are separated by only 30 miles), with
Kelenna Azubuike Kelenna David Azubuike (born 16 December 1983) is a British-Nigerian-American former professional basketball player and currently the Golden State Warriors television analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area. Born in London, England and raised in Tulsa, O ...
and
Chuck Hayes Charles Edward Hayes Jr. (born June 11, 1983) is a retired American professional basketball player and former player development coach for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Unive ...
both scoring 16.


Second round


Chicago Regional

*March 19,
RCA Dome The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ( 1984– 2007). It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention ...
,
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
**
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
(1) 71,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
(9) 59 **:Illinois used a balanced attack of James Augustine, who had 23, Deron Williams, who had 15, and
Luther Head Luther Dale Head (born November 26, 1982) is a former American professional basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, comp ...
, who had 14, to defeat the Wolf Pack and advance to the Sweet 16. *March 19,
Wolstein Center The Bert L. and Iris S. Wolstein Center is a 13,610-seat indoor arena located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the campus of Cleveland State University (CSU). It is home to the Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball ...
,
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
**
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
(12) 83,
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...
(4) 75 **:The Panthers made a surprise appearance in the Sweet Sixteen just two days after knocking off SEC contender Alabama. Joah Tucker and Ed McCants continued their strong tournament play, scoring 23 and 18, respectively. Adrian Tigert added 16. *March 19, Taco Bell Arena, Boise **
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, AlÄ­ á¹£onak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
(3) 85, UAB (11) 63 **:Arizona refused to be upset the same way Kentucky was last year against UAB in the second round, coming out strong and opening it up in the second half.
Salim Stoudamire Charles Salim Stoudamire (born October 11, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Stoudamire was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round (31st overall pick) of the 2005 NBA draft. Early life and college Stoudamire ...
scored 20 and
Hassan Adams Hassan Olawale Adams (born June 20, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Arizona. High school career Adams attended Westchester High School in Westchester, Los Angeles, where he averaged ...
added 16. *March 20, Ford Center,
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
**
Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, ...
(2) 85,
Southern Illinois Southern Illinois, also known as Little Egypt, is the southern third of Illinois, principally along and south of Interstate 64. Although part of a Midwestern state, this region is aligned in culture more with that of the Upland South than the Mi ...
(7) 77 **:Ivan McFarlin again powered Oklahoma State to the win, scoring 31 and igniting a 10–2 run that help the Cowboys pull away from the Salukis, who had a seven-point halftime lead.


Albuquerque Regional

*March 19, Taco Bell Arena, Boise **
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
(1) 97, Pacific (8) 79 **:Washington advanced behind 23 points from Nate Robinson, 19 from Bobby Jones, 15 from Tre Simmons, and 14 off the bench from Brandon Roy. *March 20, Gaylord Entertainment Center,
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
** Louisville (4) 76,
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
(5) 54 **:Louisville played strong defense in eliminating the defending runner-up Yellow Jackets. Francisco García scored 21, Larry O'Bannon 16, and Taquan Dean 14. *March 19, McKale Center, Tucson **
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
(6) 71, Gonzaga (3) 69 **:Texas Tech edged Gonzaga to earn a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.
Ronald Ross Sir Ronald Ross (13 May 1857 – 16 September 1932) was a British medical doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on the transmission of malaria, becoming the first British Nobel laureate, and the ...
led Texas Tech with 24, and Jarrius Jackson added 18. *March 19, Wolstein Center, Cleveland **
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
(7) 111, Wake Forest (2) 105 (2 OT) **:West Virginia continued their upset run to the Sweet Sixteen with a double-overtime shootout win, erasing a thirteen-point halftime deficit.
Mike Gansey Michael Gansey (born December 21, 1982) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is currently the general manager for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as assis ...
led West Virginia with 29 including 19 in the overtime periods, with Tyrone Sally, the hero of the first-round victory over Creighton, scoring 21, and D'or Fischer scoring 15 off the bench.


Syracuse Regional

*March 20, Charlotte Coliseum,
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
**
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
(1) 92,
Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
(9) 65 **:North Carolina demolished another opponent behind 24 from Sean May, 20 bench points from
Marvin Williams Marvin Gaye Williams Jr. (born June 19, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He played one season of college basketball for North Carolina before being drafted second overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2005 NBA draft. Hi ...
, 17 from
Rashad McCants Rashad Dion McCants (born September 25, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as well as overseas. He played for Trilogy in the BIG3 three-on-three league. High scho ...
, and 15 from Raymond Felton. *March 20, Gaylord Entertainment Center,
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
** Villanova (5) 76,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
(4) 65 **:Villanova secured their first berth in the Sweet Sixteen since 1988 as they got 21 bench points from Jason Fraser, 18 from Randy Foye, and 15 from Kyle Lowry. *March 20, Ford Center,
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
**
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
(6) 71, Bucknell (14) 62 **:Wisconsin ended the brief Cinderella run of Bucknell, which stunned Kansas in the first round. Mike Wilkinson scored 23 for Wisconsin, with
Alando Tucker Alando Forest Tucker (born February 11, 1984) is an American former collegiate basketball coach and former professional basketball player who played for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketba ...
scoring 17 and Zach Morley adding 15. *March 20,
DCU Center The DCU Center (originally Centrum in Worcester, formerly Worcester's Centrum Centre and commonly Worcester Centrum) is an indoor arena and convention center complex in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. The facility hosts a variety of events, ...
,
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
** N.C. State (10) 65,
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
(2) 62 **:The tenth-seeded Wolfpack of N.C. State pulled the upset, knocking the defending champions out in the second round.
Julius Hodge Julius Melvin Hodge (born November 18, 1983) is an American-Antiguan former professional basketball player and current assistant coach at Little Rock Trojans. Originally from Harlem, New York, Hodge played college basketball at NC State and was s ...
scored 17 for the Wolfpack including the game-winning layup and ensuing free throw, while Cameron Bennerman scored 15.


Austin Regional

*March 20, Charlotte Coliseum,
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
**
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
(1) 63, Mississippi State (9) 55 **:Duke struggled again, but still managed to knock off the Bulldogs and advance to the Sweet 16.
Daniel Ewing George Daniel Ewing, Jr. (born March 26, 1983) is an American professional basketball player. College career A guard from Duke University, Ewing played for four seasons at the college under coach Mike Krzyzewski from 2001 to 2005. Prior to Duk ...
led Duke with 22 and
JJ Redick Jonathan Clay "JJ" Redick (born June 24, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who is a podcaster and sports analyst for ESPN. He was selected 11th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2006 NBA draft. He played college baske ...
added 16. *March 20,
DCU Center The DCU Center (originally Centrum in Worcester, formerly Worcester's Centrum Centre and commonly Worcester Centrum) is an indoor arena and convention center complex in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. The facility hosts a variety of events, ...
,
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
**
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
(5) 72,
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
(13) 61 **:The Spartans of Michigan State advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. Maurice Ager scored 19 for Michigan State, with Kelvin Torbert adding 14 off the bench. *March 19,
McKale Center McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena in the southwest United States, located on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. As the home of the university's Wildcats basketball team of the Pac-12 Conference, it is primar ...
, Tucson **
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
(6) 67,
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
(3) 58 **:Utah advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with a victory over the Sooners of Oklahoma. Justin Hawkins scored 20 for Utah, while Marc Jackson scored 17, and Bryant Markson scored 16. *March 19,
RCA Dome The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ( 1984– 2007). It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention ...
,
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
**
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
(2) 69,
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...
(7) 60 **:Kentucky moved on to the Sweet Sixteen behind 17 points from
Kelenna Azubuike Kelenna David Azubuike (born 16 December 1983) is a British-Nigerian-American former professional basketball player and currently the Golden State Warriors television analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area. Born in London, England and raised in Tulsa, O ...
, and 16 from
Rajon Rondo Rajon Pierre Rondo (, born February 22, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Rondo played two years of college basketball for ...
. Three other Wildcats scored in double figures.


Regionals


Chicago Regional

At
Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened ...
,
Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located immediately northwest of Chicago, as of the 2010 census it had a population of 4,202. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. Whi ...


Semifinals

*March 24 **
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
(1) 77,
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
(12) 63 **:Milwaukee, who had knocked off powerhouses Alabama and Boston College in the last week, had their Cinderella run come to an abrupt end against the tournament's top-seeded team. Milwaukee stayed with Illinois for most of the first half, only trailing 29–26 with 3:38 to play in the half, but then Illinois reeled off a 7–0 run to push the lead to ten, and Milwaukee never recovered, never getting closer than seven points for the rest of the game. Following this impressive run, Milwaukee coach
Bruce Pearl Bruce Alan Pearl (born March 18, 1960) is an American college basketball coach, and the head coach of the Auburn Tigers men's basketball team. He previously served as the head coach at Tennessee, Milwaukee, and Southern Indiana. Pearl led Sout ...
accepted a job as the head basketball coach at the
University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th sta ...
. **
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, AlÄ­ á¹£onak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
(3) 79,
Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, ...
(2) 78 **:In the other and more climactic Midwest Regional semifinal, Arizona squeaked by Oklahoma State when
Salim Stoudamire Charles Salim Stoudamire (born October 11, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Stoudamire was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round (31st overall pick) of the 2005 NBA draft. Early life and college Stoudamire ...
canned a jumper with 2.8 seconds remaining. The game had been back-and-forth all night long, with Arizona leading by three at halftime but then letting up, allowing Oklahoma State to take a five-point lead at 72–67 with 4:29 remaining. Arizona and Oklahoma State then traded baskets, and Stoudamire sliced the Oklahoma State lead to 76–75 with 1:58 left on a three-pointer. After
Joey Graham Joseph Graham (born June 11, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player who played six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). College career Graham played college basketball for the University of Central Florida (2 ...
put Oklahoma State back up by one with eighteen seconds to play, Stoudamire nailed his game-winner to send Arizona to the Regional Finals.


Final

*March 26 **
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
(1) 90,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, AlÄ­ á¹£onak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
(3) 89 (OT) **:In one of the most thrilling NCAA basketball games ever, Illinois pulled off an improbable comeback to break the hearts of Wildcats fans everywhere. After a close first half, Arizona came out gunning in the second half, opening up a 75–60 lead with only four minutes left in the second half. Illinois then closed the half on a 20–5 run to force overtime using a stingy defense, layups, and three-pointers, the last of which by Deron Williams tied the game at 80–80 with 39 seconds in regulation. The run broke down Arizona completely, and Illinois opened up a 90–84 lead in overtime before Arizona scored five straight to cut the lead to one, but
Hassan Adams Hassan Olawale Adams (born June 20, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Arizona. High school career Adams attended Westchester High School in Westchester, Los Angeles, where he averaged ...
missed a three at the buzzer to give Illinois the win and a berth in the Final Four.


Albuquerque Regional

At University Arena,
Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...


Semifinals

*March 24 ** Louisville (4) 93,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
(1) 79 **:Louisville dominated top-seeded Washington, using a big spurt late in the first half and then cruising from there. After an evenly matched sixteen minutes that saw Washington lead 30–29, Louisville went on an 18–5 run to close the first half, with the big shots coming from Francisco García, who nailed two three-pointers during that stretch to extend the lead. Washington tried a second-half comeback, cutting Louisville's lead to 67–61 with 8:41 left, but Louisville had enough to pull away. **
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
(7) 65,
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
(6) 60 **:Seventh-seeded West Virginia continued to roll onto the Regional Finals, engaging in a close battle with Texas Tech before pulling away in the second half. West Virginia took the lead for good when Kevin Pittsnogle drained a three with 6:14 to play, and held it from there, with Pittsnogle sinking two huge free throws with seventeen seconds left and West Virginia up by two to put the game out of reach.


Final

*March 26 ** Louisville (4) 93,
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
(7) 85 (OT) **:In another Regional Final overtime game (and a preview of a future Big East rivalry), West Virginia opened up the game at a blistering pace, using five three-pointers to jump out to a 19–5 lead. When Joe Herber made a three, West Virginia had a 32–13 lead with 5:30 to play in the first half. West Virginia led by thirteen at halftime, but Louisville finally went to a zone defense coming out of the half, and West Virginia began to go cold. Louisville cut the lead to three nine minutes into the second half, but Kevin Pittsnogle extended the West Virginia lead to ten with six minutes to play with a three. But West Virginia missed their last four field goals and Louisville tied the game with 38 seconds to play on
Larry O'Bannon Larry O'Bannon (born August 15, 1983) is an American professional basketball player for Hispano Americano of the Liga Nacional de Básquet (LNB). He played college basketball for the University of Louisville. Early life O'Bannon attended Jefferso ...
's layup. Louisville had grabbed the momentum and scored sixteen points in overtime to secure a berth in the Final Four.


Syracuse Regional

At
Carrier Dome The JMA Wireless Dome, originally the Carrier Dome (1980–2022) and colloquially called "The Dome," or more recently "The JMA Dome," is a domed sports stadium in Syracuse, New York. Located on the campus of Syracuse University in the Universit ...
,
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy * Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' * Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...


Semifinals

*March 25 **
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
(1) 67, Villanova (5) 66 **:In a tight Sweet Sixteen contest, the top-seeded Tar Heels barely made it to the Regional Finals. The entire game was officiated closely—the first television timeout came after Villanova garnered its fifth personal foul, and two fouls led to the disqualification from the game of North Carolina star Raymond Felton with under five minutes left. Fifth-seeded Villanova stuck with UNC despite falling behind 64–54 with 3:45 left in the game. The Wildcats stormed back to cut the lead to 66–63. With eleven seconds left Allan Ray drove the lane, received contact as he made a basket, but was called for a travel on the play. On the ensuing possession, Villanova immediately fouled. Rashad McCants then made a free throw to seal the North Carolina victory. **
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
(6) 65, N.C. State (10) 56 **:After upsetting two higher-seeded teams, including the defending national champion, N.C. State took a nine-point halftime lead against sixth-seeded Wisconsin before the Badgers woke up, using a 13–0 second-half run to turn a three-point deficit into a ten-point lead. N.C. State hung in, cutting the Wisconsin lead to 53–49 with 5:03 to play, and then only trailed 59–54 with 1:50 to play, but N.C. State ran out of miracles and energy and their Cinderella run ended, denying them a matchup with their most hated rival for a trip to St. Louis.


Final

*March 27 **
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
(1) 88,
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
(6) 82 **:The third regional final matched up the top seeded North Carolina Tar Heels and the sixth seeded Badgers from Wisconsin. The Tar Heels started off hot in this one as Sean May and Rashad McCants scored at will. When point guard Raymond Felton garnered his second foul, head coach Roy Williams decided to pull him to prevent further foul trouble. Up 11 at the time, it seemed to be the right move. Wisconsin would prove Williams wrong as they finished the half on an 11–0 run, tying the game at 44 heading into the half. The Tar Heels struggled to start the second half as hot as the first and trailed for the first time since the opening minutes of the game. Sparked by May's 29 points and 11 boards and Felton's clutch free throws, they outlasted the Badgers and won the game by six in regulation.


Austin Regional

At
Frank Erwin Center The Frank C. Erwin Jr. Center (commonly known as Frank Erwin Center or UT Erwin Center and originally Special Events Center) is an inactive multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas. It is a ...
,
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...


Semifinals

*March 25 **
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
(5) 78,
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
(1) 68 **:The Spartans of Michigan State continued on to the Regional Finals by outplaying Duke in the second half and breaking a 32–32 halftime tie. Michigan State came out in the second half and secured the momentum in slowly, but surely, pulling away from Duke. The Spartans got out to a nine-point lead, allowed Duke to get within two, but then, scoring their last ten points of the game on free throws, moved on to the Regional Finals. **
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
(2) 62,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
(6) 52 **:After playing Kentucky well in the first half, only trailing by five at halftime, Utah ran out of steam. Utah's last chance to win the game came after Andrew Bogut missed a free throw with Utah down 38–35 with 12:17 to play. Kentucky gradually pulled away to meet Michigan State in the Regional Finals.


Final

*March 27 **
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
(5) 94,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
(2) 88 (2 OT) **:In this double-overtime thriller, Kentucky started out well and led Michigan State by four at halftime, but Michigan State caught up in the second half, actually leading 70–62 with 5:43 to play. Kentucky rallied back, however, cutting the lead to one when
Kelenna Azubuike Kelenna David Azubuike (born 16 December 1983) is a British-Nigerian-American former professional basketball player and currently the Golden State Warriors television analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area. Born in London, England and raised in Tulsa, O ...
drained a three with 1:19 to play. After Patrick Sparks missed the front end of a one-and-one with 41 seconds to play, Michigan State's Shannon Brown appeared to ice the game with two free throws with 20 seconds to play. But with time expiring, Sparks put up a prayer from three, and the ball bounced around the rim four times before falling in. After the referees spent nearly ten minutes reviewing the play, they upheld that Sparks' shot was a three pointer, sending the game into overtime. In the first overtime, neither team relented, and Brown hit a key three-point basket for Michigan State to keep them in the game. Kentucky's Azubuike missed a three as time expired to send the game into double overtime. In the second overtime, Michigan State's mettle finally won the game for them, as they scored 11 of their 13 points from the free throw line to finally seal the game and send them to the Final Four for the fourth time under coach Tom Izzo.


Final Four

At
Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and the Edward Jones Dom ...
, St. Louis


National semifinals

*April 2 **
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
(Chicago 1) 72, Louisville (Albuquerque 4) 57 *:In a packed Edwards Jones Dome, the battle between Chicago Regional Champions Illinois and Albuquerque Regional Champions Louisville took place. Although nearly three-fourths of the crowd were Illini fans, the fourth-seeded Louisville Cardinals were not fazed and gave the overall top-seeded Fighting Illini all they could handle, trailing only by three at halftime, but Illinois used an early second-half run to pull away from the Cardinals and earn a bid in the national championship game. **
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
(Syracuse 1) 87,
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
(Austin 5) 71 *:In the battle between Syracuse Regional Champions North Carolina and Austin Regional Champions Michigan State, North Carolina used a 54-point second half to erase a five-point halftime deficit and down the Spartans, who were making their fourth appearance in the Final Four under coach Tom Izzo.


National Championship Game

*April 4 **
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
(Syracuse 1) 75,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
(Chicago 1) 70 North Carolina was looking for its 4th National Championship, while Illinois was playing in its first. It was a tight contest for much of the first half before an 8–0 run by North Carolina allowed them to take a 35–25 lead. Eventually they would take a 40–27 lead into halftime. North Carolina increased its lead to 15 at one point in the second half. But Illinois began a furious charge: at one point, they would hit seven consecutive shots from the floor to turn a fifteen-point lead back to four. Unfazed, North Carolina would push the lead back up to ten before a 10–0 run by the Illini tied the game at 65-65. Illinois would tie the game at 70–70 on a three by Luther Head. But North Carolina would fight back as freshman Marvin Williams tapped back a Rashad McCants missed shot to put North Carolina back in front. Illinois would get several cracks to take the lead but were unable to convert. Eventually, Raymond Felton was able to steal the ball from Head, forcing Deron Williams to foul. However, Felton converted on 1 of 2 free throws, giving Illinois one last chance. But Luther Head's three pointer bounced high and out. Eventually it went into the hands of Felton who this time connected on both free throws to give North Carolina a 75–70 victory. For North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, it was his first national championship. Illinois was denied a chance to set the NCAA record for most wins in a season, instead tying it at 37. Sean May scored 26 points as he took the MOP of the Final Four.


Bracket

Winners in bold. * next to a score indicates that the game went to overtime; multiple stars indicate multiple overtimes.


Chicago Regional


First round summary


Second round summary


Albuquerque Regional


First round summary


Second round summary


Syracuse Regional


Austin Regional


Final Four — St. Louis, Missouri


Record by conference

*
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
won the Opening Round game. The
Atlantic 10 The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. The A-10's member schools are located in states mostly on the United States Easter ...
,
Atlantic Sun The ''Atlantic Sun'' is a local newspaper for the West Coast region of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the sout ...
, Big Sky, Big South,
CAA CAA may refer to: Law * Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 of India ** Protests regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act * Copyright assignment agreement, to transfer copyright to another party * Clean Air Act, United States law to reduce air ...
,
Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...
, MAAC, MAC,
MEAC The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National ...
,
Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...
,
Ohio Valley The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illin ...
,
SoCon The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly ...
, Southland, SWAC, and
Sun Belt The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the Southeast and Southwest. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel. Several climates can be found in the region — d ...
conferences all went 0–1. The columns R32, S16, E8, F4, and CG respectively stand for the Round of 32, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and championship Game.


Television

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
carried the opening round game. *
Brent Musburger Brent Woody Musburger (born May 26, 1939) is an American sportscaster, currently the lead broadcaster and managing editor at Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN). With CBS Sports from 1973 until 1990, he was one of the original members ...
and Steve Lavin – Opening Round Game at Dayton, Ohio Rece Davis served as studio host, joined by analyst Fran Fraschilla.
CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W ...
carried the remaining 63 games. They were carried on a regional basis until the Elite Eight, at which point all games were shown nationally. *
Jim Nantz James William Nantz III (born May 17, 1959) is an American sportscaster who has worked on telecasts of the National Football League (NFL), NCAA Division I men's basketball, the NBA and the PGA Tour for CBS Sports since the 1980s. He has ancho ...
and Billy Packer – First & Second Round at Charlotte, North Carolina; Austin Regional at Austin, Texas; Final Four at St. Louis, Missouri *
Dick Enberg Richard Alan Enberg (January 9, 1935 â€“ December 21, 2017) was an American sportscaster. Over the course of an approximately 60-year career, he provided play-by-play of various sports for several radio and television networks, including ...
and
Jay Bilas Jay Scot Bilas (born December 24, 1963) is an American college basketball analyst who currently works for ESPN. Bilas is a former professional basketball player and coach who played for and served as an assistant under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke Uni ...
– First & Second Round at Indianapolis, Indiana; Chicago Regional at Chicago, Illinois * Verne Lundquist and
Bill Raftery William Joseph Raftery (born April 19, 1943) is an American basketball analyst and former college basketball coach. High school and college years Raftery attended Saint Cecilia High School in Kearny, New Jersey, where he starred in basketball an ...
– First & Second Round at Nashville, Tennessee; Syracuse Regional at Syracuse, New York * Gus Johnson and Len Elmore – First & Second Round at Worcester, Massachusetts; Albuquerque Regional at Albuquerque, New Mexico * Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner – First & Second Round at Tucson, Arizona * Ian Eagle and
Jim Spanarkel James Gerard Spanarkel (born June 28, 1957) is an American television analyst for College Basketball on CBS and a former professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Mavericks. He played college basketball for Duke Un ...
– First & Second Round at Cleveland, Ohio * Craig Bolerjack and
Bob Wenzel Bob Wenzel (born October 4, 1949) is a former American college basketball coach and broadcaster for the Big Ten Network, ESPN, CBS Sports and Fox Sports. Biography College playing/Coaching career Wenzel graduated from Rutgers University in 1971 w ...
– First & Second Round at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma * Tim Brando and
Mike Gminski Michael Thomas Gminski (born August 3, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player and a college basketball TV analyst for CBS Sports. In 2003, Gminski, of Polish descent, was inducted into the National Polish American Sports Hall ...
– First & Second Round at Boise, Idaho
Greg Gumbel Greg Gumbel (born May 3, 1946) is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments for CBS Sports (most notably, the National Football League and NCAA basketball). The older brother of news and sportscaster Brya ...
once again served as the studio host, joined by analysts Clark Kellogg and
Seth Davis Seth Davis is an American sportswriter and broadcaster. He is a host on Campus Insiders, an in-studio analyst for CBS' men's college basketball coverage, and an analyst for the NBA Draft on NBA TV. He currently writes for ''The Athletic'' and is ...
. The television rating indicated the tournament was watched by an average of 10.6 million viewers.


Radio

Westwood One Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming. The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The compan ...
had exclusive radio coverage. John Tautges once again served as studio host.


Local radio


See also

*
2005 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament The 2005 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA  Division II college basketball as the culmination of the 2004–05 ...
*
2005 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament The 2005 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the 31st annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the Un ...
*
2005 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament The 2005 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament began on March 19, 2005, and concluded on April 5, 2005, when Baylor was crowned as the new national champion. The Final Four was held for the first (and last) time at the RCA Dome in Indiana ...
*
2005 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament The 2005 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament was the 24th annual NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament, tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of NCAA Division II, Division II women's college basketb ...
* 2005 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament * 2005 National Invitation Tournament *
2005 Women's National Invitation Tournament The 2005 Women's National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2005 Women's NCAA tournament. It was the eighth edition of the postseason Women's Natio ...
* 2005 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament * 2005 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament * 2005 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament *
2005 NAIA Division II women's basketball tournament 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2005 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
Ncaa The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams fro ...
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams fro ...
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams fro ...
Basketball in Austin, Texas