NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket Set, UConn Gets No. 1 Seed

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.

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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.

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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