2025-26 College basketball
NCAA Tournament
Tuesday’s games (@ Dayton)
UMBC (-1.5) vs Howard
UMBC (24-8)
Retrievers won their last 12 games.
UMBC won America East (#30 league) by two games.
UMBC is 3-0 vs MEAC teams this year, winning by 2-14-34 points.
Retrievers have played the easiest schedule in the country.
UMBC is 22-3 vs teams ranked outside top 200.
UMBC is #15 teams on defensive boards.
KenPom rating: 185
Tempo: 242
Experience: 247
Continuity: 156
UMBC’s last NCAA tourney was 2018, when they upset Virginia in the first-ever upset by a 16-seed over a 1-seed
Howard (23-10)
Bison won their last eight games.
Howard won MEAC (#31 league) by a game.
Bison is #8 in country at forcing turnovers.
Howard is 6-6 in Division I non-conference games.
Bison is 1-4 vs teams in the top 200
Since 2013, MEAC teams are 3-11 in NCAA’s, 3-1 in play-in games.
KenPom rating: 207
Tempo: 89
Experience: 211
Continuity: 307
Howard is in the NCAA’s for third time in four years.
NC State (-1.5) vs Texas
NC State (20-13)
NC State lost seven of its last nine games.
Wolfpack were tied for 7th in the ACC.
NC State is 9-4 in non-conference games.
State is shooting 38.8% on the arc (#10)
Wolfpack is 4-9 vs teams ranked in top 50
45.3% of points State allows came on 3-pointers (#336)
KenPom rating: 20
Tempo: 86
Experience: 38
Continuity: 317
NC State is in NCAA’s for third time in four years.
Texas (18-14)
Texas lost five of its last five games.
Longhorns finished 10th in 16-team SEC
Texas gets 24.3% of their points on foul line (#20)
Texas is 9-4 in non-conference games.
Longhorns are 6-11 vs teams in the top 50
Sixth year in row in NCAA’s for Texas (5-5 last five years)
KenPom rating: 13
Tempo: 112
Experience: 4
Continuity: 123
Sixth year in row in NCAA’s for Texas (5-5 last five years)
Texas beat NC State 102-97 in Maui Classic in November; Longhorns shot 16-32 on arc in that game, scored 1.42 ppp
Wednesday’s games
Lehigh (-3.5) vs Prairie View
Lehigh (18-16)
Mountain Hawks won their last six games.
Lehigh was T2nd in Patriot League, six games behind Navy.
Lehigh is shooting 36.5% on the arc (#39)
Mountain Hawks are 3-4 in overtime games this season.
Lehigh is 16-8 vs teams ranked outside top 200.
Lehigh is 2-9 in Division I non-conference games.
KenPom rating: 290
Tempo: 257
Experience: 226
Continuity: 21
Lehigh is in NCAA’s for first time since 2012.
Prairie View (18-17)
Panthers won their last seven games.
Prairie View finished 8th in SWAC (#28 league).
Bison is #8 in country at forcing turnovers.
Panthers are 2-8 in Division I non-conference games.
Prairie View is 14-11 vs teams outside the top 200
Last seven years, SWAC teams are 5-2 in play-in games.
KenPom rating: 310
Tempo: 232
Experience: 283
Continuity: 321
Panthers are in NCAA’s for first time since 2019.
SMU (-6.5) vs Miami OH
SMU (20-13)
Mustangs lost five of their last six games.
SMU finished T11th in the 18-team ACC.
SMU is 11-2 in non-conference games (both losses vs SEC teams)
Mustangs have played the #51 schedule in the country.
#83 Syracuse is worst team that beat SMU
Check status on BJ Edwards; he missed their last five games.
KenPom rating: 26
Tempo: 91
Experience: 5
Continuity: 85
SMU is in NCAA’s for first time since 2017.
Miami OH (31-1)
Miami lost first MAC tourney games, after a 31-0 regular season
Miami’s last three wins were all by two points.
RedHawks are shooting 61.5% inside arc (#2)
Miami is 13-0 in non-conference games (non-conf schedule #361).
Miami is 10-1 vs teams in top 200, 1-0 vs top 100 teams (Akron)
RedHawks are playing at #44 pace.
KenPom rating: 70
Tempo: 156
Experience: 62
Continuity: 7
Miami is in NCAA’s for first time since 2007.
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