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John Calipari and Rick Pitino are the only two head coaches in college basketball history to make the Final Four with three different programs. They'll both have a chance to go back with a fourth team in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket. Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks won the SEC Tournament and are the No. 4 seed in the West Region of the 2026 March Madness bracket. Meanwhile, Pitino's St. John's Red Storm won the Big East and are the No. 5 seed in the East Region of the college basketball bracket.

Arkansas begins its 2026 NCAA Tournament against No. 13 seed Hawaii on Thursday at 4:25 p.m. ET. St. John's takes on No. 12 seed Northern Iowa on Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET to begin March Madness 2026. So who makes a deeper run and which 2026 March Madness Cinderellas should you pencil deep into your 2026 March Madness bracket? Before you make your 2026 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the 2026 March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Two years ago, SportsLine's computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 11 Oregon over No. 6 South Carolina, No. 11 NC State over No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 10 Colorado over No. 7 Florida. Last year, SportsLine's computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including calling both 9-seeds that advanced in the first round, No. 12 Colorado State over No. 5 Memphis, and No. 6 BYU advancing to the Sweet 16. The model has beaten over 91 percent of all CBS Sports bracket players in four of the past seven tournaments.

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016 and nailed UConn's championship run in 2024. It nailed 12 teams in the Sweet 16 and correctly predicted all four Final Four teams a year ago.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered conference tournament week on a sizzling 14-2 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-21 run on top-rated CBB side picks. You shouldn't even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.

Top 2026 March Madness bracket upset picks

One South Region surprise the model has identified: No. 9 Iowa defeats No. 8 Clemson in the first round. The Hawkeyes boast the top scoring defense (66 ppg allowed) in the Big Ten and the conference's No. 5 scorer in Bennett Stirtz (20 ppg). Iowa also controls the class, as just three teams allow fewer offensive rebounds per game. Not allowing extra possessions would force any opponent to struggle to generate points, especially one as weak as Clemson's.

The Tigers lack a go-to scorer, which is something paramount to success in March. They're the only power conference team without any players averaging at least 12 ppg, and a lack of offense has led Clemson to a 4-6 record over its last 10 games. Add in that No. 9 seeds have won 64.3% of matchups versus No. 8 seeds over the last eight years, and the model backs the Big Ten to prevail over the ACC in this contest.

Another South Region surprise the model has identified: No. 10 Texas A&M knocks off No. 7 Saint Mary's. Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan got his start as a high school coach in Alabama while Gaels head coach Randy Bennett has been in charge of the Gaels since 2001. However, this game will likely be decided by which team dictates the tempo, with Texas A&M ranking 29th in adjusted possessions per 40 minutes and Saint Mary's ranking 297th.

In their only matchup against an SEC opponent this season, the Gaels gave up 96 points to Vanderbilt in a loss and the Commodores also play fast an efficiently offensively. Saint Mary's was also only 1-4 in Quad 1 games this season and the Aggies constitute an extremely tough first-round matchup after a great season in the WCC. See which other 2026 March Madness upsets and matchups to target here.

How to make 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions

Who wins every tournament-defining matchup? And which teams will make surprising runs through the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket? With the model's track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you'll want to see which stunners it's calling this year before locking in any 2026 NCAA bracket picks.

So what's the optimal NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket? And which NCAA Tournament Cinderella teams will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which region features two mammoth upsets in the first round, including one by a No. 14 seed, and see which 6-seed makes the Sweet 16, all from the model that's nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds.