Selection Sunday has arrived for the men's NCAA tournament and the bracket reveal did not disappoint. There were surprises, (St. John's as a No. 5 seed?), loaded regions (good luck getting out of the East) and fun stories (Miami-Ohio making the tourney as a member of the First Four teams).
That said, let's dive into each region, take a look at the seeds, and break down the big picture with NCAA tournament games just days away.
East
- No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena
- No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU
- No. 5 St. John's vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa
- No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Cal Baptist
- No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida
- No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State
- No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF
- No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman
The winner of the East region is going to be battle-tested for having navigated this absolute gauntlet.
No. 1 seed and ACC champion Duke, led by the best player in college basketball in Cameron Boozer, headlines the group. But if Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils want to advance to the Final Four for a second straight year, they're going to have to go through at least one of four national championship-winning coaches in UConn's Dan Hurley, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Kansas's Bill Self and St. Johns's Rick Pitino. Looming in the bracket are fellow blue bloods Louisville and UCLA. The Blue Devils will be the favorites to emerge, but the madness could be at its most intense in this region.
Midwest
- No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC/Howard
- No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis
- No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron
- No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra
- No. 6 Tennesee vs. No. 11 Miami (OH)/SMU
- No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State
- No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara
- No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State
The Midwest region has mighty Michigan, led by transfer portal stars Yaxel Lendeborg, Elliott Cadeau and Aday Mara, poised to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2018. In Dusty May, the Wolverines have a coach who has already pulled off such a run with another program.
The Midwest features four SEC schools, the best of which may be the Alabama Crimson Tide, who fielded the nation's No. 1 offense this season. ACC power Virginia also looms. But perhaps the biggest threat to the Wolverines is the second-seed Iowa State, one of the best defensive teams in the country that may finally have the offense to match this year.
South
- No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Prairie View A&M/Lehigh
- No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Iowa
- No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese
- No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy
- No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU
- No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn
- No. 7 Saint Mary's vs. No. 10 Texas A&M
- No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho
If Florida wants to repeat as national champions, the road initially may be easier, with the likes of Clemson, Iowa, Vanderbilt and McNeese lacking the size to tango with the Gators' bigs—and Nebraska having never won an NCAA tournament game in its history. North Carolina, without top player Caleb Wilson, could find the sledding tough.
But in Houston, Illinois and Saint Mary's, the Gators face multiple opponents capable of putting up a worthy fight on the glass, with Houston having just narrowly lost to Florida in last year's title game. Should a rematch occur, could the Cougars get revenge?
West
- No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 LIU
- No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State
- No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point
- No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawai'i
- No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas/NC State
- No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State
- No. 7 Miami (FL) vs. No. 10 Missouri
- No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 Queens
The West region is headlined by No. 1 seed Arizona, which started the year 23-0 and features one of the best combinations of backcourt and frontcourt play in the country. Second seed Purdue, which defeated Michigan in the Big Ten tournament final, seems to be clicking at the right time. Gonzaga, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and BYU are talented squads led by star players capable of taking over games in the bright lights of March Madness.
More March Madness on Sports Illustrated
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Men’s Tournament Regional Breakdowns: East, Midwest, South, West.
