Auburn, Alabama lead NCAA Tournament top 16 seed release, showing SEC power
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament committee unveiled its top 16 teams on Saturday, with the Southeastern Conference placing three teams on the No. 1 seed line just four weeks from Selection Sunday.
Auburn is the top overall seed, with in-state rival Alabama (21-3) as the No. 2 overall seed. The Crimson Tide, the No. 1 team in the Paste BN Sports Coaches Poll, will take on the second-ranked Tigers (22-2) in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. The teams also meet in the regular-season finale on March 8.
The Tigers, who are led by player of the year candidate Johni Broome, are also No. 1 in the NET Rankings and have 13 Quad 1 wins, five more than any other team in the nation.
The other two No. 1 seeds are Duke (21-3) and Florida (21-3 completing the SEC's dominance in the bracket as the fourth No. 1 seed.
The last time three No. 1 seeds were from one conference was the ACC in 2019, with Duke, Virginia, and North Carolina.
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Here are the NCAA men's tournament top 16 seeds:
| 1 | Auburn (No. 1 Seed --South Region) |
| 2 | Alabama (No. 1 Seed -- Midwest Region) |
| 3 | Duke (No. 1 Seed -- East Region) |
| 4 | Florida (No. 1 Seed -- West Region) |
| 5 | Tennessee |
| 6 | Texas A&M |
| 7 | Purdue |
| 8 | Houston |
| 9 | Iowa State |
| 10 | Kentucky |
| 11 | Wisconsin |
| 12 | Arizona |
| 13 | Texas Tech |
| 14 | Michigan |
| 15 | Kansas |
| 16 | St. John's |
The NCAA men's tournament committee bracket
| South Region | Midwest Region | East Region | West Region |
| 1. Auburn | 1. Alabama (2) | 1. Duke (3) | 1. Florida (4) |
| 2. Texas A&M (6) | 2. Purdue (7) | 2. Tennessee (5) | 2. Houston (8) |
| 3. Wisconsin (11) | 3. Iowa State (9) | 3. Arizona (12) | 3. Kentucky (10) |
| 4. Texas Tech !13) | 4. Kansas (15) | 4. St. John's (16) | 4. Michigan (14) |
When is Selection Sunday?
The 68-team field will be revealed on Selection Sunday, March 16, and the First Four takes place March 18 and 19 in Dayton, Ohio.
First- and second-round games will take place from March 20-23. The regionals in Newark , New Jersey (East), San Francisco (West), Atlanta (South) and Indianapolis (Midwest) are scheduled for March 27-30, with the Alamodome in San Antonio hosting the Final Four on April 4 and 6.