2015 Ncaa Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2015 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2014-15 season.
The 77th edition of the tournament began on March 17, 2015, and concluded with the championship game on April 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 | |||||
| Season | 2014–15 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 68 | ||||
| Finals site | Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, Indiana | ||||
| Champions | Duke Blue Devils (5th title, 11th title game, 16th Final Four) | ||||
| Runner-up | Wisconsin Badgers (2nd title game, 4th Final Four) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| Winning coach | Mike Krzyzewski (5th title) | ||||
| MOP | Tyus Jones (Duke) | ||||
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The Final Four consisted of Kentucky (who went in undefeated at 38-0), Wisconsin, making their second consecutive trip to the Final Four, Michigan State, making their first Final Four since 2010 (also held in Indianapolis) and the 7th under head coach Tom Izzo, and Duke, making their first appearance since their 2010 national championship. Duke defeated Wisconsin in the championship game, 68–63, clinching their 5th national championship under Mike Krzyzewski. Tyus Jones of Duke was the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Unlike the past three tournaments, this tournament only featured less upsets, with 7. However, for the first time since the 1995 tournament, two of the No. 14 seeds won in the same tournament. In the West Region, #14 Georgia State of the Sun Belt Conference defeated #3 Baylor. In the South Region, #14 UAB of Conference USA defeated #3 Iowa State.
Three teams made their NCAA tournament debuts, North Florida from the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN), UC Irvine from the Big West Conference (BWC), and Buffalo from the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
Schedule and venues
The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 2015 tournament:
First Four
- March 17 and 18
First and Second rounds (round of 64 and round of 32)
- March 19 and 21
- Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida (Hosts: Jacksonville University, University of North Florida)
- KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky (Host: University of Louisville)
- Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Host: Duquesne University)
- Moda Center, Portland, Oregon (Host: University of Oregon)
- March 20 and 22
Regional semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)
- March 26 and 28
- Midwest Regional, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio (Host: Cleveland State University, Mid-American Conference)
- West Regional, Staples Center, Los Angeles (Host: Pepperdine University)
- March 27 and 29
- East Regional, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York (Host: Syracuse University)
- South Regional, NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas (Hosts: University of Houston, Rice University)
National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship)
- April 4 and 6
Indianapolis hosted the Final Four for the seventh time, having previously hosted in 2010, and also the second Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Qualifying and selection procedure
Out of 333 eligible Division I teams, 68 participated in the tournament. Eighteen Division I teams were ineligible due to failing to meet APR requirements, self-imposed postseason bans, or reclassification from a lower division.
Of the 32 automatic bids, 31 were given to programs that won their conference tournaments. The Ivy League did not hold a tournament, but held a one-game playoff to break a tie in the regular season conference standings, with the winner receiving the automatic bid. The remaining 36 bids were granted on an "at-large" basis, which were extended by the NCAA Selection Committee to the teams it deemed to be the best 36 teams that did not receive automatic bids.
Eight teams—the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams—played in the First Four (the successor to what had been popularly known as "play-in games" through the 2010 tournament). The winners of these games advanced to the main tournament bracket.
The Selection Committee will also seed the entire field from 1 to 68.
Automatic qualifiers
The following teams are automatic qualifiers for the 2015 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's automatic bid.
| Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACC | Notre Dame | 34th | 2013 |
| America East | Albany | 5th | 2014 |
| A–10 | VCU | 14th | 2014 |
| American | SMU | 11th | 1993 |
| Atlantic Sun | North Florida | 1st | Never |
| Big 12 | Iowa State | 17th | 2014 |
| Big East | Villanova | 34th | 2014 |
| Big Sky | Eastern Washington | 2nd | 2004 |
| Big South | Coastal Carolina | 4th | 2014 |
| Big Ten | Wisconsin | 21st | 2014 |
| Big West | UC Irvine | 1st | Never |
| Colonial | Northeastern | 8th | 1991 |
| C-USA | UAB | 15th | 2011 |
| Horizon | Valparaiso | 9th | 2013 |
| Ivy League | Harvard | 5th | 2014 |
| MAAC | Manhattan | 8th | 2014 |
| MAC | Buffalo | 1st | Never |
| MEAC | Hampton | 5th | 2011 |
| Missouri Valley | Northern Iowa | 7th | 2010 |
| Mountain West | Wyoming | 15th | 2002 |
| Northeast | Robert Morris | 8th | 2010 |
| Ohio Valley | Belmont | 7th | 2013 |
| Pac-12 | Arizona | 30th | 2014 |
| Patriot | Lafayette | 4th | 2000 |
| SEC | Kentucky | 55th | 2014 |
| Southern | Wofford | 4th | 2014 |
| Southland | Stephen F. Austin | 3rd | 2014 |
| SWAC | Texas Southern | 6th | 2014 |
| Summit | North Dakota State | 3rd | 2014 |
| Sun Belt | Georgia State | 3rd | 2001 |
| West Coast | Gonzaga | 18th | 2014 |
| WAC | New Mexico State | 22nd | 2014 |
Tournament seeds
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky | SEC | 34–0 | Auto | 1 |
| 2 | Kansas | Big 12 | 26–8 | At-large | 8 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | ACC | 29–5 | Auto | 12 |
| 4 | Maryland | Big Ten | 27–6 | At-large | 14 |
| 5 | West Virginia | Big 12 | 23–9 | At-large | 19 |
| 6 | Butler | Big East | 22–10 | At-large | 23 |
| 7 | Wichita State | Missouri Valley | 28–4 | At-large | 26 |
| 8 | Cincinnati | American | 22–10 | At-large | 29 |
| 9 | Purdue | Big Ten | 21–12 | At-large | 36 |
| 10 | Indiana | Big Ten | 20–13 | At-large | 37 |
| 11 | Texas | Big 12 | 20–13 | At-large | 41 |
| 12 | Buffalo | Mid American | 23–9 | Auto | 48 |
| 13 | Valparaiso | Horizon | 28–5 | Auto | 51 |
| 14 | Northeastern | Colonial | 23–11 | Auto | 56 |
| 15 | New Mexico State | WAC | 23–10 | Auto | 59 |
| 16* | Manhattan | MAAC | 19–13 | Auto | 67 |
| Hampton | MEAC | 16–17 | Auto | 68 |
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | 31–3 | Auto | 4 |
| 2 | Arizona | Pac-12 | 31–3 | Auto | 6 |
| 3 | Baylor | Big 12 | 24–9 | At-large | 10 |
| 4 | North Carolina | ACC | 24–11 | At-large | 13 |
| 5 | Arkansas | SEC | 26–8 | At-large | 18 |
| 6 | Xavier | Big East | 21–13 | At-large | 24 |
| 7 | VCU | Atlantic 10 | 26–9 | Auto | 28 |
| 8 | Oregon | Pac-12 | 25–9 | At-large | 30 |
| 9 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 18–13 | At-large | 34 |
| 10 | Ohio State | Big Ten | 23–10 | At-large | 39 |
| 11* | Mississippi | SEC | 20–12 | At-large | 43 |
| BYU | West Coast | 25–9 | At-large | 44 | |
| 12 | Wofford | Southern | 28–6 | Auto | 49 |
| 13 | Harvard | Ivy | 22–7 | Auto | 52 |
| 14 | Georgia State | Sun Belt | 24–9 | Auto | 55 |
| 15 | Texas Southern | SWAC | 22–12 | Auto | 61 |
| 16 | Coastal Carolina | Big South | 24–9 | Auto | 64 |
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villanova | Big East | 32–2 | Auto | 2 |
| 2 | Virginia | ACC | 29–3 | At-large | 5 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | Big 12 | 22–10 | At-large | 11 |
| 4 | Louisville | ACC | 24–8 | At-large | 15 |
| 5 | Northern Iowa | Missouri Valley | 30–3 | Auto | 20 |
| 6 | Providence | Big East | 22–11 | At-large | 22 |
| 7 | Michigan State | Big Ten | 23–11 | At-large | 25 |
| 8 | North Carolina State | ACC | 20–13 | At-large | 31 |
| 9 | LSU | SEC | 22–10 | At-large | 35 |
| 10 | Georgia | SEC | 21–11 | At-large | 40 |
| 11* | Boise State | Mountain West | 25–8 | At-large | 45 |
| Dayton | Atlantic 10 | 25–8 | At-large | 46 | |
| 12 | Wyoming | Mountain West | 25–9 | Auto | 47 |
| 13 | UC Irvine | Big West | 21–12 | Auto | 54 |
| 14 | Albany | America East | 24–8 | Auto | 58 |
| 15 | Belmont | Ohio Valley | 22–10 | Auto | 60 |
| 16 | Lafayette | Patriot | 20–12 | Auto | 63 |
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Overall rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke | ACC | 29–4 | At-large | 3 |
| 2 | Gonzaga | West Coast | 32–2 | Auto | 7 |
| 3 | Iowa State | Big 12 | 25–8 | Auto | 9 |
| 4 | Georgetown | Big East | 21–10 | At-large | 16 |
| 5 | Utah | Pac-12 | 24–8 | At-large | 17 |
| 6 | SMU | American | 27–6 | Auto | 21 |
| 7 | Iowa | Big Ten | 21–11 | At-large | 27 |
| 8 | San Diego State | Mountain West | 26–8 | At-large | 32 |
| 9 | St. John's | Big East | 21–11 | At-large | 33 |
| 10 | Davidson | Atlantic 10 | 24–7 | At-large | 38 |
| 11 | UCLA | Pac-12 | 20–13 | At-large | 42 |
| 12 | Stephen F. Austin | Southland | 29–4 | Auto | 50 |
| 13 | Eastern Washington | Big Sky | 26–8 | Auto | 53 |
| 14 | UAB | C-USA | 19–15 | Auto | 57 |
| 15 | North Dakota State | Summit | 23–9 | Auto | 62 |
| 16* | North Florida | Atlantic Sun | 23–11 | Auto | 65 |
| Robert Morris | NEC | 19–14 | Auto | 66 |
*See First Four
Since the 2004 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, the four 1 seeds have been seeded overall. This was the third time Kentucky was the overall top seed. The previous time was in the 2012 tournament. Duke was the overall 3 seed for the fourth time, previously advancing to the Final Four in two of those years: 2004 and 2010. Villanova was a 1 seed for the second time in school history; 2006 was the other time. This was the first 1 seed for Wisconsin.
Bracket
First Four – Dayton, Ohio
The First Four games involved eight teams: the four overall lowest-ranked teams, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams.
| March 18 – East Region | ||||
| 11 | Boise State | 55 | ||
| 11 | Dayton | 56 | ||
| March 18 – South Region | ||||
| 16 | North Florida | 77 | ||
| 16 | Robert Morris | 81 | ||
Midwest Regional – Cleveland, Ohio
| First Round Round of 64 March 19–20 | Second round Round of 32 March 21–22 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 26 | Regional Final Elite 8 March 28 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kentucky | 79 | |||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Hampton | 56 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kentucky | 64 | |||||||||||||||||
| Louisville – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Cincinnati | 51 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Cincinnati | 66OT | |||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Purdue | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kentucky | 78 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | West Virginia | 39 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | West Virginia | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Buffalo | 62 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | West Virginia | 69 | |||||||||||||||||
| Columbus – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Maryland | 59 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Maryland | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Valparaiso | 62 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kentucky | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Notre Dame | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Butler | 56 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Texas | 48 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Butler | 64 | |||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Notre Dame | 67OT | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Notre Dame | 69 | |||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Northeastern | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Notre Dame | 81 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Wichita State | 70 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Wichita State | 81 | |||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Indiana | 76 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Wichita State | 78 | |||||||||||||||||
| Omaha – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Kansas | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Kansas | 75 | |||||||||||||||||
| 15 | New Mexico State | 56 | |||||||||||||||||
Regional Final summary
TBS |
Saturday, March 28 8:49 pm EDT |
| #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 66, #1 Kentucky Wildcats 68 | ||
| Scoring by half: 31–31, 35–37 | ||
| Pts: Z. Auguste – 20 Rebs: Auguste, P. Connaughton – 9 Asts: J. Grant – 6 | Pts: K. Towns – 25 Rebs: Towns, T. Lyles – 5 Asts: Towns – 4 | |
Quicken Loans Arena – Cleveland, OH Attendance: 19,464 Referees: Chris Rastatter, Joe DeRosa, David Hall |
Midwest Regional all-tournament team
Regional all-tournament team: Pat Connaughton, Notre Dame; Zach Auguste, Notre Dame; Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky; Andrew Harrison, Kentucky
Regional most outstanding player: Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky
West Regional – Los Angeles, California
| First Round Round of 64 March 19–20 | Second round Round of 32 March 21–22 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 26 | Regional Final Elite 8 March 28 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Wisconsin | 86 | |||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Coastal Carolina | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Wisconsin | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
| Omaha – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Oregon | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Oregon | 79 | |||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Oklahoma State | 73 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Wisconsin | 79 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | North Carolina | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Arkansas | 56 | |||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Wofford | 53 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Arkansas | 78 | |||||||||||||||||
| Jacksonville – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | North Carolina | 87 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | North Carolina | 67 | |||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Harvard | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Wisconsin | 85 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Arizona | 78 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Xavier | 76 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Ole Miss | 57 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Xavier | 75 | |||||||||||||||||
| Jacksonville – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Georgia State | 67 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Baylor | 56 | |||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Georgia State | 57 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Xavier | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Arizona | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Virginia Commonwealth | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Ohio State | 75OT | |||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Ohio State | 58 | |||||||||||||||||
| Portland – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Arizona | 73 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Arizona | 93 | |||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Texas Southern | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
Regional Final summary
TBS |
Saturday, March 28 3:09 pm PDT |
| #2 Arizona Wildcats 78, #1 Wisconsin Badgers 85 | ||
| Scoring by half: 33–30, 45–55 | ||
| Pts: B. Ashley, R. Hollis-Jefferson – 17 Rebs: Hollis-Jefferson – 8 Asts: T. McConnell – 5 | Pts: F. Kaminsky III – 29 Rebs: Kaminsky III – 6 Asts: N. Hayes – 4 | |
Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA Attendance: 19,125 Referees: Pat Adams, Michael Stephens, Mike Eades |
West Regional all-tournament team
Regional all-tournament team: Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin; Josh Gasser, Wisconsin; T. J. McConnell, Arizona; Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Arizona
Regional most outstanding player: Sam Dekker, Wisconsin
East Regional – Syracuse, New York
| First Round Round of 64 March 19–20 | Second round Round of 32 March 21–22 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 27 | Regional Final Elite 8 March 29 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Villanova | 93 | |||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Lafayette | 52 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Villanova | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | NC State | 71 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | NC State | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
| 9 | LSU | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | NC State | 65 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Louisville# | 75 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Northern Iowa | 71 | |||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Wyoming | 54 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Northern Iowa | 53 | |||||||||||||||||
| Seattle – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Louisville# | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Louisville# | 57 | |||||||||||||||||
| 13 | California-Irvine | 55 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Louisville# | 70 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Michigan State | 76OT | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Providence | 53 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Dayton | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Dayton | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
| Columbus – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Oklahoma | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Oklahoma | 69 | |||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Albany | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Oklahoma | 58 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Michigan State | 62 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Michigan State | 70 | |||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Georgia | 63 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Michigan State | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
| Charlotte – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Virginia | 54 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Virginia | 79 | |||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Belmont | 67 | |||||||||||||||||
# On February 20, 2018, the NCAA announced that the wins and records for Louisville's 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, and 2014–15 seasons were vacated due to the sex scandal at Louisville. Unlike forfeiture, a vacated game does not result in the other school being credited with a win, only with Louisville removing the wins from its own record.
Regional Final summary
CBS |
Sunday, March 29 2:20 pm EDT |
| #7 Michigan State Spartans 76, #4 Louisville Cardinals 70 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by half: 32–40, 33–25 Overtime: 11–5 | ||
| Pts: T. Trice – 17 Rebs: B. Dawson – 11 Asts: D. Valentine – 6 | Pts: W. Blackshear – 28 Rebs: M. Harrell – 9 Asts: Harrell – 4 | |
Carrier Dome – Syracuse, NY Attendance: 24,404 Referees: Pat Driscoll, Doug Shows, Verne Harris |
East Regional all-tournament team
Regional all-tournament team: Denzel Valentine, Michigan State; Terry Rozier, Louisville; Montrezl Harrell, Louisville; Wayne Blackshear, Louisville
Regional most outstanding player: Travis Trice, Michigan State.
South Regional – Houston, Texas
| First Round Round of 64 March 19–20 | Second round Round of 32 March 21–22 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 March 27 | Regional Final Elite 8 March 29 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Duke | 85 | |||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Robert Morris | 56 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Duke | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
| Charlotte – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | San Diego State | 49 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | San Diego State | 76 | |||||||||||||||||
| 9 | St. John's | 64 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Duke | 63 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Utah | 57 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Utah | 57 | |||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Stephen F. Austin | 50 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Utah | 75 | |||||||||||||||||
| Portland – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Georgetown | 64 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Georgetown | 84 | |||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Eastern Washington | 74 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Duke | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Gonzaga | 52 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Southern Methodist | 59 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | UCLA | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | UCLA | 92 | |||||||||||||||||
| Louisville – Thu/Sat | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | UAB | 75 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Iowa State | 59 | |||||||||||||||||
| 14 | UAB | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | UCLA | 62 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Gonzaga | 74 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Iowa | 83 | |||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Davidson | 52 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Iowa | 68 | |||||||||||||||||
| Seattle – Fri/Sun | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Gonzaga | 87 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Gonzaga | 86 | |||||||||||||||||
| 15 | North Dakota State | 76 | |||||||||||||||||
Regional Final summary
CBS |
Sunday, March 29 4:05 pm CDT |
| #2 Gonzaga Bulldogs 52, #1 Duke Blue Devils 66 | ||
| Scoring by half: 26–31, 26–35 | ||
| Pts: K. Wiltjer – 16 Rebs: Wiltjer, P. Karnowski, B. Wesley – 5 Asts: Karnowski, Wesley, G. Bell – 2 | Pts: M. Jones, J. Winslow – 16 Rebs: J. Okafor – 8 Asts: T. Jones – 6 | |
NRG Stadium – Houston, TX Attendance: 20,744 Referees: Mike Stuart, Doug Sirmons, Jeffrey Anderson |
South Regional all-tournament team
Regional all-tournament team: Matt Jones, Duke; Justise Winslow, Duke; Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga; Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga
Regional most outstanding player: Tyus Jones, Duke
Final Four
During the Final Four round, regardless of the seeds of the participating teams, the champion of the top overall top seed's region plays (Kentucky's Midwest Region) against the champion of the fourth-ranked top seed's region (Wisconsin's West Region), and the champion of the second overall top seed's region plays (Michigan State's East Region) against the champion of the third-ranked top seed's region (Duke's South Region).
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
| National semifinals April 4 | National championship game April 6 | ||||||||
| MW1 | Kentucky | 64 | |||||||
| W1 | Wisconsin | 71 | |||||||
| W1 | Wisconsin | 63 | |||||||
| S1 | Duke | 68 | |||||||
| E7 | Michigan State | 61 | |||||||
| S1 | Duke | 81 | |||||||
Game summaries
Final Four
TBS |
Saturday, April 4 6:09 p.m. EDT |
| E7 Michigan State Spartans 61, S1 Duke Blue Devils 81 | ||
| Scoring by half: 25–36, 36–45 | ||
| Pts: D. Valentine – 22 Rebs: Valentine – 11 Asts: T. Trice, L. Nairn – 5 | Pts: J. Winslow – 19 Rebs: Winslow – 9 Asts: T. Jones – 4 | |
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN Attendance: 72,238 Referees: Bryan Kersey, Pat Adams, Mike Eades |
TBS |
Saturday, April 4 9:06 p.m. EDT |
| W1 Wisconsin Badgers 71, MW1 Kentucky Wildcats 64 | ||
| Scoring by half: 36–36, 35–28 | ||
| Pts: F. Kaminsky III – 20 Rebs: Kaminsky III – 11 Asts: Kaminsky III, T. Jackson, B. Koenig – 2 | Pts: K. Towns – 16 Rebs: K. Towns – 9 Asts: An. Harrison – 4 | |
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN Attendance: 72,238 Referees: Verne Harris, John Higgins, Doug Sirmons |
National Championship
CBS |
Monday, April 6 9:18 p.m. EDT |
| #1 Wisconsin Badgers 63, #1 Duke Blue Devils 68 | ||
| Scoring by half: 31–31, 32–37 | ||
| Pts: F. Kaminsky III – 21 Rebs: Kaminsky III – 12 Asts: B. Koenig – 4 | Pts: T. Jones – 23 Rebs: J. Winslow – 9 Asts: Q. Cook, A. Jefferson – 2 | |
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN Attendance: 71,149 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Michael Stephens, Pat Driscoll |
Final Four all-tournament team
- Sam Dekker, Wisconsin
- Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin
- Grayson Allen, Duke
- Justise Winslow, Duke
- Tyus Jones, Duke, Most Outstanding Player
Tournament notes
This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2015) |
Kentucky entered the tournament unbeaten. After 22 years without an unbeaten team in the tournament, following UNLV in 1991, this is the second consecutive tournament with an unbeaten team (after Wichita State in the previous). The Wildcats, by beating Cincinnati in the third round, set an NCAA men's record with 36 straight wins to start a season. They would win two more before Wisconsin upset them in the Final Four.
Defending national champion UConn did not qualify.
Kansas extended its streak of consecutive tournament appearances to 26 in a row. They have made each NCAA Tournament dating back to 1990. Kansas would qualify again the next two seasons to set the record for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances formerly held by North Carolina (1975–2001).
With both Buffalo and Albany winning their respective conferences and reaching the tournament, this is the first time two schools in the State University of New York system have reached the Division I tournament in the same year.
Two teams broke appearance droughts of over 20 years with their bids: Colonial Athletic Association champion Northeastern made its first NCAA appearance since 1991, and American champion Southern Methodist made its first NCAA appearance since 1993.
Harvard and Yale played a one-game playoff at the Palestra. Harvard won in dramatic fashion.
Dayton played a First Four game at their home arena, which is usually not allowed during the men's tournament. The NCAA selection committee indicated that putting Dayton in its home arena "falls within the context" of the committee's procedures.
Of the sixteen games played on March 19, five were decided by one point, a single-day record.
For the first time since 2007 and the fourth time since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, all four 5 seeds won their Second Round games. This was also the first time since 2007 that there were four 4 vs. 5 matchups in the third round.
On March 20, all but one "chalk" team won their game (there was only one upset), compared to the four upsets the previous day.
Michigan State reached its seventh Final Four in the last 18 seasons—the best mark in the nation during that time span.
For the first time since 2009, multiple 1 seeds reached the Final Four.
For the first time since 2008, two 1 seeds reached the Championship, between Kansas and Memphis (later vacated by Memphis).
Wisconsin was in its first final since 1941, and lost; and Duke in its first final since 2010, and won.
The Wisconsin loss extended the Big Ten Conference's losing streak in national championship games to six. As of 2015, Michigan State is the last Big Ten team to win a National Championship, having done so in 2000.
Upsets
Per the NCAA, "Upsets are defined as when the winner of the game was seeded five or more places lower than the team it defeated." The 2015 tournament saw a total of 7 upsets; 4 of them were in the first round and 3 of them were in the second round.
| Round | Midwest | West | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round | None | No. 14 Georgia State defeated No. 3 Baylor, 57–56 | No. 11 Dayton defeated No. 6 Providence, 66–53 |
|
| Second Round | No. 7 Wichita State defeated No. 2 Kansas, 78–65 | None |
| None |
| Sweet 16 | None | None | None | None |
| Elite 8 | None | None | None | None |
Record by conference
| Conference | Bids | Record | Win % | R64 | R32 | S16 | E8 | F4 | CG | NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACC | 6 | 17–5 | .773 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Big Ten | 7 | 12–7 | .632 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – |
| SEC | 5 | 6–5 | .545 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| Pac-12 | 4 | 8–4 | .667 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – |
| West Coast | 2 | 3–2 | .600 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Big 12 | 7 | 5–7 | .417 | 7 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Big East | 6 | 5–6 | .455 | 6 | 4 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Missouri Valley | 2 | 3–2 | .600 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Atlantic 10 | 3 | 2–3 | .400 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mountain West | 3 | 1–3 | .250 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| American | 2 | 1–2 | .333 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Conference USA | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sun Belt | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| MEAC | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Northeast | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
See also
- 2015 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
- 2015 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament
- 2015 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
- 2015 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
- 2015 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament
- 2015 National Invitation Tournament
- 2015 Women's National Invitation Tournament
- 2015 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
- 2015 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament
- 2015 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament
- 2015 NAIA Division II women's basketball tournament
- 2015 College Basketball Invitational
- 2015 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament
References
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