Brandon Miller and Nate Oats are aiming for Alabama’s first-ever NCAA men’s basketball championship (Marvin Gentry/Portal)
The NCAA men’s tournament bracket was announced Sunday, with Alabama announced as the No. 1 overall seed from the Southern Region.
The Crimson Tide clinched the honors after winning the SEC regular season and tournament titles, capped off by Sunday’s 82-63 win over Texas A&M in the tournament championship game. They have the nation’s third-most Quadrant 1 wins at 12 and Brandon Miller, SEC Player of the Year, considered by many to be the best player in the country.
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Alabama enters the tournament in controversy after police said Miller delivered a gun to the scene of a deadly shooting involving ex-teammate Darius Miles in January, who is charged with murder. Miller is not charged and has continued to play since the allegation.
Houston was announced as the second No. 1 ahead of a Kansas team projected as a potential No. 1 overall standings before losing to Texas in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament. The Jayhawks earned the No. 1 spot overall while Purdue claimed the last No. 1 spot in the East region as the Big Ten champion.
Arizona, Texas, UCLA and Marquette claimed the No. 2 seeds.
Region South:
Winner #1 Alabama vs. First Four (#16 Texas A&M CC vs. #16 SE Missouri State)
No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 9 West Virginia
No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 Charleston
No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 13 Furman
No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 11 NC State
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 UC Santa Barbara
No. 7 Misouri vs. No. 10 Utah State
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 seed Princeton
Middle West:
#1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky
#8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn
No. 5 Miami (FL) vs. No. 12 Drake
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 Kent State
No. 6 Iowa State vs. First Four Winners (No. 11 Mississippi State vs. No. 11 Pitt)
No. 3 Xavier vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Penn State
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 15 Colgate
West region
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Howard
The story goes on
No. 8 Arkansas vs. No. 9 Illinois
No. 5 St. Mary’s vs. No. 12 VCU
#4 UConn vs #14 Iona
No. 6 TCU vs. First Four Winners (No. 11 Arizona State vs. No. 11 Nevada)
#3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Grand Canyon
No. 7 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Boise State
No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 15 UNC Asheville
Region East
Winner #1 Purdue vs. First Four (#16 Texas Southern vs. #16 Fairleigh Dickinson)
No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic
No. 5 Duke vs. No. 12 Oral Roberts
No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Louisiana
No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Providence
#3 State of Kansas vs. #14 State of Montana
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 USC
No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 15 Vermont
This story will be updated once the rest of the NCAA tournament series is announced.