Selection Sunday: Florida snags final No. 1 seed
The Madness has arrived. The 68-team field for the men's NCAA D-I basketball tournament was revealed Sunday. Check out all the matchups and our instant analysis below.
South region
1 Florida vs. 16 Prairie View/Lehigh
8 Clemson vs. 9 Iowa
5 Vanderbilt vs. 12 McNeese
4 Nebraska vs. 13 Troy
6 North Carolina vs. 11 VCU
3 Illinois vs. 14 Penn
7 Saint Mary's vs. 10 Texas A&M
2 Houston vs. 15 Idaho
Florida solved one of the bigger debates entering Selection Sunday when the selection committee handed the defending national champions the final No. 1 seed in the bracket. The Gators ripped off 12 wins in a row before falling to Vanderbilt in the SEC tourney semis. Florida's elite frontcourt is arguably the best in the country with Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, and Thomas Haugh taking starring roles.
No. 4 Nebraska enters looking to finally shed the label of the only major conference program in history without an NCAA Tournament win. This is one of the top Cornhuskers teams of all-time and should finally get that elusive victory.
The bottom half of the bracket could lead to an electric strength-on-strength matchup between No. 3 Illinois and No. 2 Houston. The Illini rank as KenPom's top offensive team in the country while the Cougars are fifth defensively.
Midwest region
1 Michigan vs. 16 UMBC/Howard
8 Georgia vs. 9 Saint Louis
5 Texas Tech vs. 12 Akron
4 Alabama vs. 13 Hofstra
6 Tennessee vs. 11 Miami (OH)/SMU
3 Virginia vs. 14 Wright State
7 Kentucky vs. 10 Santa Clara
2 Iowa State vs. 15 Tennessee State
Michigan didn't get the top overall seed, but it will get to play in its desired region with Chicago housing the Wolverines. Dusty May's team is perhaps the most balanced in the nation and has just three losses all year by a combined eight points. Michigan is the best defensive team in the country, but is more-than happy to engage in a track meet as well, sitting sixth in points scored per game. That type of balance is how you explain 16 regular-season conference wins by double-digits this season.
The rest of the bracket features one of the more annoying teams in the nation to play against, and we mean that in the most complimentary way possible. No. 2 Iowa State is among the Division I leaders in turnovers forced per game and can ruin the day for even the most talented backcourts in the field.
Perhaps the most-talked-about at-large team in the entire field falls in the Midwest, with No. 11 Miami (OH) facing a play-in matchup against No. 11 SMU. The RedHawks made it through the regular season a perfect 31-0 before falling in the opening round of the MAC Tournament. Miami (OH)'s atrocious strength of schedule led many to question whether it belonged in the field, but only five teams have gone 30-0 to start a season since 1985. Weak schedule or not, that earns them a deserved spot in the field.
West region
1 Arizona vs. 16 LIU
8 Villanova vs. 9 Utah State
5 Wisconsin vs. 12 High Point
4 Arkansas vs. 13 Hawaii
6 BYU vs. 11 NC State/Texas
3 Gonzaga vs. 14 Kennesaw State
7 Miami vs. 10 Missouri
2 Purdue vs. 15 Queens
Red-hot Arizona enters as Big 12 champs and riding a nine-game winning streak - six of those over top-25 opponents. However, the road to the Final Four will not be an easy one with a possible Sweet 16 matchup against No. 5 Wisconsin. The Badgers take the third-most triples per game in the nation. If they get hot for any significant stretch during a contest, it could be lights out.
The bottom of the bracket doesn't get any easier with No. 2 Purdue and No. 3 Gonzaga both capable of winning the whole tournament with a sustained run of form. The Boilermakers can score with anybody, ranking second nationally in KenPom's offensive efficiency list. The Bulldogs have plenty of firepower, but it's the defense that has taken them to the 3-seed this time around.
The top player to watch in this bracket is BYU superstar AJ Dybantsa, the nation's leading scorer in his freshman campaign. The Cougars likely don't have the balance to go deep into the bracket, but Dybantsa figures to put on a show in the early-round games.
East region
1 Duke vs. 16 Siena
8 Ohio State vs. 9 TCU
5 St. John's vs. 12 Northern Iowa
4 Kansas vs. 13 Cal Baptist
6 Louisville vs. 11 South Florida
3 Michigan State vs. 14 North Dakota State
7 UCLA vs. 10 UCF
2 UConn vs. 15 Furman
Duke's reward for winning the ACC title is the No. 1 overall seed and a region close to home. The Blue Devils will be without Caleb Foster for the foreseeable future, but should have Patrick Ngongba back during the NCAA tournament. Jon Scheyer will ensure his team is prepared from the jump with a first-round date versus No. 16 Siena and coach Gerry McNamara looming.
UConn represents a formidable No. 2 seed but faces a tough road to make it to the regional final. The Huskies could have their hands full with a potential Sweet 16 contest with Tom Izzo and No. 3 Michigan State that would be one of the most-anticipated contests of that round.
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The Madness has arrived
South Florida booked the final auto-bid with a win in the American Tournament final to set the 31 teams that are in the field of 68. It's now on the committee to fill out the rest of the field with at-large teams.
Purdue caps magical tourney run
Purdue is officially the Big Ten Tournament champs after pulling away from Michigan in the second half. The Boilermakers become the first 7-seed ever to win the Big Ten tourney and now head to the NCAA Tournament full of momentum. Purdue entered the year as the preseason AP No. 1 team but struggled to live up to that potential down the stretch. Sunday's victory showcased the potential of Matt Painter's team, and it can be a serious threat in March Madness. The loss eliminates Michigan's chance to grab the No. 1 overall seed in the bracket, but the Wolverines will still top one of the regions.
Michigan-Purdue locked at half
The final major conference championship game is a banger, with Michigan and Purdue locked in a 38-38 tie at halftime. Both teams' seeds are likely set in stone - the Wolverines as a No. 1, and the Boilermakers as a No. 2 - but the top overall seed in the entire bracket is still within reach for Michigan. Nimari Burnett has 10 points at the break for the Wolverines, already outscoring his per-game average of 8.2.
What's still at stake?
Only two of the 31 automatic bids for conference champions remain undecided, with South Florida facing Wichita State and Michigan playing Purdue on Sunday afternoon for the final slots.
Big Ten Title game underway
The Big Ten title game has officially tipped off and comes with the added stakes of a possible No. 1 overall seed for the Wolverines. An emphatic victory over the Boilermakers in Chicago could secure that spot for Michigan.
2 more teams book tickets
Arkansas and VCU clinched spots in the field of 68 with wins in the SEC tournament and A-10 tournament championship games, respectively. Bubble teams will be celebrating the Rams' victory, as it would have taken away a potential at-large bid had they lost. Dayton's resume won't see it grab an NCAA tourney berth after the defeat, so that keeps an at-large spot open for those teams on the edge.
Madness hits early
The madness arrived early Sunday, with Penn clinching the Ivy League title thanks to a 44-point explosion by TJ Power. Power sent the contest to overtime with a buzzer-beating triple before the Quakers finished off Yale in the extra frame.
How to watch
What: NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday
When: March 15, 6 p.m. ET 🕕
Where: CBS 📺
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