The brackets for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament — aka “March Madness” — were revealed today, bringing joy and tears in equal amounts to teams selected and shunned.
The defending champions from 2023, the UConn Huskies, were announced as the No. 1 overall seed playing out of the East region.
Houston is the No. 1 seed in the South region, and Purdue earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest. North Carolina was named the No. 1 seed in the West, beating out follow projected contenders Iowa State and Arizona.
Some 32 teams get automatic berths by virtue of winning their respective conference tournament. The remaining 36 are hand-selected by the tournament committee as at-large teams. The committee chooses teams based on their résumé, and then seeds teams and places them in one of the four regions.
The UConn Huskies defeated Marquette for the Big East tournament championship on Saturday. That, combined with Purdue’s loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament semifinals, gave the Huskies the No. 1 seed.
This year’s revamped UConn roster produced a 31-3 record, including a 13-3 slate against Quad 1 teams. UConn secured non-conference wins over Gonzaga, Texas and North Carolina, then swept the Big East regular season and tournament championships.
The schedule:
East Region
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 Stetson
No. 8 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 9 Northwestern
No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 UAB
No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 Yale
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Duquesne
No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Morehead State
No. 7 Washington State vs. No. 10 Drake
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 South Dakota State
South Region
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Longwood
No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Texas A&M
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 James Madison
No. 4 Duke vs. No. 13 Vermont
No. 6 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 NC State
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Oakland
No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10/Boise State/Colorado winner
No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 15 Western Kentucky
Midwest Region
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 16 Montana State/Grambling State winner
No. 8 Utah State vs. No. 9 TCU
No. 5 Gonzaga vs. No. 12 McNeese State
No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Samford
No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oregon
No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 14 Arkon
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Virginia/Colorado State winner
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s
West Region
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Howard/Wagner winner
No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Michigan State
No. 5 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Charleston
No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 11 New Mexico
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Colgate
No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Long Beach State
