2016 NCAA Tournament
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The 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a
single-elimination tournament A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, ...
to determine the men's
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(NCAA) Division I
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
national champion for the 2015–16 season. The 78th edition of the Tournament began on March 15, 2016, and concluded with the
championship game A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...
on April 4, at
NRG Stadium NRG Stadium (previously known as Reliant Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to h ...
in
Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
. This was the first NCAA tournament to adopt the NCAA March Madness branding, including fully-branded courts at each of the tournament venues. Upsets were the story of the first round of the Tournament; No. 15 seed
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital an ...
upset No. 2 seed
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
in the biggest upset, just the eighth ever win for a No. 15 seed over a No. 2. At least one team seeded #9 through #15 won a first-round game for the third time ever and the first time since
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
. The Final Four consisted of Villanova (first appearance since
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
),
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
(first appearance since
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
),
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
(returning after their 2009 national championship), and
Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
(the " Cinderella team" of the tournament, and also the first 10 seed to reach the Final Four). Villanova defeated North Carolina in the championship game 77–74, on a three-point
buzzer beater In timed sports, a buzzer beater is a successful shot made as the clock expires at the end of a period or at the end of the game, leaving zero seconds remaining. A buzzer sounds whenever a game clock expires, hence the name "buzzer beater." In b ...
by
Kris Jenkins Kristopher Rudy-Charles Jenkins (born August 3, 1979) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played ...
. Pundits called the game one of the best in tournament history, going on to say this was one of the most competitive finals ever.


Schedule and venues

Previously, the round of 64 was known as the second round since the 2011 edition, but it was reverted to the moniker first round for this coming tournament. The first four was previously named the first round. First four *March 15 and 16 **
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 hoste ...
,
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
(Host:
University of Dayton The University of Dayton (UD) is a Private university, private, Catholic research university in Dayton, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary (Marianists), Society of Mary, it is one of three Marianist universities in the U ...
) First and second rounds *March 17 and 19 **
Dunkin' Donuts Center The Amica Mutual Pavilion (originally Providence Civic Center and formerly Dunkin' Donuts Center ("The Dunk")) is an indoor arena located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1972, as a home court for the Providence College Fr ...
,
Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...
(Host:
Providence College Providence College is a Private university, private Roman Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, it offers 47 undergraduate Academic ...
) ** Wells Fargo Arena,
Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...
, (Host:
Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...
) **
PNC Arena Lenovo Center (originally Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena and formerly RBC Center and PNC Arena) is an list of indoor arenas, indoor arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. The arena seats 18,700 for ice hockey and 19,500 ...
,
Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
, (Host:
North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...
) **
Pepsi Center Ball Arena (formerly known as the Pepsi Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado, United States. It is situated at Speer Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in downtown Denver, and is served by two nearby exits off Int ...
,
Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, (Host:
Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference (MW) is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States, participating in NCAA Division I. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The MW officially began operations on Ja ...
) *March 18 and 20 **
Barclays Center Barclays Center ( ) is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liber ...
,
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, (Host:
Atlantic 10 Conference The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I. The A-10's member schools are located most ...
) **
Scottrade Center The Enterprise Center is an 18,096-seat arena located in Downtown St. Louis, downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Its primary tenant is the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, but it is also used for other functions, such as ...
,
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, (Host:
Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the fourth-oldest collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the Midwestern Unite ...
) **
Chesapeake Energy Arena Paycom Center (originally known as the Ford Center from 2002 to 2010, Oklahoma City Arena from 2010 to 2011, and Chesapeake Energy Arena from 2011 to 2021) is an arena located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It opened in 200 ...
,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, (Host:
Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida ...
) **
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (Spokane Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in the northwestern United States, located in downtown Spokane, Washington. Opened in 1995, it is home to the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Facility C ...
,
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
, (Host:
University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho, United States. Established in 1889 and opened three years later, it was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963. The un ...
) Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) *March 24 and 26 **South Regional,
KFC Yum! Center The KFC Yum! Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is named after the KFC restaurant chain and Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC. Adjacent to the Ohio River waterfront, it is located on Ma ...
,
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...
, (Host:
University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public university, public research university in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. Chartered in 1798 as the Jefferson Seminary, it became in the 19t ...
) **West Regional,
Honda Center Honda Center (formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim) is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. Originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction, it w ...
,
Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...
, (Host:
Big West Conference The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...
) *March 25 and 27 **East Regional,
Wells Fargo Center Wells Fargo Center may refer to: * Wells Fargo Center (Los Angeles), California * Wells Fargo Center (Sacramento), California * Wells Fargo Center (San Francisco), California * Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, California * Wells Fargo C ...
,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, (Host:
La Salle University La Salle University () is a private university, private, Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The university was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and named for St. Jean-Bapt ...
) **Midwest Regional,
United Center The United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) ...
,
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, (Host:
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
) National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship) *April 2 and 4 **
NRG Stadium NRG Stadium (previously known as Reliant Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to h ...
,
Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
(Hosts:
Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...
,
Texas Southern University Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically Black university in Houston. The university is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund an ...
,
University of Houston The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...
)


Qualifying and selection procedure

Out of 336 eligible Division I teams, 68 participate in the tournament. Of the total, 15 Division I teams were ineligible due to failing to meet APR requirements, self-imposed postseason bans, or reclassification from a lower division. Of the 32 automatic bids, 31 were given to programs that won their
conference A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...
tournaments. For the final time, the
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...
awarded its NCAA Tournament bid to the team with the best regular-season record and did not hold a tournament (unless playoffs games were needed to resolve tied champions). The Ivy League will hold a postseason tournament for the first time after the 2016–17 Ivy League season. The remaining 36 bids were granted on an "at-large" basis, which were extended by the NCAA Selection Committee to the teams it deems to be the best 36 teams that did not receive automatic bids. Eight teams—the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams—played in the First Four (the successor to what had been popularly known as " play-in games" through the 2010 tournament). The winners of these games advanced to the first round (round of 64). The Selection Committee also seeded the entire field from 1 to 68.


Automatic qualifiers

The following teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2016 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's automatic bid:


Tournament seeds

*See
First Four The First Four is a play-in round of the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments. It consists of two games contested between the four lowest-ranked teams in the field (usually the four lowest-ranked conference champions), an ...


Bracket

All times are listed as
Eastern Daylight Time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. * Eastern Standard Time (EST) is five hours behin ...
( UTC−4)


First Four – Dayton, Ohio

The
First Four The First Four is a play-in round of the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments. It consists of two games contested between the four lowest-ranked teams in the field (usually the four lowest-ranked conference champions), an ...
games involved eight teams: the four overall lowest-ranked teams, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams.


South Regional – Louisville, Kentucky


South Regional Final


South Regional all tournament team

*
Kris Jenkins Kristopher Rudy-Charles Jenkins (born August 3, 1979) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played ...
(Jr, Villanova) – South Regional most outstanding player *
Ryan Arcidiacono Ryan Curran Arcidiacono ( ; born March 26, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League. Nicknamed "the Arch of Dimes", he attended Neshaminy High School, where he averaged 20.4 points and 5.6 ...
(Sr, Villanova) *
Josh Hart Joshua Aaron Hart (born March 6, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He holds the Knicks franchise record for the most triple doubles in a single season. Har ...
(Jr, Villanova) * Daniel Ochefu (Sr, Villanova) *
Devonte' Graham Devonte' Terrell Graham (born February 22, 1995) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and high school basketball for Nee ...
(So, Kansas)


West Regional – Anaheim, California


West Regional Final


West Regional all tournament team

*
Buddy Hield Chavano Rainer "Buddy" Hield ( ; born December 17, 1992) is a Bahamian professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners and was name ...
(Sr, Oklahoma) – West Regional most outstanding player * Isaiah Cousins (Sr, Oklahoma) * Jordan Woodard (Jr, Oklahoma) *
Elgin Cook Elgin Rashad Cook (born January 15, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Fukushima Firebonds of the B.League. The son of former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Alvin Robertson, he played college basketball for Nort ...
(Sr, Oregon) *
Brandon Ingram Brandon Xavier Ingram (born September 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2016 N ...
(Fr, Duke)


East Regional – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


East Regional Final


East Regional all tournament team

*
Brice Johnson Jonathan Brice Johnson (born June 27, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Nelson Giants of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He played college basketball for North Carolina, graduating i ...
(Sr, North Carolina) – East Regional most outstanding player *
Marcus Paige Marcus Taylor Paige (born September 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball for the University of North Carolina, where he helped lead the Tar Heels to the 2016 NCAA championship gam ...
(Sr, North Carolina) * V. J. Beachem (Jr, Notre Dame) *
Demetrius Jackson Demetrius Montell Jackson Jr. (born September 7, 1994) is an American former professional basketball player. He played three seasons of college basketball for the University of Notre Dame before being drafted 45th overall by the Celtics in the 20 ...
(Jr, Notre Dame) *
Yogi Ferrell Kevin Duane "Yogi" Ferrell Jr. (born May 9, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Budućnost of the Montenegro Prva A Liga and the Adriatic League. He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. Early life Ferrell was ...
(Sr, Indiana)


Midwest Regional – Chicago, Illinois


Midwest Regional Final


Midwest Regional all tournament team

*
Malachi Richardson Malachi Lewis Richardson (born January 5, 1996) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Astros de Jalisco of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). He played one season of college basketball for Syracu ...
(Fr, Syracuse) – Midwest Regional most outstanding player *
Michael Gbinije Michael Patrick Gbinije (born June 5, 1992) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Cape Town Tigers of the Basketball Africa League. He played one season of college basketball for Duke before transferring to Syracuse in 20 ...
(Sr, Syracuse) *
London Perrantes London Tyus Perrantes Jr. (born October 3, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for Kolossos Rodou of the Greek Basketball League (GBL). He played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers. High school career Perrantes atten ...
(Jr, Virginia) *
Georges Niang Georges Niang ( ; born June 17, 1993), nicknamed "The Minivan", is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an All-American college player for Iowa State University. E ...
(Sr, Iowa State) *
Domantas Sabonis Domantas Sabonis (; born May 3, 1996) is a Lithuanian–American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Lithuanian national team. Son of the Hall of Fame player Arvydas Sabon ...
(So, Gonzaga)


Final Four

During the Final Four round, regardless of the seeds of the participating teams, the champion of the top overall top seed's region (Kansas's South Region) plays against the champion of the fourth-ranked top seed's region (Oregon's West Region), and the champion of the second overall top seed's region (North Carolina's East Region) plays against the champion of the third-ranked top seed's region (Virginia's Midwest Region).


Final Four -

NRG Stadium NRG Stadium (previously known as Reliant Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to h ...
,
Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...


Final Four

The Villanova–Oklahoma result was not only the most one-sided in the tournament so far, but also in the history of the men's Final Four. The Wildcats shot 71.4% for the game, surpassed in Final Four games only by the Wildcats' 78.6% performance in the 1985 final against Georgetown. The 44-point margin was also greater than the combined margin of defeat in Oklahoma's seven previous losses in 2015–16. In addition, the 2016 semifinals were the first since 2008 to both be decided by double-digit margins, and the combined 61-point margin broke a men's Final Four record set in 1949.


National Championship

The Wildcats' Championship run was the 3rd most dominant in NCAA Tournament history, with a total point differential of +124 (breaking the 2009 record set by the North Carolina Tar Heels of +121), behind the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats (+129) and the 2024 UConn Huskies (+140).


Final Four all-tournament team

*
Ryan Arcidiacono Ryan Curran Arcidiacono ( ; born March 26, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League. Nicknamed "the Arch of Dimes", he attended Neshaminy High School, where he averaged 20.4 points and 5.6 ...
(Sr, Villanova) – Final Four Most Outstanding Player *
Josh Hart Joshua Aaron Hart (born March 6, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He holds the Knicks franchise record for the most triple doubles in a single season. Har ...
(Jr, Villanova) * Phil Booth (So, Villanova) *
Joel Berry II Joel DeWayne Berry II (born April 1, 1995) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and led the team to the 2017 national championship. Berry played professionally for two ...
(So, North Carolina) *
Brice Johnson Jonathan Brice Johnson (born June 27, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Nelson Giants of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He played college basketball for North Carolina, graduating i ...
(Sr, North Carolina)


Tournament notes

America East Conference The America East Conference (AmEast) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I whose members are located in the Northeastern United States. The conference is headquartered in Boston, Massachu ...
champion Stony Brook and WAC champion
Cal State Bakersfield California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB, Cal State Bakersfield, or CSU Bakersfield) is a public university in Bakersfield, California. It was established in 1965 as Kern State College and officially in 1968 as California State College Ba ...
made their first NCAA Tournament appearances in school history.
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
made its first NCAA appearance since 1962 as winners of the
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...
, which, for the final time, did not stage a conference tournament. Of those that do hold a tournament,
Horizon League The Horizon League is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I. Headquartered in Indianapolis, the league's eleven member schools are located in ...
champion Green Bay made its first appearance since
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
and
Oregon State Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees through all 11 of the universit ...
made its first appearance since
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
.
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
also earned its first Tournament win in school history with a 79–75 win over Baylor.
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
likewise earned its first NCAA Tournament win by defeating
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
77–66. Arkansas-Little Rock won its first Tournament game in 30 years and Middle Tennessee won its first Tournament game in 27 years. In the Midwest Region, No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee upset No. 2 seed Michigan State for just the eighth ever win for a No. 15 seed over a No. 2. More than one-third of ESPN Tournament Challenge brackets predicted Michigan State to make the Final Four. In the East Region, No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin upset No. 3 seed
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, marking the fourth straight tournament in which a No. 14 seed upset a No. 3 seed. By winning the Midwest Regional final,
Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
became the first No. 10 seed in history to advance to the Final Four. However, six lower seeds, all No. 11, have advanced to that stage (in
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
,
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
,
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
,
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
, and
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
.
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
extended its streak of consecutive tournament appearances to 27 in a row, making every NCAA Tournament dating back to
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
. This tied the record for most consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances held by
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
(1975–2001). This Tournament marked the first championship for Villanova in 31 years. It was also the first championship by a school without a
Division I FBS The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team since
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
in
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
. Villanova fields a
Division I FCS The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Sponsored by the National Collegiate ...
football team A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
, as did
UConn The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...
before
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
.


Upsets

Per the NCAA, "Upsets are defined as when the winner of the game was seeded five or more places lower than the team it defeated." The 2016 tournament saw a total of 11 upsets; 8 of them were in the first round, 2 of them were in the second round, none in the Sweet Sixteen, and one in the Elite Eight.


Record by conference

*The R64, R32, S16, E8, F4, CG, and NC columns indicate how many teams from each conference were in the round of 64 (first round), round of 32 (second round), Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, championship game, and national champion, respectively. *The "Record" column includes wins in the First Four for the Big Ten, Missouri Valley, Atlantic Sun, and Patriot conferences and losses in the First Four for the SEC and American conferences. *The
NEC is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered at the NEC Supertower in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It provides IT and network solutions, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Inte ...
and SWAC each had one representative, both eliminated in the First Four with a record of 0–1. *The
America East The America East Conference (AmEast) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I whose members are located in the Northeastern United States. The conference is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979, t ...
, Big Sky,
Big South The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. Originally a non-football conference, the Big South began sponsoring football in 2002 as part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), ...
, CAA,
Horizon The horizon is the apparent curve that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This curve divides all viewing directions based on whethe ...
, MAAC,
MAC Mac or MAC may refer to: Common meanings * Mac (computer), a line of personal computers made by Apple Inc. * Mackintosh, a raincoat made of rubberized cloth * Mac, a prefix to surnames derived from Gaelic languages * McIntosh (apple), a Canadi ...
,
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 Nation ...
,
Mountain West The Mountain West Conference (MW) is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States, participating in NCAA Division I. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The MW officially began operations on Janu ...
,
Ohio Valley The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its mouth on the Mississippi River in Cairo, ...
, Southern,
Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...
, and WAC conferences each had one representative, eliminated in the first round with a record of 0–1.


Media coverage


Television

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the American sports programming division of Paramount Global that is responsible for sports broadcasts carried by its broadcast network CBS and streaming service Paramount+, as well as the operator of its cable channel CBS Sports N ...
and
Turner Sports TNT Sports is the division of Warner Bros. Discovery in the United States that is responsible for Sports broadcasting, sports broadcasts on its parent company's streaming service, Max (streaming service), Max, and primarily the TruTV, TBS (Americ ...
held joint U.S. television broadcast rights to the Tournament under the ''NCAA March Madness'' brand. Beginning in 2016, rights to the Final Four and championship game began to alternate between Turner and CBS, with Turner networks broadcasting the 2016 Final Four and championship; a conventional telecast aired on TBS, accompanied by "Team Stream" broadcasts on
TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...
and
TruTV TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable Television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts reruns of Television comedy, comedy, Reality television, docusoaps and reality shows, with a rec ...
which featured commentary and coverage focused on each participating team. Turner employed this multi-channel presentation of the semifinals in 2014 and 2015, but this was the first time it was used for the final. It marked the first time in tournament history that the national championship game aired on cable channels, and ended CBS' streak of broadcasting 34 consecutive National Championship games. However, Turner allowed the tournament's closing theme, '' One Shining Moment'', to be played for the 30th year in a row. To date, the song is still played in this manner, no matter which network airs the National Championship game. For 2016, the selection show on CBS was expanded into a two-hour broadcast—a move which proved unpopular with viewers due to the decreased speed at which the participating teams were unveiled. These issues were exacerbated by a
leak A leak is a way (usually an opening) for fluid to escape a container or fluid-containing system, such as a Water tank, tank or a Ship, ship's Hull (watercraft), hull, through which the contents of the container can escape or outside matter can e ...
of the full bracket shortly into the broadcast, which spread on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. Although ratings for the selection show had steadily decreased over the past four years, the 3.7 overnight rating for the broadcast was the lowest in 20 years. CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus admitted that the extended special was a failure, stating that "we haven't had any specific discussions but I think we all agree it would serve all of us well including the fan to release the brackets in a little more timely manner".


Studio hosts

*
Greg Gumbel Gregory Girard Gumbel (May 3, 1946 – December 27, 2024) was an American television sportscaster. He was best known for his various assignments for CBS Sports (most notably, the National Football League and NCAA basketball). He became the firs ...
(New York City and Houston) – First round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game *
Ernie Johnson Jr. Ernest Thorwald Johnson Jr. (born August 7, 1956) is an American sportscaster for TNT Sports (United States), TNT Sports. He is the television voice and a studio host for Major League Baseball on TBS, hosts ''Inside the NBA'' for ESPN, Americ ...
(New York City, Atlanta, and Houston) – First round, second round, Regional Semi-Finals, Final Four and National Championship Game *
Matt Winer Matt Winer is an American television personality who is currently working for TNT Sports. Career Turner Sports signed Winer in 2010 to contribute to coverage of sports across its networks. He became the primary studio host for '' Major Leagu ...
(Atlanta) – First Four, First Round and Second Round


Studio analysts

*
Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on NBA on TNT, TNT and CBS Sports. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "the Bread Truck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", ...
(New York City and Houston) – First round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game *
Swin Cash Swintayla Marie Cash Canal (born September 22, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. She played in college for the University of Connecticut and professionally for 15 years in the Women's National Basketball Association (WN ...
(Atlanta) – First Four *
Seth Davis Seth Davis is an American sportswriter and broadcaster. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Hoops HQ and is a host on Campus Insiders, an in-studio analyst for CBS men's college basketball coverage and an analyst for the NBA ...
(Atlanta and Houston) – First Four, first round, second round, Regional Semi-Finals, Final Four and National Championship Game *
Johnny Dawkins Johnny Earl Dawkins Jr. (born September 28, 1963) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the UCF men's basketball team. From 2008 to 2016, he was the head coach of Stanford. He was a two-time All-American an ...
(New York City) – Second Round *
Doug Gottlieb Douglas Mitchell Gottlieb (born January 15, 1976) is an American basketball analyst, sports talk radio host and college basketball coach who is the head men's basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. Gottlieb played NCAA c ...
(New York City) – Regionals *
Ron Hunter Ronald Eugene Hunter (born April 7, 1964) is an American college basketball coach and the men's basketball head coach of the Tulane University Green Wave. His son, R. J. Hunter, was a first-round NBA draft pick for the Boston Celtics. High sc ...
(Atlanta) – First round *
Clark Kellogg Clark Clifton Kellogg Jr. (born July 2, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player who is the lead college basketball analyst for CBS Sports. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Indiana Pacers. Basketba ...
(New York City and Houston) – First round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game *
Reggie Miller Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...
(Houston) – Final Four and National Championship Game *Kenny Smith (New York City and Houston) – First round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game *Steve Smith (basketball), Steve Smith (Houston) – Final Four and National Championship Game *Kevin Stallings (Atlanta) – Second Round *Wally Szczerbiak (Atlanta) – First Four, first round, second round and Regional Semi-Finals *Buzz Williams (Atlanta) – Regional Semi-Finals


Commentary teams

*Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill/Tracy Wolfson/Craig Sager – First and Second Rounds at Des Moines, Iowa; South Regional at Louisville, Kentucky; Final Four and National Championship at Houston ** Sager joined Nantz, Raftery, Hill, and Wolfson for the Championship Game to interview Michael Jordan *Brian Anderson (broadcaster), Brian Anderson/Steve Smith (basketball), Steve Smith/Dana Jacobson – First and Second Rounds at St. Louis, Missouri; East Regional at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania *Verne Lundquist/Jim Spanarkel/Allie LaForce – First and Second Rounds at Brooklyn, New York; West Regional at Anaheim, California *Kevin Harlan/
Reggie Miller Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...
/Dan Bonner/Lewis Johnson (commentator), Lewis Johnson – First and Second Rounds at Raleigh, North Carolina; Midwest Regional at Chicago *Ian Eagle/Chris Webber/Len Elmore/Evan Washburn – First and Second Rounds at Providence, Rhode Island *Spero Dedes/
Doug Gottlieb Douglas Mitchell Gottlieb (born January 15, 1976) is an American basketball analyst, sports talk radio host and college basketball coach who is the head men's basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. Gottlieb played NCAA c ...
/Rosalyn Gold-Onwude – First and Second Rounds at Spokane, Washington *Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas/Jamie Erdahl – First Four at Dayton, Ohio (Tuesday); First and Second Rounds at Denver, Colorado *Carter Blackburn/Mike Gminski/Jaime Maggio – First Four at Dayton, Ohio (Wednesday); First and Second Rounds at Oklahoma City.


=''Team Stream'' broadcasts

= ;Final Four *Chad McKee/Eduardo Nájera/Jessica Coody – Oklahoma Team Stream on TNT *Scott Graham/Brian Finneran/Kacie McDonnell – Villanova Team Stream on truTV *Wes Durham/Brendan Haywood/Dwayne Ballen – North Carolina Team Stream on TNT *Tom Werme/Roosevelt Bouie/Donovan McNabb – Syracuse Team Stream on truTV ;National Championship Game *Wes Durham/Brendan Haywood/Dwayne Ballen – North Carolina Team Stream on TNT *Scott Graham/Brian Finneran/Kacie McDonnell – Villanova Team Stream on truTV


Radio

Westwood One (current), Westwood One had exclusive radio rights to the entire tournament.


First Four

*Craig Way and Kevin Grevey – at Dayton, Ohio


First and Second rounds

*Scott Graham and Donny Marshall – Providence, Rhode Island *Brandon Gaudin and Mike Montgomery (basketball), Mike Montgomery – Des Moines, Iowa *John Sadak and Eric Montross/John Thompson (basketball), John Thompson – Raleigh, North Carolina (Montross – Thursday afternoon; Thompson – Thursday night & Saturday) *Kevin Kugler and Jim Jackson (basketball), Jim Jackson – Denver, Colorado *Chris Carrino and Kelly Tripucka – Brooklyn, New York City, New York *Wayne Larrivee and Will Perdue – St. Louis, Missouri *Tom McCarthy (broadcaster), Tom McCarthy and P. J. Carlesimo – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma *Kevin Calabro and Dan Dickau – Spokane, Washington


Regionals

*Tom McCarthy and John Thompson – East Regional at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania *Gary Cohen and Jim Jackson – Midwest Regional at Chicago, Illinois *Ian Eagle and P. J. Carlesimo – South Regional at Louisville, Kentucky *Kevin Kugler and Donny Marshall – West Regional at Anaheim, California


Final Four

*Kevin Kugler, John Thompson, Clark Kellogg, and Jim Gray (sportscaster), Jim Gray – Houston, Texas


Local radio


Internet

The games were streamed on the NCAA March Madness Live website and app, with streams for Turner games also available on the Bleacher Report website and Team Stream app, and CBS games available on the CBS Sports website and app. Games on TBS were available on Watch TBS app. Games on
TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...
were made available on Watch TNT app. Games on
TruTV TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable Television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts reruns of Television comedy, comedy, Reality television, docusoaps and reality shows, with a rec ...
were available on Watch TruTV app. Westwood One's radio broadcasts, including a "National Mix" channel consisting of whip-around coverage during the first and second rounds, was available on its website and on the TuneIn app. The games were also viewable on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Xbox One video game consoles via the PlayStation Vue (PS3/PS4; all games), Sling TV (XB1; TBS, TNT, TruTV games) and TuneIn (Vita/XB1; all games) apps.


See also

* 2016 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament * 2016 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament * 2016 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament * 2016 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament * NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament, 2016 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament * 2016 National Invitation Tournament * 2016 Women's National Invitation Tournament * 2016 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament * 2016 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament * NAIA Women's Basketball Championships, 2016 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament * NAIA Women's Basketball Championships#Division II, 2016 NAIA Division II women's basketball tournament * 2016 College Basketball Invitational * 2016 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament * 2016 Vegas 16 Tournament


Notes

:1.The 15 teams that were ineligible, and the reasons for ineligibility: ; Academic Progress Rate : 2015–16 Alcorn State Braves basketball team, Alcorn State : 2015–16 Central Arkansas Bears basketball team, Central Arkansas : 2015–16 Florida A&M Rattlers basketball team, Florida A&M : 2015–16 Stetson Hatters men's basketball team, Stetson ; Other NCAA infractions : 2015–16 SMU Mustangs men's basketball team, SMU ; Self-imposed bans : 2015–16 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team, Louisville : 2015–16 Missouri Tigers men's basketball team, Missouri :2015–16 Cal State Northridge Matadors men's basketball team, Cal State Northridge :2015–16 Pacific Tigers men's basketball team, Pacific : 2015–16 Southern Miss Golden Eagles basketball team, Southern Miss ; Reclassification : 2015–16 Abilene Christian Wildcats men's basketball team, Abilene Christian : 2015–16 Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team, Grand Canyon : 2015–16 Incarnate Word Cardinals men's basketball team, Incarnate Word : 2015–16 UMass Lowell River Hawks men's basketball team, UMass Lowell : 2015–16 Northern Kentucky Norse men's basketball team, Northern Kentucky


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, NCAA tournament NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Basketball in Houston March 2016 sports events in the United States April 2016 sports events in the United States 2016 in sports in Texas 2016 in Houston