Sixty-four teams comprise the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket and 26 are from Southern programs. The teams were announced yesterday after conference championships were decided. Toping the list of teams from the South are North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke, Louisville, Baylor, Florida and Florida State.
North Carolina Central, Wake Forest and New Orleans must win qualifying games early this week to determine the final bracket. However, if all three advance, 40 percent of the 64 teams will be from programs from below the Mason-Dixon line.
Here is a list of Southern NCAA programs and their seeds competing in each of the four regional tournaments that begin on Thursday, March 16. Click here for a printable bracket.
South
North Carolina (1)
Kentucky (2)
Arkansas (8)
Wake Forest (11)
Middle TN (12)
Northern Kentucky (15)
Texas Southern (16)
East Region
Duke (2)
Baylor (3)
Florida (4)
Virginia (5)
SMU (6)
South Carolina (7)
Virginia Tech (9)
UNC Wilmington (12)
East Tenn. St. (13)
Troy, AL (15)
New Orleans (16)
Midwest
Louisville (2)
Miami, FL (8)
NC Central (16)
Jacksonville St. (15)
West
Florida St. (3)
Vanderbilt (9)
VCU (10)
Fla. Gulf Coast (14)