We have officially reached my favorite time of year.
The clock has been pushed forward an hour, we don’t have to end the day at 4:30 p.m. as the sun sets, and the craziness of March Madness has finally arrived.
For the next three weeks, we’ll be glued to our televisions from dawn to dusk, watching the most unpredictable tournament in the world. Legends are created in March, and you can bet that we’ll be granted a few moments that will last a lifetime in the 2022 NCAA tournament.
As expected, Gonzaga is the No. 1 overall seed, one year after falling to Baylor in the tournament final.
“A great learning experience,” Gonzaga’s Drew Timme called last year’s second-place finish in an interview on ESPN. “Obviously, things didn’t go the way we wanted. But it allowed for a lot of self-growth for the program. We’re excited for the challenge.”
Duke is the two seed in the West bracket, followed by Texas Tech and Arkansas. Duke, in what will be Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final NCAA tournament, stumbled down the stretch, losing to North Carolina in their final regular season game and falling to Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament final.
The Arizona Wildcats earn the one-seed in the South Bracket, with Villanova and Tennessee — a team that beat Arizona early in the season — coming in as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Illinois is the four-seed in the South.
“Obviously it’s a great honor to be a 1-seed and the guys were very deserving,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said. “They’ve had an incredible year and, and we’re excited going forward. I’m familiar a little bit with (potential opponents), but obviously have a lot to learn.”
The Kansas Jayhawks are once again a one-seed, heading to the Midwest bracket, after winning the Big 12 regular season and tournament title. It’s the ninth time Head Coach Bill Self has won both the regular season and tournament title in the same season.
“I’m happy,” Self said. “I never love our draw. And I probably don’t this year either. I certainly don’t hate it. It’s going to be hard regardless. I look more when I see the draw, rather than looking at opponents, to see we’re a one seed. So work your butt off all year to earn that. We had to earn it. And then I see Fort Worth and Chicago if things go well. And those are both seven, seven and a half hour drives and direct flights in alumni-rich areas. So I think it was about a good a Sunday afternoon as we could have. But that doesn’t really include who we’re playing yet.”
A dangerous Auburn team is the two-seed, with Wisconsin and Providence rounding out the top-four.
The defending champions, the Baylor Bears, are the one-seed in a tough East region. Kentucky comes in as the two-seed, followed by Purdue and UCLA.
UCLA returns almost the entire roster from the 2021 Final Four team, and Purdue boasts one of the best players in the country in Jaden Ivy.
Dayton, Oklahoma, SMU, and Texas A&M were the last four teams out. The entire bracket can be seen below.
West Region
No. 1 Gonzaga
No. 16 Georgia State
No. 8 Boise State
No. 9 Memphis
No. 5 UCONN
No. 12 New Mexico State
No. 4 Arkansas
No. 13 Vermont
No. 6 Alabama
No. 11 Rutgers/Notre Dame
No. 3 Texas Tech
No. 14 Montana State
No. 7 Michigan State
No. 10 Davidson
No. 2 Duke
No. 15 CS Fullerton
South Region
No. 1 Arizona
No. 16 Wright State/Bryant
No. 8 Seton Hall
No. 9 TCU
No. 5 Houston
No. 12 UAB
No. 4 Illinois
No. 13 Chattanooga
No. 6 Colorado State
No. 11 Michigan
No. 3 Tennessee
No. 14 Longwood
No. 7 Ohio State
No. 10 Loyola Chicago
No. 2 Villanova
No. 15 Delaware
Midwest Region
No. 1 Kansas
No. 16 Texas Southern/Texas A&M-CC
No. 8 San Diego State
No. 9 Creighton
No. 5 Iowa
No. 12 Richmond
No. 4 Providence
No. 13 South Dakota State
No. 6 LSU
No. 11 Iowa State
No. 3 Wisconsin
No. 14 Colgate
No. 7 USC
No. 10 Miami (FL)
No. 2 Auburn
No. 15 Jacksonville State
East Region
No. 1 Baylor
No. 16 Norfolk State
No. 8 North Carolina
No. 9 Marquette
No. 5 Saint Mary’s
No. 12 Wyoming/Indiana
No. 4 UCLA
No. 13 Akron
No. 6 Texas
No. 11 Virginia Tech
No. 3 Purdue
No. 14 Yale
No. 7 Murray State
No. 10 San Francisco
No. 2 Kentucky
No. 15 Saint Peter’s
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Source: Dailywire
