ZWF: Your Factual guide to Selection Sunday
Zander's Weekend Facts #110: Sunday, March 17, 2024
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a rundown of how the men’s college basketball tournament bracket could look tonight, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know about from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast! Episode 135 features a recap of the State of the Union address. Plus, Zander previews college basketball’s conference tournament week. Download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, March 17, 2024:
The Madness is officially underway
Have your brackets on standby, the madness has begun!
Tonight at 6:00 pm et, the 68 teams that have been selected to compete in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament will be revealed. It’s one of, if not the, most spectacular sporting events we get the opportunity to witness each year, and it all starts in just a few hours.
32 of the 68 teams will know their name will be called as they’ve clinched automatic bids in the tournament by winning their conference tournament. The remaining 36 will be selected as at-large teams, and while there are several who are almost guaranteed a spot, those on the bubble will almost assuredly wait in agony.
Before the full field is released and tens of millions of brackets are filled out, here’s a look at where the teams in contention for the tournament stand, broken down by their conference affiliation:
Major Conferences:
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC):
Conference Champion: NC State (22-14) (Automatic Bid)
LOCKS for the tournament: Clemson (21-11), Duke (24-8), North Carolina (27-7)
On the BUBBLE:
Pittsburgh (22-11): NET Ranking (41); ESPN Projection (Next Four Out)
Virginia (23-10): NET Ranking (55); ESPN Projection (First Four Out)
Big 12 Conference:
Conference Champion: Iowa State (27-7) (Automatic Bid)
LOCKS: Baylor (23-10), BYU (23-10), Houston (30-4), Kansas (22-10), Texas (20-12), Texas Tech (23-10)
BUBBLE:
Kansas State (19-14): NET Ranking (70); ESPN Projection (Next Four Out)
Oklahoma (20-12): NET Ranking (46); ESPN Projection (Last Four In)
TCU (21-12): NET Ranking (43); ESPN Projection (Last Four In)
Big East Conference:
Conference Champion: UConn (31-3) (Automatic Bid)
LOCKS: Creighton (23-9), Marquette (25-9)
BUBBLE:
Providence (21-13): NET Ranking (57); ESPN Projection (Next Four Out)
Seton Hall (20-12): NET Ranking (66); ESPN Projection (First Four Out)
St. John’s (20-13): NET Ranking (34); ESPN Projection (First Four Out)
Big Ten Conference:
Conference Champion: TBD; Wisconsin (22-12) vs Illinois (25-8) - 3:30 pm ET - CBS
LOCKS: Illinois (24-8), Nebraska (23-10), Northwestern (21-11), Purdue (29-4), Wisconsin (21-12)
BUBBLE:
Michigan State (19-14): NET Ranking (25); ESPN Projection (Last Four In)
Ohio State (20-13): NET Ranking (50); ESPN Projection (Next Four Out)
Pac-12 Conference:
Conference Champion: Oregon (23-11) (Automatic Bid)
LOCKS: Arizona (25-8), Washington State (24-9)
BUBBLE:
Colorado (24-10): NET Ranking (24); ESPN Projection (Last Four In)
Southeastern Conference (SEC):
Conference Champion: TBD; Florida (24-10) vs Auburn (26-7) - 1:00 pm ET - ESPN
LOCKS: Alabama (21-11), Auburn (25-7), Florida (23-10), Kentucky (23-9), South Carolina (26-7), Tennessee (24-8)
BUBBLE:
Mississippi State (21-13): NET Ranking (32); ESPN Projection (Last Four Byes)
Texas A&M (20-14): NET Ranking (42); ESPN Projection (Last Four Byes)
Other Multi-bid Conferences:
American Athletic Conference:
Conference Champion: TBD; UAB (22-11) vs Temple (16-19) - 3:15 pm ET - ESPN
BUBBLE:
Florida Atlantic (25-8): NET Ranking (-); ESPN Projection (Last Four Byes)
Temple (16-19): NET Ranking (198); ESPN Projection (In with a Win, Out with a Loss)
UAB (22-11): NET Ranking (107); ESPN Projection (In with a Win, Out with a Loss
Atlantic 10 Conference:
Conference Champion: TBD; Duquesne (23-11) vs VCU (22-12) - 1:00 pm ET - CBS
LOCKS: Dayton (24-7)
BUBBLE:
Duquesne (23-11): NET Ranking (89); ESPN Projection (In with a Win, Out with a Loss)
VCU (22-12): NET Ranking (71); ESPN Projection (In with a Win, Out with a Loss)
Missouri Valley Conference (MVC):
Conference Champion: Drake (28-6) (Automatic Bid)
BUBBLE:
Indiana State (28-6): NET Ranking (30); ESPN Projection (First Four Out)
Mountain West Conference:
Conference Champion: New Mexico (26-9) (Automatic Bid)
LOCKS: Boise State (22-10), Nevada (26-7), Utah State (27-6), San Diego State (24-10)
BUBBLE:
Colorado State (24-10): NET Ranking (37); ESPN Projection (Last Four Byes)
West Coast Conference (WCC):
Conference Champion: Saint Mary’s (26-7) (Automatic Bid)
LOCKS: Gonzaga (25-7)
Single-bid Conferences:
America East Conference:
Conference Champion: Vermont (28-6) (Automatic Bid)
Atlantic Sun Conference:
Conference Champion: Stetson (22-12) (Automatic Bid)
Big Sky Conference:
Conference Champion: Montana State (17-17) (Automatic Bid)
Big South Conference:
Conference Champion: Longwood (21-13) (Automatic Bid)
Big West Conference:
Conference Champion: Long Beach State (21-14) (Automatic Bid)
Colonial Athletic Association:
Conference Champion: College of Charleston (27-7) (Automatic Bid)
Conference USA:
Conference Champion: Western Kentucky (22-11) (Automatic Bid)
Horizon League:
Conference Champion: Oakland (23-11) (Automatic Bid)
Ivy League:
Conference Champion: TBD; Brown (13-17) vs Yale (21-9) - 12:00 pm ET - ESPN2
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC):
Conference Champion: Saint Peter’s (19-13) (Automatic Bid)
Mid-American Conference (MAC):
Conference Champion: Akron (24-10) (Automatic Bid)
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC):
Conference Champion: Howard (18-16) (Automatic Bid)
Northeast Conference:
Conference Champion: Wagner (16-15) (Automatic Bid)
Ohio Valley Conference:
Conference Champion: Morehead State (26-8) (Automatic Bid)
Patriot League:
Conference Champion: Colgate (25-9) (Automatic Bid)
Southern Conference:
Conference Champion: Samford (29-5) (Automatic Bid)
Southland Conference:
Conference Champion: McNeese State (30-3) (Automatic Bid)
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC):
Conference Champion: Grambling (20-14) (Automatic Bid)
Summit League:
Conference Champion: South Dakota State (22-12) (Automatic Bid)
Sun Belt Conference:
Conference Champion: James Madison (31-3) (Automatic Bid)
Western Athletic Conference (WAC):
Conference Champion: Grand Canyon (29-4) (Automatic Bid)
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Selection Show takes place later today at 6:00 pm et on CBS. The First Four begins on Tuesday, with the First Round of the tournament beginning on Thursday. All games of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament can be watched on CBS, TBS, TNT, or TruTV.
And make sure to listen to the next episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast, where Zander will exclusively unveil his bracket, coming out this Wednesday!
For more information on this week’s top story, here’s an article from ESPN - Men’s Bracketology: 2024 NCAA Tournament
What Zander’s been reading
As artificial intelligence continues to advance, it can become harder and harder to determine what is AI and what is real life. NBC News recently came out with a test to determine if you can spot which audio clips are real, and which were generated by AI. (Disclaimer: I’m pretty sure I didn’t pass. 😭)
Check out this week’s featured article at NBC News - Can you tell which piece of audio was made by AI?
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
Women’s College Basketball: The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Selection Show will unveil the women’s bracket tonight at 8:00 pm et on ESPN. According to ESPN, the teams projected to grab the four #1 seeds are South Carolina, Iowa, USC, and Stanford. Defending national champions LSU are projected as a #2 seed. The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament begins on Wednesday with the First Four. The First round kicks off the full slate of action on Friday. All games of the tournament will air on either ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, or ESPNU.
NFL Free Agency: One of the most active times of the NFL offseason, the free agency period officially opened on Wednesday. The more notable quarterback deals so far have involved Kirk Cousins signing with the Atlanta Falcons, Baker Mayfield agreeing to an extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Russell Wilson being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Other deals have included running back Saquon Barkley signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins joining the Las Vegas Raiders, and wide receiver Keenan Allen being traded to the Chicago Bears. On Saturday, the Bears dealt quarterback Justin Fields to the Steelers, setting up the Bears to select a quarterback with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft next month.
NWSL Season Kickoff: The 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season began on Saturday with the opening of the world’s first stadium purposely built for a professional women’s soccer team. In that match, hosts Kansas City Current won a shootout against Portland Thorns FC, 5-4. The defending league champions, NY/NJ Gotham FC, don’t open their season until next Sunday when they face Portland on the road. In today’s matchups, Seattle Reign FC host Washington Spirit at 6:00 pm ET, while Angel City FC take on Bay FC in the latter club’s inaugural match at 7:30 pm ET. Both matchups will air on NWSL+, the league’s new free streaming service.
The Players Championship: Golf’s unofficial “fifth major” is currently taking place in Ponte Verda Beach, Florida. Going into Sunday’s final round of The Players Championship, Xander Schauffele currently holds a one-stroke lead over Wyndham Clark at -17. Clark, who won last year’s U.S. Open, held a four-stroke lead at the beginning of Saturday’s third round. Brian Harman, the current British Open champion, is in third at -15, while Maverick McNealy and Matt Fitzpatrick are tied for fourth at -13. Schauffele and Clark are paired up in the final round and will tee off at 1:40 pm ET later today. Coverage of today’s final round begins at 1:00 pm ET on NBC with the round expected to wrap up around 6:00 pm ET.
UEFA Champions League: The Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League wrapped up last week, resulting in eight teams remaining in the fight for Europe’s top club soccer prize. The draw for the Quarterfinals and beyond took place on Friday, with the last two champions of the competition, Manchester City and Real Madrid, drawing each other in the Quarterfinals. The winner of that draw will face the winner of the Arsenal-Bayern Munich Quarterfinal matchup. On the other side of the bracket, Atletico Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund. The winner of that matchup will face the winner of the Quarterfinal matchup between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona in the Semifinals.
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Presidential Primary Elections: Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump clinched their respective parties’ nominations for president last week. Biden clinched the Democratic nomination after winning the Democratic primaries on Tuesday in Georgia, Mississippi, and Washington. Trump won Tuesday’s Republican primaries in Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Washington, clinching the GOP nomination. The milestones all but certify the general election matchup in November will be a rematch of the 2020 presidential election, although the parties will officially choose their nominee at their conventions in the summer.
Russian Presidential Election: Voters are casting their ballots in the Russian presidential election, where there is no question as to who will be declared the winner. Russian President Vladimir Putin is running for a fifth term that would put him in power until 2030. The other three names on the ballot come from opposition parties that have largely supported the Kremlin. Putin is nearly assured a victory, with the election coming after a crackdown that has crippled independent media, jailed opposition leaders, and given Putin control over the country’s political system. Voting lasts until later today and results are expected soon after.
Trump Criminal Cases: Several developments occurred last week in the various criminal cases involving former President Donald Trump. On Friday, a New York judge delayed a trial accusing Trump of a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels by 30 days, with the trial now set to begin in mid-April. In the Georgia case that accuses Trump of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state, a judge removed six counts from the 41-count indictment against Trump and other co-defendants. Additionally in the Georgia case, Nathan Wade resigned as special prosecutor against Trump on Friday after a judge ruled Wade and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could not work on the case together after having a romantic relationship.
TikTok Bill: The House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that requires the social media platform TikTok to be sold, or potentially face a ban in the U.S. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company whose ties to the Chinese Communist Party pose national security risks, lawmakers argue. The House approved the measure on a 352-65 vote, garnering large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans. However, the Senate is reportedly moving more cautiously on the bill than the House, which sped towards a vote last week. If the bill goes into law this month, ByteDance would be required to sell the platform by September or face a ban. President Joe Biden has indicated that he would sign the bill.
Haiti Turmoil: Chaos continues to engulf the Caribbean nation of Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Ariel Henry, the country’s prime minister and de facto president, who is currently in Puerto Rico, announced he would resign last week after a transitional government is put in place by other nations in the region, including the U.S. Gang violence has grown rampant, particularly in the capital of Port-au-Prince, where the United Nations estimates that rebel forces have taken over 80% of the city. The U.N. reported in January that over 8,400 people had been killed, injured, or kidnapped because of the violence last year, a 122% jump from 2022.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment! That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The facts in print return next Sunday, March 24, 2024.
