Selection Sunday is behind us, and it means we have our 68 team field for the NCAA tournament, with the bracket set up. The number one teams will be Florida from the SEC in the South region, Arizona from the Pac-12 in the West Region, Wichita State from the MVC in the Midwest Region and Virginia from the ACC in the East Region.

There are two teams, both with autmoatic bids, making the tournament for the first time. North Carolina Central, winning the MEAC, with a 28-5 record which means there’s potential for some upsets here, and Cal Poly, winning the Big West but after a 13-19 season, it won’t be surprising if they don’t make it out of the first four.

We have quite a few teams making an appearance after a very long time. Coastal Carolina haven’t been to the tournament since 1993; Mercer, winning the Atlantic Sun, haven’t been to the tournament since 1985; Delaware, winning the CAA, haven’t been here since 1999. And it’s not just the automatic bids with some long forgotten names – the same goes for teams winning at-large bids.

Nebraska after a great season in the Big Ten will be making only its 7th appearance in the national tournament and its first since 1998. UMass, a team many think is going to be some sort of dark horse, hasn’t been to the tournament since 1998 as well.

The Big 12 (Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas) sends seven teams, more than anyone else, to the tournament. They’re followed by the ACC (Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse), Big Ten (Michigan State, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Wisconsin), Pac-12 (UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford) and the Atlantic 10 (St. Joseph’s, Dayton, George Washington, Saint Louis, UMass, VCU) with six teams each.

The new Big East sends four teams with Providence, Creighton, Villanova and Xavier, while their step brother conference, the American, sends Louisville, UConn, Cincinnati and Memphis. The SEC has only three teams with Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee.

First Four

#12 North Carolina State vs #12 Xavier

#16 Albany vs #16 Mount St. Mary’s

#11 Iowa vs #11 Tennessee

#16 Cal Poly vs #16 Texas Southern

Southern

#1 Florida vs Albany or Mount St. Mary’s

#8 Colorado vs #9 Pittsburgh

#5 VCU vs #12 Stephen F. Austin

#4 UCLA vs #13 Tulsa

#6 Ohio State vs #11 Dayton

#3 Syracuse vs #14 Western Michigan

#7 New Mexico vs #10 Stanford

#2 Kansas vs #15 Eastern Kentucky

West

#1 Arizona vs #16 Weber State

#8 Gonzaga vs #9 Oklahoma State

#5 Oklahoma vs #12 North Dakota State

#4 San Diego State vs #13 New Mexico State

#6 Baylor vs #11 Nebraska

#3 Creighton vs #14 Louisiana-Lafayette

#7 Oregon vs #10 BYU

#2 Wisconsin vs #15 American

Midwest

#1 Wichita State vs Cal Poly or Texas Southern

#8 Kentucky vs #9 Kansas State

#5 Saint Louis vs #12 North Carolina State or Xavier

#4 Louisville vs #13 Manhattan

#6 UMass vs #11 Iowa or Tennessee

#3 Duke vs #14 Mercer

#7 Texas vs #10 Arizona State

#2 Michigan vs #15 Wofford

East

#1 Virginia vs #16 Coastal Carolina

#8 Memphis vs #9 George Washington

#5 Cincinnati vs #12 Harvard

#4 Michigan State vs #13 Delaware

#6 North Carolina vs #11 Delaware

#3 Iowa State vs #14 North Carolina Central

#7 Connecticut vs #10 St. Joseph’s

#2 Villanova vs #15 Milwaukee

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