The NCAA men's basketball tournament is set to start in a few short weeks and anticipation is growing for the competition to unfold. Eight teams will battle for the chance to advance to the 64-team tournament and be in contention for the no. 1 seed Among the contenders are Purdue, Alabama, Houston, Kansas and UCLA with Houston the favorite to take it all. Y
The tournament will begin with the first four games in Dayton, followed by the round of 64 on Thursday and Friday. The Elite Eight will occur on March 25-26 and the Final Four and National Championship Game will take place April 1-3 in Houston, Texas.
The tournament was revealed on Selection Sunday with Alabama, Kansas, Houston and Purdue claiming the No. Seeds 1 seeds. Eight teams competed for the two final spots in the tournament including Providence, Pitt, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Clemson and Nevada. North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Oregon and Michigan were all on the edge of the field.
The Big Ten, the Big 12, SEC, ACC, Big East, Pac-12, Mountain West, American Athletic and the West Coast were all represented in the tournament. Iona reclaimed its usual place as Metro Atlantic champions after defeating UMass Lowell in the league title game, while Vermont was playing in its fourth NCAA Tournament since 2017.
Speculation around Gaels Coach Rick Pitino's next coaching destination included Virginia, Albany and Orlando, while Vermont, Howard, Duke, Texas and Xavier were all potential NCAA tournament destinations. Penn State, Texas A&M, Marquette, Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, UCLA and San Diego State were all mentioned as having good chances of making it to the tournament, and Grand Canyon was mentioned as being on the brink of making their second NCAA trip in three years.
As the tournament approaches, fans and players alike await the excitement that comes with the competition. With teams from all over the country vying for the chance to be crowned Champions, this NCAA Tournament promises to be one to remember.