2017 NCAA tournament bracket: South region headlined by North Carolina, Kentucky

The NCAA tournament’s field of 68 has arrived, and it features North Carolina as the top seed in the South region. The Tar Heels will be the favorite in every game they play until at least the Final Four as they gun for a sixth national title.

North Carolina is trying to avenge a brutal ending to last year’s tournament, when it came out on the downside of Villanova’s title-winning buzzer-beater. This team is a little different than that one, but a lot of the principals are still the same. The Heels still have an elite offense and a good defense. Roy Williams is still the coach, and the top four scorers are all returners, led by ACC Player of the Year Justin Jackson.

The Heels do a lot of the same things they did on their title run, in addition to having most of the same personnel. They’re still an elite offensive rebounding team, they still move the ball quickly, and they still defend. They’ll still be hard to beat.

They beat out Duke for the No. 1 seed in this region after the Blue Devils beat them and won the ACC. It’s a bit surprising that UNC hung on to a No. 1 after losing twice to Duke, but it probably suggests the selection committee loved the Heels all along.

The South’s Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games are March 24 and 26 in Memphis, Tenn. Whoever emerges goes to Glendale, Ariz., for the Final Four. That’s a bit of a ways from right now, but the tournament’s going to pass us by in a flash, so let’s enjoy it.