2018 NCAA Bracket

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team will travel to Dayton, Ohio this week, to face fellow No. 16 seed Radford as one of the First Four games in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The two teams will face off in the first game of the bracket, Tuesday, March 13 at 6:40 p.m. EST, which will be broadcast live on TruTV.
 
The winner of the LIU Brooklyn Radford matchup will face No. 1 Villanova in Pittsburgh on Thursday, March 15. This game marks the second meeting between the Blackbirds (18-16) and the Highlanders (22-12). The teams first met in 2011, at the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. The Blackbirds won that game, 81-59.
 
The Blackbirds punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament by earning the Northeast Conference's automatic bid Tuesday. LIU upset top-seeded Wagner, 71-61 in the NEC championship to win their sixth overall title, and first since 2013. That year, the Blackbirds were named a No.16 seed, and traveled to Dayton to face No. 16 seed James Madison as one of the First Four games in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. In that game, LIU rallied from a 12-point, first-half deficit to take a one-point lead five minutes into the second half against James Madison, but were unable overcome poor shooting and fell to the Dukes, 68-55.
 
Radford is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance, and first since 2009. The Highlanders won the Big South Championship a week ago to clinch an automatic bid. Radford is led by Big South Coach of the Year Mike Jones, Big South Freshman of the Year Carlik Jones, and first team All-Big South honoree Ed Polite Jr. The last time the Highlanders were in the NCAA tournament in 2009, No. 16 seed Radford fell to No. 1 North Carolina, 101-58.