The 2016 NCAA Tournament is almost upon us, with the release of the March Madness bracket on Sunday night. And if you're looking for an oddity, Kansas topping the South Region may well be it.
2016 NCAA Tournament bracket: No. 1 seed Kansas tops South Region
Kansas and Villanova makes for a loaded top two in the South.
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas should still get a fair bit of home-region advantage in the South, which will play Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games in Louisville: The Cardinals were not eligible for this NCAA Tournament after self-imposed penalties and Kentucky was sent elsewhere, avoiding the potential of a South Region final in which the No. 1 seed’s fans were a minority.
The No. 2 seed in the South is Villanova, considered a strong candidate to earn a No. 1 seed after dominance in the Big East, and the No. 3 is Miami, which had another fine season under Jim Larranaga.
Perhaps the most surprising part of the South? The inclusion of Vanderbilt as a No. 11 seed -- and one that will play against No. 11 Wichita State, considered the nation’s best mid-major this year. The Commodores lost their first game at the SEC Tournament to Tennessee, and were considered an unlikely inclusion in this year’s field.
Here’s the full listing of teams in the South Region.
2016 NCAA Tournament South Region
Seed List
- Kansas
- Villanova
- Miami
- California
- Maryland
- Arizona
- Iowa
- Colorado
- UConn
- Temple
- Vanderbilt OR Wichita State
- South Dakota State
- Hawai’i
- Buffalo
- UNC Asheville
- Austin Peay
Bracket
Tuesday, March 15 (Dayton)
No. 11 Vanderbilt vs. No. 11 Wichita State
Thursday, March 17 (Des Moines)
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Austin Peay
No. 8 Colorado vs. No. 9 UConn
Friday, March 17 (Spokane)
No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 South Dakota State
No. 4 California vs. No. 13 Hawai’i
Friday, March 18 (Brooklyn)
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 UNC Asheville
No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Temple
Thursday, March 17 (Providence)
No. 3 Miami vs. No. 14 Buffalo
No. 6 Arizona vs. No. 11 Vanderbilt or No. 11 Wichita State
* * *
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