This men's NCAA tournament preview represents the roots of Bracketology, when a handful of hoopheads spent "Selection Weekend" together cranking out the 80-page "Blue Ribbon" postseason edition after spending months considering what the bracket might look like. We have the internet now, though, and hope this snappy online version, 30 years hence, helps you enjoy the Madness just a little bit more.
Joey Brackets and his team spent hours in the wake of this year's bracket release once again poring over résumés of all 68 teams to identify strengths, weaknesses and that one thing that might allow them to survive and advance -- or see their road to Glendale, Arizona, for the 2024 Final Four come to an abrupt end.
Where every team's journey will end, along with "eye test" ranks and the predictable and unpredictable elements each might face, is included.
Teams are organized by region, in seeding order. Select wisely, using all the information presented herein. Happy hoops!
Follow these links for a printable 2024 men's NCAA tournament bracket or to fill out a men's bracket in the ESPN Tournament Challenge. Find more information on the field of 68 in Jay Bilas' More-Than-5-Minute Bracket.
EAST
No. 1 UConn Huskies
Why they will advance
Dan Hurley's offense is potent and capable of a scoring spurt at any moment. Connecticut uses motion on the offensive end to get the ball into the right player's hands in the right spot. That can mean big man Donovan Clingan with post position, one of many shooters spotting up or Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer driving downhill into the paint.
Why they won't advance
It's no surprise that in UConn's losses, its opponents got hot from deep. The connective tissue between those games was perimeter playmaking off the dribble. By forcing UConn's guards, especially Spencer, to defend in space, a team willing and able to repeatedly attack gaps off the dribble can create open looks. If they make them, the Huskies can be taken down.
Did you know?
Heavy is the head that wears the crown. The Huskies enter the NCAA tournament with a target on their backs as the reigning champions. Four reigning champs have entered the Big Dance as a 1-seed or 2-seed in the past decade -- none advanced to the tournament's second weekend.
-- Shane McNichol
By the numbers
Eye test rank: 2
Résumé rating: 3
NCAA seed list: 1
Joey Brackets says ...