INDIANAPOLIS — The Division I Men’s Basketball Committee unveiled its top 16 teams on the Bracket Preview Show, which aired on CBS earlier this afternoon. Michigan, Duke and Arizona were the consensus top three seeds, while Iowa State edged UConn and Houston for the final spot on the 1 line. The Bracket Preview Show debuted in 2017. In 2023, all four No. 1 seeds revealed remained No. 1 seeds on Selection Sunday. In the other seven years (removing 2020 because of the tournament being cancelled), three of the four No. 1 seeds all remained on the 1 line when the actual bracket was revealed.
UConn, which initially was a No. 1 seed before falling at home to Creighton Wednesday night, leads the quartet of No. 2 seeds which also includes Houston, Illinois and Purdue. The No. 3 seeds are Florida, Kansas, Nebraska and Gonzaga, while the No. 4 seeds are Texas Tech, Michigan St., Vanderbilt and Virginia. Alabama and Arkansas received strong consideration to be on the 4 line. In the eight previous years of the show, all but one of the 32 teams that were on the 2 line in February remained among the top 16 teams when the actual bracket came out in March. Only six No. 3 seeds and 13 No. 4 seeds failed to stay on the top four lines on Selection Sunday, meaning 108 of the 128 teams (84.4 percent) that were part of the Bracket Preview Shows remained among the top four seeds when the actual bracket was announced on Selection Sunday. “This has been a terrific year for college basketball thus far, highlighted by what I believe are an unusually high number of teams that appear to be Final Four and national championship contenders, as well as a number of exceptional freshmen who are doing things we haven’t seen before,” said Keith Gill, the chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference. “Today’s top 16 reveal includes several of those championship caliber teams, including five from both the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences. The stretch run of the regular season and the conference tournaments are going to be a great prelude to March Madness, as this tournament is going to showcase so many terrific players, coaches and teams.” Using its bracketing principles, the committee placed the 16 teams into the four regions: Seed List1. Michigan2. Duke3. Arizona4. Iowa St.5. UConn6. Houston7. Illinois8. Purdue9. Florida10. Kansas11. Nebraska12. Gonzaga13. Texas Tech14. Michigan St.15. Vanderbilt16. Virginia
Regional Assignments
MIDWEST (CHICAGO) 1. Michigan (1) 2. Houston (6) 3. Florida (9) 4. Virginia (16) EAST (WASHINGTON D.C.)1. Duke (2)2. Illinois (7)3. Kansas (10)4. Vanderbilt (15)
SOUTH (HOUSTON) 1. Iowa St. (4) 2. UConn (5) 3. Nebraska (11) 4. Texas Tech (13) WEST (SAN JOSE)1. Arizona (3)2. Purdue (8)3. Gonzaga (12)4. Michigan St. (14)
Selection Sunday is March 15. The tournament tips off with the Men’s First Four March 17-18 in Dayton. First- and second-round sites will take place March 19 and 21 in Buffalo, Greenville, Oklahoma City, and Portland, and March 20 and 22 in Philadelphia, San Diego St. Louis, and Tampa. Regional action take place in Houston and San Jose (March 26 and 28), and Chicago and Washington, D.C. (March 27 and 29). The Men’s Final Four will be played in Indianapolis April 4 and 6. Additionally, the NIT semifinals will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler University on April 2, and the NIT championship game, as well as the Division II and Division III championship games, will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 5. For ticket information, visit www.ncaatickets.com.
