2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2015–16 season. The 78th edition of the Tournament began on March 15, 2016, and concluded with the championship game on April 4 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. This was the first NCAA tournament to adopt the NCAA March Madness branding, including fully-branded courts at each of the tournament venues.
| Season | 2015–16 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 68 | ||||
| Finals site | NRG Stadium Houston, Texas | ||||
| Champions | Villanova Wildcats (2nd title, 3rd title game, 5th Final Four) | ||||
| Runner-up | North Carolina Tar Heels (10th title game, 19th Final Four) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
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| Winning coach | Jay Wright (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova) | ||||
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Upsets were the story of the first round of the Tournament; No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee upset No. 2 seed Michigan State 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.
In the Final Four, Villanova defeated Oklahoma, while North Carolina defeated Syracuse (the "Cinderella team" of the tournament). Villanova then defeated North Carolina to win the championship on a three-point buzzer beater by Kris Jenkins. Pundits called the game one of the best in tournament history, going on to say this was one of the most competitive finals ever.