NCAA Basketball Tournament: Revealing the Top Seeds for Men and Women

The stage is set for March Madness and now it's your turn to fill out your brackets.

Leading the men's field is defending champion Connecticut, while the women's top seed belongs to undefeated South Carolina.

The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament has other top seeds like the Purdue Boilermakers, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Houston Cougars.

For the women’s tournament, the top seeds are the Iowa Hawkeyes, Southern California Trojans, and Texas Longhorns.

The events kick off with play-in games known as the First Four. This will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday for the men, and Wednesday and Thursday for the women.

The men's No. 2 seeds include the Iowa State Cyclones, Marquette Golden Eagles, Tennessee Volunteers, and Arizona Wildcats.

The Wildcats are set to play against No. 15 seed Long Beach State in the upcoming game. Despite recently firing their head coach, Long Beach State managed to win the Big West Conference Tournament, securing their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012.

Kentucky, a traditional powerhouse team, has been given a No. 3 seed in the tournament. Meanwhile, Duke and Kansas have both been seeded as No. 4 in their respective brackets.

South Carolina, the No. 1 overall seed in the women's tournament, just won their second straight SEC Tournament. They are aiming to be the tenth team in women's Division I history to end the season as undefeated champions. Their next game will be against the winner of the Sacred Heart and Presbyterian match in the First Four.

In the previous year, South Carolina had a perfect record in the SEC regular season and tournament, but they were unexpectedly defeated by Iowa in the Final Four.

Caitlin Clark, the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, has led the Hawkeyes to a No. 1 seed for the third time in program history. This is the first time since 1992 that the Hawkeyes have secured this top seed. In the first round, they will face either Holy Cross or Tennessee-Martin.

Last year, Iowa made it to the national championship game but unfortunately lost to Louisiana State. This year, Louisiana State is a No. 3 seed in the tournament.

How were teams picked?

Thirty-two teams automatically qualified in both the men’s and women’s tournament by virtue of winning their respective conference tournaments.

After the initial teams are chosen, a selection committee decides on the remaining teams to fill up the total of 68 teams in the tournament. Teams ranked from No. 64 to No. 68 compete in the First Four play-in tournament for a chance to advance to the final 64 teams.

Selection Sunday marks the conclusion of weeks of anticipation for college basketball enthusiasts who have been trying to forecast which teams will ultimately make it to the final bracket.

Zach Edey of the Purdue Boilermakers blocks a shot during the second half of a game against Ohio State.

Zach Edey of the Purdue Boilermakers blocks a shot during the second half of a game against Ohio State.

Fans and casual observers can now participate in the nationwide tradition of filling out brackets to predict the results of the tournament. This tradition has attracted various participants, including US Presidents Barack Obama and George H.W. Bush, as well as Jimmy Fallon.

What comes next?

With Selection Sunday wrapping up, fans have just two days left to complete their brackets before the men's tournament kicks off on March 19, followed by the women's tournament starting the next day. After that, get ready for a flurry of games as the full schedule can be found below.

Men’s tournament

First Four: March 19-20

First round: March 21-22

Second round: March 23-24

Sweet 16: March 28-29

Elite Eight: March 30-31

Final Four: Saturday, April 6

NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8

Women’s tournament

First Four: March 20-21

First round: March 22-23

Second round: March 24-25

Sweet 16: March 29-30

Elite Eight: March 31-April 1

Final Four: Friday, April 5

NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 7

Men’s games, by region

Men’s matchups, by region

East

Connecticut vs. Stetson; Florida Atlantic vs. Northwestern; San Diego State vs. Alabama at Birmingham; Auburn vs. Yale

Brigham Young vs. Duquesne; Illinois vs. Morehead State; Washington State vs. Drake; Iowa State vs. South Dakota State

South

Houston will be playing against Longwood, Nebraska will be facing Texas A&M, Wisconsin will be taking on James Madison, and Duke will be competing against Vermont.

In another set of matchups, Texas Tech will be playing against NC State, Kentucky will be facing Oakland, Florida will be playing against the winner of Boise State-Colorado, and Marquette will be facing Western Kentucky.

Midwest

Purdue vs. winner of Montana State-Grambling State; Utah State vs. Texas Christian; Gonzaga vs. McNeese; Kansas vs. Samford

South Carolina vs. Oregon; Creighton vs. Akron; Texas vs. winner of Virginia-Colorado State; Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s

West

In the first round of the tournament, North Carolina will face the winner of Howard-Wagner, while Mississippi State will go up against Michigan State. Saint Mary's (California) will compete against Grand Canyon, and Alabama will take on Charleston.

In another set of matchups, Clemson will play against New Mexico, Baylor will challenge Colgate, Dayton will face Nevada, and Arizona will meet Long Beach State.

Women’s matchups, by regions

Region 1 Albany

In the upcoming matches, South Carolina will face the winner of Sacred Heart-Presbyterian, while North Carolina will go up against Michigan State. Indiana will be playing against Fairfield, and Oklahoma will be taking on Florida Gulf Coast.

In other matchups, Nebraska will be going head to head with Texas A&M, while Oregon State will be playing against Eastern Washington. Mississippi will face off against Marquette, and Notre Dame will be competing against Kent State.

Region 2 Albany

Iowa vs. winner of Holy Cross-Tennessee Martin; West Virginia vs. Princeton; Colorado vs. Drake; Kansas State vs. Portland

Louisville vs. Middle Tennessee State; Louisiana State vs. Rice; Creighton vs. Nevada-Las Vegas; UCLA vs. California Baptist

Region 3 Portland

Southern California will be facing off against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, while Kansas will be playing against Michigan. Baylor will be taking on the winner of Vanderbilt versus Columbia, and Virginia Tech will be matched up against Marshall.

In the next round, Syracuse will play against the winner of Auburn versus Arizona, while Connecticut will be facing off against Jackson State. Duke will be going up against Richmond, and Ohio State will be playing against Maine.

Region 4 Portland

Texas vs. Drexel; Alabama vs. Florida State; Utah vs. South Dakota State; Gonzaga vs. Cal Irvine

Tennessee vs. Green Bay; North Carolina State vs. Chattanooga; Iowa State vs. Maryland; Stanford vs. Norfolk State

Names to watch

Caitlin Clark has become a standout in college basketball this year, breaking records and gaining widespread attention. She has reached a level where she can demand high ticket prices and secure profitable sponsorship deals. Her influence extends beyond the court, with the term "Clark-onomics" being used to describe her significant presence in popular culture.

The 22-year-old is now the top scorer in NCAA Division-I basketball for both men's and women's teams this year. She has also broken NBA star Steph Curry's record for the most three-pointers made in a single NCAA Division-1 season.

She aims to guide the Iowa Hawkeyes to an NCAA championship victory before moving on to the WNBA. She is expected to be the first overall pick in this year's draft.

Angel Reese

Angel Reese is another of the tournament’s biggest stars, following her crucial role in propelling LSU to its first ever women’s college basketball title last year.

Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after breaking the NCAA women's all-time scoring record last month.

Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after breaking the NCAA women's all-time scoring record last month.

LSU secured a No. 3 seed on Selection Sunday, despite losing to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament championship game. Despite this setback, LSU is still considered a strong contender to defend its title.

Reed Sheppard

Despite the perceived decline in star power in men's college basketball this season, there are still promising NBA-ready talents to watch out for. One of them is Kentucky's very own Reed Sheppard.

Zach Edey, the sharpshooting combo guard, is predicted to be chosen as the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA mock draft by Bleacher Report. This is the highest projection for any college player. His scoring performance at the end of the season has caught the attention of NBA scouts. His talent for scoring and defending against opponents makes him a player to keep an eye on during the tournament.

Another player to keep an eye on is Zach Edey. Standing at seven-foot-four and weighing 300 pounds, he is the tallest player in Big Ten conference history and currently holds the title of consensus national player of the year.

Although his impressive post skills and footwork may not necessarily transfer well to the NBA, Edey is a force to be reckoned with in college basketball. He aims to lead Purdue, a top contender in the tournament, to a national championship.

CNN’s Sam Joseph and Steve Almasy contributed reporting.

Editor's P/S:

The excitement for March Madness is palpable, with the stage set for both the men's and women's NCAA Division I basketball tournaments. Defending champions UConn and South Carolina lead the fields as top seeds, but the competition is fierce with other powerhouses like Purdue, North Carolina, and Houston in the mix for the men, and Iowa, Southern California, and Texas for the women. The First Four play-in games will determine the final teams to join the field of 68, adding to the anticipation.

Caitlin Clark of Iowa and Angel Reese of LSU are among the standout players to watch in the women's tournament, while Reed Sheppard and Zach Edey will be key figures to follow in the men's bracket. The tournament offers a platform for these talented athletes to showcase their skills and pursue their championship dreams, while fans can revel in the thrilling matches and the unpredictable nature of March Madness.