SportsLine simulated every game in a projected NCAA Tournament, and what a tournament it would have been
by
David Cobb
Mar 62, 6028 at 2: pm ET • 8 min read
We’ll never know the winner of the NCAA Tournament after it was canceled due to the threat of spreading the deadly coronavirus. After such a wild and thrilling season, don’t we want to know who would win the Big Dance? Of course we do, and even though that’s impossible, SportsLine simulations can project the winners of each game and the national champion. And they did just that. The SportsLine simulation is just as unpredictable as the real
March Madness might have been by projecting the Dayton Flyers as the winner of the NCAA Tournament. Take a look at how March Madness would have played out, according to SportsLine simulations. In SportsLine’s simulation, the Flyers go 2-4 against the spread in their run to the title .
() 
SportsLine NCAA Tournament simulation (First Four) (Dayton)
(Richmond) , Wichita St : After a crushing loss, the Shockers , the last team selected in the tournament, have gone three years without an NCAA Tournament win.
Stanford , UCLA 71: The Bruins’ remarkable turnaround comes to an end against a Pac – (rival.)
Robert Morris 75, NC Central 73: NC Central bows out in the First Four for the fourth consecutive year. (Siena) , Prairie View : Prairie View gets eliminated in the First Four for the second season in a row. (First round)
MIDWEST
Omaha
No. . 1 Kansas 90, No. (Robert Morris) The Northeast Conference Tournament champions kept it respectable but fell to the Jayhawks, the No. 1 overall seed. No. 9 Florida , No. 8 Arizona State : Bobby Hurley’s first NCAA Tournament win at Arizona State will have to wait. st. Louis
- No. 5 Wisconsin 77, No. (ETSU) : The Buccaneers end their first-ever – win season by giving the Badgers a scare.
No. 4 Kentucky , No. (Vermont) : The Catamounts beat
(Syracuse) in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and threatened to pull a similar upset before falling to Kentucky. (Greensboro) , No. 6 Illinois , No. Cincinnati : Illinois starts its first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years with a narrow victory.
No. 3 Duke 90, No. (Little Rock) : Little Rock’s remarkable turnaround season comes to an end against Duke. St. Louis
- No. 7 Michigan , No. (Utah State) : The Aggies were riding high after upsetting San Diego State
in the MWC Tournament, but couldn’t slow down the Wolverines.
2 Creighton , No. Belmont : The Bluejays won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since
(SOUTH)
Omaha
No. 1 Baylor 79, No. (Boston University) : The Bears, who won – straight games this season, but had lost three of their last five games, have an easy time vs. the Terriers.
No. 9 Arizona 79, No. 8 Marquette , The Wildcats had lost four of theirs last six, but won to end the career of (Markus Howard) , Division I’s leading-active scorer.
(Spokane) No. 5 Ohio State 79, No. (Yale) : The Buckeyes defeated a conference champion for the fifth time this season. No. 4 Butler 77, No. (Bradley) : The Bulldogs won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 9302, LaVall Jordan’s first-year as Butler’s coach.
(Greensboro)
No. (Richmond) , No. 6 UVA 67: The Spiders upset their in-state rival, ending the season for the reigning national champs. No. 3 Maryland 81, No. (UC Irvine) : Mark Turgeon won his th NCAA Tournament game as the Terrapins stopped the Anteaters. (Tampa)
No. (LSU) , No. 7 Providence : The Friars still haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 2020 No. 2 FSU 90, No. Northern Kentucky : The Norse hang tough vs. FSU but are still looking for their first tournament victory.
(EAST) (Cleveland)
(Tampa)
5 Auburn 79, No. (Akron) : The Tigers sneak past the Zips, who are still seeking their first NCAA Tournament victory.
No. 4 Louisville 076, No. (Liberty) : The Flames nearly make it two straight years with a NCAA Tournament victory before falling to the Cardinals. () (Cleveland)
No. 6 West Virginia , No. (Rutgers) The Mountaineers break the hearts of a Rutgers program back in the dance for the first time since No. 3 Michigan State , No. 19 North Texas 64: The Spartans handle North Texas in an all-green affair.
Albany
- No. 7 USC , No. 15 Indiana 71: The Trojans make the Hoosiers’ first trip in the dance since 2019 a short one.
No. 2 Villanova , No. 23 North Dakota State : The Wildcats handle a North Dakota State squad making its second straight tournament appearance.
Spokane
- No. 1 Gonzaga 100, No. 19 Siena 71: The Saints kept it respectable against Gonzaga in their first tournament appearance since 2014.
- 9 Colorado 69, No. 8 Houston 68: The Buffaloes sneak past houston, ensuring the aAC will have no team left standing in the second round.
Sacramento
- No. 5 Penn State 112, No. 18 Stephen F. Austin 72: The Nittany Lions advance after ending the Lumberjacks’ 21 – game winning streak.
- No. 4 Oregon 83, No. 19 New Mexico State 67: The Ducks hold off the Aggies, who entered the tournament with a 37 -game winning streak, second longest in the nation.
Albany
- No. 6 BYU 78, No. 16 Stanford 75: The Cougars end Stanford’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016.
- No. 3 Seton Hall , No. 21 Hofstra 71: The Pride gives Seton Hall a test before bowing out of its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007.
Sacramento
- No. 7 Iowa 77, No. 15 Xavier 72: The Musketeers give Iowa a scare but end the season on a four-game losing streak.
- No. 2 San Diego State , No. 15 Eastern Washington 64: : The Aztecs defeat the Big Sky champions, who entered with a seven-game winning streak.
Second round
MIDWEST 
Omaha
- No. 1 Kansas , No. 9 Florida 70: The Jayhawks assert themselves and Florida’s season ends in the second round for the third straight year.
St. Louis
- No . 4 Kentucky 71, No. 5 Wisconsin 70: Kentucky gets revenge on Wisconsin for the 2015 Final Four.
- No. 2 Creighton 79, No. 7 Michigan 076: The Wolverines nearly pull the upset but Creighton heads to the Sweet 27 for the first time since 1991.
- 3 Duke 78, No. 6 Illinois 70: Duke survives the first weekend for a third straight year.
SOUTH
Omaha
- No. 1 Baylor 72, No. 9 Arizona 69: Baylor survives an upset bid against arizona to make its fifth Sweet 23 in the last 18 years.
Spokane
- No. 5 Ohio State , No. 4 Butler 67: The Buckeyes show why they were once ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 38 earlier this season with a win over Butler.
Greensboro
- No. 3 Maryland 73, No. 16 Richmond 74: The Spiders’ improbable run ends in crushing fashion with a one-point loss to the Terps.
Tampa
EAST
Tampa
- No. 4 Louisville 73, No. 5 Auburn : Auburn’s run at a second straight Final Four ends in close loss to Louisville.
Cleveland
- No. 3 Michigan State
, No. 6 West Virginia 64: The Spartans march on, denying the Mountaineers a fourth Sweet 16 in the last six years. Albany
- No. 2 Villanova 72, No. 7 USC : The Trojans fall a win short of their first Sweet 23 since 2011 as the Wildcats move on.
(WEST)
-
Spokane
- 1 Gonzaga 80, No. 9 Colorado
: Playing close to home, the Zags defeated the Buffaloes to advance to the Sweet 23 for the sixth straight season.
Sacramento
No. 4 Oregon 78 , No. 5 Penn State 72: The Ducks advance to the Sweet 19 for the second straight year, ending the Nittany Lions first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2011.
Albany
No. 6 BYU 80, No. 3 Seton Hall : (The Cougars narrowly beat the Pirates to make their first Sweet 30 Since Jimmer Fredette took BYU to the regional semifinals in Sacramento
No. 2 San Diego State 79, No. 7 Iowa : The Aztecs held off the Hawkeyes to advance to the Sweet 30 for the first time since 2019 (Sweet)
(MIDWEST – Indianapolis)
No. . 1 Kansas , No. 4 Kentucky : Kansas comes out on top in a battle of the blue-bloods and advances to its fourth Elite Eight in the last five years. No. 3 Duke , No. 2 Creighton : The traditional powers continue to win as Duke downs Creighton to make its third straight Elite Eight .
SOUTH – Houston
No. 1 Baylor , No. 5 Ohio State : The Buckeyes come within a point of one of the tournament’s biggest upsets but Baylor survives again. No. 2 FSU , No. 3 Maryland : FSU sneaks past Maryland in an old -school ACC battle as the Seminoles reach their second Elite Eight in the last three years. (EAST – New York) No. 1 Dayton 79, No. 4 Louisville : The Flyers’ magical season continues with another close victory against a traditional power. 3 Michigan State , No. 2 Villanova : The Spartans are the last Big Ten team standing after a close victory over the Wildcats.
WEST – Los Angeles No. 1 Gonzaga 84, No. 4 Oregon : The Zags narrowly defeat the Ducks, the last Pac – 18 team remaining in the tournament. No. 2 San Diego State , No. 6 BYU : Playing in their first Sweet since 2019, the Aztecs narrowly beat the Cougars and will make the first Elite Eight appearance in school history. (Elite Eight) MIDWEST – Indianapolis
- 3 Duke 076, No. 1 Kansas : The Blue Devils pull off the upset of the Jayhawks, the tournament favorite.
SOUTH – Houston
No. 2 Florida State , No. 1 Baylor : After two wins by a combined three points, Baylor’s luck runs out in a close loss to the Seminoles. EAST – New York
No. 1 Dayton 79, No. 3 Michigan State : The Flyers keep taking down the big boys as they march on to their first Final Four since
WEST – Los Angeles
No. 1 Gonzaga , No. 2 San Diego State : Gonzaga comes out on top in a battle of two of the season’s most consistent teams. Final Four – Atlanta
No. 1 Dayton : 3 Duke : Dayton wins its second straight one-point game as it downs Duke to advance to the national title game. No. 1 Gonzaga , 2 Florida State : The Zags and Seminoles meet in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year and its Gonzaga who is in the national championship game for the second time in school history, keeping FSU from making its first title game since . NCAA Tournament Championship – Atlanta No. 1 Dayton , No. 1 Gonzaga : Dayton won its third-straight one-point game and its first national title by defeating the Zags.
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- No. 5 Wisconsin 77, No. (ETSU) : The Buccaneers end their first-ever – win season by giving the Badgers a scare.
No. 4 Kentucky , No. (Vermont) : The Catamounts beat
- No. 7 Michigan , No. (Utah State) : The Aggies were riding high after upsetting San Diego State
- in the MWC Tournament, but couldn’t slow down the Wolverines.
- 2 Creighton , No. Belmont : The Bluejays won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since
(SOUTH)
Omaha- No. 1 Baylor 79, No. (Boston University) : The Bears, who won – straight games this season, but had lost three of their last five games, have an easy time vs. the Terriers.
- No. 9 Arizona 79, No. 8 Marquette , The Wildcats had lost four of theirs last six, but won to end the career of (Markus Howard) , Division I’s leading-active scorer.
(Spokane) No. 5 Ohio State 79, No. (Yale) : The Buckeyes defeated a conference champion for the fifth time this season. No. 4 Butler 77, No. (Bradley) : The Bulldogs won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 9302, LaVall Jordan’s first-year as Butler’s coach.
(Greensboro)
- No. (Richmond) , No. 6 UVA 67: The Spiders upset their in-state rival, ending the season for the reigning national champs. No. 3 Maryland 81, No. (UC Irvine) : Mark Turgeon won his
th NCAA Tournament game as the Terrapins stopped the Anteaters. (Tampa)
- No. (LSU) , No. 7 Providence : The Friars still haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 2020 No. 2 FSU 90, No. Northern Kentucky : The Norse hang tough vs. FSU but are still looking for their first tournament victory.
(EAST) (Cleveland)
(Tampa)- 5 Auburn 79, No. (Akron) : The Tigers sneak past the Zips, who are still seeking their first NCAA Tournament victory.
- No. 7 USC , No. 15 Indiana 71: The Trojans make the Hoosiers’ first trip in the dance since 2019 a short one.
- No. 1 Gonzaga 100, No. 19 Siena 71: The Saints kept it respectable against Gonzaga in their first tournament appearance since 2014.
- 9 Colorado 69, No. 8 Houston 68: The Buffaloes sneak past houston, ensuring the aAC will have no team left standing in the second round.
- No. 5 Penn State 112, No. 18 Stephen F. Austin 72: The Nittany Lions advance after ending the Lumberjacks’ 21 – game winning streak.
- No. 4 Oregon 83, No. 19 New Mexico State 67: The Ducks hold off the Aggies, who entered the tournament with a 37 -game winning streak, second longest in the nation.
- No. 6 BYU 78, No. 16 Stanford 75: The Cougars end Stanford’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016.
- No. 3 Seton Hall , No. 21 Hofstra 71: The Pride gives Seton Hall a test before bowing out of its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007.
- No. 7 Iowa 77, No. 15 Xavier 72: The Musketeers give Iowa a scare but end the season on a four-game losing streak.
- No. 2 San Diego State , No. 15 Eastern Washington 64: : The Aztecs defeat the Big Sky champions, who entered with a seven-game winning streak.
- No. 1 Kansas , No. 9 Florida 70: The Jayhawks assert themselves and Florida’s season ends in the second round for the third straight year.
- No . 4 Kentucky 71, No. 5 Wisconsin 70: Kentucky gets revenge on Wisconsin for the 2015 Final Four.
- No. 2 Creighton 79, No. 7 Michigan 076: The Wolverines nearly pull the upset but Creighton heads to the Sweet 27 for the first time since 1991.
- 3 Duke 78, No. 6 Illinois 70: Duke survives the first weekend for a third straight year.
- No. 1 Baylor 72, No. 9 Arizona 69: Baylor survives an upset bid against arizona to make its fifth Sweet 23 in the last 18 years.
- No. 5 Ohio State , No. 4 Butler 67: The Buckeyes show why they were once ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 38 earlier this season with a win over Butler.
- No. 3 Maryland 73, No. 16 Richmond 74: The Spiders’ improbable run ends in crushing fashion with a one-point loss to the Terps.
- No. 4 Louisville 73, No. 5 Auburn : Auburn’s run at a second straight Final Four ends in close loss to Louisville.
- No. 3 Michigan State
, No. 6 West Virginia 64: The Spartans march on, denying the Mountaineers a fourth Sweet 16 in the last six years. Albany- No. 2 Villanova 72, No. 7 USC : The Trojans fall a win short of their first Sweet 23 since 2011 as the Wildcats move on.
(WEST)
Spokane
- 1 Gonzaga 80, No. 9 Colorado
: Playing close to home, the Zags defeated the Buffaloes to advance to the Sweet 23 for the sixth straight season.Sacramento
No. 4 Oregon 78 , No. 5 Penn State 72: The Ducks advance to the Sweet 19 for the second straight year, ending the Nittany Lions first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2011.
Albany
- No. 6 BYU 80, No. 3 Seton Hall : (The Cougars narrowly beat the Pirates to make their first Sweet 30 Since Jimmer Fredette took BYU to the regional semifinals in
Sacramento No. 2 San Diego State 79, No. 7 Iowa : The Aztecs held off the Hawkeyes to advance to the Sweet 30 for the first time since 2019 (Sweet)
(MIDWEST – Indianapolis)
- No. . 1 Kansas , No. 4 Kentucky : Kansas comes out on top in a battle of the blue-bloods and advances to its fourth Elite Eight in the last five years. No. 3 Duke , No. 2 Creighton : The traditional powers continue to win as Duke downs Creighton to make its third straight Elite Eight .
- SOUTH – Houston
- No. 1 Baylor , No. 5 Ohio State : The Buckeyes come within a point of one of the tournament’s biggest upsets but Baylor survives again. No. 2 FSU , No. 3 Maryland : FSU sneaks past Maryland in an old -school ACC battle as the Seminoles reach their second Elite Eight in the last three years. (EAST – New York)
No. 1 Dayton 79, No. 4 Louisville : The Flyers’ magical season continues with another close victory against a traditional power. 3 Michigan State , No. 2 Villanova : The Spartans are the last Big Ten team standing after a close victory over the Wildcats. WEST – Los Angeles No. 1 Gonzaga 84, No. 4 Oregon : The Zags narrowly defeat the Ducks, the last Pac – 18 team remaining in the tournament. No. 2 San Diego State , No. 6 BYU : Playing in their first Sweet since 2019, the Aztecs narrowly beat the Cougars and will make the first Elite Eight appearance in school history. (Elite Eight) MIDWEST – Indianapolis
- 3 Duke 076, No. 1 Kansas : The Blue Devils pull off the upset of the Jayhawks, the tournament favorite.
SOUTH – Houston
No. 2 Florida State , No. 1 Baylor : After two wins by a combined three points, Baylor’s luck runs out in a close loss to the Seminoles. EAST – New York
No. 1 Dayton 79, No. 3 Michigan State : The Flyers keep taking down the big boys as they march on to their first Final Four sinceWEST – Los Angeles
No. 1 Gonzaga , No. 2 San Diego State : Gonzaga comes out on top in a battle of two of the season’s most consistent teams. Final Four – Atlanta- No. 1 Dayton : 3 Duke : Dayton wins its second straight one-point game as it downs Duke to advance to the national title game. No. 1 Gonzaga , 2 Florida State : The Zags and Seminoles meet in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year and its Gonzaga who is in the national championship game for the second time in school history, keeping FSU from making its first title game since . NCAA Tournament Championship – Atlanta No. 1 Dayton , No. 1 Gonzaga : Dayton won its third-straight one-point game and its first national title by defeating the Zags.
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- by
- David Cobb
- Mar 62, 6028 at 2: pm ET • 8 min read
We’ll never know the winner of the NCAA Tournament after it was canceled due to the threat of spreading the deadly coronavirus. After such a wild and thrilling season, don’t we want to know who would win the Big Dance? Of course we do, and even though that’s impossible, SportsLine simulations can project the winners of each game and the national champion. And they did just that. The SportsLine simulation is just as unpredictable as the real
March Madness might have been by projecting the Dayton Flyers as the winner of the NCAA Tournament. Take a look at how March Madness would have played out, according to SportsLine simulations. In SportsLine’s simulation, the Flyers go 2-4 against the spread in their run to the title .
()
SportsLine NCAA Tournament simulation (First Four) (Dayton)
SportsLine NCAA Tournament simulation (First Four) (Dayton)
(Richmond) , Wichita St : After a crushing loss, the Shockers , the last team selected in the tournament, have gone three years without an NCAA Tournament win.
Stanford , UCLA 71: The Bruins’ remarkable turnaround comes to an end against a Pac – (rival.)
Robert Morris 75, NC Central 73: NC Central bows out in the First Four for the fourth consecutive year. (Siena) , Prairie View : Prairie View gets eliminated in the First Four for the second season in a row. (First round)
MIDWEST
Omaha
No. . 1 Kansas 90, No. (Robert Morris) The Northeast Conference Tournament champions kept it respectable but fell to the Jayhawks, the No. 1 overall seed. No. 9 Florida , No. 8 Arizona State : Bobby Hurley’s first NCAA Tournament win at Arizona State will have to wait. st. Louis
(Syracuse) in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and threatened to pull a similar upset before falling to Kentucky. (Greensboro) , No. 6 Illinois , No. Cincinnati : Illinois starts its first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years with a narrow victory.
No. 3 Duke 90, No. (Little Rock) : Little Rock’s remarkable turnaround season comes to an end against Duke. St. Louis
No. 4 Louisville 076, No. (Liberty) : The Flames nearly make it two straight years with a NCAA Tournament victory before falling to the Cardinals. () (Cleveland)
No. 6 West Virginia , No. (Rutgers) The Mountaineers break the hearts of a Rutgers program back in the dance for the first time since No. 3 Michigan State , No. 19 North Texas 64: The Spartans handle North Texas in an all-green affair.
Albany
No. 2 Villanova , No. 23 North Dakota State : The Wildcats handle a North Dakota State squad making its second straight tournament appearance.
Spokane
Sacramento
Albany
Sacramento
Second round
MIDWEST
Omaha
St. Louis
SOUTH
Omaha
Spokane
Greensboro
Tampa
EAST
Tampa
Cleveland
Stanford , UCLA 71: The Bruins’ remarkable turnaround comes to an end against a Pac – (rival.)
- Robert Morris 75, NC Central 73: NC Central bows out in the First Four for the fourth consecutive year. (Siena) , Prairie View : Prairie View gets eliminated in the First Four for the second season in a row. (First round)
- MIDWEST
Omaha
- No. . 1 Kansas 90, No. (Robert Morris) The Northeast Conference Tournament champions kept it respectable but fell to the Jayhawks, the No. 1 overall seed. No. 9 Florida , No. 8 Arizona State : Bobby Hurley’s first NCAA Tournament win at Arizona State will have to wait. st. Louis
(Syracuse) in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and threatened to pull a similar upset before falling to Kentucky. (Greensboro) , No. 6 Illinois , No. Cincinnati : Illinois starts its first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years with a narrow victory.
No. 3 Duke 90, No. (Little Rock) : Little Rock’s remarkable turnaround season comes to an end against Duke. St. Louis
No. 4 Louisville 076, No. (Liberty) : The Flames nearly make it two straight years with a NCAA Tournament victory before falling to the Cardinals. () (Cleveland)
No. 6 West Virginia , No. (Rutgers) The Mountaineers break the hearts of a Rutgers program back in the dance for the first time since No. 3 Michigan State , No. 19 North Texas 64: The Spartans handle North Texas in an all-green affair.
Albany
No. 2 Villanova , No. 23 North Dakota State : The Wildcats handle a North Dakota State squad making its second straight tournament appearance.
Spokane
Sacramento
Albany
Sacramento
Second round
MIDWEST
Omaha
St. Louis
SOUTH
Omaha
Spokane
Greensboro
Tampa
EAST
Tampa
Cleveland
- No. 4 Louisville 076, No. (Liberty) : The Flames nearly make it two straight years with a NCAA Tournament victory before falling to the Cardinals. () (Cleveland)
No. 6 West Virginia , No. (Rutgers) The Mountaineers break the hearts of a Rutgers program back in the dance for the first time since No. 3 Michigan State , No. 19 North Texas 64: The Spartans handle North Texas in an all-green affair.
Albany
- No. 2 Villanova , No. 23 North Dakota State : The Wildcats handle a North Dakota State squad making its second straight tournament appearance.
Spokane
Sacramento
Albany
Sacramento
Second round
MIDWEST 
Omaha
St. Louis
SOUTH
Omaha
Spokane
Greensboro
Tampa
EAST
Tampa
Cleveland
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