The NCAA Tournament brackets were released today and after Texas' late season fade, they were deemed worthy of only the fourth seed in the West. They'll take on the Oakland Golden Bears in the first round, and Arizona or Memphis will be waiting for them if they get past that game. It comes as a strong rebuke of traditional bracketologists, who had Texas right on the edge of a No. 2 or No. 3 seed. Instead, they were dropped all the way to the four seed line.
Texas A&M was also knocked down a few lines. They were a No. 5 seed in Joe Lunardi's last Bracketology, but they wound up as a No. 7 seed in the Southwest Region, where they'll take on the Florida St. Seminoles. Should they advance there, they'd take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish or the Akron Zips in the second round.
Conference USA managed to get two teams in the tournament as the UAB Blazers, despite getting bounced in the second round of the conference tournament in El Paso, made the last cut. Memphis will take on the Arizona Wildcats in the first round after winning the tournament. Southland Conference champions Texas-San Antonio and SWAC conference champions Alabama State will meet in the first round to see who gets sacrificed to Ohio State.
The full bracket is below:
EAST REGION
1) Ohio State Buckeyes
16) Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners/Alabama St. Hornets
8) George Mason Patriots
9) Villanova Wildcats
5) West Virginia Mountaineers
12) UAB Blazers/Clemson Tigers
4) Kentucky Wildcats
13) Princeton Tigers
6) Xavier Musketeers
11) Marquette Golden Eagles
3) Syracuse Orange
14) Indiana St. Sycamores
7) Washington Huskies
10) Georgia Bulldogs
2) North Carolina Tar Heels
15) Long Island Blackbirds
SOUTHWEST REGION
1) Kansas Jayhawks
16) Boston University Terriers
8) UNLV Runnin' Rebels
9) Illinois Fighting Illini
5) Vanderbilt Commodores
12) Richmond Spiders
4) Louisville Cardinals
13) Morehead St. Eagles
6) Georgetown Hoyas
11) USC Trojans/Va. Commonwealth Rams
3) Purdue Boilermakers
14) Saint Peter's Peacocks
7) Texas A&M Aggies
10) Florida St. Seminoles
2) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
15) Akron Zips
SOUTHEAST REGION
1) Pittsburgh Panthers
16) UNC Asheville Bulldogs/ Arkansas Little-Rock Trojans
8) Butler Bulldogs
9) Old Dominion Monarchs
5) Kansas St. Wildcats
12) Utah St. Aggies
4) Wisconsin Badgers
13) Belmont Bruins
6) St. John's Red Storm
11) Gonzaga Bulldogs
3) BYU Cougars
14) Wofford Terriers
7) UCLA Bruins
10) Michigan St. Spartans
2) Florida Gators
15) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
WEST REGION
1) Duke Blue Devils
16) Hampton Pirates
8) Michigan Wolverines
9) Tennessee Volunteers
5) Arizona Wildcats
12) Memphis Tigers
4) Texas Longhorns
13) Oakland Golden Grizzlies
6) Cincinnati Bearcats
11) Missouri Tigers
3) Connecticut Huskies
14) Bucknell Bison