NCAA tournament bracket winners and losers from Selection Sunday

Selection Sunday is a sports holiday unlike any other, in that the celebration doesn’t revolve around an actual game. Instead, sports fans from across the country eagerly tune in to find out the matchups for the month-long event that captivates the country more than the postseason of any other major American sport.

The 2018 NCAA Tournament figures to deliver once again, as college basketball has fielded a season that, once again, has been thrilling for a number of different reasons. With few teams appearing to have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the country, Selection Sunday might be even more crucial this year than most. For a handful of teams, the draw they get Sunday night could be the difference between a first round exit and a deep, memorable March run.

Here are the biggest winners and losers from the 2018 NCAA Tournament pairings.

Last 4 teams in: UCLA, Saint Bonaventure, Arizona State, Syracuse

Bubbles burst: Louisville, Oklahoma State, Middle Tennessee, Notre Dame, Baylor, Marquette, Saint Mary’s, USC

First Four Out: Notre Dame, Baylor, Saint Mary’s, USC

Biggest surprise: Syracuse

The Orange won just four Quadrant 1 games and lost conference games to the bottom rung trio of Boston College, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech.

Biggest snub: USC

The Trojans had just one win over a team in the field of 68, but they also have the best RPI (34) of any power conference team left out of the tournament.

Biggest winner: Villanova

There’s never an “easy” path to the Final Four, but the Wildcats appear to have drawn the most navigable trip of the four top seeds.

Biggest loser: Virginia

The Cavaliers’ region might have the weakest bottom half of any of the four, but having to face either Kentucky or Arizona in the Sweet 16 is a brutal draw for the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.

Biggest winner: Villanova

Purdue isn’t the easiest two seed in the field, but aside from that, this is a pretty navigable road for the Wildcats.

Biggest loser: Wichita State

Dan D’Antoni’s Marshall squad is absolutely rolling right now, and could give the Shockers a reverse dose of Cinderella magic.

Cinderella: Marshall

Again, the Thundering Herd is on a tear. Murray State might upset every other five seed in the field, but West Virginia is a tough draw for any mid-major not used to the Mountaineers’ overly physical style.

Biggest winner: Gonzaga

This was supposed to be the year between the years for the Zags, but with this draw, it would be more surprising than not if Mark Few’s team wasn’t playing into the tournament’s second weekend.

Biggest loser: North Carolina

The Tar Heels don’t have their typical NBA size inside this year, a weakness which could be exploited by Texas A&M if the two meet in round two. They also might have Michigan, arguably the nation’s hottest team, waiting in the Sweet 16.

Cinderella: South Dakota State

Two words: Mike Daum.

Biggest winner: Cincinnati

Assuming they handle business in round one, the Bearcats will face the winner of a game between a Nevada team that was just hammered by San Diego State in its conference tournament, and a Texas team that is fortunate to not be in the First Four. They also have what many would consider to be the weakest No. 3 seed in the tournament in Tennessee.

Biggest loser: Kentucky

Not only do the Wildcats seem under-seeded at five, but they have to face a red-hot Davidson team in round one. If they’re fortunate enough to survive that one, one of the most talented teams in the tournament, Arizona, might be waiting for them in round two. That’s a lot of Wildcats in one pod.

Cinderella: Loyola-Chicago

The Ramblers dominated the Missouri Valley, and have the major conference physicality you need in order to spring an upset or two as a double digit seed.

Biggest winner: Kansas

The Jayhawks got no breaks with the lower half of their bracket featuring both Duke and Michigan State, but the top half is extremely manageable. Handle your business in the first three games and hope someone picks off the other two blue-bloods in the region along the way.

Biggest loser: Duke/Michigan State

Having to face the other in the Sweet 16 is not a road map either the Spartans or Blue Devils would have drawn up for themselves.

Cinderella: Charleston

The Cougars are dancing for the first time since 1999 and have more than enough talent to play with an Auburn team that looked abysmal in its one and done performance in the SEC Tournament.