Selection Sunday did not disappoint this year, with several teams making it into March Madness despite being underdog candidates. North Carolina, which has struggled in recent games, managed to squeak in as the last team, thanks to its strong performance against Quad 2 teams.
Texas also made it in, despite having a poor record, as the Southeastern Conference claimed a record 14 spots in the tournament. Auburn, seeded first, received top billing despite losing three of its last four games. Coach Rick Pitino’s St. John’s team made it into the tournament for an unprecedented sixth time.
The SEC dominated the field, taking up 42.5% of the 68 available spots. The conference’s strength was evident in its schedule, with many teams facing tough opponents. This year’s bracket promises to be exciting, with potential matchups between top seeds and underdog teams.
Other notable teams include No. 1 seed Florida, which is looking to win it all, and Michigan State, led by coach Tom Izzo, who will face America East champion Bryant in the opener.
The tournament begins on Tuesday with the First Four games, followed by 32 games at eight sites around the country. Fans can follow along with AP’s full coverage of March Madness and sign up for poll alerts to stay updated throughout the season.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-selection-sunday-c1cc0adf873ea9a98dd286c0b464d5d2