Gerry McNamara, a Syracuse basketball legend, is back in the NCAA Tournament bracket as the head coach at Siena, a New York school that won the MAAC championship and will try to become the latest Cinderella story in the 2026 March Madness bracket. McNamara was the third-leading scorer as a freshman for a Carmelo Anthony-led Syracuse team that won the 2003 national championship, so he has plenty of March Madness experience as a player.
His 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket debut as a coach is as tough as it gets, with No. 16 Siena playing No. 1 Duke, so is there any reason to pick this wild upset when making a 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket strategy? Who are other double-digit seeds to consider for 2026 March Madness bracket picks? 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. Iowa struggled against ranked teams this season. But luckily for the Hawkeyes, Clemson enters unranked and didn’t spend much time in the top 25 this season, and never higher than No. 18. Iowa went 19-4 against unranked teams this season, while Clemson had five unranked losses this season. This is Clemson’s third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, but its worst seed for any of those three years. Meanwhile, Iowa’s program is heading in an upward trajectory, going 21-12 and winning at least 20 games for the first time since the 2021-22 season. The model likes the battle-tested Big Ten Hawkeyes for this 8 vs. 9 matchup.
Another South Region surprise the model has identified: No. 5 Vanderbilt defeats No. 4 Nebraska to advance to the Sweet 16. The model projects both these teams to get past their opening-round matchups (Vanderbilt over McNeese and Nebraska over Troy) to meet in the second round. Vanderbilt is coming off an SEC Championship Game appearance, losing to Arkansas, 86-75, on Sunday. But the Commodores picked off No. 4 Florida, 91-74, in dominating fashion in the conference semifinals.
Vanderbilt won two neutral-site games in the SEC Tournament and won four straight overall and five of six entering the SEC Championship Game. Meanwhile, Nebraska lost its first conference tournament game, falling to Purdue, 74-58, in the Big Ten quarterfinals. After a 20-0 start, the Cornhuskers are just 6-6 over their last 12 games. 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.
